Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signalling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training

We investigated functional, morphological and molecular adaptations to strength training exercise and cold water immersion (CWI) through two separate studies. In one study, 21 physically active men strength trained for 12 weeks (2 d⋅wk–1), with either 10 min of CWI or active recovery (ACT) after each training session. Strength and muscle mass increased more in the ACT group than in the CWI group (P<0.05). Isokinetic work (19%), type II muscle fibre cross-sectional area (17%) and the number of myonuclei per fibre (26%) increased in the ACT group (all P<0.05) but not the CWI group. In another study, nine active men performed a bout of single-leg strength exercises on separate days, followed by CWI or ACT. Muscle biopsies were collected before and 2, 24 and 48 h after exercise. The number of satellite cells expressing neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) (10−30%) and paired box protein (Pax7)(20−50%) increased 24–48 h after exercise with ACT. The number of NCAM+ satellitecells increased 48 h after exercise with CWI. NCAM+- and Pax7+-positivesatellite cell numbers were greater after ACT than after CWI (P<0.05). Phosphorylation of p70S6 kinaseThr421/Ser424 increased after exercise in both conditions but was greater after ACT (P<0.05). These data suggest that CWI attenuates the acute changes in satellite cell numbers and activity of kinases that regulate muscle hypertrophy, which may translate to smaller long-term training gains in muscle strength and hypertrophy. The use of CWI as a regular post-exercise recovery strategy should be reconsidered.

Long-lasting semantic interference effects in object naming are not necessarily conceptually mediated

Long-lasting interference effects in picture naming are induced when objects are presented in categorically related contexts in both continuous and blocked cyclic paradigms. Less consistent context effects have been reported when the task is changed to semantic classification. Experiment 1 confirmed the recent finding of cumulative facilitation in the continuous paradigm with living/non-living superordinate categorization. To avoid a potential confound involving participants responding with the identical superordinate category in related contexts in the blocked cyclic paradigm, we devised a novel set of categorically related objects that also varied in terms of relative age – a core semantic type associated with the adjective word class across languages. Experiment 2 demonstrated the typical interference effect with these stimuli in basic level naming. In Experiment 3, using the identical blocked cyclic paradigm, we failed to observe semantic context effects when the same pictures were classified as younger–older. Overall, the results indicate the semantic context effects in the two paradigms do not share a common origin, with the effect in the continuous paradigm arising at the level of conceptual representations or in conceptual-to-lexical connections while the effect in the blocked cyclic paradigm most likely originates at a lexical level of representation. The implications of these findings for current accounts of long-lasting interference effects in spoken word production are discussed.

Modelling of Electric Fields

South Africa has an electrical transmission grid of over 25 000 km of overhead power lines with voltages of 132 kV to 765 kV. The grid has been largely designed and built by the power utility, Eskom. This book embodies the planning philosophies, design principles and construction practices of Eskom. It is the culmination of decades of thought, study, research and the practical experience of many overhead power line engineers and researchers. The book covers the main aspects of overhead power line design and construction, from electrical first principles, system planning, insulation co-ordination (including live line working), mechanical design through to environmental impact management and power line communications. The content emphasises the need for close interaction between all technical disciplines involved and the importance of optimising designs for economy and performance. Additional challenges in South Africa are the relatively high altitude of the interior plateau (1 000 m to 1 700 m above sea level), severe lightning in some areas and long transmission distances. The book explains how these factors are accommodated in modern designs. Other advanced work covered includes the use and understanding of polymeric insulators, the judicious reduction of phase-to-phase spacings and the adoption of guyed structures.

Academic potential and cognitive functioning of long-term survivors after childhood liver transplantation

This cross-sectional study assessed intellect, cognition, academic function, behaviour, and emotional health of long-term survivors after childhood liver transplantation. Eligible children were >5 yr post-transplant, still attending school, and resident in Queensland. Hearing and neurocognitive testing were performed on 13 transplanted children and six siblings including two twin pairs where one was transplanted and the other not. Median age at testing was 13.08 (range 6.52-16.99) yr; time elapsed after transplant 10.89 (range 5.16-16.37) yr; and age at transplant 1.15 (range 0.38-10.00) yr. Mean full-scale IQ was 97 (81-117) for transplanted children and 105 (87-130) for siblings. No difficulties were identified in intellect, cognition, academic function, and memory and learning in transplanted children or their siblings, although both groups had reduced mathematical ability compared with normal. Transplanted patients had difficulties in executive functioning, particularly in self-regulation, planning and organization, problem-solving, and visual scanning. Thirty-one percent (4/13) of transplanted patients, and no siblings, scored in the clinical range for ADHD. Emotional difficulties were noted in transplanted patients but were not different from their siblings. Long-term liver transplant survivors exhibit difficulties in executive function and are more likely to have ADHD despite relatively intact intellect and cognition.

A candidate gene association study for growth performance in an improved Giant Freshwater Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) culture line

A candidate gene approach using type I single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers can provide an effective method for detecting genes and gene regions that underlie phenotypic variation in adaptively significant traits. In the absence of available genomic data resources, transcriptomes were recently generated in Macrobrachium rosenbergii to identify candidate genes and markers potentially associated with growth. The characterisation of 47 candidate loci by ABI re-sequencing of four cultured and eight wild samples revealed 342 putative SNPs. Among these, 28 SNPs were selected in 23 growth-related candidate genes to genotype in 200 animals selected for improved growth performance in an experimental GFP culture line in Vietnam. The associations between SNP markers and individual growth performance were then examined. For additive and dominant effects, a total of three exonic SNPs in glycogen phosphorylase (additive), heat shock protein 90 (additive and dominant) and peroxidasin (additive), and a total of six intronic SNPs in ankyrin repeats-like protein (additive and dominant), rolling pebbles (dominant), transforming growth factor-β induced precursor (dominant), and UTP-glucose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase 2 (dominant) genes showed significant associations with the estimated breeding values in the experimental animals (P =0.001−0.031). Individually, they explained 2.6−4.8 % of the genetic variance (R2=0.026−0.048). This is the first large set of SNP markers reported for M. rosenbergii and will be useful for confirmation of associations in other samples or culture lines as well as having applications in marker-assisted selection in future breeding programs.

Are we waiting too long for the cardiovascular outcome trials with the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists?

Several new medicines are in development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular outcome trials are the gold standard for these medicines. This editorial demonstrates that despite being available for over 10 years, there are no cardiovascular outcome studies for any of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, which demonstrate cardiovascular safety or benefit in subjects with high cardiovascular risk. The author argues that the FDA should be ensuring that clinical outcome studies for subjects with type 2 diabetes and high cardiovascular risk be undertaken in a timelier manner.

Combination inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta2-agonists for children and adults with bronchiectasis

BACKGROUND Bronchiectasis is a major contributor to chronic respiratory morbidity and mortality worldwide. Wheeze and other asthma-like symptoms and bronchial hyperreactivity may occur in people with bronchiectasis. Physicians often use asthma treatments in patients with bronchiectasis. OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of inhaled long-acting beta2-agonists (LABA) combined with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in children and adults with bronchiectasis during (1) acute exacerbations and (2) stable state. SEARCH METHODS The Cochrane Airways Group searched the the Cochrane Airways Group Specialised Register of Trials, which includes records identified from the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE and other databases. The Cochrane Airways Group performed the latest searches in October 2013. SELECTION CRITERIA All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of combined ICS and LABA compared with a control (placebo, no treatment, ICS as monotherapy) in children and adults with bronchiectasis not related to cystic fibrosis (CF). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two review authors extracted data independently using standard methodological procedures as expected by The Cochrane Collaboration. MAIN RESULTS We found no RCTs comparing ICS and LABA combination with either placebo or usual care. We included one RCT that compared combined ICS and LABA with high-dose ICS in 40 adults with non-CF bronchiectasis without co-existent asthma. All participants received three months of high-dose budesonide dipropionate treatment (1600 micrograms). After three months, participants were randomly assigned to receive either high-dose budesonide dipropionate (1600 micrograms per day) or a combination of budesonide with formoterol (640 micrograms of budesonide and 18 micrograms of formoterol) for three months. The study was not blinded. We assessed it to be an RCT with overall high risk of bias. Data analysed in this review showed that those who received combined ICS-LABA (in stable state) had a significantly better transition dyspnoea index (mean difference (MD) 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40 to 2.18) and cough-free days (MD 12.30, 95% CI 2.38 to 22.2) compared with those receiving ICS after three months of treatment. No significant difference was noted between groups in quality of life (MD -4.57, 95% CI -12.38 to 3.24), number of hospitalisations (odds ratio (OR) 0.26, 95% CI 0.02 to 2.79) or lung function (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC)). Investigators reported 37 adverse events in the ICS group versus 12 events in the ICS-LABA group but did not mention the number of individuals experiencing adverse events. Hence differences between groups were not included in the analyses. We assessed the overall evidence to be low quality. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS In adults with bronchiectasis without co-existent asthma, during stable state, a small single trial with a high risk of bias suggests that combined ICS-LABA may improve dyspnoea and increase cough-free days in comparison with high-dose ICS. No data are provided for or against, the use of combined ICS-LABA in adults with bronchiectasis during an acute exacerbation, or in children with bronchiectasis in a stable or acute state. The absence of high quality evidence means that decisions to use or discontinue combined ICS-LABA in people with bronchiectasis may need to take account of the presence or absence of co-existing airway hyper-responsiveness and consideration of adverse events associated with combined ICS-LABA.

Vaccination of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) with a recombinant chlamydial major outer membrane protein adjuvanted with poly I:C, a host defense peptide and polyphosphazine, elicits strong and long lasting cellular and humoral immune responses

Chlamydial infections are wide spread in koalas across their range and a solution to this debilitating disease has been sought for over a decade. Antibiotics are the currently accepted therapeutic measure, but are not an effective treatment due to the asymptomatic nature of some infections and a low efficacy rate. Thus, a vaccine would be an ideal way to address this infectious disease threat in the wild. Previous vaccine trials have used a three-dose regimen; however this is very difficult to apply in the field as it would require multiple capture events, which are stressful and invasive processes for the koala. In addition, it requires skilled koala handlers and a significant monetary investment. To overcome these challenges, in this study we utilized a polyphosphazine based poly I:C and a host defense peptide adjuvant combined with recombinant chlamydial major outer membrane protein (rMOMP) antigen to induce long lasting (54 weeks) cellular and humoral immunity in female koalas with a novel single immunizing dose. Immunized koalas produced a strong IgG response in plasma, as well as at mucosal sites. Moreover, they showed high levels of C. pecorum specific neutralizing antibodies in the plasma as well as vaginal and conjunctival secretions. Lastly, Chlamydia-specific lymphocyte proliferation responses were produced against both whole chlamydial elementary bodies and rMOMP protein, over the 12-month period. The results of this study suggest that a single dose rMOMP vaccine incorporating a poly I:C, host defense peptide and polyphosphazine adjuvant is able to stimulate both arms of the immune system in koalas, thereby providing an alternative to antibiotic treatment and/or a three-dose vaccine regime.

Long, vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes from plasmas: Morpho-kinetic and alignment controls

The enhanced large-scale model and numerical simulations are used to clarify the growth mechanism and the differences between the plasma- and neutral gas-grown carbon nanotubes, and to reveal the underlying physics and the key growth parameters. The results show that the nanotubes grown by plasma can be longer due to the effects of hydrocarbon ions with velocities aligned with the nanotubes. We show that the low-temperature growth is possible when the hydrocarbon ion flux dominates over fluxes of other species. We have also analysed the dependencies of the nanotube growth rates on nanotube and process parameters. The results are verified by a direct comparison with the experimental data. The model is generic and can be used for other types of carbon nanostructures such as carbon nanowalls, vertical graphenes, etc.

Tissue requirements for establishing long-term CD4+ T cell-mediated immunity following Leishmania donovani infection

Organ-specific immunity is a feature of many infectious diseases, including visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania donovani. Experimental visceral leishmaniasis in genetically susceptible mice is characterized by an acute, resolving infection in the liver and chronic infection in the spleen. CD4+ T cell responses are critical for the establishment and maintenance of hepatic immunity in this disease model, but their role in chronically infected spleens remains unclear. In this study, we show that dendritic cells are critical for CD4+ T cell activation and expansion in all tissue sites examined. We found that FTY720-mediated blockade of T cell trafficking early in infection prevented Ag-specific CD4+ T cells from appearing in lymph nodes, but not the spleen and liver, suggesting that early CD4+ T cell priming does not occur in liver-draining lymph nodes. Extended treatment with FTY720 over the first month of infection increased parasite burdens, although this associated with blockade of lymphocyte egress from secondary lymphoid tissue, as well as with more generalized splenic lymphopenia. Importantly, we demonstrate that CD4+ T cells are required for the establishment and maintenance of antiparasitic immunity in the liver, as well as for immune surveillance and suppression of parasite outgrowth in chronically infected spleens. Finally, although early CD4+ T cell priming appeared to occur most effectively in the spleen, we unexpectedly revealed that protective CD4+ T cell-mediated hepatic immunity could be generated in the complete absence of all secondary lymphoid tissues.

Moffatt vortices induced by the motion of a contact line

A recent hydrodynamic theory of liquid slippage on a solid substrate (Kirkinis & Davis, Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 110, 2013, 234503) gives rise to a sequence of eddies (Moffatt vortices) that co-move with a moving contact line (CL) in a liquid wedge. The presence of these vortices is established through secular equations that depend on the dynamic contact angle α and capillary number Ca. The limiting case α→O is associated with the appearance of such vortices in a channel. The vortices are generated by the relative motion of the interfaces, which in turn is due to the motion of the CL. This effect has yet to be observed in experiment.

Archiving primary data: Solutions for long-term studies

The recent trend for journals to require open access to primary data included in publications has been embraced by many biologists, but has caused apprehension amongst researchers engaged in long-term ecological and evolutionary studies. A worldwide survey of 73 principal investigators (Pls) with long-term studies revealed positive attitudes towards sharing data with the agreement or involvement of the PI, and 93% of PIs have historically shared data. Only 8% were in favor of uncontrolled, open access to primary data while 63% expressed serious concern. We present here their viewpoint on an issue that can have non-trivial scientific consequences. We discuss potential costs of public data archiving and provide possible solutions to meet the needs of journals and researchers.

Controlling routine front line service workers: an Australian retail supermarket case

Food retail is known for its use of flexible labour and for the centralisation of functions at head office, resulting in a reduction of managerial autonomy at store level. This article employs a typology of controls developed from labour process scholarship to explore how retail managers negotiate the control of their predominantly part-time workforce. Using an Australian supermarket chain as a case, and mixed methods, the article demonstrates that supermarkets use a multiplicity of forms of control across their workforce. For front line service workers, the article identifies a new configuration of controls which intersects with employment status and acts differentially for checkout operators on different employment contracts.

Long-term effect of childhood liver transplantation on body cell mass

Malnutrition is common in end-stage liver disease, but a correction after transplantation is expected. Body cell mass (BCM) assessment using total body potassium (TBK) measurements is considered the gold standard for assessing nutritional status. The aim of this study was to examine the BCM and, therefore, nutritional status of long-term survivors after childhood liver transplantation. © 2014 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Long-term growth and anthropometry after childhood liver transplantation

Objectives: To describe longitudinal height, weight, and body mass index changes up to 15 years after childhood liver transplantation. Study design: Retrospective chart review of patients who underwent liver transplant from 1985-2004 was performed. Subjects were age <18 years at transplant, survived ≥5 years, with at least 2 recorded measurements, of which one was ≥5 years post-transplant. Measurements were recorded pre-transplant, 1, 5, 10, and 15 years later. Results: Height and weight data were available in 98 and 104 patients, respectively; 47% were age <2 years at transplant; 58% were Australian, and the rest were from Japan. Height recovery continued for at least 10 years to reach the 26th percentile (Z-score -0.67) 15 years after transplant. Australians had better growth recovery and attained 47th percentile (Z-score -0.06) at 15 years. Weight recovery was most marked in the first year and continued for 15 years even in well-nourished children. Growth impaired and malnourished children at transplant exhibited the best growth, but remained significantly shorter and lighter even 15 years later. No effect of sex or age at transplant was noted on height or weight recovery. Post-transplant factors significantly impact growth recovery and likely caused the dichotomous growth recovery between Australian and Japanese children; 9% (9/98) of patients were overweight on body mass index calculations at 10-15 years but none were obese. Conclusions: After liver transplant, children can expect ongoing height and weight recovery for at least 10-15 years. Growth impairment at transplant and post-transplant care significantly impact long-term growth recovery. Copyright © 2013 Mosby Inc. All rights reserved.