Short-term intensified cycle training alters acute and chronic responses of PGC1α and cytochrome C oxidase IV to exercise in human skeletal muscle

Reduced activation of exercise responsive signalling pathways have been reported in response to acute exercise after training; however little is known about the adaptive responses of the mitochondria. Accordingly, we investigated changes in mitochondrial gene expression and protein abundance in response to the same acute exercise before and after 10-d of intensive cycle training.

Nine untrained, healthy participants (mean±SD; VO2peak 44.1±17.6 ml/kg/min) performed a 60 min bout of cycling exercise at 164±18 W (72% of pre-training VO2peak). Muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle at rest, immediately and 3 h after exercise. The participants then underwent 10-d of cycle training which included four high-intensity interval training sessions (6×5 min; 90–100% VO2peak) and six prolonged moderate-intensity sessions (45–90 min; 75% VO2peak). Participants repeated the pre-training exercise trial at the same absolute work load (64% of pre-training VO2peak). Muscle PGC1-α mRNA expression was attenuated as it increased by 11- and 4- fold (P<0.001) after exercise pre- and post-training, respectively. PGC1-α protein expression increased 1.5 fold (P<0.05) in response to exercise pre-training with no further increases after the post-training exercise bout. RIP140 protein abundance was responsive to acute exercise only (P<0.01). COXIV mRNA (1.6 fold; P<0.01) and COXIV protein expression (1.5 fold; P<0.05) were increased by training but COXIV protein expression was decreased (20%; P<0.01) by acute exercise pre- and post-training.

These findings demonstrate that short-term intensified training promotes increased mitochondrial gene expression and protein abundance. Furthermore, acute indicators of exercise-induced mitochondrial adaptation appear to be blunted in response to exercise at the same absolute intensity following short-term training.

Survival misperception, time inconsistency, and implications for life-cycle saving and welfare

Some empirical studies firmly reveal that people tend to form overly pessimistic survival expectations for relatively less distant ages and overly optimistic survival expectations for relatively more distant ages. We incorporate this observation into a life-cycle continuous time overlapping-generations model of consumption/saving with a general form for a subjective survival function. Resulting time-inconsistent optimal control problem has been analytically solved. At the micro level, time inconsistency leads to higher consumption at young and old ages, but this alone fails to improve lifetime well-being since micro-level decisions made with a lack of information about true mortality are suboptimal. In general equilibrium, however, such time inconsistent behavior with survival misperception is conducive to aggregate capital accumulation and greater equilibrium bequest income. The latter effects can produce substantial welfare gains. We also note that empirically observed old age optimistic bias is an important phenomenon, as it helps to avoid unrealistic very old-age debt accumulation within a life-cycle model. In addition, if for a given level of optimistic bias we increase early-life pessimism, this would result in slower capital accumulation, lower bequest income, and thus be detrimental to welfare. Since recent literature reports that young-age survival pessimism has grown over time, it raises some concerns.

Credit cycle dependent spread determinants in emerging sovereign debt markets

We address credit cycle dependent sovereign credit risk determinants. In our model, the spread determinants' magnitude is conditional on an unobservable endogenous sovereign credit cycle as represented by the underlying state of a Markov regime switching process. Our explanatory variables are motivated in the tradition of structural credit risk models and include changes in asset prices, interest rates, implied market volatility, gold price changes and foreign exchange rates. We examine daily frequency variations of U.S. dollar denominated Eurobond credit spreads of four major Latin American sovereign bond issuers (Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela) with liquid bond markets during March 2000 to June 2011. We find that spread determinants are statistically significant and consistent with theory, while their magnitude remarkably varies with the state of the credit cycle. Crisis states are characterized by high spread change uncertainty and high sensitivities with respect to the spread change determinants. We further document that not only changes of local currencies, but also changes of the Euro with respect to the U.S. dollar are significant spread drivers and argue that this is consistent with the sovereigns' ability to pay.

The vortex of violence : moving beyond the cycle and engaging clients in change

This article introduces the conceptual practice tool of ‘The Vortex of Violence’ and one suggested practice model for utilising the vortex of violence in practice with women who have experienced a domestic violence relationship. The practice tool and model are an expansion of ‘The Cycle of Violence’ that shifts the focus from explanation of the dynamics of abusive relationships to the exploration of the lived experience of women and the development of a personal/therapeutic template for healing and reclaiming of their lives.

Validating the impact of EVM on project life cycle

With the inevitable increase in size and complexity of construction projects, the need for proper control is increasing. Considering the fact that each project strives for excellence, numerous studies have been conducted over the years to measure performance and investigate factors that are really critical towards project success. Earned Value Management is a project performance evaluation technique which enables industry professionals to closely monitor project performance in both time and cost .The aim of this paper is to examine the result of proper Earned Value Management (EVM) implementation on different project life cycle (PLC) and validate the impact on project success.

The study investigates different success factors in construction industry with special focus on previous researchers’ work which studied the importance of cost control in project success especially in fragmented industry like construction, followed up with three different case studies to analyze the positive impact of EVM implementation on construction projects. Furthermore, for data triangulation purpose, case study analysis will be supported by interviews with specialists working in the UAE construction industry to cross check the outcomes of previous researches.
The research shows that EVM application on cost control in construction projects is not only a crucial management task which is a key to the success of the business but also its influence on project success depends on the time of implementation. It requires a number of up-to-date input data consistently throughout the construction phase. Assigning the right budgets, calculating accurate estimates and monitoring actual costs throughout different project stages are the three main drivers of an effective control through PLC staring from inception stage till completion. EVM proved to be of vital importance due to alarming escalation of construction costs which needs to be especially monitored and controlled. Senior management support and availability of professional staff to execute cost control systems are key factors towards successful implementation