Anaerobic performances in black and white subjects

The anaerobic performance characteristics of 15 Black males of African ancestry (25 +/- 2 yr; mean +/- SD) and 17 White males of French Canadian ancestry (22 +/- 2 yr) were compared. All subjects were sedentary. Morphological characteristics and body composition were similar in both groups. They were tested for maximal force during voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors and for total work output during 10 s, 30 s, and 90 s of maximal and repetitive knee extensions. Results indicated no significant differences between Blacks and Whites in maximal force of the knee extensors (736 +/- 78 N vs 722 +/- 11 N, respectively) and in total work output during the 10-s (1134 +/- 246 J vs 1124 +/- 207 J) and 30-s (2735 +/- 519 J vs 2779 +/- 647 J) tests. There was a difference of about 400 J between Blacks and Whites in the total work output during the 90-s test, but this difference was not statistically significant. However, significant differences were found between Blacks and Whites in the peak power output decrement during the last 60 s of the 90-s anaerobic test. These differences in peak power output between the two groups ranged between 7 and 10 W during the last 30 s of the 90-s test. The results indicate that knee extensor muscles of sedentary Black and White males have similar anaerobic performance power and capacities. However, the results reveal that sedentary Black subjects experience a greater degree of fatigue than sedentary Whites during an anaerobic exercise lasting longer than 30 s.     

Neurorobotic and hybrid management of lower limb motor disorders: a review

A neurobot (NR) is a mechatronic wearable robot that can be applied to drive a paralyzed limb. Through the application of controllable forces, a NR can assist, replace, or retrain a certain motor function. Robotic intervention in rehabilitation of motor disorders has a potential to improve traditional therapeutic interventions. Because of its flexibility, repeatability and quantifiability, NRs have been more and more applied in neurorehabilitation. Furthermore, combination of NRs with functional electrical stimulation/therapy constitutes a trend to overcome a number of practical limitations to widespread the application of NRs in clinical settings and motor control studies. In this review, we examine the motor learning principles, robotic control approaches and novel developments from studies with NRs and hybrid systems, with a focus on rehabilitation of the lower limbs.     

Long‐lasting cross‐presentation of tumor antigen in human DC

DC cross‐present exogenous antigens on MHC class I molecules, a process required for the onset of anti‐tumor immune responses. In order to study the cross‐presentation of tumor antigens by human DC, we compared the pathways of cross‐presentation of long peptides requiring internalization and intracellular processing with the direct presentation of short peptides, which does not require intracellular processing. We found that, after brief incubations with DC, short peptides were presented to CD8⁺ T cells with higher efficiencies than long peptides. After longer times of chase in the absence of peptide, however, the efficiency of presentation of the two types of peptides was reversed. After 2–3 days, DC pulsed with long peptides still activated T cells efficiently, while DC pulsed with short peptides failed to do so. Long‐lasting presentation of the long peptides was, at least in part, due to a stored persistent pool of antigen, which was still available for loading on MHC class I molecules after several days of chase. These results show that the use of long synthetic peptides allows the efficient, long‐lasting, presentation of tumor antigens, suggesting that long peptides represent an interesting approach for active anti‐tumor vaccination.     

Clinical and investigational use of proteasome inhibitors for transplant rejection

INTRODUCTION: The presence of donor-specific anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies (DSA) in patients experiencing acute cellular rejection and antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is associated with poor renal allograft survival in kidney transplant recipients. Traditional therapies for AMR provide variable results, and do not deplete the cellular source of antibody production, that is, the plasma cell. AREAS COVERED: Physiologic effects of proteasome inhibitors (PIs) are reviewed in the context of recent clinical reports of PI therapy in solid organ transplantation for AMR and desensitization. EXPERT OPINION: PI-based therapy is a novel approach for treating AMR that is being employed with increasing frequency in transplantation. Initial reports of PI-based regimens for treating AMR have demonstrated the ability of bortezomib to significantly reduce DSA levels and improve histology and allograft function. Use of PI agents have recently been evaluated in a large multicenter collaborative consisting of over 100 solid organ transplant recipients treated with a common PI-based regimen. Increasing experience with PI-based regimens for AMR have indicated that PI therapy (similar to other AMR therapies) provides excellent results in early AMR, with late AMR demonstrating a greater degree of therapeutic resistance. A substantial number of strategies exist for enhancement of therapeutic results with PI therapy for AMR.     

Social and Self-Reflective Use of a Web-Based Personally Controlled Health Management System

Background

Personally controlled health management systems (PCHMSs) contain a bundle of features to help patients and consumers manage their health. However, it is unclear how consumers actually use a PCHMS in their everyday settings.

Objective

To conduct an empirical analysis of how consumers used the social (forum and poll) and self-reflective (diary and personal health record [PHR]) features of a Web-based PCHMS designed to support their physical and emotional well-being.

Methods

A single-group pre/post-test online prospective study was conducted to measure use of a Web-based PCHMS for physical and emotional well-being needs during a university academic semester. The PCHMS integrated an untethered PHR with social forums, polls, a diary, and online messaging links with a health service provider. Well-being journeys additionally provided information to encourage engagement with clinicians and health services. A total of 1985 students and staff aged 18 and above with access to the Internet were recruited online, of which 709 were eligible for analysis. Participants’ self-reported well-being, health status, health service utilization, and help-seeking behaviors were compared using chi-square, McNemar’s test, and Student’s t test. Social networks were constructed to examine the online forum communication patterns among consumers and clinicians.

Results

The two PCHMS features that were used most frequently and considered most useful and engaging were the social features (ie, the poll and forum). More than 30% (213/709) of participants who sought well-being assistance during the study indicated that other people had influenced their decision to seek help (54.4%, 386/709 sought assistance for physical well-being; 31.7%, 225/709 for emotional well-being). Although the prevalence of using a self-reflective feature (diary or PHR) was not as high (diary: 8.6%, 61/709; PHR: 15.0%, 106/709), the proportion of participants who visited a health care professional during the study was more than 20% greater in the group that did use a self-reflective feature (diary: P=.03; PHR: P<.001).

Conclusions

There was variation in the degree to which consumers used social and self-reflective PCHMS features but both were significantly associated with increased help-seeking behaviors and health service utilization. A PCHMS should combine both self-reflective as well as socially driven components to most effectively influence consumers’ help-seeking behaviors.     

A three-dimensional soft tissue analysis of Class III malocclusion: a case-controlled cross-sectional study

Objective: The present study used the optical surface laser scanning technique to compare the facial features of patients aged 8–18 years presenting with Class I and Class III incisor relationship in a case-control design.

Materials and methods: Subjects with a Class III incisor relationship, aged 8–18 years, were age and gender matched with Class I control and underwent a 3-dimensional (3-D) optical surface scan of the facial soft tissues.

Results: Landmark analysis revealed Class III subjects displayed greater mean dimensions compared to the control group most notably between the ages of 8–10 and 17–18 years in both males and females, in respect of antero-posterior (P?=?0.01) and vertical (P?=?0.006) facial dimensions. Surface-based analysis, revealed the greatest difference in the lower facial region, followed by the mid-face, whilst the upper face remained fairly consistent.

Conclusion: Significant detectable differences were found in the surface facial features of developing Class III subjects.     

How an Understanding of Our Ability to Adhere to Verbal Rules Can Increase Insight Into (Mal)adaptive Functioning in Chronic Pain

Research on chronic pain has traditionally focused on how direct pain experiences lead to maladaptive thoughts, feelings, and actions that set the stage for, and maintain, pain-related disability. Yet the capacity for language (and more specifically verbal instructions or rules) to put people into indirect contact with pain has never been systematically investigated. In this article, we introduce a novel theoretical perspective on verbal processes and discuss how the study of verbal rules may increase our understanding of both maladaptive and adaptive functioning in chronic pain. Several useful characteristics of verbal rules and rule-following in the context of chronic pain are outlined. Future research directions and implications for clinical practice are then discussed.Perspective: This focus article argues that, by studying verbal rules and rule-following, we will gain a better understanding of (mal)adaptive functioning in the context of chronic pain. Future research directions are outlined and suggestions for improving clinical practice are considered.