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The Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) test has been combined with different verbal/cognitive tasks (i.e., TUG dual task [TUGdt]) as a form of motor-cognitive testing. However, it is still unclear how different TUGdt conditions affect gait among older adults. Thirty community-dwelling older adults, with mean age of 73 years, participated in the study. Data were collected using marker-free video recordings. Gait parameters were extracted using a semiautomatic deep learning system. Comparisons of execution time and gait parameter outcomes were made under TUG and three types of TUGdt test conditions: TUGdt-naming animals, TUGdt-months backwards, and TUGdt-serial 7s. Statistical analyses were based on mean values of the gait parameters for each participant and TUG condition, including TUGdt gait cost, that is, the relative difference between TUGdt and TUG. All the investigated TUGdt conditions resulted in varying degrees of gait parameter changes. Under TUGdt conditions, participants took shorter and slower steps, with TUGdt-serial 7s causing the largest interference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Maintaining neutral spinal alignment is considered important when performing the barbell back squat exercise. Since male and female lifters may differ in injury location it is important to examine whether they differ in spinal alignment during the back squat. Objectives The study aimed to quantify the spinal alignment in the upper and lower lumbar spine during the barbell back squat exercise in male and female lifters. Secondary aims were to compare alignment during the back squat to standing habitual lumbar spine alignment and determine whether male and female lifters differ in these aspects. Study Design Observational, Cross-sectional. Methods Competitive power- and weightlifters were recruited and performed three repetitions of the barbell back squat exercise using a load equivalent to 70% of their one-repetition maximum. Spinal alignment and range of motion were measured using inertial measurement units placed on the thoracic, lumbar and sacral spine. Data was presented descriptively and comparisons between men and women as well as spinal alignment in four different positions were done with a factorial repeated measures analysis of variance. Results Twenty-three (14 males, 9 females) were included. During execution of the squat, spinal alignment adjustments in the lumbar spine were made in all three planes of movement, compared to the start position, in both male and female lifters. Compared to their standing habitual posture, all lifters adjusted their upper lumbar spine to a less lordotic position when in the start position of the back squat (standing upright with the barbell on their back). Only male lifters assumed a less lordotic alignment in their lower lumbar spine in the start position compared their habitual posture. Conclusions Adjustments of spinal alignment, predominantly in the sagittal plane, are made during execution of the back squat in both male and female lifters. Further, lifters adopt a less lordotic alignment with a heavy barbell on their upper back, more so in male than female lifters. In conclusion, it seems that spinal alignment changes noticeably during the barbell back squat. Level of Evidence 3 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzed the data from the Rutter Children's Behaviour Questionnaire (M. Rutter, 1967) from 450 Swedish children in grades 2, 5, and 8 using latent variable analysis. Findings show a structure described by a nested hierarchical model with seven first order factors. Some items have rather weak relations to their latent factors. (SLD)

The aims of the study were to evaluate the relative and absolute variability of upper (T11-L2) and lower (L2-S2) lumbar spinal alignment in power- and weightlifters during the deadlift and back squat exercises, and to compare this alignment between the two lifting groups. Twenty-four competitive powerlifters (n = 14) and weightlifters (n = 10) performed three repetitions of the deadlift and the back squat exercises using a load equivalent to 70% of their respective one-repetition maximum. The main outcome measures were the three-dimensional lumbar spinal alignment for start position, minimum and maximum angle of their spinal alignment, and range of motion measured using inertial measurement units. Relative intra-trial reliability was calculated using the two-way random model intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and absolute reliability with minimal detectable change (MDC). The ICC ranged between 0.69 and 0.99 and the MDC between 1°-8° for the deadlift. Corresponding figures for the squat were 0.78–0.99 and 1°-6°. In all participants during both exercises, spinal adjustments were made in both thoracolumbar and lumbopelvic areas in all three dimensions. In conclusion, when performing three repetitions of the deadlift and the squat, lumbar spinal alignment of the lifters did not change much between repetitions and did not differ significantly between power- and weightlifters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Weight loss is recommended for myocardial infarction (MI) patients with overweight or obesity. It has, however, been suggested that obese patients have better prognosis than normal-weight patients have, but also that central obesity is harmful. The aim of this study was to examine associations between repeated measures of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), and all-cause mortality. Methods and results: A total of 14,224 MI patients aged <75 years in Sweden between the years 2004 and 2013 had measurements of risk factors at hospital discharge. The patients' BMI and WC were recorded in secondary prevention clinics two months and one year after hospital discharge. We collected mortality data up to 8.3 years after the last visit. There were 721 deaths. We used anthropometric measures at the two-month visit and the change from the two-month to the one-year visit. With adjustments for risk factors and the other anthropometric measure the hazard ratio (HR) per standard deviation in a Cox proportional hazard regression model for mortality was 0.64 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.56-0.74) for BMI and 1.55 (95% CI 1.34-1.79) for WC, and 1.43 (95% CI 1.17-1.74) for a BMI decrease from month two to one year of more than 0.6 kg/m2. Low BMI and high WC were associated with the highest mortality. Conclusion: High WC is harmful regardless of BMI in MI patients. Reduced BMI during the first year after MI is, however, associated with higher mortality, potentially being an indicator of deteriorated health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. BACKGROUND: Low back pain is a common disorder. Patients with low back pain frequently have aberrant and pain-provocative movement patterns that often are addressed with motor control exercises. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of low-load motor control (LMC) exercise and those of a high-load lifting (HLL) exercise. METHODS: Seventy participants with recurrent low back pain, who were diagnosed with nociceptive mechanical pain as their dominating pain pattern, were randomized to either LMC or HLL exercise treatments. Participants were offered 12 treatment sessions over an 8-week period. All participants were also provided with education regarding pain mechanisms. METHODS: Participants were assessed prior to and following treatment. The primary outcome measures were activity (the Patient-Specific Functional Scale) and average pain intensity over the last 7 days (visual analog scale). The secondary outcome measure was a physical performance test battery that included 1 strength, 3 endurance, and 7 movement control tests for the lumbopelvic region. RESULTS: Both interventions resulted in significant within-group improvements in pain intensity, strength, and endurance. The LMC group showed significantly greater improvement on the Patient-Specific Functional Scale (4.2 points) compared with the HLL group (2.5 points) (P<.001). There were no significant between-group differences in pain intensity (P = .505), strength, and 1 of the 3 endurance tests. However, the LMC group showed an increase (from 2.9 to 5.9) on the movement control test subscale, whereas the HLL group showed no change (from 3.9 to 3.1) (P<.001). CONCLUSION: An LMC intervention may result in superior outcomes in activity, movement control, and muscle endurance compared to an HLL intervention, but not in pain intensity, strength, or endurance. Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01061632). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Δ9-Desaturase (stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1, SCD-1) regulates the desaturation of SFA, mainly stearic and palmitic, to MUFA. Δ6-Desaturase (D6D) and Δ5-desaturase (D5D) are involved in the metabolism of linoleic and α-linolenic acid to polyunsaturated metabolites. The objective of the present study was to study the effects of different types of dietary fat on indices of fatty acid desaturase (FADS) activity (evaluated as product:precursor ratios) in plasma and skeletal muscle in human subjects. A high SCD-1 index has been related to obesity and metabolic disorders, while the D5D index is associated with insulin sensitivity. Fatty acid composition of serum and skeletal muscle lipids was analysed by GLC during a randomised, controlled, 3-month dietary intervention in healthy subjects. A comparison of the effects of a diet containing butter fat (SFA, n 17) with a diet containing monounsaturated fat (MUFA, n 17), keeping all other dietary components constant, showed a reduced SCD-1 activity index by 20 % on the MUFA diet compared with the SFA diet assessed in serum cholesteryl esters. The D6D and D5D indices remained unaffected. Supplementation with long-chain n-3 fatty acids reduced the SCD-1 index by a similar magnitude while the D6D index decreased and the D5D index increased. It is concluded that changes in the type of fat in the diet affect the indices of FADS activity in serum and skeletal muscle in human subjects. The desaturase activity indices estimated from the serum lipid ester composition are significantly related to corresponding indices studied in skeletal muscle phospholipids. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: The tightness and integrity of all Swedish reactor containments depend directly and indirectly on the function of the post-tensioned system. The tendon force in containments with unbonded tendons is followed up at regular in-service inspections (ISI) to ensure that the remaining force is sufficient. At the inspections, the tendon force is measured with so-called lift-off technique, where a jack is used to lift the end anchor. The interpretation of the measuring results is not obvious. One difficulty, which affects all tendons to different extents, is the influence of friction between the tendon and duct. This influence can cause a redistribution of force along the tendons after the original tensioning. The ordinary lift-off method only measures the force at the end of the tendon, which not always represents the change of force in the rest of the tendon. A method for measuring average force along a tendon is presented in this article. In this method, the elongation of the tendon is measured when the jack force is increased to a reference level with known force distribution. Measuring results from the latest ISI in Sweden show that the end force has decreased more than the average force, especially for long tendons with high influence of friction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this study was to determine the extent of doping drug use among adolescents in Uppsala, Sweden, and to analyse the main reasons for the use. An anonymous multiple-choice questionnaire was distributed among pupils in the first and the third grades at high school; 2,742 pupils participated in the study. The results showed that 2.7% of the male and 0.4% of the female adolescents had used doping drugs at some time in their life. However, knowledge of how to get doping drugs far exceeded use. The main reasons for using doping drugs were to improve appearance and to enhance performance in sports. Some boys self-reported side effects of AAS. Despite the still predominantly negative attitude toward doping prevention programs have to be taken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]