Exhaustive Testing Research Articles

An evolutionary algorithm for designing microbial communities via environmental modification.

Despite a growing understanding of how environmental composition affects microbial communities, it remains difficult to apply this knowledge to the rational design of synthetic multispecies consortia. This is because natural microbial communities can harbour thousands of different organisms and environmental substrates, making up a vast combinatorial space that precludes exhaustive experimental testing and computational prediction. Here, we present a method based on the combination of machine learning and metabolic modelling that selects optimal environmental compositions to produce target community phenotypes. In this framework, dynamic flux balance analysis is used to model the growth of a community in candidate environments. A genetic algorithm is then used to evaluate the behaviour of the community relative to a target phenotype, and subsequently adjust the environment to allow the organisms to approach this target. We apply this iterative process to thousands of in silico communities of varying sizes, showing how it can rapidly identify environments that yield desired taxonomic compositions and patterns of metabolic exchange. Moreover, this combination of approaches produces testable predictions for the assembly of experimental microbial communities with specific properties and can facilitate rational environmental design processes for complex microbiomes.

Metabolic Health Monitoring By Continuous Sensing of Breath Acetone at ppb

Introduction A major and largely underestimated [1] concern of today’s society is metabolic health (e.g. obesity) that is related to several diseases (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular illnesses). Various diet strategies (e.g., ketogenic [2], intermittent fasting [3]) as well as exercising are explored but the assessment of treatment effectiveness on an individual level remains difficult. Desired are simple and accurate integrated devices that communicate wirelessly [4] and monitor metabolic changes conveniently at the point-of-care. This is possible through non-invasive acetone detection, a metabolic breath marker of lipolysis [5]. In specific, acetone is formed during hepatic β-oxidation of fatty acids that further divide into acetoacetate [6] that undergoes decarboxylation and enzymatic degradation to acetone [6], which is highly volatile and measureable in exhaled breath [7]. This has led to the development of several acetone sensors in the last decade.Most, however, suffer from cross-interference to endogenous (e.g., isoprene) and background interferants (e.g., alcohol from disinfectants) [8], and their evaluation in the application has been hardly considered, a general challenge in sensor science [9]. Catalytic filters [10] offer a simple and most effective approach to enhance selectivity and continuously mitigate the interference of confounders. Here, we present a low-cost and compact detector based on a flame-made Pt-loaded Al2O3 catalytic filter [11] coupled to a Si/WO3 sensor [8] for rapid and highly selective acetone detection. We apply it for breath analysis to monitor exercising and fasting. Method Nine volunteers attended two separate appointments. In the first, they performed an exhaustive spiroergometry test for determination of the cardiorespiratory fitness, maximum oxygen uptake (VO2) and second ventilatory threshold (VT2). During the second appointment, all volunteers performed a cardiorespiratory fitness-adapted submaximal aerobic exercise protocol [12]. The protocol started at 20% of the individual VT2 (determined in the first appointment) and increased by 10% every 5 min. Breath was sampled every 5 min during exercise, as well as every 30 min during 3 hours of post-exercise rest with an end-tidal breath sampler [13] and analyzed by PTR-ToF-MS and with and without a Pt/Al2O3 filter-enhanced Si/WO3 sensor. Results and Conclusions Figure 1 shows the normalized (i.e., to the baseline at t = 0) end-tidal acetone concentrations during exercising (0 ≤ t < 60 min) and fasting (60 < t ≤ 240 min) for all nine volunteers, as determined with bench-top PTR-ToF-MS (circles) and the Pt/Al2O3 filter-enhanced Si/WO3 sensor (triangles). The error bars indicate the standard error of the mean (SEM) for all volunteers. Baseline acetone concentrations (0.4 - 1.7 ppm) increase marginally during the exercise phase (i.e., < 5%). In contrast, a strong increase (up to 124%) takes place during subsequent fasting. This indicates that the exercise stimulated the body fat metabolism.The impact of the filter is shown best when monitoring breath acetone in situ during exercising. In fact, the sensor with filter follows closely the bench-top PTR-ToF-MS, while the sensor alone deviates (Figure 1a, squares). This might be related to endogenous isoprene (Figure 1b, diamonds), that spikes immediately in breath during muscle activity (up to 656 ppb within the first 5 min [14]) and then declines. While the sensor responds to isoprene [8], this is mitigated by the filter (triangles). Also varying background ethanol (stars) from hand disinfection [15] may affect the sensor. Thus, with filter, this detector is promising for robust and in situ metabolic monitoring to guide personalized dieting and exercising.

MO552PHARMACOLOGICAL HIF PROLYL HYDROXYLASE INHIBITION IMPROVES EXERCISE ENDURANCE CAPACITY IN CKD MICE

Abstract Background and Aims Erythropoietin (EPO) and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) stabilizers (prolyl hydroxylase (PH) inhibitors) are efficient therapeutic modalities against anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Compared to EPO and EPO receptor system, extra-renal action of PH inhibitors has still not been fully investigated. Previous reports caution us about the actual misuse of PH inhibitors in doped athletes, but the drug nonhematopoietic effects of PH inhibitors on skeletal muscles remain controversial both in healthy subjects or in patients with CKD. Method To study direct pharmacological effects of PH inhibitors on skeletal muscles, one of PH inhibitors, roxadustat, was administered via oral gavage to healthy 8-week-old C57BL6 mice. Plasma EPO levels and HIF-targeted gene expression were analyzed after a single administration. Exercise ability was assessed by treadmill exhaustion test after a single dose or chronic 5-week treatment. Roxadustat was also administered for 2 weeks to CKD mice with 2-week 0.2% adenine diet. Endurance capacity was similarly assessed after 2-week roxadustat treatment. Results Even a single administration of roxadustat increased plasma EPO levels and gene expression downstream of HIF in skeletal muscles. Healthy mice treated with roxadustat for 5 weeks showed higher blood haemoglobin (Hb) levels and improved exercise endurance in treadmill exhaustion test, which was blunted by hemodilution procedure. Adenine-fed CKD mice showed lower blood Hb levels and worse endurance capacity compared to control mice. Roxadustat treatment improved endurance capacity in CKD mice without significant increase in blood Hb levels compared to control mice. Conclusion Treatment with HIF-PH inhibitor, roxadustat, improves exercise endurance principally via pharmacological erythropoiesis. However, roxadustat shows potential effects independent of erythropoiesis on endurance capacity in CKD.

Sagan Dalya Tea, a New "Old" Probable Adaptogenic Drug: Metabolic Characterization and Bioactivity Potentials of Rhododendron adamsii Leaves.

Adams’ rhododendron (Rhododendron adamsii Rehder) or Sagan Dalya tea is a famous Siberian evergreen medical plant of the Ericaceae family used in traditional medicines of Buryats, Yakuts, and Mongols as a tonic, stimulant, and adaptogenic drug. The high popularity of R. adamsii coupled with poor scientific knowledge prompted the addressing of gaps related to metabolic and biomedical data of Sagan Dalya tea. The application of solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric techniques for the metabolomic study of R. adamsii leaf extracts resulted in the identification of more than 170 compounds, including carbohydrates, organic acids, simple phenol glycosides, triterpene glycosides, flavonoids, prenylated phenols, benzoic acid derivatives, hydroxycinnamates, dihydrochalcones, catechins, and procyanidins, most of which were identified for the first time in the plant. Extended surveys of the seasonal content of all detected compounds prove that specific metabolite variations reflect the bioactivity of R. adamsii extracts. Regarding in vitro methods, the expressed antioxidant potential of R. adamsii extracts was investigated via radical-scavenging, nitric oxide scavenging, and ferrous (II) ion chelating assays. The animal-based swimming to exhaustion test demonstrates the stimulating influence of R. adamsii extract on physical performance and endurance, concluding that the drug could act as an adaptogen. Thus, Sagan Dalya tea (R. adamsii) has confirmed its “old” application as a tonic remedy and requires further precise study as a novel adaptogenic plant.

Individual Drive-Wheel Energy Management for Rear-Traction Electric Vehicles with In-Wheel Motors

In-wheel motor technology has reduced the number of components required in a vehicle’s power train system, but it has also led to several additional technological challenges. According to kinematic laws, during the turning maneuvers of a vehicle, the tires must turn at adequate rotational speeds to provide an instantaneous center of rotation. An Electronic Differential System (EDS) controlling these speeds is necessary to ensure speeds on the rear axle wheels, always guaranteeing a tractive effort to move the vehicle with the least possible energy. In this work, we present an EDS developed, implemented, and tested in a virtual environment using MATLAB™, with the proposed developments then implemented in a test car. Exhaustive experimental testing demonstrated that the proposed EDS design significantly improves the test vehicle’s longitudinal dynamics and energy consumption. This paper’s main contribution consists of designing an EDS for an in-wheel motor electric vehicle (IWMEV), with motors directly connected to the rear axle. The design demonstrated effective energy management, with savings of up to 21.4% over a vehicle without EDS, while at the same time improving longitudinal dynamic performance.

Anti-Fatigue Effect of a Dietary Supplement from the Fermented By-Products of Taiwan Tilapia Aquatic Waste and Monostroma nitidum Oligosaccharide Complex.

The Taiwan Tilapia is an important aquaculture product in Taiwan. The aquatic by-products generated during Tilapia processing, such as fish bones and skin, are rich in minerals and protein. We aimed to explore the effect of a dietary supplement, comprising a mixture of fermented Tilapia by-products and Monostroma nitidum oligosaccharides as the raw materials, combined with physical training on exercise performance and fatigue. We used a mouse model that displays a phenotype of accelerated aging. Male senescence-accelerated mouse prone-8 (SAMP8) mice were divided into two control groups—with or without physical training—and supplemented with different doses (0.5 times: 412 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day; 1 time: 824 mg/kg BW/day; 2 times: 1648 mg/kg BW/day) of fermented Tilapia by-products and Monostroma nitidum oligosaccharide-containing mixture and combined with exercise training groups. Exercise performance was determined by testing forelimb grip strength and with a weight-bearing exhaustive swimming test. Animals were sacrificed to collect physical fatigue-related biomarkers. Mice dosed at 824 or 1648 mg/kg BW/day showed improvement in their exercise performance (p < 0.05). In terms of biochemical fatigue indicators, supplementation of 824 or 1648 mg/kg BW/day doses of test substances could effectively reduce blood urea nitrogen concentration and lactate concentration and increase the lactate ratio (p < 0.05) and liver glycogen content post-exercise (p < 0.05). Based on the above results, the combination of physical training and consumption of a dietary supplementation mixture of fermented Tilapia by-products and Monostroma nitidum oligosaccharides could improve the exercise performance of mice and help achieve an anti-fatigue effect.

Color-complexity enabled exhaustive color-dots identification and spatial patterns testing in images.

Our computational developments and analyses on experimental images are designed to evaluate the effectiveness of chemical spraying via unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Our evaluations are in accord with the two perspectives of color-complexity: color variety within a color system and color distributional geometry on an image. First, by working within RGB and HSV color systems, we develop a new color-identification algorithm relying on highly associative relations among three color-coordinates to lead us to exhaustively identify all targeted color-pixels. A color-dot is then identified as one isolated network of connected color-pixel. All identified color-dots vary in shapes and sizes within each image. Such a pixel-based computing algorithm is shown robustly and efficiently accommodating heterogeneity due to shaded regions and lighting conditions. Secondly, all color-dots with varying sizes are categorized into three categories. Since the number of small color-dot is rather large, we spatially divide the entire image into a 2D lattice of rectangular. As such, each rectangle becomes a collective of color-dots of various sizes and is classified with respect to its color-dots intensity. We progressively construct a series of minimum spanning trees (MST) as multiscale 2D distributional spatial geometries in a decreasing-intensity fashion. We extract the distributions of distances among connected rectangle-nodes in the observed MST and simulated MSTs generated under the spatial uniformness assumption. We devise a new algorithm for testing 2D spatial uniformness based on a Hierarchical clustering tree upon all involving MSTs. This new tree-based p-value evaluation has the capacity to become exact.

On the use of flipped classroom across various disciplines: Insights from a second-order meta-analysis

Flipped classroom has become a popular buzzword in the post-secondary education setting, and it is one of the most visible trends in smart learning environments. Alongside this popularisation comes the view that the flipped classroom is something desirable. Yet, many educators remain divided over whether flipped classroom is really an improvement over traditional approaches. This paper is the first to synthesise all relevant meta-analytic information using a second-order meta-analysis approach on the effectiveness of the flipped classroom on student learning outcomes. By synthesising the findings of multiple primary meta-analyses instead of individual empirical studies, a second-order meta-analysis can more accurately account for publication bias and generate a more robust result. The present study synthesised and analysed the quality of 15 primary meta-analyses that involved 156,722 participants in flipped and non-flipped conditions to provide the most exhaustive test of the flipped classroom approach on its effect on student learning outcomes in higher education to date. The mean random effect size, after trim-and-fill adjustment, was 0.37, p &lt; 0.001 in support of flipped classrooms. To check the accuracy of the second-order meta-analysis results, we performed a study-level meta-analytic validation. We discuss possible contextual and methodological moderators.

Novel Single-Phase Grid-Tied NPC Five-Level Converter with an Inherent DC-Link Voltage Balancing Strategy for Power Quality Improvement

This paper presents a novel single-phase grid-tied neutral-point-clamped (NPC) five-level converter (SPFLC). Unlike the literature on five-level NPC topologies, the proposed one is capable of inherently balancing the voltage of the DC-link split capacitors. For this purpose, a simple Multicarrier Phase Disposition (MPD) Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) technique is used, thus avoiding both complex modifications to the Space Vector Modulation (SVM) and offset voltage injections into the carrier based (CB) PWM, as commonly done in most conventional balancing algorithms. Bearing in mind that the proposed balancing strategy only requires measuring the capacitors’ voltages and the sign of the converter output current, it has a very low complexity. The developed strategy is not only straightforwardly implemented but is also very effective for obtaining symmetrical and undistorted voltage levels from the proposed multilevel converter, as well as for significantly improving the power quality of the SPFLC output voltage and, in turn, of the grid current. The simulation results obtained with MATLAB-SimPowerSystems as well as the experimental results obtained with the prototype built in the laboratory validate the topology of the proposed NPC five-level converter and the voltage balancing strategy, by showing a good performance under step-changes and exhaustive operating test conditions.

Novel Five-Level ANPC Bidirectional Converter for Power Quality Enhancement during G2V/V2G Operation of Cascaded EV Charger

This paper presents a novel single-phase (SP) active-neutral point clamped (ANPC) five-level bidirectional converter (FLBC) for enhancing the power quality (PQ) during the grid-to-vehicle (G2V) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) operation of an electric vehicle (EV) charger connected in series. This EV charger is based on a dual-active half-bridge DC-DC converter (DAHBC) with a high frequency isolation transformer. Unlike the comparable ANPC topologies found in literature, the proposed one has two more switches, i.e., ten instead of eight. However, with the addition of these components, the proposed multilevel converter not only becomes capable of properly balancing the voltage of the DC-link split capacitors under various step-changing conditions but it achieves a better efficiency, a lower stress of the switching devices and a more even distribution of the power losses. The resulting grid-tied ANPC-SPFLBC and DAHBC are accurately controlled with a cascaded control strategy and a single-phase shift (SPS) control technique, respectively. The simulation results obtained with MATLAB-SimPowerSystems as well as the experimental results obtained in laboratory validate the proposed ANPC-SPFLBC for a set of exhaustive tests in both V2G and G2V modes. A detailed power quality analysis carried out with a Fluke 43B alike demonstrates the good performance of the proposed topology.

Effects of glutamine on exercise-induced fatigue, skeletal muscle oxidation and liver cell apoptosis in rats

Objective: To investigate the effects of glutamine on exercise-induced fatigue, skeletal muscle oxidation and liver cell apoptosis in rats. Methods: Twenty SPF grade SD rats aged at 8 week and weight from 180 to 220 g, were divided into control group and glutamine-treated group after one week of feeding, 10 rats in each group. The rats in the glutamine group were treated with glutamine at the dose of 1.0 g/(kg·d)by intragastric administration, and the rats in control group were administrated with equal volume of normal saline. After 7 days, the exhaustion test was conducted, the content of glutathione (GSH) was detected by high-performance liquid chromatography. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), lactic acid (2-hydroxypropanoic acid (LD) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the creatine kinase(CK) was detected by electroluminescence. Activities of CK, Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and expression levels of Bcl-2 and Bax mRNA were detected by fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR. Results: The duration of exhaustion in the glutamine group was greater than that in the control group (P＜0.05). The serum glutathione level in the glutamine group was lower than that in the control group (P＜0.05). After exhaustion, the levels of GSH, SOD and MDA in serum and skeletal muscle of the glutamine group were higher than those of the control group significantly differences (P＜ 0.05). The serum Bax mRNA level in the glutamine group was lower than that in the control group significantly (P＜0.05). The serum bcl-2 mRNA level in the glutamine group was higher than that in the control group significantly (P＜0.05). Conclusion: Glutamine can effectively alleviate exercise-induced fatigue in rats, reduce the oxidation degree of skeletal muscle, and decrease the apoptosis rate of liver cells.

Protective effects of whey protein concentrate admixtured of curcumin on metabolic control, inflammation and oxidative stress in Wistar rats submitted to exhaustive exercise.

This work aimed to evaluate the effects of whey protein concentrate (WPC) admixtured of curcumin on metabolic control, inflammation and oxidative stress in Wistar rats submitted to exhaustive exercise. A total of forty-eight male rats were divided into six experimental groups (n 8): standard diet group (AIN-93M), standard diet submitted to exhaustion test group (AIN-93M ET), WPC admixtured of curcumin group (WPC + CCM), WPC + CCM submitted to exhaustion test group (WPC + CCM ET), CCM group and CCM subjected to exhaustion test group (CCM ET). The swimming exhaustion test was performed after 4 weeks of experiment. The consumption of WPC + CCM as well as isolated CCM did not alter the biometric measurements, the animals' food consumption and the hepatic and kidney function, as well as the protein balance of the animals (P > 0·05), but reduced the glycaemia and the gene expression of TNF-α and IL-6 and increased the expression of IL-10 (P < 0·05). The animals that were submitted to the exhaustion test (AIN-93M ET) showed higher aspartate aminotransferase values when compared to the animals that did not perform the exercise (AIN-93 M) (P < 0·05). WPC + CCM reduced the concentration of nitric oxide, carbonylated protein and increased the concentration of catalase (P < 0·05). Both (WPC + CCM and CCM) were able to increase the concentrations of superoxide dismutase (P < 0·05). We concluded that the WPC admixtured of CCM represents a strategy capable of decreasing blood glucose and oxidative and inflammatory damage caused by exhaustive physical exercise in swimming.

Using Phylogeny Approach on Ethnobotanical Bioprospecting for Leading Antimalarial Plant-Based Drug Discovery

Ethnobotanical-directed bioprospecting has made a significant contribution to modern drug discoveries. However, merely relying on this approach may spend more expenditure, time-consuming, and lead exhaustive laboratory testing due to the tremendous data of medicinal plants used and the occurrence of placebo effect during traditional medical treatment. Combining the phylogeny approach with ethnobotanical bioprospecting may become new prospective tools to lead the plant-based drug discovery, including antimalaria. This study aimed to map the ethnomedicinal plants used by various indigenous cultures to investigate the clustered pattern of its antimalarial properties for future bioprospecting. The Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region sequences of selected 280 medicinal plants taxa obtained from NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) were aligned by MUSCLE multiple sequences alignments. They were further analyzed using the Maximum Likelihood Phylogenetic Test by MEGA X software to construct the phylogenetic tree. Our research revealed that the medicinal plant taxa for malaria treatment was clumped in several families, including Apocynaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Rubiaceae, Rutaceae, Fabaceae were strongly clumped along with plants used for fever in the Asteraceae family. Interestingly, our finding showed that these plants were clumped in the sub-family of antimalarial producing species, the Asteroidea. Furthermore, the strongly clumping pattern was also shown in the tribe Heliantheae alliance of this sub-family. This finding supports the predictive power of phylogeny for future bioprospecting to select the candidate taxa to lead the drug discovery.

Bayesian Networks for software testing

A software design methodology is proposed that involves development of approximate models based on Bayesian Networks capturing probabilistic representations of expected behavior, which are further used in developing and running tests that can dynamically diagnose bugs and attacks during production. While automation of Software design is still a very remote goal, it can already benefit from AI tools and ideas. One of the main challenges with automating software design methods, for any product with modest complexity, is the mere intractability of enumerating all scenarios of the product usage when also taking into account user intentions.&#x0D; This leads to an intractability of generating exact specifications and exhaustive tests.&#x0D; We show how approximate models of the design can exploit AI techniques to represent the system and to derive meaningful tests, warning when the environment is not behaving as designed, detecting bugs and attacks. The representation can use Bayesian Networks that are rather simple, enabling usage by novice practitioners. We validate the methodologies with on two different applications: a device driver for Wi-Fi Direct, and a website, MindBlog.com. In the Wi-Fi Direct use case, we successfully built a test ensuring the connection is fair and contrasted it experimentally to earlier work where we created a robust Bayes network based on expert knowledge. In the MindBlog.com use case, we show that the procedure is flexible and can detect when the developers found a bug and were attempting to debug their application yielding anomalous behavior.

Jianpi Jieyu Decoction, An Empirical Herbal Formula, Exerts Psychotropic Effects in Association With Modulation of Gut Microbial Diversity and GABA Activity.

Background: Recent studies suggest that gut microbiota was associated with the bidirectional gut-brain axis which could modulate neuropsychological functions of the central nervous system. Gut microbiota could produce gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) that could modulate the gut–brain axis response. Jianpi Jieyu (JPJY) decoction, a traditional Chinese formula, is mainly composed of Astragalus membranaxeus and Radix Pseudostellariae. Although the JPJY decoction has been used to treat the depression in China, the potential action of its antidepressant has not been well understood. Thus this study was aim to investigate the role of JPJY improve gut microbiota homeostasis in the chronic stress induced depressive mice. Methods: The antidepressant effect of JPJY on chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mice was evaluated by using sucrose preference test, tail suspension test and forced swim test. Fatigue-like behaviors were evaluated using degree of redness, grip strength test, and exhaustive swimming test. The new object recognition test was used to evaluate cognition performance. Fecal samples were collected and taxonomical analysis of intestinal microbial distribution was conducted with 16S rDNA. Serum level of GABA was measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The expression of GluR1 and p-Tau protein in the hippocampus was determined using Western blotting. Results: The dose of 9.2 g/kg JPJY produced antidepressant-like effects. JPJY and its major components also modulated gut microbiota diversity in the CUMS mice. Serum level of GABA and the expressions of hippocampal GluR1 and p-Tau were reversed after the administration of JPJY in CUMS mice. Conclusion: JPJY regulates gut microbiota to produce antidepressant-like effect and improve cognition deficit in depressive mice while its molecular mechanism possibly be enhanced NR1 and Tau expression in hippocampus and increased GABA in serum.

Measuring communication quality in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

High quality communication between providers and parents of seriously ill neonatal patients is vital and yet poorly understood. Feudtner summarized five challenges and seven priorities to the study and advancement of pediatric palliative care. Improvement of communication is a priority, while lack of specification and measurement of outcomes relevant to the pediatric population remains a challenge. Specifically, measurement of communication quality in pediatrics, and especially neonatology, is problematic. We conducted a focused review of this topic which we hope will serve to support further research. We reviewed the current literature in Pubmed and searched the Palliative Care Research Cooperative (PCRC) instrument library. We found five validated instruments which met our criteria, relied on patient or surrogate report, and were developed to measure quality of communication and/or satisfaction with communication with adult patients or their surrogates. Our Pubmed search yielded 249 unique results, only two of which met our inclusion criteria. We conclude that development and exhaustive testing of a validated, comprehensive measure of communication quality for the neonatal population is needed. Without such a measure, it will be difficult to advance the field and achieve high quality prognostic communication for the parents of seriously ill babies. Measurement of communication quality in pediatrics, and especially neonatology, is problematic, understudied, and yet critical to the advancement of the field. There has not been an overview of existing measures of communication quality in the NICU published, nor has there been a comprehensive discussion of this important topic. Our paper provides such an overview and initiates such a discussion. We present a narrative review of existing measures of communication quality in the NICU in order to highlight the need for further study.

Effects of three-exercise sessions in the heat on endurance cycling performance.

To investigate the effects of a very short-term acclimation protocol (VSTAP) on performance, physiological and perceptual responses to exercise in the heat. 12 trained male cyclists (age 31.2±7; weight 71.3±7kg, VO2max: 58.4±3.7mL/kg/min) randomly performed two Time to Exhaustion Tests (TTE) at 75% of normothermic peak power output (PPO), one in normothermia (N,18°C-50% RH) and one in the heat (H,35°C-50% RH), before and after a VSTAP intervention, consisting of 3 days-90min exercise (10min at 30% of PPO+80min at 50% of PPO) in H (≈4.5h of heat exposure). Performance time of TTEs and physiological and perceptual variables of both TTEs and training sessions (T1, T2 and T3) were evaluated. Magnitude Based Inferences (MBI) revealed 92/6/1% and 62/27/11% chances of positive/trivial/negative effects of VSTAP of improving performance in H (+17%) and in N (+9%), respectively. Heart Rate (HR) decreased from T1 to T3 (p<0.001) and T2 to T3 (p<0.001), whereas Tympanic Temperature (TyT) decreased from T1 to T2 (p=0.047) and from T1 to T3 (p=0.007). Furthermore, despite the increased tolerance to target Power Output (PO) throughout training sessions, RPE decreased from T1 to T3 (p=0.032). The VSTAP determined meaningful physiological (i.e. decreased HR and TyT) and perceptual (i.e. decreased RPE) adaptations to submaximal exercise. Furthermore, showing good chances to improve performance in the heat, it represents a valid acclimation strategy to be implemented when no longer acclimation period is possible. Finally, no cross-over effect of the VSTAP on performance in temperate conditions was detected.

Lorazepam causing drug-induced liver injury : Rare entity

IntroductionLorazepam is a benzodiazepine derivative that is globally used for the therapy of anxiety and insomnia.ObjectivesThe objective of our work was to show that Lorazepam can be a cause of unexpected liver injury even though it is a rare entity.MethodsWe reported the case of a patient who had a Drug-Induced Liver Injury (DILI) under Lorazepam. We performed a literature review based on a PubMed search with the following keywords: “Lorazepam,DILI”.ResultsA 20 year-old-Tunisian woman was hospitalized in the psychiatry department of the hospital of Nabeul in Tunisia for a brief psychotic episode.She had a DILI under Olanzapine, Chlorpromazine and Lorazepam, which conducted us to interrupt her treatments except for the Lorazepam(5mg/day). The hepatic tests went back to normal even under Lorazepam. Few days later, the liver enzymes increased again to reach very high levels. Extensive workup was negative for other causes of liver injury, including viral hepatitis A, B, C and E.; capillary electrophoresis of serum proteins was normal; Exhaustive immunological tests were performed searching for auto immune hepatitis(anti-smooth muscle antibodies, anti-LKM1, anti-LC1, anti-SLA/LP) primary biliary cholangitis(anti-mitochondrial antibodies, anti-GP210, anti-sp100) and other antibodies like antinuclear antibodies were negative. Liver biopsy showed polymorphic inflammatory infiltrate including some eosinophilic polynuclear cells and rare vaguely epitheloid macrophages, with necrotico-inflammatory foci in the lobules, all of which were consistent with DILI. Lorazepam was discontinued and within 10 days her liver enzymes decreased and completely normalized.ConclusionsLorazepam, with an unknown action mechanism, can be a cause of DILI.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Purslane supplementation lowers oxidative stress, inflammatory and muscle damage biomarkers after high-intensity intermittent exercise in female runners

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of purslane supplementation on oxidative stress, inflammation and muscle damage biomarkers after completing high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE). Methods: Nine healthy female runners completed a HIIE treadmill protocol comprising 1 min at 100% of the peak treadmill velocity attained in a preliminary exhaustive incremental treadmill test, interspersed by 1 min of passive recovery, until they had run for 2.5 km. Athletes repeated this test following 10 days of supplementation with 1000 mg per day of purslane. Results: At baseline (i.e., absence of purslane supplementation) the HIIE protocol increased 9-HODE (p &lt; 0.001), 13-HODE (p &lt; 0.001), IL-17 (p &lt; 0.001), TNF-α (p &lt; 0.001), and LDH (p &lt; 0.001). After purslane consumption, resting 9-HODE, 13-HODE, IL-17, TNF-α, and LDH were lowered (p &lt; 0.001) and IL-10 was increased (p &lt; 0.001) compared to before purslane supplementation. After purslane consumption and following the HIIE protocol, the responses of these biomarkers were lower compared to baseline (p &lt; 0.001). Conclusion: Ten days of purslane supplementation blunted the perturbation to biomarkers of oxidative stress, inflammation and muscle damage in female runners completing a HIIE protocol.

Anti-fatigue Effects of Santé Premium Silver Perch Essence on Exhaustive Swimming Exercise Performance in Rats.

Aim: Fish soup is a traditional Chinese food usually offered as a healthy supplement to elders, pregnant women and persons who just had surgery. Silver perch (Santé premium silver perch essence, SPSPE) extract contains various quality proteins, collagen, minerals, trace elements, and branch chain amino acids (BCAA) that could help individuals recover from exhaustion and control body weight. However, there are very limited studies exploring the effects of fish extracts on exercise performance and fatigue, and relevant physiological mechanisms. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic SPSPE administration on exhaustive exercise performance.Method: Male Wistar rats weighing around 250 g were divided into 4 groups: Control, 1X SPSPE (6.2 ml/kg), 2X SPSPE (12.4 ml/kg) and 5X SPSPE (31.0 ml/kg). Rats were administrated SPSPE by oral gavage feeding every day for 33 days. Their body weight were measured every week. Before and after the exhaustive swimming test, the blood was collected for circulating lactate, glucose, ammonia, hormones, and myoglobin analysis. Rats were sacrificed after performing an exhaustive swimming exercise test. The liver tissues were collected for glycogen content and H&E staining.Results: After the administration of 1X and 5X SPSPE, swimming fatigue was significantly delayed (p = 0.024). There was no difference in the hormone plasma level between the control and SPSPE groups. The induction of plasma corticosterone and TBARS by exhaustive swimming exercise could be decreased by SPSPE administration. The increased plasma myoglobin concentration from exhaustive swimming exercise was weakened by SPSPE supplementation. The higher glycogen sparing contained in liver tissue was observed in SPSPE-treated groups (p < 0.05).Conclusion: SPSPE could efficiently delay swimming fatigue through sparing of liver glycogen and attenuation of plasma TBARS, myoglobin induction by exhaustive exercise. Our findings provide a scientific-based fundamental information and better understanding for developing a fish extract-based anti-fatigue supplement.