Medium Duration Research Articles

TO THE QUESTION ABOUT FACTORS INFLUENCING NEUROMUSCULAR BLOCKADE

It has long been known that the duration of the action of muscle relaxants is affected by a variety of factors, and to a greater extent this effect is observed when using non-depolarizing muscle relaxants of medium and long duration. Surprisingly, factors, influencing neuromuscular block, are not becoming the subject of scientific discussion and are not reflected in modern literature. It is absolutely obvious at the same time that the study of quantitative dynamics of neuromuscular block represents a significant scientific and practical interest. In the given literature review the most important factors will be considered and discussed.

Finasteride treatment and male breast cancer: a register-based cohort study in four Nordic countries.

A potential link has been suggested between dispensed finasteride and increased risk of male breast cancer (MBC). Due to the rare occurrence of MBC, it remains to be established if such a relationship exists. The purpose of this study was to combine nationwide registers in four countries to assess the potential association between dispensed finasteride and MBC. A cohort of all males with dispensed finasteride in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden (1,365,088 person years) was followed up for up to 15 years for breast cancer, and compared to a cohort of males unexposed to finasteride. Individual‐level register data included country, dates of dispensed finasteride, MBC diagnosis, and death. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated using a generalized linear model with a Poisson distribution. An increased risk of MBC was found among finasteride users (IRR = 1.44, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.11–1.88) compared to nonusers. The IRR increased to 1.60 (95% CI = 1.20–2.13) when users in Norway and Sweden with short follow‐up time were excluded. The highest IRR was seen among men with medium duration of dispensed finasteride, medium accumulated consumption of finasteride, and among men with first dispensed finasteride prescription 1–3 years prior to diagnosis. The analyses suggested possible ascertainment bias and did not support a clear relationship between dispensed finasteride and MBC. In conclusion, a significant association between dispensed finasteride and MBC was identified. However, due to limited data for adjustment of potential confounding and surveillance bias in the present study, further research is needed to confirm these results.

Collagen and Hydroxyapatite Scaffolds Activate Distinct Osteogenesis Signaling Pathways in Adult Adipose-Derived Multipotent Stromal Cells.

Osteogenic cell signaling pathway disruption varies among bone diseases. This investigation was designed to identify adipose-derived multipotent stromal cell (ASC) and bone graft scaffold combinations for local, targeted restoration of gene expression and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. Human ASC osteogenesis on bone graft materials was quantified following culture in stromal (S), osteogenic (O), or osteogenic for 48 h followed by stromal medium (OS) to test the two-part hypothesis: (1) identical ASC isolates on distinct bone graft scaffolds demonstrate unique viability, differentiation, ECM production, and gene expression in the same culture conditions; (2) identical ASC-bone graft scaffold combinations have different cell viability, differentiation, ECM production, and gene expression when cultured in S, O, or OS medium. Three commercially available bone graft scaffold materials, type I bovine collagen (C), hydroxyapatite + β-tricalcium phosphate + type I bovine collagen (HT), and β-tricalcium phosphate + type I bovine collagen (CT) were evaluated. Passage 3 ASCs were loaded onto scaffold blocks with a spinner flask bioreactor, and constructs were cultured up to 28 days. Cell viability, gene expression (alkaline phosphatase [ALPL], osteoprotegerin [TNFRSF11B], osteocalcin [BGLAP], cannabinoid receptors type I [CNR1] and II [CNR2], receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa β ligand [TNFSF11]), as well as ECM DNA, collagen, sulfated glycosaminoglycan, and protein content were quantified. Matrix organization was evaluated with scanning electron microscopy. Effects of scaffold, medium, or culture duration on cell viability were minimal. Significantly higher initial ALPL expression decreased with time, while BGLAP expression increased in HT constructs in O medium, and the constructs had the most abundant ECM components and ultrastructural organization. There was a similar, although delayed, pattern of gene expression and greater ECM collagen with less organization in C constructs in O medium. Higher CNR1 expression in C versus higher TNFRSF11B/TNFSF11 expression in HT constructs throughout the study support stimulation of unique osteogenic signaling pathways by identical cell isolates. These results suggest that bone scaffold composition may be used to selectively target specific osteogenic cell signaling pathways in ASC constructs to stimulate ECM deposition based on therapeutic needs.

Physiological Effects of Balanced Anesthesia during Dental Procedures in Brown Bears (Ursus Arctos)

AbstractThe goal of the present study was to monitor the physiological effects of a standardized balanced anesthetic protocol in brown bears (Ursus arctos) during routine dental procedures. Physiological parameters (rectal temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation) were evaluated in twelve brown bears, anesthetized with a balanced drug combination for 90 minutes during dental procedures. The animals were kept in the „Park for Dancing Bears“ Belitza, Bulgaria. A standardized premedication protocol of a combined intramuscular injection of tiletamine HCl and zolazepam HCl (Zoletil 100® Virbac, France) 1mg/kg, medetomidine HCl 0.003mg/kg and 0.05 mg/kg of butorphanol was administered intramuscularly. Anesthesia was induced intravenously with a combined bolus of ketamine at 2 mg/kg and propofol at 2 mg/kg, and maintained with a constant rate infusion (CRI) of ketamine at 0.8 mg/kg/h and propofol 0.04 at mg/kg/min. Rectal temperature decreased significantly during anesthesia, whereas: heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation were stable with no significant changes in these parameters for the duration of anesthesia. In conclusion, this anesthetic drug combination is suitable for oral surgery of medium duration in brown bears.

Variation in the performance of contrasting maturity class of cowpea cultivars (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i> L. Walp) in the derived Savanna

Three field trials (2009, 2010 and 2011) were established at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (7°38′N, 3°88′E; 450 m asl). The trials aimed to evaluate the performance of cowpea cultivars of contrasting maturity class in the derived savanna. Four short and seven medium duration (local check inclusive) cowpea cultivars were sown in a randomised complete block design, replicated three times. Across the years cowpea cv. IT98K-573-2-1 (short duration) had the significantly (p < 0.05) highest seed yield (2486 kg ha-1), an observation that could be attributed to its pod yield (3651 kg ha-1), stand count (73.1) and earliness (49.22 days). Cowpea cv. IFE-98-12 (medium duration) produced significantly low pod weight (1826 kg ha-1), with the least shelling weight (613 kg ha-1) and stand count (44.87) across the years. Three clusters of cowpea cultivars were identified in Principal Component Analysis biplot. They were identified based on their superior performance on seed yield, duration of development and dry fodder weight for short duration, medium duration and local check, respectively. It is concluded that these attributes could form the basis of their use and crop improvement programme in the derived savanna.Keywords: Earliness, medium duration, shelling weight, short duration

Assessment of crop loss due to leafhopper, (Empoasca kerri Pruthi) in pigeonpea

An experiment was conducted at Agriculture Research Station, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India during kharif, 2015-16 to understand the effect of differential population of leafhoppers, on growth and yield parameters of pigeonpea under field conditions with seven level of population load. Maximum of 26.16 hoppers/3 leaves were found at 12 pairs release plot which was at par with 10 pairs (22.21) and 8 pairs (24.96) released which were statistically significant. The average hopper count @ 4 and 6 pairs released plots were 13.14 and 16.15 per 3 leaves respectively and were at par among themselves and significantly higher than 2 pairs release and lower than 8 pairs release plots. This was a clear indication that the differential population of leafhopper had impact in reduction of growth and yield parameters with. Reduction in yield to the tune of 3.12, 5.29, 10.05, 17.99, 24.63 and 31.91 % at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 pairs released plots, respectively. From the present investigation it was clear that the 5.59 to 5.77 leafhoppers aggregated in top leaf at 90 to 120 days aged crop of medium duration variety will cause 10 per cent reduction in yield.

Patellar tendinopathy in young elite soccer\u2013 clinical and sonographical analysis of a German elite soccer academy

BackgroundThe prevalence of patellar tendinopathy is elevated in elite soccer compared to less explosive sports. While the burden of training hours and load is comparably high in youth elite players (age < 23 years), little is known about the prevalence of patellar tendinopathy at this age. There is only little data available on the influence of age, the amount of training, the position on the field, as well as muscular strength, range of motion, or sonographical findings in this age group. The purpose of the present study was to examine the above-mentioned parameters in all age groups of a German youth elite soccer academy.MethodsOne hundred nineteen male youth soccer players (age 15,97 ± 2,24 years, height 174, 60 ± 10,16 cm, BMI 21, 24 ± 2,65) of the U-13 to U-23 teams were part of the study. Data acquisition included sport specific parameters such as footwear, amount of training hours, leg dominance, history of tendon pathologies, and clinical examination for palpatory pain, indurations, muscular circumference, and range of motion.Subjective complaints were measured with the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment Patellar (VISA-P) Score. Furthermore, sonographical examinations (Aplio SSA-770A/80; Toshiba, Tokyo, Japan) with 12-MHz multifrequency linear transducers (8–14 MHz) of both patellar tendons were performed with special emphasis on hyper- and hypo echogenic areas, diameter and neovascularization.ResultsThe prevalence of patellar tendinopathies was 13.4%. Seventy-five percent of the players complained of pain of their dominant leg with onset of pain at training in 87.5%. The injured players showed a medium amount of 10.34 ± 3.85 training hours and a medium duration of symptoms of 11.94 ± 18.75 weeks. Two thirds of players with patellar tendinopathy were at the age of 15–17 (Odds ratio 1.89) while no differences between players of the national or regional league were observed.In case of patellar tendinopathy, VISA-P was significantly lower in comparison to healthy players (mean ± SD 76.80 ± 28.56 points vs. 95.85 ± 10.37). The clinical examination revealed local pain at the distal patella, pain at stretching, and thickening of the patellar tendon (p = 0.02).The mean tendon diameter measured 2 cm distally to the patella was 4.10 ± 0.68 mm with a significantly increased diameter of 0.15 mm in case of an underlying tendinopathy (p = 0.00). The incidence of hypo-echogenic areas and neovascularizations was significantly elevated in players with patellar tendon syndrome (PTS) (p = 0.05).ConclusionThe prevalence of patellar tendinopathy in youth elite soccer is relatively high in comparison to available data of adult players. Especially players at the age of 15 to 17 are at considerable risk. Tendon thickening, hypo-echogenic areas, and neovascularization are more common in tendons affected by PTS.

Adverse effect of increase in minimum temperature during early grain filling period on grain growth and quality in indica rice (Oryza sativa) cultivars

Increasing global temperatures have a deterimental effect on rice quality besides leading to yield penalty. Past data shows that minimum temperature has increased more than maximum temperature in India as well as other parts of the world. The effect of this increase in mean minimum temperature on grain growth and quality of indica rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars is obscure. Our study submits the evaluation of grain quality of early, mid-early and medium duration indica rice cultivars to moderate increase in mean minimum temperature from anthesis to maturity in two seasons (kharif 2014 and 2015) . Early duration susceptible cultivars, Vandana and Parijat were significantly affected during the early phase of grain filling resulting in 4.6 and 6.4% decline in test weight and 12-18% in high density grains respectively, when the mean minimum temperatures were ≥ 25°C. Slower grain growth rate under elevated mean minimum temperature accounted for decrease in dry matter accumulation in these cultivars. In general, percentage chalkiness was less in all the indica cultivars. Head rice recovery was not affected but amylose content reduced in all cultivars with a significant effect on Bakal and Sahbhagi Dhan when minimum temperatures increased by more than 23°C. Rice cooking temperature determined by alkali spreading value was not stable across the environment in early duration cultivars, Vandana and Parijat. Increase in mean minimum temperature elicited the vulnerability of early duration indica cultivars, by adversely affecting quality traits like test weight, high density grains and gelatinization temperature.

Differential temporal structures in mouse ultrasonic vocalizations relay sex and age information about the producer

Mice produce a variety of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) during social interactions among conspecifics. However, it remains unclear which features of these calls mice utilize to distinguish one type of USV from another. In this study, we examine male courtship USVs, neonatal isolation USVs, and female social contact USVs, and find that the temporal structure of the calls alone is sufficient for a high level of discriminability. Specifically, we found that males produce temporally distinct short and long duration USVs with resulting short and long duration call intervals, while females produce nearly exclusively short USVs with short call durations. Young pups were found to produce medium duration USVs with long call intervals only. Interestingly, as the pups aged, their USV durations and call intervals decreased and approached values observed in juvenile male courtship USVs. Therefore, the gross USV rhythmic structure carries a high degree of information about both sex and age of the producer, and may be utilized by mice during call discrimination. These findings are reminiscent to some pinniped species, who face similar challenges in the transmission of their calls (i.e., a high density of calling conspecifics), who also use gross temporal features to distinguish call types.

Duration Aftereffect Depends on the Duration of Adaptation

It has been widely demonstrated that a prolonged adaptation to a relatively long or short stimulus leads to a robust repulsive duration aftereffect. However, little is known about the rapid adaptation to stimulus duration. In this study, we investigated whether the duration aftereffect could also be induced by short-term adaptation to stimuli of both sub- and supra-second durations. To control for the internal reference for duration judgment, participants were adapted to a stimulus of medium duration, and then tested with both longer and shorter stimuli. We found that the duration aftereffect was only observed after long-term adaptation to stimuli of both sub- and supra-second durations, which suggests that the exposure time to the adaptor is a fundamental factor in determining the duration aftereffect. Our findings offer further evidence of the duration aftereffect, which in this study was dissociated from the anchor effect and high-level aftereffects.

Neuronal coding of auditory sensorimotor gating in medial prefrontal cortex

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is thought to be an essential brain region for sensorimotor gating. The exact neuronal mechanisms, however, have not been extensively investigated yet by delicate single unit recording methods Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle response is a broadly used important tool to investigate the inhibitory processes of sensorimotor gating. The present study was designed to examine the neuronal mechanisms of sensorimotor gating in the mPFC in freely moving rats. In these experiments, the animals were subjected to both pulse alone and prepulse+pulse stimulations. Head acceleration and the neuronal activity of the mPFC were simultaneously recorded. To adequately measure the startle reflex, a new headstage with 3D-accelerometer was created. The duration of head acceleration was longer in pulse alone trials than in prepulse+pulse trial conditions, and the amplitude of head movements was significantly larger during the pulse alone than during the prepulse+pulse situations. Single unit activities in the mPFC were recorded by means of chronically implanted tetrodes during acoustic stimulation evoked startle response and PPI. High proportion of medial prefrontal cortical neurons responded to these stimulations by characteristic firing patterns: short duration equal and unequal excitatory, medium duration excitatory, and long duration excitatory and inhibitory responses were recorded. The present findings, first time in the literature, demonstrated the startle and PPI elicited neuronal activity changes of the mPFC, and thus, provided evidence for a key role of this limbic forebrain area in sensorimotor gating process.

The rate of growth calves Simmental depending on the duration of embryogenesis and season of birth

In terms of the farm «Pchany-Denkovich» Zhydachiv district, Lviv region found that the best in the embryonic period and postembryonic grow and develop heifers second group with a mean duration of embryogenesis 280–289 days. Calves from the third group with a long duration of embryogenesis (293.1 days) grow best in the embryonic period of embryonic growth rate was 2.8 and 0.52% higher than in the first and second groups of short and medium duration embryogenesis, respectively. The advantage of these animals was observed and body weight (1, 3, 6 months), average (1, 4, 5 month). And absolute growth (1,4,5 months). In particular the study period. However, 2 and 6 months of age the same age in the second group with a mean duration of embryogenesis (284.6 days) dominated their counterparts in the first and third groups by average daily increments respectively – on 0.28% and 0.53 and 2.74% and 5.14% and the intensity of growth at 6 months of age by 1.9 and 2.9%. Heifer born in winter were the best indicators of fetal growth rate in experimental groups with short, medium and extended duration of embryogenesis, but embryonic fast-ripeness index tends to decrease. In winter, the live weight of calves at birth was also the highest that more than in calves born in summer in the first group at 3.94%, the second and third, respectively – at 2.63 and 3.44%. The most effective breeding Simmental heifers of different duration embryogenesis born in winter, because they were the best indicators of fetal growth rate and live weight at birth. During embryonic development of animals under the influence of heredity and state parent body formed features of the body structure and physiological functions, whose development after birth is largely determined by the conditions postembryonic period, so in terms of management appropriate to carry out the selection of heifers with the peculiarities of their development in early ontogeny to facilitate to a certain extent, the formation of the desired type and level of performance.

Quantifying Filopodia in Cultured Astrocytes by an Algorithm.

Astrocytes in vivo extend thin processes termed peripheral astrocyte processes (PAPs), in particular around synapses where they can mediate glia-neuronal communication. The relation of PAPs to synapses is not based on coincidence, but it is not clear which stimuli and mechanisms lead to their formation and are active during process extension/ retraction in response to neuronal activity. Also, the molecular basis of the extremely fine PAP morphology (often 50 to 100nm) is not understood. These open questions can be best investigated under in vitro conditions studying glial filopodia. We have previously analyzed filopodial mechanisms (Lavialle et al. PNAS 108:12915) applying an automated method for filopodia morphometry, which is now described in greater detail. The Filopodia Specific Shape Factor (FSSF) developed integrates number and length of filopodia. It quantifies filopodia independent of overall astrocytic shape or size, which can be intricate in itself. The algorithm supplied here permits automated image processing and measurements using ImageJ. Cells have to be sampled in higher numbers to obtain significant results. We validate the FSSF, and characterize the systematic influence of thresholding and camera pixel grid on measurements. We provide exemplary results of substance-induced filopodia dynamics (glutamate, mGluR agonists, EGF), and show that filopodia formation is highly sensitive to medium pH (CO2) and duration of cell culture. Although the FSSF was developed to study astrocyte filopodia with focus on the perisynaptic glial sheath, we expect that this parameter can also be applied to neuronal growth cones, non-neural cell types, or cell lines.

Effect of Storage Medium and Aging Duration on Mechanical Properties of Self-Adhesive Resin-Based Cements

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of storage medium and aging duration on Martens hardness (HM) and indentation modulus (EIT) of self-adhesive resin-based cements (SARCs). A total of 416 discs were fabricated from 8 SARCs (n = 52 per SARC): (i) BeautyCem (BEA), (ii) Bifix SE (BIF), (iii) Clearfil SA Cement Automix (CLE), (iv) RelyX Unicem2 Automix (RXU), (v) SeT (SET), (vi) SmartCem 2 (SMC), (vii) SoloCem (SOC) and (viii) SpeedCEM (SPC). The specimens were ground and stored in (a) physiological saliva, (b) artificial saliva, (c) sodium chloride and (d) distilled water, at 37°C for 1, 7, 14, 28, 90 and 180 days. Non-aged specimens (3 hours after photo-initiation) of each SARC acted as control groups. HM and EIT were assessed using a universal hardness testing machine. Data were analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Kruskal-Wallis tests and paired t-test, and 3-, 2- and 1-way ANOVA with post hoc Scheffé test (p<0.05). SARC materials exerted the highest influence on HM and EIT values (p<0.001, partial eta squared [ηP²] = 0.753 and 0.433, respectively), closely followed by aging duration (p<0.001, ηP² = 0.516 and 0.255) and storage medium (p<0.001, ηP² = 0.043 and 0.033). The interaction effect of the combinations of the 3 independent parameters was also significant (p<0.001, ηP² = 0.163 and 0.133). The lowest initial HM and EIT was presented by CLE, followed by SET and SPC; highest HM was for BIF, followed by RXU and SMC. SET gave a greater HM and EIT percentage decrease than SOC, SPC, BEA, SMC, RXU or CLE. Aging duration is a major factor affecting the micromechanical properties of SARCs, while storage medium was shown to have a significant but minor role.

Forecasting impact of climate change on potato productivity in West Bengal and adaptation strategies

The WOFOST crop growth simulation model was used to study the impact of climate change on potentialpotato productivity in West Bengal and also to devise management strategy to minimize the impact of climatechange through selection of suitable variety and shifting the date of planting. The study was carried out at 13locations in West Bengal. The simulation was done for baseline scenario and future climate scenario of 2020and 2055 for three potato cultivars, viz., Kufri Badshah (long duration), Kufri Jyoti (medium duration) and Kufri Pukhraj (short duration), for A1FI high emission scenario of temperature and CO2. Simulation revealed that although the increase in temperature is likely to reduce the yield by 8.8 to 10.1% in 2020 and 23.7 to 28.8% in2055, a corresponding increase in CO2 may increase the yields by 4.5 to 4.7% in 2020 and 19.2 to 20.5% in 2055. However, under the combined effect of CO2 and temperature, the highest decline of 6.1% in productivity of KufriPukhraj is expected followed by 5.9% in Kufri Jyoti and 5.1% Kufri Badshah in 2020, with corresponding figuresof 12.0, 10.5 and 8.8% in 2055. Results further revealed that the negative effect of climate change on potatoproductivity can be counter-balanced to some extent through change in date of planting and/or selection ofsuitable varieties, as it may bring down the reduction in yield from 5.7 to 1.5% in 2020 and 9.7 to 7.1% in 2055.

Enhancing Pulses Production in Bihar: Constraints and Strategies for Sustainable Growth

Food grains are the major agricultural commodity, produced on about 93 percent of cropped area, of which pulses share merely 7.06 per cent and the productivity of pulses ranges between 819 kg/ha in 2000-01 to 897 kg/ha in 2013-14. Bihar ranks 9th in terms of pulses production with a contribution of 0.52 million tons to the national pulse pool. Traditionally pulses have been considered important elements of cropping systems in the Bihar, but with the introduction of irrigation and high profitability of alternative sources of soil nutrients in the form of inorganic fertilizers in 1960s, pulses were replaced or relegated to marginal lands and were substituted by high- yielding varieties of rice and wheat. There has been an incessant decline in pulses area, production and productivity during last three and half decades accounting for about 437.24 thousand hectares, 428.93 thousand tons and 981 kg ha-1 respectively in 2014 - 15 against the corresponding figures of 717.2 thousand hectares, 620.7 thousand tons and 865 kg ha-1 in 2000-01 registering a compound annual decline of -2.5 percent in area and -0.41 percent in production but productivity increased by 2.15 percent per annum. Lentil is only crop which has performed well in Bihar whereas area and production of most of the major pulses have gone down. In Bihar 2.2 million ha rice fallow land is there which are most suitable for pulses cultivation where medium and long duration paddy is cultivated and after field vacating due to lack of irrigation facility and delay normally the field remains vacant. Post rainy season crop becomes difficult but in some areas relay cropping of small seeded lentil and lathyrus is done by broadcasting the seeds in the standing crop of rice 7-10 days before harvest when there is adequate moisture for germination and converting these mono-cropped areas into double cropped ones by pulses like moong, urd, and lathyrus can increase pulse production and sustain productivity of the rice-based system. There is need to popularize this system by developing varieties suitable for relay cropping and standardization of this agro-technology. Pulse production in Bihar is adversely affected by a number of biotic and abiotic stresses which can be overcome by assembling the available components of integrated pest management like host plant resistance, cultural practices to disrupt the life cycles of pests, and need-based use of pesticides and to validate them in farmers' participatory on-farm trial and demonstration in farmers field, to deliver management components effectively to stabilize and increase the productivity of pulses. There is also need to strengthen extension efforts to disseminate available pulse technologies through on-farm demonstrations and farmers' participatory research.

Reproductive history and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in postmenopausal women: findings from the Women's Health Initiative.

The aim of the study was to understand the association between women's reproductive history and their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. We hypothesized that characteristics signifying lower cumulative endogenous estrogen exposure would be associated with increased risk. Prospective cohort analysis of 124,379 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 years from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). We determined age of menarche and final menstrual period, and history of irregular menses from questionnaires at baseline, and calculated reproductive length from age of menarche and final menstrual period. Presence of new onset type 2 diabetes was from self-report. Using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, we assessed associations between reproductive variables and incidence of type 2 diabetes. In age-adjusted models, women with the shortest (<30 y) reproductive periods had a 37% (95% CI, 30-45) greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than women with medium-length reproductive periods (36-40 y). Women with the longest (45+ y) reproductive periods had a 23% (95% CI, 12-37) higher risk than women with medium-length periods. These associations were attenuated after full adjustment (HR 1.07 [1.01, 1.14] for shortest and HR 1.09 [0.99, 1.22] for longest, compared with medium duration). Those with a final menstrual period before age 45 and after age 55 had an increased risk of diabetes (HR 1.04; 95% CI, 0.99-1.09 and HR 1.08; 95% CI, 1.01-1.14, respectively) compared to those with age of final menstrual period between 46 and 55 years. Timing of menarche and cycle regularity was not associated with risk after full adjustment. Reproductive history may be associated with type 2 diabetes risk. Women with shorter and longer reproductive periods may benefit from lifestyle counseling to prevent type 2 diabetes.

Promoting resilience in Cambodian lowland rice ecosystems—Farming system research to support flexible climate response strategies for smallholder farmers

With high levels of seasonal climatic variability impacting on the consistency of rice production in Cambodian rainfed, lowland systems, there is a need to identify strategies that improve farmer food security and better meet national domestic and export demands. While there is a substantial gap between actual and potential rice yield, little research has been undertaken in Cambodia to improve rainfed rice agronomy or the efficiency of use of natural resources which, in a climate constrained environment can hold the key to better productivity and food security.On-station and on-farm research, in combination with farming systems simulation and social research provide the capacity to evaluate cropping options through the lens of climate variability. The testing of technologies and strategies, including the use of modern, short and medium duration varieties, opportunistic timing of crop establishment, mechanisation, supplementary irrigation and improved agronomic practice has shown that there is potential to mitigate the effects of variable climate on farm productivity and household income. However, this requires an increased level of farmer/systems flexibility to allow for near to real-time changes in cropping response to observed seasonal conditions. These factors differentiate this research and provide the opportunities to improve the individuals’ livelihood and in meeting national rice production targets.

Optimal frequency/time combination of whole-body vibration training for improving muscle size and strength of people with age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia): A randomized controlled trial.

To determine the optimal combination of frequency and exposure time of a whole-body vibration (WBV) training program for improving muscle performance of older people with age-related muscle loss. A total of 80 community-dwelling older adults with age-related muscle loss were randomly divided into four equal groups, namely, low-frequency long duration (20 Hz × 720 s), medium-frequency medium duration (40 Hz × 360 s), high-frequency short duration (60 Hz × 240 s) and control (no training) for 12-week WBV training and 12-week follow up. Assessments were carried out at baseline, mid-intervention, post-intervention, mid-follow up, follow up for the cross-sectional area of the vastus medialis, isometric knee extension strength at 90°, and isokinetic knee extension at 60°/s and 180°/s. There was a significant time × group interaction effect in isokinetic knee extension at 180°/s. Significant time effects were found in all muscle strength outcome variables. Group differences in percentage change from baseline were significant between medium-frequency medium duration and control on isokinetic knee extension at 180°/s and 60°/s. No changes were found in the cross-sectional area of the vastus medialis. With the total number of vibrations controlled, the combination of 40 Hz and 360 s of WBV exercise had the best outcome among all other combinations tested. The improvements in knee extension performance can be maintained for 12 weeks after cessation of WBV training. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1412-1420.

Intensification of an irrigated rice system in Senegal: Crop rotations, climate risks, sowing dates and varietal adaptation options

Feeding the future world population requires increased crop production. Here, we investigate the intensification option of increasing production by increasing cropping intensity and choice of varieties with different crop duration. We developed a model to generate, compare and visualise opportunities for single/double/triple cropping systems consisting of irrigated rice and optionally a vegetable. The model was applied in a case study in the Senegal River valley. Results showed that with appropriate choice of sowing dates, severe cold sterility in rice can be avoided, also in rice–rice crop rotations. At optimal sowing dates, simulated total long term average potential yields of single, double and triple cropping yields were 10.3, 19.0 and 18.9 t/ha respectively (total of 1,2 and 3 yields). With a hypothetical completely cold tolerant variety, yields could increase to 11.2, 20.2 and 20.9 respectively. Simulated Triple crop yields are hardly any higher than those of a double crop with two medium duration varieties. Delay in sowing due to late availability of resources (machinery, irrigation water allocation within a scheme, credits for pump fuel) is a known problem in the region. Therefore we also simulated how much delay was possible (width of the sowing windows) whilst still allowing for double cropping. We found enough delay was possible to allow for a rice–rice or a rice-vegetable crop. A rice-rice-vegetable triple cropping system would only be possible without delays and with a very short duration vegetable of 2 months. Most promising options to increase production are through shifting the sowing date to facilitate double cropping, adoption of medium duration varieties and breeding for cold tolerant varieties.