Is the flower still beautiful after hours and hours closed in a pocket? About representations, idealizations and disappointments in Augusto Abelaira

The present work proposes a reading of the artistic-intellectual project of the Portuguese writer Augusto Abelaira, from de novels The City of Flowers and Bolor, in order to place him in the scenery of the Portuguese neo-realism and the intellectual resistance against fascism. The expression of the idealizations and disappointments in the work of Abelaira points to an opposite direction to that identified with the socialist realism and with what was conventionally called doctrinaire neo-realism in Portugal before the public emergency of the controversy between those who defended the primacy of the content and another aesthetic response that problematizes the pre-eminence of a specular model. Thus, there never was an internal homogeneity neither aesthetic nor theoretical in the movement. The public emergency of this debate translates a controversy that is not confined to the aesthetic, but is, in its most profound dimension, theoretical and political. The objective of the work is to demonstrate the writing procedures of Augusto Abelaira as susceptible techniques to represent conceptions of life and of the world able to translate a social demand, that are, ultimately, writing programs appropriate to the envisioned transformations. Therefore, there is not one unique neo-realistic writing program, but there is a neo-realistic aesthetics which is the literary neo-realism itself that the works of Augusto Abelaira helps to compose.      Keywords: Augusto Abelaira; Intellectual writer; Neo-realism. 

An examination of fluctuations in the “concentration index” of purse seiners and baitboats in the fishery for tropical tunas in the Eastern Pacific, 1951-1961

ENGLISH: In the eastern Pacific Ocean nearly all of the commercial catches of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) are taken by two types of vessels, baitboats, which use pole and line in conjunction with live-bait, and purse-seiners. From its inception until very recently (1959), this fishery was dominated by baitboats. This method of fishing has been described by Godsil (1938) and Shimada and Schaefer (1956). From 1951 through 1958 baitboats caught between 66.4 and 90.8 per cent of the yellowfin and between 87.2 and 95.3 per cent of the skipjack landed by the California-based fleet. These vessels fished for tuna throughout the year and covered virtually all of the area from southern California to northern Chile. The purse-seine fishery for tunas developed out of the round-haul net fisheries for California sardines and other species. Scofield (1951) gives a detailed description of the development of gear and fishing methods. Prior to 1959 many of the seiners engaged in other fisheries during the fall and early winter months and consequently most of the fishing effort for tuna occurred in the period February-August. The vessels were quite small, averaging approximately 120 tons carrying capacity (Broadhead and Marshall, 1960), in comparison to the baitboats, of which the most numerous size-class was 201-300 tons. The seiners were naturally more restricted in range than the baitboats and most of their effort was restricted to the northern grounds. During the period 1959-61 most of the large baitboats were converted for purse-seining and the existing seiner fleet was modernized. These developments increased the range of the seiner fleet and resulted in a wider and more nearly even spatial and temporal distribution of effort. By the early part of 1961, the purse-seine fleet approximated the level of the preconversion baitboat fleet in amount of effort applied and area covered. The changes in the purse-seine fishery and the fishing methods employed in the modernized fleet are described by Orange and Broadhead (1959), Broadhead and Marshall (1960), McNeely (1961) and Broadhead (1962). The change in the relative importance of the two gears is illustrated by the decline in the proportion of the total logged tonnage landed by California-based baitboats, in comparison to the proportion landed by seiners. In 1959 baitboats landed 49.5 per cent of the yellowfin and 87.8 per cent of the skipjack. In 1960 these percentages were 22.9 and 74.7 respectively and in 1961 the decline continued to 12.6 per cent of the yellowfin and 30.0 per cent of the skipjack (Schaefer, 1962). In previous Bulletins of this Commission (Griffiths, 1960; Calkins, 1961) the baitboat catch and effort statistics were used to compute two indices of population density and an index of concentration of fishing effort and the fluctuations of these indices were analyzed in some detail. Due to the change in the relative importance of the two gears it is appropriate to extend this investigation to include the purse-seine data. The objectives of this paper are to compute two indices of population density and an index of concentration of fishing effort and to examine the fluctuations in these indices before and after the changes in the fishery. A further objective is to compare the purse-seine indices with those of the baitboats for the same time periods. SPANISH: En el Océano Pacífico Oriental casi todas las capturas comerciales del atún aleta amarilla (Thunnus albacares) y del barrilete (Katsuwonus pelamis) son efectuadas por dos tipos de barcos, los barcos de carnada que emplean la caña y el anzuelo en conjunto con la carnada viva, y los barcos rederos. Desde su comienzo hasta hace poco tiempo (1959), esta pesquería estaba dominada por los barcos de carnada. El método de pesca usado por estos barcos ha sido descrito por Godsil (1938) y por Shimada y Schaefer (1956). De 1951 a 1958, los barcos de carnada pescaron entre el 66.4 y el 90.8 por ciento del atún aleta amarilla y entre el 87.2 y el 95.3 por ciento del barrilete descargados por la flota que tiene su base en California. Estos barcos pescaron atún durante todo el año y cubrieron virtualmente toda el área de California meridional hasta la parte norte de Chile. La pesquería del atún con redes de cerco se originó en las pesquerías de las sardinas de California y otras especies, con redes que se remolcaban circularmente. Scofield (1951) dá una descripción detallada del desarrollo de los métodos y del equipo de pesca. Antes de 1959 muchos de los rederos se dedicaban a otras pesquerías durante los meses del otoño y a principios del invierno y consecuentemente, la mayor parte del esfuerzo depesca para la producción del atún ocurría en el período febrero-agosto. Las embarcaciones eran bastante pequeñas, con un promedio de aproximadamente 120 toneladas de capacidad para el transporte (Broadhead y Marshall, 1960) en comparación con los barcos de carnada, de los cuales la clase de tamaño más numerosa era de 201 a 300 toneladas. Los rederos estaban naturalmente más restringidos en su radio de acción que los barcos de carnada y la mayor parte de su esfuerzo se limitaba a las localidades del norte. Durante el período 1959-61, la mayoría de los grandes barcos de carnada fueron convertidos al sistema de pesca con redes de cerco, y se modernizó la flota existente de los rederos. Estos cambios aumentaron el alcance de la flota de los barcos rederos dando como resultado una distribución más amplia y casi más uniforme del esfuerzo espaciado y temporal. En la primera parte del año 1961, la flota de rederos se aproximó al nivel de la preconversión de la flota de clipers, en la cantidad de esfuerzo aplicado y al área comprendida. Los cambios en la pesquería con red y los métodos de pesca empleados en la flota modernizada, han sido descritos por Orange y Broadhead (1959), Broadl1ead y Marshall (1960), McNeely (1961) y Broadhead (1962). El cambio en la importancia relativa de los dos sistemas de pesca está ilustrado por la declinación en la proporción del tonelaje total registrado, como descargado por los barcos de carnada que tienen su base en California, comparado con la proporción desembarcada por los barcos rederos. En 1959 los clipers descargaron el 49.5 por ciento del atún aleta amarilla y el 87.8 por ciento del barrilete. En 1960 estos porcentajes fueron del 22.9 y 74.7 respectivamente, y en 1961 continuó la reducción hasta el 12.6 por ciento del atún aleta amarilla y el 30.0 por ciento del barrilete (Schaefer, 1962). En Boletines anteriores de la Comisión (Griffiths, 1960; Calkins, 1961) las estadísticas de la pesca y el esfuerzo de los clipers se utilizaron para computar dos índices de la densidad de población y un índice de la concentración del esfuerzo de pesca, y se analizaron algo detalladamente las fluctuaciones de estos índices. Debido al cambio en la importancia relativa de los dos sistemas de pesca, es conveniente extender esta investigación para incluir los datos correspondientes a los barcos rederos. Los objetivos del presente estudio son de computar dos índices de la densidad de población y un índice de la concentración del esfuerzo de pesca, y examinar las fluctuaciones en estos índices, antes y después de los cambios en la pesquería. Otro objetivo es de comparar los índices de los barcos rederos, con aquellos de los clipers en los mismos períodos de tiempo.

All-Cause Mortality up to and After Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke Events in European Middle-Aged Men The PRIME Study

Background and Purpose-The aim was to investigate prospectively the all-cause mortality risk up to and after coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke events in European middle-aged men.

Methods-The study population comprised 10 424 men 50 to 59 years of age recruited between 1991 and 1994 in France (N=7855) and Northern Ireland (N=2747) within the Prospective Epidemiological Study of Myocardial Infarction. Incident CHD and stroke events and deaths from all causes were prospectively registered during the 10-year follow-up. In Cox's proportional hazards regression analysis, CHD and stroke events during follow-up were used as time-dependent covariates.

Results-A total of 769 CHD and 132 stroke events were adjudicated, and 569 deaths up to and 66 after CHD or stroke occurred during follow-up. After adjustment for study country and cardiovascular risk factors, the hazard ratios of all-cause mortality were 1.58 (95% confidence interval 1.18-2.12) after CHD and 3.13 (95% confidence interval 1.98-4.92) after stroke.

Conclusions-These findings support continuous efforts to promote both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Steve Boros and Bill Freehan, UM Baseball, register for classes, Nov. 1961

[Former varsity players signed by Detroit Tigers, Boros (1956-1957) and Freehan (1961) returned after season to take classes.]

"Lancea", Lusitanian Word, and the "Lancienses" Ethnogenesis

Analysis of the word lancea, of Hispanic origin after Varro, and of place names, people´s names and personal names derived from it. It confirms that the spear was the most important weapon in the Bronze Age, belonging to the iuventus and used as heroic and divine symbol. This analysis confirms also the personality of the Lusitanians, a people related to the Celts but with more archaic archaeological, linguistic and cultural characteristics originated in the tradition of the Atlantic Bronze in the II millennium BC. It is also relevant to better know the organisation of Broze and Iron Age societies and the origin of Indo-Europeans peoples in Western Europe and of pre-Roman peoples of Iberia.

Depression, anxiety and body image after treatment for invasive stage one epithelial ovarian cancer

Background: Diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in young women has major implications including those to their reproductive potential. We evaluated depression, anxiety and body image in patients with stage I EOC treated with fertility sparing surgery (FSS) or radical surgery (RS). We also investigated fertility outcomes after FSS.----- Methods: A retrospective study was undertaken in which 62 patients completed questionnaires related to anxiety, depression, body image and fertility outcomes. Additional information on adjuvant therapy after FSS and RS and demographic details were abstracted from medical records. Both bi and multivariate regression models were used to assess the relationship between demographic, clinical and pathological results and scores for anxiety, depression and body image.----- Results: Thirty-nine patients underwent RS and the rest, FSS. The percentage of patients reporting elevated anxiety and depression (subscores ≥ 11) were 27 % and 5% respectively. The median (inter quartile range) score for body image scale (BIS) was 6 (3-15). None of the demographic or clinical factors examined showed significant association with anxiety and BIS with the exception of ‘time since diagnosis’. For depression, post-menopausal status was the only independent predictor. Among those 23 patients treated by FSS, 14 patients tried to conceive (7 successful), resulting in 7 live births, one termination of pregnancy and one miscarriage.----- Conclusion: This study shows that psychological issues are common in women treated for stage I EOC. Reproduction after FSS is feasible and lead to the birth of healthy babies in about half of patients who wished to have another child. Further prospective studies with standardised instruments are required.

Colorectal cancer survivors’ exercise experiences and preferences : qualitative findings from an exercise rehabilitation programme immediately after chemotherapy

Little is known about cancer survivors’ experiences with and preferences for exercise programmes offered during rehabilitation (immediately after cancer treatment). This study documented colorectal cancer survivors’ experiences in an exercise rehabilitation programme and their preferences for programme content and delivery. At the completion of 12-weeks of supervised exercise, 10 participants took part in one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Data from these interviews were coded, and themes were identified using qualitative software. Key findings were that most participants experienced improvements in treatment symptoms, including reduced fatigue and increased energy and confidence to do activities of daily living. They also reported that interactions with the exercise trainer and a flexible programme delivery were important aspects of the intervention. Most participants reported that they preferred having a choice of exercise, starting to exercise within a month after completing treatment, having supervision and maintaining a one-on-one format. Frustrations included scheduling conflicts and a lack of a transition out of the programme. The findings indicate that colorectal cancers experience benefits from exercise offered immediately after treatment and prefer individual attention from exercise staff. They further indicate directions for the implementation of future exercise programmes with this population.

Quality-of-life among head and neck cancer survivors at one year after treatment – A systematic review

Abstract Background: The importance of quality-of-life (QoL) research has been recognised over the past two decades in patients with head and neck (H&N) cancer. The aims of this systematic review are to evaluate the QoL status of H&N cancer survivors one year after treatment and to identify the determinants affecting their QoL. Methods: Pubmed, Medline, Scopus, Sciencedirect and CINAHL (2000–2011) were searched for relevant studies, and two of the present authors assessed their methodological quality. The characteristics and main findings of the studies were extracted and reported. Results: Thirty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria, and the methodological quality of the majority was moderate to high. While patients of the group in question recover their global QoL by 12 months after treatment, a number of outstanding issues persist – deterioration in physical functioning, fatigue, xerostomia and sticky saliva. Age, cancer site, stage of disease, social support, smoking, feeding tube placement and alcohol consumption are the significant determinants of QoL at 12 months, while gender has little or no influence. Conclusions: Regular assessments should be carried out to monitor physical functioning,degree of fatigue, xerostomia and sticky saliva. Further research is required to develop appropriate and effective interventions to deal with these issues, and thus to promote the patients’ QoL.

Falls after discharge from hospital : is there a gap between older peoples' knowledge about falls prevention strategies and the research evidence?

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine whether older people are prepared to engage in appropriate falls prevention strategies after discharge from hospital. Design and Methods We used a semi-structured interview to survey older patients about to be discharged from hospital and examined their knowledge regarding falls prevention strategies to utilize in the post-discharge period. The study was part of a prospective cohort study, nested within a larger, randomized controlled trial. Participants (n = 333) were asked to suggest strategies to reduce their falls risk at home after discharge, and their responses were compared with current reported research evidence for falls prevention interventions.  Results Participants’ strategies (n = 629) were classified into 7 categories: behavioral, support while mobilizing, approach to movement, physical environment, visual, medical, and activities or exercise. Although exercise has been identified as an effective falls risk reduction strategy, only 2.9% of participants suggested engaging in exercises. Falls prevention was most often conceptualized by participants as requiring 1 (35.4%) or 2 (40.8%) strategies for avoiding an accidental event, rather than engaging in sustained multiple risk reduction behaviors.  Implications Results demonstrate that older patients have low levels of knowledge about appropriate falls prevention strategies that could be used after discharge in spite of their increased falls risk during this period. Findings suggest that health care workers should design and deliver falls prevention education programs specifically targeted to older people who are to be discharged from hospital.

Carbohydrate supplementation and alterations in neutrophils, and plasma cortisol and myoglobin concentration after intense exercise

The present study examined the effect of carbohydrate supplementation on changes in neutrophil counts, and the plasma concentrations of cortisol and myoglobin after intense exercise. Eight well-trained male runners ran on a treadmill for 1 h at 85% maximal oxygen uptake on two separate occasions. In a double-blind cross-over design, subjects consumed either 750 ml of a 10% carbohydrate (CHO) drink or a placebo drink on each occasion. The order of the trials was counter-balanced. Blood was drawn immediately before and after exercise, and 1 h after exercise. Immediately after exercise, neutrophil counts (CHO, 49%; placebo, 65%; P<0.05), plasma concentrations of glucose (CHO, 43%; P<0.05), lactate (CHO, 130%; placebo, 130%; P<0.01), cortisol (CHO, 100%; placebo, 161%; P<0.01), myoglobin (CHO, 194%; placebo, 342%; P<0.01) all increased significantly. One hour post-exercise, plasma myoglobin concentration (CHO, 331%; placebo, 482%; P<0.01) and neutrophil count (CHO, 151%; placebo, 230% P<0.01) both increased further above baseline. CHO significantly attenuated plasma myoglobin concentration and the neutrophil count after exercise (P<0.01), but did not affect plasma cortisol concentration. The effects of CHO on plasma myoglobin concentration may be due to alterations in cytokine synthesis, insulin responses or myoglobin clearance rates from the bloodstream during exercise. Plasma cortisol responses to CHO during exercise may depend on the intensity of exercise, or the amount of CHO consumed. Lastly, cortisol appears to play a minor role in the mobilisation of neutrophils after intense exercise.

Study of structural changes of pumpkin tissue before and after mechanical loading

The texture of agricultural crops changes during harvesting, post harvesting and processing stages due to different loading processes. There are different source of loading that deform agricultural crop tissues and these include impact, compression, and tension. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) method is a common way of analysing cellular changes of materials before and after these loading operations. This paper examines the structural changes of pumpkin peel and flesh tissues under mechanical loading. Compression and indentation tests were performed on peel and flesh samples. Samples structure were then fixed and dehydrated in order to capture the cellular changes under SEM. The results were compared with the images of normal peel and flesh tissues. The findings suggest that normal flesh tissue had bigger size cells, while the cellular arrangement of peel was smaller. Structural damage was clearly observed in tissue structure after compression and indentation. However, the damages that resulted from the flat end indenter was much more severe than that from the spherical end indenter and compression test. An integrated deformed tissue layer was observed in compressed tissue, while the indentation tests shaped a deformed area under the indenter and left the rest of the tissue unharmed. There was an obvious broken layer of cells on the walls of the hole after the flat end indentations, whereas the spherical indenter created a squashed layer all around the hole. Furthermore, the influence of loading was lower on peel samples in comparison with the flesh samples. The experiments have shown that the rate of damage on tissue under constant rate of loading is highly dependent on the shape of equipment. This fact and observed structural changes after loading underline the significance of deigning post harvesting equipments to reduce the rate of damage on agricultural crop tissues.

A systematic review on quality of life among patients at 1 year after treatment for head and neck cancer

Introduction: Although advances in treatment modalities have improved the survival of head and neck (H&N) cancer patients over recent years, survivors’ quality of life (QoL) could be impaired for a number of reasons. The investigation of QoL determinants can inform the design of supportive interventions for this population. Objectives: To examine the QoL of H&N cancer survivors at 1 year after treatment and to identify potential determinants affecting their QoL. Methods: A systematic search of literature was done in December 2011 in five databases: Pubmed, Medline, Scopus, Sciencedirect and CINAHL, using combined search terms ‘head and neck cancer’, ‘quality of life’, ‘health-related quality of life’ and ‘systematic review’. The methodological qualities of selected studies were assessed by two reviewers using predefined criteria. The study characteristics and results were abstracted and summarized. Results: Thirty-seven studies met all inclusion criteria with methodological quality from moderate to high. The global QoL of H&N cancer survivors returned to baseline at 1 year after treatment. Significant improvement showed in emotional functioning while physical functioning, xerostomia, sticky/insufficient saliva, and fatigue were consistently worse at 12 months compared with baseline. Age, cancer sites and stages, social support, smoking, presence of feeding tube are significant QoL determinants at 12 months. Conclusions: Although the global QoL of H&N cancer survivors recover by 12 months after treatment, problems with physical functioning, fatigue, xerostomia and sticky saliva persist. Regular assessment should be carried out to monitor these problems. Further research is required to develop appropriate and effective interventions for this population.

Phantom Scatter and the A-SI EPID

Introduction: The use of amorphous-silicon electronic portal imaging devices (a-Si EPIDs) for dosimetry is complicated by the effects of scattered radiation. In photon radiotherapy, primary signal at the detector can be accompanied by photons scattered from linear accelerator components, detector materials, intervening air, treatment room surfaces (floor, walls, etc) and from the patient/phantom being irradiated. Consequently, EPID measurements which presume to take scatter into account are highly sensitive to the identification of these contributions. One example of this susceptibility is the process of calibrating an EPID for use as a gauge of (radiological) thickness, where specific allowance must be made for the effect of phantom-scatter on the intensity of radiation measured through different thicknesses of phantom. This is usually done via a theoretical calculation which assumes that phantom scatter is linearly related to thickness and field-size. We have, however, undertaken a more detailed study of the scattering effects of fields of different dimensions when applied to phantoms of various thicknesses in order to derive scattered-primary ratios (SPRs) directly from simulation results. This allows us to make a more-accurate calibration of the EPID, and to qualify the appositeness of the theoretical SPR calculations. Methods: This study uses a full MC model of the entire linac-phantom-detector system simulated using EGSnrc/BEAMnrc codes. The Elekta linac and EPID are modelled according to specifications from the manufacturer and the intervening phantoms are modelled as rectilinear blocks of water or plastic, with their densities set to a range of physically realistic and unrealistic values. Transmissions through these various phantoms are calculated using the dose detected in the model EPID and used in an evaluation of the field-size-dependence of SPR, in different media, applying a method suggested for experimental systems by Swindell and Evans [1]. These results are compared firstly with SPRs calculated using the theoretical, linear relationship between SPR and irradiated volume, and secondly with SPRs evaluated from our own experimental data. An alternate evaluation of the SPR in each simulated system is also made by modifying the BEAMnrc user code READPHSP, to identify and count those particles in a given plane of the system that have undergone a scattering event. In addition to these simulations, which are designed to closely replicate the experimental setup, we also used MC models to examine the effects of varying the setup in experimentally challenging ways (changing the size of the air gap between the phantom and the EPID, changing the longitudinal position of the EPID itself). Experimental measurements used in this study were made using an Elekta Precise linear accelerator, operating at 6MV, with an Elekta iView GT a-Si EPID. Results and Discussion: 1. Comparison with theory: With the Elekta iView EPID fixed at 160 cm from the photon source, the phantoms, when positioned isocentrically, are located 41 to 55 cm from the surface of the panel. At this geometry, a close but imperfect agreement (differing by up to 5%) can be identified between the results of the simulations and the theoretical calculations. However, this agreement can be totally disrupted by shifting the phantom out of the isocentric position. Evidently, the allowance made for source-phantom-detector geometry by the theoretical expression for SPR is inadequate to describe the effect that phantom proximity can have on measurements made using an (infamously low-energy sensitive) a-Si EPID. 2. Comparison with experiment: For various square field sizes and across the range of phantom thicknesses, there is good agreement between simulation data and experimental measurements of the transmissions and the derived values of the primary intensities. However, the values of SPR obtained through these simulations and measurements seem to be much more sensitive to slight differences between the simulated and real systems, leading to difficulties in producing a simulated system which adequately replicates the experimental data. (For instance, small changes to simulated phantom density make large differences to resulting SPR.) 3. Comparison with direct calculation: By developing a method for directly counting the number scattered particles reaching the detector after passing through the various isocentric phantom thicknesses, we show that the experimental method discussed above is providing a good measure of the actual degree of scattering produced by the phantom. This calculation also permits the analysis of the scattering sources/sinks within the linac and EPID, as well as the phantom and intervening air. Conclusions: This work challenges the assumption that scatter to and within an EPID can be accounted for using a simple, linear model. Simulations discussed here are intended to contribute to a fuller understanding of the contribution of scattered radiation to the EPID images that are used in dosimetry calculations. Acknowledgements: This work is funded by the NHMRC, through a project grant, and supported by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia. The authors are also grateful to Elekta for the provision of manufacturing specifications which permitted the detailed simulation of their linear accelerators and amorphous-silicon electronic portal imaging devices. Computational resources and services used in this work were provided by the HPC and Research Support Group, QUT, Brisbane, Australia.

Nutrient provision increases signalling and protein synthesis in human skeletal muscle after repeated sprints

The effect of nutrient availability on the acute molecular responses following repeated sprint exercise is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine skeletal muscle cellular and protein synthetic responses following repeated sprint exercise with nutrient provision. Eight healthy young male subjects undertook two sprint cycling sessions (10 × 6 s, 0.75 N m torque kg -1, 54 s recovery) with either pre-exercise nutrient (24 g whey, 4.8 g leucine, 50 g maltodextrin) or non-caloric placebo ingestion. Muscle biopsies were taken from vastus lateralis at rest, and after 15 and 240 min post-exercise recovery to determine muscle cell signalling responses and protein synthesis by primed constant infusion of L-[ring- 13C 6] phenylalanine. Peak and mean power outputs were similar between nutrient and placebo trials. Post-exercise myofibrillar protein synthetic rate was greater with nutrient ingestion compared with placebo ( ? 48%, P<0.05) but the rate of mitochondrial protein synthesis was similar between treatments. The increased myofibrillar protein synthesis following sprints with nutrient ingestion was associated with coordinated increases in Akt-mTOR-S6KrpS6 phosphorylation 15 min post-exercise (?200-600%, P<0.05), while there was no effect on these signalling molecules when exercise was undertaken in the fasted state. For the first time we report a beneficial effect of nutrient provision on anabolic signalling and muscle myofibrillar protein synthesis following repeated sprint exercise. Ingestion of protein/carbohydrate in close proximity to high-intensity sprint exercise provides an environment that increases cell signalling and protein synthesis.

Use of genetically modified muscle and fat grafts to repair defects in bone and cartilage

We report a novel technology for the rapid healing of large osseous and chondral defects, based upon the genetic modification of autologous skeletal muscle and fat grafts. These tissues were selected because they not only possess mesenchymal progenitor cells and scaffolding properties, but also can be biopsied, genetically modified and returned to the patient in a single operative session. First generation adenovirus vector carrying cDNA encoding human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (Ad.BMP-2) was used for gene transfer to biopsies of muscle and fat. To assess bone healing, the genetically modified (“gene activated”) tissues were implanted into 5mm-long critical size, mid-diaphyseal, stabilized defects in the femora of Fischer rats. Unlike control defects, those receiving gene-activated muscle underwent rapid healing, with evidence of radiologic bridging as early as 10 days after implantation and restoration of full mechanical strength by 8 weeks. Histologic analysis suggests that the grafts rapidly differentiated into cartilage, followed by efficient endochondral ossification. Fluorescence in situ hybridization detection of Y-chromosomes following the transfer of male donor muscle into female rats demonstrated that at least some of the osteoblasts of the healed bone were derived from donor muscle. Gene activated fat also healed critical sized defects, but less quickly than muscle and with more variability. Anti-adenovirus antibodies were not detected. Pilot studies in a rabbit osteochondral defect model demonstrated the promise of this technology for healing cartilage defects. Further development of these methods should provide ways to heal bone and cartilage more expeditiously, and at lower cost, than is presently possible.