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In 2020, Libraries and Cultural Resources (LCR) at the University of Calgary used Qualtrics XM to design and pilot a point-of-use survey to collect user feedback on the usability of our implementation of Primo, Ex Libris's web-scale discovery service. Over a two-week period, users were presented with the pop-up survey while searching and asked to provide feedback. This article summarizes how we designed and implemented this point-of-use survey and the lessons learned from this project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the spring of 2020, as post-secondary institutions and libraries were adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic, Libraries and Cultural Resources at the University of Calgary rapidly implemented Ex Libris' reading list solution Leganto to support the necessary move to online teaching and learning. This article describes the rapid implementation process and changes to our reserve reading list service and policies, reviews the status of the implementation to date and presents key takeaways which will be helpful for other libraries considering implementing an online reading list management system or other systems on a rapid timeline. Overall, rapid implementation allowed us to meet our immediate need to support online teaching and learning; however, long term successful adoption of this tool will require additional configuration, engagement, and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peripartum antibiotics are commonly administered. Little is known of the attitudes of pregnant women toward peripartum antibiotics. Aim: We aimed to assess the awareness of and attitudes toward peripartum antibiotic use in Australian women. Materials and Methods: We surveyed post‐partum women at three hospitals over six months. Women reported if they received antibiotics 48 h either side of delivery and responded to statements assessing attitudes to peripartum antibiotic use. Administered antibiotics were recorded. We reported the proportion receiving antibiotics and the proportion aware of receiving them. Participants responded on five‐point Likert scales and selected side effects of concern. Results: Participants responding were 248 of 299 (83%, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital), 56 of 106 (53%, Caboolture Hospital) and 17 (Redcliffe Hospital, denominator not recorded). Of 183 (57%) receiving antibiotics, 134 (73%) received them pre‐delivery only, 18 (10%) post‐delivery only and 31 (17%) pre‐ and post‐delivery. Pre‐delivery, the most common indication was pre‐incisional prophylaxis for caesarean delivery (93 of 160 responses, 58%). Seventy‐nine (51%, 156 responses) of those receiving pre‐delivery antibiotics were aware. Of 49 women receiving post‐delivery antibiotics, 36 (73%) were aware. Most agreed they were worried that pre‐delivery antibiotics would affect their baby (198, 62%) and 160 (50%) were concerned about effects on their own microbiome. Most (204, 65%) agreed they would rather not take antibiotics while breastfeeding. Conclusion: Many women were unaware of receiving pre‐delivery antibiotics. Most had concerns about side effects. Improved communication regarding peripartum antibiotic use would improve patient‐centred care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed 1) to examine the accuracy with which W′ reconstitution (W′REC) is estimated by the W′ balance (W′BAL) models after a 3-min all-out cycling test (3MT), 2) to determine the effects of a 3MT on the power–duration relationship, and 3) to assess whether accounting for changes in the power–duration relationship during exercise improved estimates of W′REC. Methods: The power–duration relationship and the actual and estimated W′REC were determined for 12 data sets extracted from our laboratory database where participants had completed two 3MT separated by 1-min recovery (i.e., control [C-3MT] and fatigued [F-3MT]). Results: Actual W′REC (6.3 ± 1.4 kJ) was significantly overestimated by the W′BAL·ODE (9.8 ± 1.3 kJ; P < 0.001) and the W′BAL·MORTON (16.9 ± 2.6 kJ; P < 0.001) models but was not significantly different to the estimate provided by the W′BAL·INT (7.5 ± 1.5 kJ; P > 0.05) model. End power (EP) was 7% lower in the F-3MT (263 ± 40 W) compared with the C-3MT (282 ± 44 W; P < 0.001), and work done above EP (WEP) was 61% lower in the F-3MT (6.3 ± 1.4 kJ) compared with the C-3MT (16.9 ± 3.2 kJ). The size of the error in the estimated W′REC was correlated with the reduction in WEP for the W′BAL·INT and W′BAL·ODE models (both r > −0.74, P < 0.01) but not the W′BAL·MORTON model (r = −0.18, P > 0.05). Accounting for the changes in the power–duration relationship improved the accuracy of the W′BAL·ODE and W′BAL·MORTON, but they remained significantly different to actual W′REC. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that the power–duration relationship is altered after a 3MT, and accounting for these changes improves the accuracy of the W′BAL·ODE and the W′BAL·MORTON, but not W′BAL·INT models. These results have important implications for the design and use of mathematical models describing the energetics of exercise performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of concurrent and independent administration of dietary nitrate (NO3−), administered as NO3–-rich beetroot juice (BR; ~12.4 mmol of NO3−), and N-acetylcysteine (NAC; 70 mg·kg−1) on physiological responses during prolonged exercise and subsequent high-intensity exercise tolerance. Sixteen recreationally active males supplemented with NO3–-depleted beetroot juice (PL) or BR for 6 days and ingested an acute dose of NAC or maltodextrin (MAL) 1 h prior to performing 1 h of heavy-intensity cycling exercise immediately followed by a severe-intensity time-to-exhaustion (TTE) test in four conditions: 1) PL+MAL, 2) PL+NAC, 3) BR+MAL and 4) BR+NAC. Pre-exercise plasma [NO3−] and nitrite ([NO2−]) were elevated following BR+NAC and BR+MAL (both P < 0.01) compared with PL+NAC and PL+MAL; plasma [cysteine] was increased in PL+NAC and BR+NAC (both P < 0.01) compared to PL+MAL. Muscle excitability declined over time during the prolonged cycling bout in all conditions but was better preserved in PL+NAC compared to BR+NAC (P < 0.01) and PL+MAL (P < 0.05). There was no effect of supplementation on subsequent TTE. These findings indicate that co-ingestion of BR and NAC does not appreciably alter physiological responses during prolonged heavy-intensity cycling or enhance subsequent exercise tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the intersection of flavour and collider physics for Two-Higgs-Doublet models of Type I and II. Drawing from the flavour precision-LHC exotics search complementarity, we also provide a projection of the future sensitivity that can be achieved in light of currently available analyses. On the one hand, we find that the parameter space of the 2HDM can be explored significantly further with more data from the LHC with some complementarity with flavour physics. On the other hand, flavour physics results alongside their projections remain powerful tools to constrain the model space in regions where direct sensitivity to new states via exotics searches is lost. Our results further high-light the recently observed flavour physics anomalies as important drivers of new physics searches in the future; we also touch on implications for a strong first order electroweak phase transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We tested the hypotheses that a highly cushioned running shoe (HCS) would 1) improve incremental exercise performance and reduce the oxygen cost (Oc) of submaximal running, and 2) attenuate the deterioration in Oc elicited by muscle damage consequent to a downhill run. Methods: Thirty-two recreationally active participants completed an incremental treadmill test in an HCS and a control running shoe (CON) for the determination of Oc and maximal performance. Subsequently, participants were pair matched and randomly assigned to one of the two footwear conditions to perform a moderate-intensity running bout before and 48 h after a 30-min downhill run designed to elicit muscle damage. Results: Incremental treadmill test performance was improved (+5.7%; +1:16 min:ss; P < 0.01) in the HCS when assessed in the nondamaged state, relative to CON. This coincided with a significantly lower Oc (−3.2%; −6 mL·kg−1·km−1; P < 0.001) at a range of running speeds and an increase in the speed corresponding to 3 mM blood lactate (+3.2%; +0.4 km·h−1; P < 0.05). As anticipated, the downhill run resulted in significant changes in biochemical, histological, and perceptual markers of muscle damage, and a significant increase in Oc (+5.2%; 10.1 mL·kg−1·km−1) was observed 48 h post. In the presence of muscle damage, Oc was significantly lower in HCS (−4.6%; −10 mL·kg−1·km−1) compared with CON. Conclusions: These results indicate that HCS improved incremental exercise performance and Oc in the absence of muscle damage and show, for the first time, that despite worsening of Oc consequent to muscle damage, improved Oc in HCS is maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary nitrate (NO 3 −) supplementation can increase nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, reduce blood pressure (BP) and improve muscle contractile function in humans. Plasma nitrite concentration (plasma [NO 2 −]) is the most oft-used biomarker of NO bioavailability. However, it is unclear which of several NO biomarkers (NO 3 −, NO 2 −, S-nitrosothiols (RSNOs)) in plasma, whole blood (WB), red blood cells (RBC) and skeletal muscle correlate with the physiological effects of acute and chronic dietary NO 3 − supplementation. Using a randomized, double-blind, crossover design, 12 participants (9 males) consumed NO 3 −-rich beetroot juice (BR) (∼12.8 mmol NO 3 −) and NO 3 −-depleted placebo beetroot juice (PL) acutely and then chronically (for two weeks). Biological samples were collected, resting BP was assessed, and 10 maximal voluntary isometric contractions of the knee extensors were performed at 2.5–3.5 h following supplement ingestion on day 1 and day 14. Diastolic BP was significantly lower in BR (−2 ± 3 mmHg, P = 0.03) compared to PL following acute supplementation, while the absolute rate of torque development (RTD) was significantly greater in BR at 0–30 ms (39 ± 57 N m s−1, P = 0.03) and 0–50 ms (79 ± 99 N m s−1, P = 0.02) compared to PL following two weeks supplementation. Greater WB [RSNOs] rather than plasma [NO 2 −] was correlated with lower diastolic BP (r = −0.68, P = 0.02) in BR compared to PL following acute supplementation, while greater skeletal muscle [NO 3 −] was correlated with greater RTD at 0–30 ms (r = 0.64 , P= 0.03) in BR compared to PL following chronic supplementation. We conclude that [RSNOs] in blood, and [NO 3 −] in skeletal muscle, are relevant biomarkers of NO bioavailability which are related to the reduction of BP and the enhanced muscle contractile function following dietary NO 3 − ingestion in humans. • It is unclear which NO biomarkers in blood and muscle correlate with the physiological effects of acute and chronic dietary nitrate supplementation. • In a crossover design, participants consumed NO 3 −-rich beetroot juice (BR) and NO 3 −-depleted placebo (PL) acutely and then for two weeks. • Greater whole blood [RSNOs] was correlated with lower diastolic BP with BR, while greater skeletal muscle [NO 3 −] was correlated with greater rate of muscle torque development with BR. • RSNOs in blood, and NO 3 − in skeletal muscle, are relevant biomarkers of NO bioavailability which are related to the physiological effects of dietary NO 3 − ingestion in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of anthropometry and body composition on running economy is unclear, with previous investigations involving small relatively homogeneous groups of runners and limited anthropometric/composition measurements. Purpose: To comprehensively investigate the relationships of anthropometry and body composition with running economy within a large heterogeneous sample of runners. Methods: Eighty-five runners (males [M], n = 45; females [F], n = 40), of diverse competitive standard, performed a discontinuous protocol of incremental treadmill running (4-min stages, 1 km·h−1 increments) to establish locomotory energy cost (LEc) of running at submaximal speeds (averaged across 10–12 km·h−1; the highest common speed < lactate turnpoint). Measurements of anthropometry, including segment lengths, perimeters, masses and moments of inertia, and body composition were obtained using tape-based measurements and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Results: Absolute LEc (ABSLEc, kcal·km−1) was positively correlated with 21 (of 27) absolute anthropometric variables in both male and female cohorts. Multiple-regression analyses revealed that one variable (mean perimeter z score) explained 49.4% (M) and 68.9% (F) of the variance in ABSLEc. Relative LEc (RELLEc, kcal·kg−1·km−1) was also correlated with five (M) and seven (F) normalized anthropometric variables, and regression analyses explained 31.6% (M; percentage bone mass and normalized hip perimeter) and 33.3% (F, normalized forearm perimeter) of the variance in RELLEc. Conclusions: These findings provide novel and robust evidence that anthropometry and body composition variables, predominantly indicative of relative slenderness, explain a considerable proportion of the variance in running economy (i.e., more slender, lower energy cost). We, therefore, recommend that runners and coaches are attentive to relative slenderness in selecting and training athletes with the aim of enhancing running economy, and improving distance running performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the accuracy of critical power (CP) and Wʹ (the curvature constant of the power-duration relationship) derived from self-paced time-trial (TT) prediction trials using mobile power meters to predict 16.1-km road cycling TT performance. This study also aimed to assess the agreement between functional threshold power (FTP) and CP. Methods: Twelve competitive male cyclists completed an incremental test to exhaustion, a FTP test and 4-5 self-paced TT bouts on a stationary bike within the lab, and a 16.1 km road TT, using mobile power meters. Results: CP and Wʹ derived from the power-duration relationship closely predicted TT performance. The 16.1-km road TT completion time (26.7 ± 2.2 min) was not significantly different from and was significantly correlated with the predicted time-to-completion (27.5 ± 3.3 min, r = 0.89, P < 0.01). CP and FTP were not significantly different (275 ± 40 W vs. 278 ± 42 W, P > 0.05); however, the limits of agreement between CP and FTP were 30 to -36 W. Discussion: The findings of this study indicate that CP and Wʹ determined using mobile power meters during maximal, self-paced TT prediction trials can be used to accurately predict 16.1-km cycling performance, supporting the application of the CP and Wʹ for performance prediction. However, the limits of agreement were too large to consider FTP and CP interchangeable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst modelling the power-duration relationship permits the estimation of CP to 1 W, we remind the reader that experimental evidence suggests that CP occurs within a range provided by the 95% confidence limits of the CP estimate. This review also highlights that CP differs from the maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) and uses this to support the assertion that CP is therefore not a valid indicator of the maximal metabolic steady state (MMSS). Therefore, we propose that an appraisal of the CP concept based on how long exercise "at" CP can be maintained is a fundamentally flawed endeavour. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: The parameters of the power-duration relationship (i.e., the critical power, CP, and the curvature constant, W′) may theoretically predict maximal performance capability for exercise above the CP. The CP and Wʹ are associated with the parameters of oxygen uptake ( $${\dot{\text{V}}}$$ O) kinetics, which can be altered by manipulation of the work-rate forcing function. We tested the hypothesis that the CP and Wʹ derived from constant work-rate (CWR) prediction trials would overestimate ramp incremental exercise performance. Methods: Thirty subjects (males, n = 28; females, n = 2) performed a ramp incremental test, and 3-5 CWR prediction trials for the determination of the CP and Wʹ. Multiple ramp incremental tests and corresponding CP and Wʹ estimates were available for some subjects such that in total 51 ramp test performances were predicted. Results: The ramp incremental test performance (729 ± 113 s) was overestimated by the CP and Wʹ estimates derived from the best (751 ± 114 s, P < 0.05) and worst (749 ± 111 s, P < 0.05) individual fits of CWR prediction trial data. The error in the prediction was inversely correlated with the magnitude of the Wʹ for the best ( r = −0.56, P < 0.05) and worst individual fits ( r = −0.36, P < 0.05). Conclusions: The overestimation of ramp incremental performance suggests that the CP and Wʹ derived from different work-rate forcing functions, thus resulting in different $${\dot{\text{V}}}$$ O kinetics, cannot be used interchangeably. The present findings highlight a potential source of error in performance prediction that is of importance to both researchers and applied practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key points The power-asymptote (critical power; CP) of the hyperbolic power-time relationship for high-intensity exercise defines a threshold between steady-state and non-steady-state exercise intensities and the curvature constant ( W′) indicates a fixed capacity for work >CP that is related to a loss of muscular efficiency., The present study reports novel evidence on the muscle metabolic underpinnings of CP and W′ during whole-body exercise and their relationships to muscle fibre type., We show that the W′ is not correlated with muscle fibre type distribution and that it represents an elevated energy contribution from both oxidative and glycolytic/glycogenolytic metabolism., We show that there is a positive correlation between CP and highly oxidative type I muscle fibres and that muscle metabolic steady-state is attainable CP., Our findings indicate a mechanistic link between the bioenergetic characteristics of muscle fibre types and the power-time relationship for high-intensity exercise., Abstract We hypothesized that: (1) the critical power (CP) will represent a boundary separating steady-state from non-steady-state muscle metabolic responses during whole-body exercise and (2) that the CP and the curvature constant ( W′) of the power-time relationship for high-intensity exercise will be correlated with type I and type IIx muscle fibre distributions, respectively. Four men and four women performed a 3 min all-out cycling test for the estimation of CP and constant work rate (CWR) tests slightly >CP until exhaustion ( Tlim), slightly CP Tlim isotime to test the first hypothesis. Eleven men performed 3 min all-out tests and donated muscle biopsies to test the second hypothesis. Below CP, muscle [PCr] [42.6 ± 7.1 vs. 49.4 ± 6.9 mmol (kg d.w.)−1], [La−] [34.8 ± 12.6 vs. 35.5 ± 13.2 mmol (kg d.w.)−1] and pH (7.11 ± 0.08 vs. 7.10 ± 0.11) remained stable between ∼12 and 24 min ( P > 0.05 for all), whereas these variables changed with time >CP such that they were greater [[La−] 95.6 ± 14.1 mmol (kg d.w.)−1] and lower [[PCr] 24.2 ± 3.9 mmol (kg d.w.)−1; pH 6.84 ± 0.06] ( P < 0.05) at Tlim (740 ± 186 s) than during the

The parameters of the power-duration relationship for severe-intensity exercise (i.e., the critical power (CP) and the curvature constant ( W′)) are related to the kinetics of pulmonary O2 uptake, which may be altered by pacing strategy. We tested the hypothesis that the CP would be higher when derived from a series of self-paced time-trials (TT) than when derived from the conventional series of constant work-rate (CWR) exercise tests. Ten male subjects (age, 21.5 ± 1.9 years; mass, 75.2 ± 11.5 kg) completed 3-4 CWR and 3-4 TT prediction trial protocols on a cycle ergometer for the determination of the CP and W′. The CP derived from the TT protocol (265 ± 44 W) was greater ( P < 0.05) than the CP derived from the CWR protocol (250 ± 47 W), while the W′ was not different between protocols (TT: 18.1 ± 5.7 kJ, CWR: 20.6 ± 7.4 kJ, P > 0.05). The mean response time of pulmonary O2 uptake was shorter during the TTs than the CWR trials (TT: 34 ± 16, CWR: 39 ± 19 s, P < 0.05). The CP was correlated with the total O2 consumed in the first 60 s across both protocols ( r = 0.88, P < 0.05, n = 20). These results suggest that in comparison with the conventional CWR exercise protocol, a self-selected pacing strategy enhances CP and improves severe-intensity exercise performance. The greater CP during TT compared with CWR exercise has important implications for performance prediction, suggesting that TT completion times may be overestimated by CP and W′ parameters derived from CWR protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been shown that the critical power (CP) in cycling estimated using a novel 3-min all-out protocol is reliable and closely matches the CP derived from conventional procedures. The purpose of this study was to assess the predictive validity of the all-out test CP estimate. We hypothesised that the all-out test CP would be significantly correlated with 16.1-km road time-trial (TT) performance and more strongly correlated with performance than the gas exchange threshold (GET), respiratory compensation point (RCP) andV̇O2max. Ten club-level male cyclists (mean±SD: age 33.8±8.2 y, body mass 73.8±4.3 kg,V̇O2max 60±4 ml·kg−1·min−1) performed a 10-mile road TT, a ramp incremental test to exhaustion, and two 3-min all-out tests, the first of which served as familiarisation. The 16.1-km TT performance (27.1±1.2 min) was significantly correlated with the CP (309±34 W;r=−0.83,P<0.01) and total work done during the all-out test (70.9±6.5 kJ;r=−0.86,P<0.01), the ramp incremental test peak power (433±30 W;r=−0.75,P<0.05) and the RCP (315±29 W;r=−0.68,P<0.05), but not with GET (151±32 W;r=−0.21) or theV̇O2max (4.41±0.25 L·min−1;r=−0.60). These data provide evidence for the predictive validity and practical performance relevance of the 3-min all-out test. The 3-min all-out test CP may represent a useful addition to the battery of tests employed by applied sport physiologists or coaches to track fitness and predict performance in atheletes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It has been shown that the critical power (CP) in cycling estimated using a novel 3‐min all‐out protocol is reliable and closely matches the CP derived from conventional procedures. The purpose of this study was to assess the predictive validity of the all‐out test CP estimate. We hypothesised that the all‐out test CP would be significantly correlated with 16.1‐km road time‐trial (TT) performance and more strongly correlated with performance than the gas exchange threshold (GET), respiratory compensation point (RCP) and V̇O2 max. Ten club‐level male cyclists (mean±SD: age 33.8±8.2 y, body mass 73.8±4.3 kg, V̇O2 max 60±4 ml·kg−1·min−1) performed a 10‐mile road TT, a ramp incremental test to exhaustion, and two 3‐min all‐out tests, the first of which served as familiarisation. The 16.1‐km TT performance (27.1±1.2 min) was significantly correlated with the CP (309±34 W; r=−0.83, P<0.01) and total work done during the all‐out test (70.9±6.5 kJ; r=−0.86, P<0.01), the ramp incremental test peak power (433±30 W; r=−0.75, P<0.05) and the RCP (315±29 W; r=−0.68, P<0.05), but not with GET (151±32 W; r=−0.21) or the V̇O2 max (4.41±0.25 L·min−1; r=−0.60). These data provide evidence for the predictive validity and practical performance relevance of the 3‐min all‐out test. The 3‐min all‐out test CP may represent a useful addition to the battery of tests employed by applied sport physiologists or coaches to track fitness and predict performance in atheletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the role of polymer chains on deposition ofcolloidalparticles at solid surfaces from drying aqueous drops and show thatthe kinetics of phase separation of colloids and polymers can be explainedby spinodal decomposition of binary systems. Concentrations of polymersolutions and polymer chain lengths were varied to understand theaggregation dynamics of colloidal particles via a polymer bridgingmechanism. We show that when polymer concentration in the dropletis increased, particles spatially order upon drying due to a combinationof the phase separation of highly bridged particles and the Marangoniflow effect. The demonstrated effect of particle-adsorbing, water-solublepolymers on the coffee-ring formation opens up new ways of creatinghighly ordered, long-range patterned surfaces using a facile, template-freeapproach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Observational methods are fundamental to the study of human behavior in the behavioral sciences. For example, in the context of research on intimate relationships, psychologists’ hypotheses are often empirically tested by video recording interactions of couples and manually coding relevant behaviors using standardized coding systems. This coding process can be time-consuming, and the resulting coded data may have a high degree of variability because of a number of factors (e.g., inter-evaluator differences). These challenges provide an opportunity to employ engineering methods to aid in automatically coding human behavioral data. In this work, we analyzed a large corpus of married couples’ problem-solving interactions. Each spouse was manually coded with multiple session-level behavioral observations (e.g., level of blame toward other spouse), and we used acoustic speech features to automatically classify extreme instances for six selected codes (e.g., “low” vs. “high” blame). Specifically, we extracted prosodic, spectral, and voice quality features to capture global acoustic properties for each spouse and trained gender-specific and gender-independent classifiers. The best overall automatic system correctly classified 74.1% of the instances, an improvement of 3.95% absolute (5.63% relative) over our previously reported best results. We compare performance for the various factors: across codes, gender, classifier type, and feature type. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ring-closing metathesis and an allylation-elimination reaction sequence have been used to complete a synthesis of the conjugated triene subunit of the archazolids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the developments related to taxation in Indiana in 2008. Legislation passed by the 115th General Assembly (GA) that affect state and local taxation are given, one of which is the amendment of Indiana Code (IC) 6-1.1-2-7 which moves to exempt inventory from assessment and taxation. Opinions and decisions made by the state Tax Court for various cases are examined including the sales and use tax case Brambles Industries Inc. v. Indiana Department of State Revenue and the income tax case Wiles v. Indiana Department of State Revenue.

Dietary nitrate (NO 3 −) ingestion can be beneficial for health and exercise performance. Recently, based on animal and limited human studies, a skeletal muscle NO 3 − reservoir has been suggested to be important in whole body nitric oxide (NO) homeostasis. The purpose of this study was to determine the time course of changes in human skeletal muscle NO 3 − concentration ([NO 3 −]) following the ingestion of dietary NO 3 −. Sixteen participants were allocated to either an experimental group (NIT: n = 11) which consumed a bolus of ∼1300 mg (12.8 mmol) potassium nitrate (KNO 3), or a placebo group (PLA: n = 5) which consumed a bolus of potassium chloride (KCl). Biological samples (muscle (vastus lateralis), blood, saliva and urine) were collected shortly before NIT or PLA ingestion and at intervals over the course of the subsequent 24 h. At baseline, no differences were observed for muscle [NO 3 −] and [NO 2 −] between NIT and PLA (P > 0.05). In PLA, there were no changes in muscle [NO 3 −] or [NO 2 −] over time. In NIT, muscle [NO 3 −] was significantly elevated above baseline (54 ± 29 nmol/g) at 0.5 h, reached a peak at 3 h (181 ± 128 nmol/g), and was not different to baseline from 9 h onwards (P > 0.05). Muscle [NO 2 −] did not change significantly over time. Following ingestion of a bolus of dietary NO 3 −, skeletal muscle [NO 3 −] increases rapidly, reaches a peak at ∼3 h and subsequently declines towards baseline values. Following dietary NO 3 − ingestion, human m. vastus lateralis [NO 3 −] expressed a slightly delayed pharmacokinetic profile compared to plasma [NO 3 −]. • Nitrate in skeletal muscle may be important in whole-body nitric oxide homeostasis. • We measured changes in human muscle nitrate after dietary nitrate ingestion. • Muscle nitrate levels increase at 0.5 h, peak at 3 h and return to baseline by 9 h. • Muscle nitrate pharmacokinetics are broadly similar to those of plasma nitrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary nitrate (NO 3 −) supplementation can enhance nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and lower blood pressure (BP) in humans. The nitrite concentration ([NO 2 −]) in the plasma is the most commonly used biomarker of increased NO availability. However, it is unknown to what extent changes in other NO congeners, such as S-nitrosothiols (RSNOs), and in other blood components, such as red blood cells (RBC), also contribute to the BP lowering effects of dietary NO 3 −. We investigated the correlations between changes in NO biomarkers in different blood compartments and changes in BP variables following acute NO 3 − ingestion. Resting BP was measured and blood samples were collected at baseline, and at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 24 h following acute beetroot juice (∼12.8 mmol NO 3 −, ∼11 mg NO 3 −/kg) ingestion in 20 healthy volunteers. Spearman rank correlation coefficients were determined between the peak individual increases in NO biomarkers (NO 3 −, NO 2 −, RSNOs) in plasma, RBC and whole blood, and corresponding decreases in resting BP variables. No significant correlation was observed between increased plasma [NO 2 −] and reduced BP, but increased RBC [NO 2 −] was correlated with decreased systolic BP (r s = −0.50, P = 0.03). Notably, increased RBC [RSNOs] was significantly correlated with decreases in systolic (r s = −0.68, P = 0.001), diastolic (r s = −0.59, P = 0.008) and mean arterial pressure (r s = −0.64, P = 0.003). Fisher's z transformation indicated no difference in the strength of the correlations between increases in RBC [NO 2 −] or [RSNOs] and decreased systolic blood pressure. In conclusion, increased RBC [RSNOs] may be an important mediator of the reduction in resting BP observed following dietary NO 3 − supplementation. • Dietary nitrate (NO 3 −) supplementation elevates plasma nitrite concentration ([NO 2 −]) and can lower blood pressure (BP) in humans. • We investigated the correlations between changes in relevant NO congeners in different blood compartments and corresponding changes in BP variables following acute NO 3 − ingestion. • There was no significant correlation between increased plasma [NO 2 −] and reduced BP, but increased red blood cell [NO 2 −] was correlated with decreased systolic BP. • Notably, increased red blood cell S-nitrosothiol concentration ([RSNOs]) was significantly correlated with decreases in systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure. • Red blood cell [RSNOs] may be an important mediator of the reduction in resting BP observed following dietary NO 3 − supplementation in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Dietary nitrate (NO3−) supplementation increases nitric oxide bioavailability and can enhance exercise performance. We investigated the distribution and metabolic fate of ingested NO3− at rest and during exercise with a focus on skeletal muscle. Methods: In a randomized, crossover study, 10 healthy volunteers consumed 12.8 mmol 15N‐labeled potassium nitrate (K15NO3; NIT) or potassium chloride placebo (PLA). Muscle biopsies were taken at baseline, at 1‐ and 3‐h post‐supplement ingestion, and immediately following the completion of 60 maximal intermittent contractions of the knee extensors. Muscle, plasma, saliva, and urine samples were analyzed using chemiluminescence to determine absolute [NO3−] and [NO2−], and by mass spectrometry to determine the proportion of NO3− and NO2− that was 15N‐labeled. Results: Neither muscle [NO3−] nor [NO2−] were altered by PLA. Following NIT, muscle [NO3−] (but not [NO2−]) was elevated at 1‐h (from ~35 to 147 nmol/g, p < 0.001) and 3‐h, with almost all of the increase being 15N‐labeled. There was a significant reduction in 15N‐labeled muscle [NO3−] from pre‐ to post‐exercise. Relative to PLA, mean muscle torque production was ~7% greater during the first 18 contractions following NIT. This improvement in torque was correlated with the pre‐exercise 15N‐labeled muscle [NO3−] and the magnitude of decline in 15N‐labeled muscle [NO3−] during exercise (r = 0.66 and r = 0.62, respectively; p < 0.01). Conclusion: This study shows, for the first time, that skeletal muscle rapidly takes up dietary NO3−, the elevated muscle [NO3−] following NO3− ingestion declines during exercise, and muscle NO3− dynamics are associated with enhanced torque production during maximal intermittent muscle contractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite an intuitive relationship between technique and both running economy (RE) and performance, and the diverse techniques used by runners to achieve forward locomotion, the objective importance of overall technique and the key components therein remain to be elucidated. Purpose: This study aimed to determine the relationship between individual and combined kinematic measures of technique with both RE and performance. Methods: Ninety-seven endurance runners (47 females) of diverse competitive standards performed a discontinuous protocol of incremental treadmill running (4-min stages, 1-km⋅h-1 increments). Measurements included three-dimensional full-body kinematics, respiratory gases to determine energy cost, and velocity of lactate turn point. Five categories of kinematic measures (vertical oscillation, braking, posture, stride parameters, and lower limb angles) and locomotory energy cost (LEc) were averaged across 10-12 km⋅h-1 (the highest common velocity < velocity of lactate turn point). Performance was measured as season's best (SB) time converted to a sex- specific z-score. Results: Numerous kinematic variables were correlated with RE and performance (LEc, 19 variables; SB time, 11 variables). Regression analysis found three variables (pelvis vertical oscillation during ground contact normalized to height, minimum knee joint angle during ground contact, and minimum horizontal pelvis velocity) explained 39% of LEc variability. In addition, four variables (minimum horizontal pelvis velocity, shank touchdown angle, duty factor, and trunk forward lean) combined to explain 31% of the variability in performance (SB time). Conclusions: This study provides novel and robust evidence that technique explains a substantial proportion of the variance in RE and performance. We recommend that runners and coaches are attentive to specific aspects of stride parameters and lower limb angles in part to optimize pelvis movement, and ultimately enhance performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have constructed a microfabricated circular corral for bacteria made of rings of concentric funnels which channel motile bacteria outwards via non-hydrodynamic interactions with the funnel walls. Initially bacteria do move rapidly outwards to the periphery of the corral. At the edge, nano-slits allow for the transport of nutrients into the device while keeping the bacteria from escaping. After a period of time in which the bacteria increase their cell density in this perimeter region, they are then able to defeat the physical constrains of the funnels by launching back-propagating collective waves. We present the basic data and some nonlinear modeling which can explain how bacterial population waves propagate through a physical funnel, and discuss possible biological implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Machine learning (ML) provides novel opportunities for human behavior research and clinical translation, yet its application can have noted pitfalls (Bone et al., 2015). In this work, we fastidiously utilize ML to derive autism spectrum disorder (ASD) instrument algorithms in an attempt to improve upon widely used ASD screening and diagnostic tools. Methods: The data consisted of Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) scores for 1,264 verbal individuals with ASD and 462 verbal individuals with non- ASD developmental or psychiatric disorders, split at age 10. Algorithms were created via a robust ML classifier, support vector machine, while targeting best-estimate clinical diagnosis of ASD versus non-ASD. Parameter settings were tuned in multiple levels of cross-validation. Results: The created algorithms were more effective (higher performing) than the current algorithms, were tunable (sensitivity and specificity can be differentially weighted), and were more efficient (achieving near-peak performance with five or fewer codes). Results from ML-based fusion of ADIR and SRS are reported. We present a screener algorithm for below (above) age 10 that reached 89.2% (86.7%) sensitivity and 59.0% (53.4%) specificity with only five behavioral codes. Conclusions: ML is useful for creating robust, customizable instrument algorithms. In a unique dataset comprised of controls with other difficulties, our findings highlight the limitations of current caregiver-report instruments and indicate possible avenues for improving ASD screening and diagnostic tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning has immense potential to enhance diagnostic and intervention research in the behavioral sciences, and may be especially useful in investigations involving the highly prevalent and heterogeneous syndrome of autism spectrum disorder. However, use of machine learning in the absence of clinical domain expertise can be tenuous and lead to misinformed conclusions. To illustrate this concern, the current paper critically evaluates and attempts to reproduce results from two studies (Wall et al. in Transl Psychiatry 2(4):e100, ; PloS One 7(8), ) that claim to drastically reduce time to diagnose autism using machine learning. Our failure to generate comparable findings to those reported by Wall and colleagues using larger and more balanced data underscores several conceptual and methodological problems associated with these studies. We conclude with proposed best-practices when using machine learning in autism research, and highlight some especially promising areas for collaborative work at the intersection of computational and behavioral science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between prosodic speech cues and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) severity, hypothesizing a mutually interactive relationship between the speech characteristics of the psychologist and the child. The authors objectively quantified acoustic-prosodic cues of the psychologist and of the child with ASD during spontaneous interaction, establishing a methodology for future large-sample analysis. Method: Speech acoustic-prosodic features were semiautomatically derived from segments of semistructured interviews (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, ADOS; Lord, Rutter, DiLavore, & Risi, 1999; Lord et al., 2012) with 28 children who had previously been diagnosed with ASD. Prosody was quantified in terms of intonation, volume, rate, and voice quality. Research hypotheses were tested via correlation as well as hierarchical and predictive regression between ADOS severity and prosodic cues. Results: Automatically extracted speech features demonstrated prosodic characteristics of dyadic interactions. As rated ASD severity increased, both the psychologist and the child demonstrated effects for turn-end pitch slope, and both spoke with atypical voice quality. The psychologist’s acoustic cues predicted the child’s symptom severity better than did the child’s acoustic cues. Conclusion: The psychologist, acting as evaluator and interlocutor, was shown to adjust his or her behavior in predictable ways based on the child’s social-communicative impairments. The results support future study of speech prosody of both interaction partners during spontaneous conversation, while using automatic computational methods that allow for scalable analysis on much larger corpora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between prosodic speech cues and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) severity, hypothesizing a mutually interactive relationship between the speech characteristics of the psychologist and the child. The authors objectively quantified acoustic-prosodic cues of the psychologist and of the child with ASD during spontaneous interaction, establishing a methodology for future large-sample analysis. Method: Speech acoustic-prosodic features were semiautomatically derived from segments of semistructured interviews (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, ADOS; Lord, Rutter, DiLavore, & Risi, 1999; Lord et al., 2012) with 28 children who had previously been diagnosed with ASD. Prosody was quantified in terms of intonation, volume, rate, and voice quality. Research hypotheses were tested via correlation as well as hierarchical and predictive regression between ADOS severity and prosodic cues. Results: Automatically extracted speech features demonstrated prosodic characteristics of dyadic interactions. As rated ASD severity increased, both the psychologist and the child demonstrated effects for turn-end pitch slope, and both spoke with atypical voice quality. The psychologist’s acoustic cues predicted the child’s symptom severity better than did the child’s acoustic cues. Conclusion: The psychologist, acting as evaluator and interlocutor, was shown to adjust his or her behavior in predictable ways based on the child’s social-communicative impairments. The results support future study of speech prosody of both interaction partners during spontaneous conversation, while using automatic computational methods that allow for scalable analysis on much larger corpora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In human–human interactions, entrainment is a naturally occurring phenomenon that happens when interlocutors mutually adapt their behaviors through the course of an interaction. This mutual behavioral dependency has been at the center of psychological studies of human communication for decades. Quantitative descriptors of the degree of entrainment can provide psychologists an objective method to advance studies of human communication including in mental health domains. However, the subtle nature of the entrainment phenomenon makes it challenging for computing such an effect based on just human annotations. In this paper, we propose an unsupervised signal-derived approach within a principal component analysis framework for quantifying one aspect of entrainment in communication, namely, vocal entrainment. The proposed approach to quantify the degree of vocal entrainment involves measuring the similarity of specific vocal characteristics between the interlocutors in a dialog. These quantitative descriptors were analyzed using two psychology-inspired hypothesis tests to not only establish that these signal-derived measures carry meaningful information in interpersonal communication but also offer statistical evidence into aspects of behavioral dependency and associated affective states in marital conflictual interactions. Finally, affect recognition experiments were performed with the proposed vocal entrainment descriptors as features using a large database of real distressed married couples’ interactions. An accuracy of 62.56% in differentiating between positive and negative affect was obtained using these entrainment measures with Factorial Hidden Markov Models lending further support that entrainment is an active component underlying affective processes in interactions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Segmental and suprasegmental speech signal modulations offer information about paralinguistic content such as affect, age and gender, pathology, and speaker state. Speaker state encompasses medium-term, temporary physiological phenomena influenced by internal or external bio-chemical actions (e.g., sleepiness, alcohol intoxication). Perceptual and computational research indicates that detecting speaker state from speech is a challenging task. In this paper, we present a system constructed with multiple representations of prosodic and spectral features that provided the best result at the Intoxication Subchallenge of Interspeech 2011 on the Alcohol Language Corpus. We discuss the details of each classifier and show that fusion improves performance. We additionally address the question of how best to construct a speaker state detection system in terms of robust and practical marginalization of associated variability such as through modeling speakers, utterance type, gender, and utterance length. As is the case in human perception, speaker normalization provides significant improvements to our system. We show that a held-out set of baseline (sober) data can be used to achieve comparable gains to other speaker normalization techniques. Our fused frame-level statistic-functional systems, fused GMM systems, and final combined system achieve unweighted average recalls (UARs) of 69.7%, 65.1%, and 68.8%, respectively, on the test set. More consistent numbers compared to development set results occur with matched-prompt training, where the UARs are 70.4%, 66.2%, and 71.4%, respectively. The combined system improves over the Challenge baseline by 5.5% absolute (8.4% relative), also improving upon our previously best result. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Peptide amphiphiles (PAs) are a class of amphiphilic molecules able to self-assemble into nanomaterials that have shown efficient in vivo targeted delivery. Understanding the interactions of PAs with cells and the mechanisms of their internalization and intracellular trafficking is critical in their further development for therapeutic delivery applications. Methodology/Principal Findings: PAs of a novel, cell- and tissue-penetrating peptide were synthesized possessing two different lipophilic tail architectures and their interactions with prostate cancer cells were studied in vitro. Cell uptake of peptides was greatly enhanced post-modification. Internalization occurred via lipid-raft mediated endocytosis and was common for the two analogs studied. On the contrary, we identified the non-peptidic part as the determining factor of differences between intracellular trafficking and retention of PAs. PAs composed of di-stearyl lipid tails linked through poly(ethylene glycol) to the peptide exhibited higher exocytosis rates and employed different recycling pathways compared to ones consisting of di-palmitic-coupled peptides. As a result, cell association of the former PAs decreased with time. Conclusions/Significance: Control over peptide intracellular localization and retention is possible by appropriate modification with synthetic hydrophobic tails. We propose this as a strategy to design improved peptide-based delivery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous epistemologies view a person as a whole, interconnected to land, in relationship to others. Knowledge is subjective and collective. However, hegemonic western knowledge created dualism that are perpetuated through western schooling with detrimental effects on Indigenous knowledge systems and livelihood. The dualisms separate mind from body, body from nature, and spirit from matter which led to western schooling practices that support goals of settler colonialism including dispossession of Indigenous peoples from their lands. This article presents theoretical and conceptual discussions, personal reflections, and relationship-building the authors engaged while creating decolonizing and Indigenous syllabi in the fields of environmental studies, philosophy, and mathematics education at the university level. Engaging these processes disrupts the separation created through western dualisms and move toward reconnection as an initial step in creating decolonizing curricula, shifting dominant curricula organized through the logics of settler colonialism, to curricula that envision and support Indigenous nations and sovereignty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key points: Nitric oxide (NO), a potent vasodilator and a regulator of many physiological processes, is produced in mammals both enzymatically and by reduction of nitrite and nitrate ions.We have previously reported that, in rodents, skeletal muscle serves as a nitrate reservoir, with nitrate levels greatly exceeding those in blood or other internal organs, and with nitrate being reduced to NO during exercise.In the current study, we show that nitrate concentration is substantially greater in skeletal muscle than in blood and is elevated further by dietary nitrate ingestion in human volunteers. We also show that high‐intensity exercise results in a reduction in the skeletal muscle nitrate store following supplementation, likely as a consequence of its reduction to nitrite and NO.We also report the presence of sialin, a nitrate transporter, and xanthine oxidoreductase in human skeletal muscle, indicating that muscle has the necessary apparatus for nitrate transport, storage and metabolism. Rodent skeletal muscle contains a large store of nitrate that can be augmented by the consumption of dietary nitrate. This muscle nitrate reservoir has been found to be an important source of nitrite and nitric oxide (NO) via its reduction by tissue xanthine oxidoreductase. To explore if this pathway is also active in human skeletal muscle during exercise, and if it is sensitive to local nitrate availability, we assessed exercise‐induced changes in muscle nitrate and nitrite concentrations in young healthy humans, under baseline conditions and following dietary nitrate consumption. We found that baseline nitrate and nitrite concentrations were far higher in muscle than in plasma (∼4‐fold and ∼29‐fold, respectively), and that the consumption of a single bolus of dietary nitrate (12.8 mmol) significantly elevated nitrate concentration in both plasma (∼19‐fold) and muscle (∼5‐fold). Consistent with these observations, and with previous suggestions of active muscle nitrate transport, we present western blot data to show significant expression of the active nitrate/nitrite transporter sialin in human skeletal muscle. Furthermore, we report an exercise‐induced reduction in human muscle nitrate concentration (by ∼39%), but only in the presence of an increased muscle nitrate store. Our results indicate that human skeletal muscle nitrate stores are sensitive to dietary nitrate intake and may contribute to NO generation during exercise. Together, these findings suggest that skeletal muscle plays an important role in the transport, storage and metabolism of nitrate in humans. Key points: Nitric oxide (NO), a potent vasodilator and a regulator of many physiological processes, is produced in mammals both enzymatically and by reduction of nitrite and nitrate ions.We have previously reported that, in rodents, skeletal muscle serves as a nitrate reservoir, with nitrate levels greatly exceeding those in blood or other internal organs, and with nitrate being reduced to NO during exercise.In the current study, we show that nitrate concentration is substantially greater in skeletal muscle than in blood and is elevated further by dietary nitrate ingestion in human volunteers. We also show that high‐intensity exercise results in a reduction in the skeletal muscle nitrate store following supplementation, likely as a consequence of its reduction to nitrite and NO.We also report the presence of sialin, a nitrate transporter, and xanthine oxidoreductase in human skeletal muscle, indicating that muscle has the necessary apparatus for nitrate transport, storage and metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria under external stress can reveal unexpected emergent phenotypes. We show that the intensely studied bacterium Escherichia coli can transform into long, highly motile helical filaments poized at a torsional buckling criticality when exposed to minimum inhibitory concentrations of several antibiotics. While the highly motile helices are physically either right- or left-handed, the motile helices always rotate with a right-handed angular velocity →, which points in the same direction as the translational velocity ~vT of the helix. Furthermore, these helical cells do not swim by a "run and tumble" but rather synchronously flip their spin → and thus translational velocity--backing up rather than tumbling. By increasing the translational persistence length, these dynamics give rise to an effective diffusion coefficient up to 20 times that of a normal E. coli cell. Finally, we propose an evolutionary mechanism for this phenotype's emergence whereby the increased effective diffusivity provides a fitness advantage in allowing filamentous cells to more readily escape regions of high external stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) and the critical power (CP) are two widely used indices of the highest oxidative metabolic rate that can be sustained during continuous exercise and are often considered to be synonymous. However, while perhaps having similarities in principle, methodological differences in the assessment of these parameters typically result in MLSS occurring at a somewhat lower power output or running speed and exercise at CP being sustainable for no more than approximately 20–30 min. This has led to the view that CP overestimates the 'actual' maximal metabolic steady state and that MLSS should be considered the 'gold standard' metric for the evaluation of endurance exercise capacity. In this article we will present evidence consistent with the contrary conclusion: i.e., that (1) as presently defined, MLSS naturally underestimates the actual maximal metabolic steady state; and (2) CP alone represents the boundary between discrete exercise intensity domains within which the dynamic cardiorespiratory and muscle metabolic responses to exercise differ profoundly. While both MLSS and CP may have relevance for athletic training and performance, we urge that the distinction between the two concepts/metrics be better appreciated and that comparisons between MLSS and CP, undertaken in the mistaken belief that they are theoretically synonymous, is discontinued. CP represents the genuine boundary separating exercise in which physiological homeostasis can be maintained from exercise in which it cannot, and should be considered the gold standard when the goal is to determine the maximal metabolic steady state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute type A aortic dissections starting at the arch pose a challenge for cardiac surgeons. Open surgical repair requires deep hypothermic circulatory arrest for arch reconstruction and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Hybrid aortic repair techniques, with open arch debranching and thoracic endovascular aortic repair, have been employed in high-risk cases and challenging aortic pathology. Herein, we present a case of a 33-year-old African American male with a history of open thoracoabdominal aortic reconstruction and femoral–femoral artery bypass for a type B dissection who subsequently presented with new-onset chest pain and was found to have a retrograde type A dissection of a bovine arch with multiple dissection flaps and possible contrast extravasation on chest computed tomography. Endovascular reconstruction of the aortic arch using a hybrid technique was utilized and proved to be feasible and further should be considered when complex anatomy limits traditional surgical options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is possible that dietary nitrate (NO) supplementation may improve both physical and cognitive performance via its influence on blood flow and cellular energetics. Purpose: To investigate the effects of dietary NO supplementation on exercise performance and cognitive function during a prolonged intermittent sprint test (IST) protocol, which was designed to reflect typical work patterns during team sports. Methods: In a double-blind randomised crossover study, 16 male team-sport players received NO-rich (BR; 140 mL day; 12.8 mmol of NO), and NO-depleted (PL; 140 mL day; 0.08 mmol NO) beetroot juice for 7 days. On day 7 of supplementation, subjects completed the IST (two 40-min 'halves' of repeated 2-min blocks consisting of a 6-s 'all-out' sprint, 100-s active recovery and 20 s of rest), on a cycle ergometer during which cognitive tasks were simultaneously performed. Results: Total work done during the sprints of the IST was greater in BR (123 ± 19 kJ) compared to PL (119 ± 17 kJ; P < 0.05). Reaction time of response to the cognitive tasks in the second half of the IST was improved in BR compared to PL (BR first half: 820 ± 96 vs. second half: 817 ± 86 ms; PL first half: 824 ± 114 vs. second half: 847 ± 118 ms; P < 0.05). There was no difference in response accuracy. Conclusions: These findings suggest that dietary NO enhances repeated sprint performance and may attenuate the decline in cognitive function (and specifically reaction time) that may occur during prolonged intermittent exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have suggested that dietary inorganic nitrate (NO) supplementation may improve muscle efficiency and endurance exercise tolerance but possible effects during team sport-specific intense intermittent exercise have not been examined. We hypothesized that NO supplementation would enhance high-intensity intermittent exercise performance. Fourteen male recreational team-sport players were assigned in a double-blind, randomized, crossover design to consume 490 mL of concentrated, nitrate-rich beetroot juice (BR) and nitrate-depleted placebo juice (PL) over ~30 h preceding the completion of a Yo-Yo intermittent recovery level 1 test (Yo-Yo IR1). Resting plasma nitrite concentration ([NO]) was ~400 % greater in BR compared to PL. Plasma [NO] declined by 20 % in PL ( P < 0.05) and by 54 % in BR ( P < 0.05) from pre-exercise to end-exercise. Performance in the Yo-Yo IR1 was 4.2 % greater ( P < 0.05) with BR (1,704 ± 304 m) compared to PL (1,636 ± 288 m). Blood [lactate] was not different between BR and PL, but the mean blood [glucose] was lower (3.8 ± 0.8 vs. 4.2 ± 1.1 mM, P < 0.05) and the rise in plasma [K] tended to be reduced in BR compared to PL ( P = 0.08). These findings suggest that NO supplementation may promote NO production via the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway and enhance Yo-Yo IR1 test performance, perhaps by facilitating greater muscle glucose uptake or by better maintaining muscle excitability. Dietary NO supplementation improves performance during intense intermittent exercise and may be a useful ergogenic aid for team sports players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Triggering Toll-like receptors (TLRs) on dendritic cells (DCs) induces inflammatory cytokine production necessary for T helper type 1 immunity. The present study investigated whether simultaneous stimulation of two TLRs that signal through the same or different pathway(s) enhances cytokine production in DCs. Methods. Fms-like tyrosine kinase-3 ligand-generated murine DCs were used in stimulation assays with TLR agonists with or without pharmacological inhibitors of cell signaling pathways. Cytokine levels were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or cytometric bead array. Results. There was synergistic enhancement of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-12, which were significantly inhibited by inhibitors of nuclear factor-κB and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. IL-12p40 was significantly inhibited by both p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase inhibitors, whereas IL-12p70 was inhibited by p38 MAPK inhibitor alone. IL-6 was significantly inhibited by extracellular signal-regulated kinase and, variably, by p38 MAPK and c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitors. Conclusions. Production of cytokines in DCs after simultaneous stimulation of TLRs that signal through the same or different pathway(s) showed differential use of MAPK signaling pathways, yet both nuclear factor-κB and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway as a positive regulator of TLR signaling were important. Our data suggest an important role for MyD88-dependent signaling pathways in TLR-mediated synergistic enhancement of inflammatory cytokine production in DCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To automate assessments of beginning readers, especially those still learning English, we have investigated the types of knowledge sources that teachers use and have tried to incorporate them into an automated system. We describe a set of speech recognition and verification experiments and compare teacher scores with automatic scores in order to decide when a novel pronunciation is best viewed as a reading error or as dialect variation. Since no one classroom teacher is expected to be familiar with as many dialect systems as might occur in an urban classroom, making progress in automated assessments in this area can improve the consistency and fairness of reading assessment. We found that automatic methods performed best when the acoustic models were trained on both native and non-native speech, and argue that this training condition is necessary for automatic reading assessment since a child’s reading ability is not directly observable in one utterance. We also found assessment of emerging reading skills in young children to be an area ripe for more research! [Copyright &y& Elsevier]