2,692 research outputs found
Strength training methods and the work of Arthur Jones
No full textThis article is not available through ChesterRep. It is available at https://www.asep.org/resources/jep-online/This paper reviews research evidence relating to the strength training advice offered by Arthur Jones, founder and retired Chairman of Nautilus Sports/Medical Industries and MedX Corporation. Jones advocated that those interested in improving their muscular size, strength, power and/or endurance should perform one set of each exercise to muscular failure (volitional fatigue), train each muscle group no more than once (or, in some cases, twice) per week, perform each exercise in a slow, controlled manner and perform a moderate number of repetitions (for most people, ~8-12). This advice is very different to the strength training guidelines offered by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the American College of Sports Medicine and most exercise physiology textbooks. However, in contrast to the lack of scientific support for most of the recommendations made by such bodies and in such books, Jones' training advice is strongly supported by the peer-reviewed scientific literature, a statement that has recently been supported by a review of American College of Sports Medicine resistance training guidelines. Therefore, we strongly recommend Jones' methods to athletes and coaches, as they are time-efficient and optimally efficacious, and note that, given his considerable contribution to the field of strength training, academic recognition of this contribution is long overdue
Molecular and cytogenetic characterization of a Chinese hamster/human hybrid cell line containing a der (21)t(Ypter-->cenY::cen21-->21qter) chromosome.
No full textHuman/rodent somatic cell hybrids have been exceedingly useful in assigning human genes and DNA sequences to specific human chromosomes. As new technologies for analyzing the human chromosome complement of such human/rodent hybrid cells become available, it is of critical importance that these be applied to enhance characterization of existing hybrids. This is particularly important since human chromosomes in such hybrids have been observed to rearrange with time. We report here the use of fluorescence in situ hybridization of DNA probes to metaphase chromosomes to analyze one hybrid designated 72532X6. This analysis shows that the chromosome suspected to be a normal human chromosome 21 in this hybrid is actually a translocation chromosome containing Yp and 21q. In addition, the hybrid contains a fragment of human chromosome 9 translocated to a Chinese hamster chromosome. Analysis of the chromosomes from the human donor indicates that his chromosomes are normal. Thus, this translocation chromosome appears to have arisen after formation of the hybrid
Fishing industry and related perspectives on the issues raised by no-take marine protected area proposals
No full textIn the face of growing calls for no-take marine protected areas (NTMPAs), the views of fishing industry representatives in south-west (SW) England on related issues are analysed. Only 23% thought NTMPAs were the way forward and a range of concerns were expressed, e.g. that the 'terrestrial' protected areas approach and related biodiversity conservation objectives will be extended to the seas, and that fish yield reductions from the loss of access to NTMPAs are very unlikely to be compensated for through spillover/export. Some interesting approaches to ameliorating these concerns emerged, such as being open and honest that NTMPAs are primarily intended to achieve biodiversity conservation benefits, reducing uncertainty concerning the potential for any secondary fisheries spillover/export benefits, justifying NTMPAs on an objective, rational basis rather than on a subjective, precautionary basis, and the quid pro quo streamlining of wider fisheries management approaches. This research reveals a more diverse range of perspectives amongst fishing industry representatives on the issues raised by NTMPA proposals than is often assumed. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Creating scenarios of the impact of copd and their relationship to copd assessment test (CAT (TM)) scores
No full textBackground: The COPD Assessment Test (CAT™) is a new short health status measure for routine use. New questionnaires require reference points so that users can understand the scores; descriptive scenarios are one way of doing this. A novel method of creating scenarios is described.
Methods: A Bland and Altman plot showed a consistent relationship between CAT scores and scores obtained
with the St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire for COPD (SGRQ-C) permitting a direct mapping process between
CAT and SGRQ items. The severity associated with each CAT item was calculated using a probabilistic model and
expressed in logits (log odds of a patient of given severity affirming that item 50% of the time). Severity estimates for SGRQ-C items in logits were also available, allowing direct comparisons with CAT items. CAT scores were
categorised into Low, Medium, High and Very High Impact. SGRQ items of corresponding severity were used to
create scenarios associated with each category.
Results: Each CAT category was associated with a scenario comprising 12 to 16 SGRQ-C items. A severity ‘ladder’
associating CAT scores with exemplar health status effects was also created. Items associated with ‘Low’ and ‘Medium’ Impact appeared to be subjectively quite severe in terms of their effect on daily life.
Conclusions: These scenarios provide users of the CAT with a good sense of the health impact associated with different scores. More generally they provide a surprising insight into the severity of the effects of COPD, even in patients with apparently mild-moderate health status impact
Reference A7. Native warm-season grass restoration in Mississippi
No full textReference A7. Hamrick R, Burger LW Jr., Jones JC, Strickland BK. 2007. Native warm-season grass restoration in Mississippi. Mississippi State University Extension Service Publication 2435:1–12. Mississippi State, Mississippi: Mississippi State University. Found at http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.960dh/5; available at http://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/publications/publications/p2435.pdf (1.44 MB PDF). Accessed: 2018-08-29. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/722TgGXwm)
Impression Cytology of the Lid Wiper Area
No full textMuntz, A., van Doorn, K., Subbaraman, L. N., & Jones, L. W. (2016). Impression Cytology of the Lid Wiper Area. Journal of Visualized Experiments, (114). https://doi.org/10.3791/54261Few reports on the cellular anatomy of the lid wiper (LW) area of the inner eyelid exist and only one report makes use of cytological methods. The optimization of a method of collecting, staining and imaging cells from the LW region using impression cytology (IC) is described in this study. Cells are collected from the inner surface of the upper eyelid of human subjects using hydrophilic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes, and stained with cytological dyes to reveal the presence of goblet cells, mucins, cell nuclei and various degrees of pre- and para-keratinization. Immunocytochemical dyes show cell esterase activity and compromised cell membranes by the use of a confocal scanning laser microscope. Up to 100 microscopic digital images are captured for each sample and stitched into a high-resolution, large scale image of the entire IC span. We demonstrate a higher sensitivity of IC than reported before, appropriate for identifying cellular morphologies and metabolic activity in the LW area. To our knowledge, this is the first time this selection of fluorescent dyes was used to image LW IC membranes. This protocol will be effective in future studies to reveal undocumented details of the LW area, such as assessing cellular particularities of contact lens wearers or patients with dry eye or lid wiper epitheliopathy
Contributions of large wood to the initial establishment and diversity of riparian vegetation in a bar-braided temperate river
No full textThe purpose of this study was to examine the effects of large wood (LW) on the physical environment and the initial establishment of vascular plant species in the Rekifune River, a large bar-braided monsoonal river in Japan. The physical environment and the diversity and composition of plant species were compared in relation to the orientation of LW pieces. We found that shading effects were more prevalent in the immediate vicinity of LW pieces than in quadrats distant from LW. The effect was especially strong at the center of LW jams (the "jam center"). Fine sand and silt were concentrated in the quadrats downstream from the LW pieces. In contrast, cobbles dominated the upstream quadrats. The highest diversity was found in the jam center, while intermediate values were observed in the quadrats surrounding LW. Indicator species analysis detected 21 indicator species only in the jam center. The LW jams favored the deposition of plant fragments and sediment and created shaded areas within and around the structures. Buried seeds may be transported with LW during a flood, and seeds dispersed by wind and stream flows may be trapped by the complex structure of LW jams. The specific environmental conditions and the trapping of seeds and plant fragments result in the early establishment of mid-successional tree species at LW jams. In conclusion, the LW pieces deposited on gravel bars altered the light and substrate conditions and thereby provided specific safe sites for various riparian plant species
An f/0.27 High-Gain Lens Antenna for Ultrasmall Platforms at THz Frequencies
No full textThe development of a low focal number and low-mass lens antenna is presented that enables terahertz spectroscopy applications on ultracompact platforms. The antenna operates efficiently over a 20% fractional bandwidth, from 450 to 550 GHz, with a gain of 50 dBi at 500 GHz. The antenna consists of a hyperbolic silicon lens that is placed in a record low focal number configuration (f#=0.27) with respect to an advanced waveguide feed. An incident field-matching analysis is applied to investigate the optimal feed radiation pattern that maximizes the lens aperture efficiency, which would result in a 20% increase in aperture efficiency (> 80%) with respect to a standard open-ended waveguide (< 60% aperture efficiency). A multilayer leaky-wave (LW) stratification is quasi-analytically optimized to approximate the optimal feeding pattern, resulting in a >70% lens aperture efficiency. An example LW stratification is synthesized using silicon micromachining technology and is fully characterized in combination with the dielectric lens. Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Tera-Hertz Sensin
Precipitation patterns control the distribution and export of large wood at the catchment scale
No full textLarge wood (LW) plays an important role in river ecosystems, but LW-laden floods may cause serious damage to human lives and property. The relationship between precipitation patterns and variations in LW distribution and export at the watershed scale is poorly understood. To explore these linkages, we examined differences in LW distribution as a function of channel morphologies in six watersheds located in southern and northern Japan and analysed the impacts of different precipitation patterns on the fluvial export of LW from river catchments. In southern Japan, intense rainfalls caused by typhoons or localized torrential downpours initiate landslides and debris flows that introduce massive amounts of LW into channels. Gravel bars formed by frequent flood events are widely prevalent, and the LW temporarily stored on these bars is frequently moved and/or broken into smaller pieces by floods. In these systems fluvial export of LW is supply-limited, with smaller accumulations and shorter residence times than in northern Japan. Conversely, in northern Japan, where typhoons and torrential downpours rarely occur, LW is mostly recruited by bank erosion, tree mortality and windthrow into channels, rather than by landslides and debris flows. Recruited pieces accumulate in log jams on valley floors, particularly on floodplains supporting mature forests, resulting in larger accumulations and longer residence times. In these watersheds fluvial export of LW is transport-limited, and the pieces gradually decompose during long-term storage as log jams. Copyright (C) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Cellular changes at the lid margin
No full textPURPOSE: The hypothesis underlying this thesis is that CL wear, lid wiper epitheliopathy (LWE), and symptoms of dryness and discomfort may be manifest as cellular changes of the lid marginal epithelium, as a result of mechanical action (e.g. friction). The purpose of this thesis was to elucidate the histology of the lid margin epithelium in relation to CL wear, with a focus on ocular discomfort and dryness. The specific aims of each chapter are outlined below:
• Chapter 1: to review the relevant literature and to introduce the reader to the topic area;
• Chapter 2: to define the rationale and objectives of this thesis;
• Chapter 3: to optimize a method of collecting, staining and imaging cells from the lid margin using impression cytology (IC);
• Chapter 4: to assess the utility of the IC method developed in chapter 4, towards characterizing the epithelial cell morphology of the upper lid margin in symptomatic and asymptomatic soft lens (SCL) wearers and non-lens wearers with distinct levels of LWE;
• Chapter 5: to assess the lid margins of symptomatic and asymptomatic SCL wearers;
• Chapter 6: to assess the lid margins of rigid gas permeable (RGP) and non-CL wearers;
• Chapter 7: to cross-compare findings from chapters 5 and 6, and to determine differences between the upper and lower lid margins.
• Chapter 8: to conclude the findings and knowledge gained following the above projects, and to point out potential future work directions.
METHODS: • Chapter 3: Upon anesthesia (proparacaine hydrochloride, 0.5%), the upper lids of 5 subjects (n=10) were everted and IC was conducted using various membranes (mixed cellulose esters, hydrophilic PTFE, polyethersulfone). Several fixatives (100% methanol, 95% ethanol), cytological stains (Papanicolaou (hematoxylin Gill No.1, OG-6, EA-65), Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) and Alcian Blue (AB)) and soak times (1, 3, 5 minutes) were tested. Varying concentrations of fluorescent dyes (Calcein AM, Ethidium homodimer-1, Annexin V) were tested and imaged using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM);
• Chapter 4: Fifteen participants were enrolled in three study groups: 5 asymptomatic non-lens wearers with low LWE (average grade of 1.0 or lower in both eyes); 5 adapted, asymptomatic SCL wearers with low LWE; 5 adapted, SCL wearers with high LWE (average grade of 2.0 or higher). Participants completed subjective comfort ratings and LWE was assessed using the Korb Protocol B. IC samples were taken from the upper lid margin using Millicell Cell Culture Inserts and cellular features and sample cellularity evaluated after histochemical and immuno-cytochemical staining as described in the previous chapter;
• Chapter 5: Forty adapted SCL wearers were enrolled and equally distributed in two study groups based on self-reported CL-related comfort levels. Comfort was assessed using the Young scheme, the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), the Contact Lens Dryness Evaluation Questionnaire (CLDEQ-8) and diurnal 0-100 scales for comfort and dryness. LWE was assessed using lissamine green (LG) and IC performed on the upper and lower lid margins as in the previous chapters. The lid wiper (LW) and muco-cutaneous junction (MCJ) cellular areas were defined and dimensioned using a custom programmed software and ImageJ;
• Chapter 6: Eighteen RGP wearers and 19 non-lens wearers (nCL) were enrolled in two study groups. Comfort, LWE and IC were assessed as in the previous chapter;
• Chapter 7: Study groups analyzed in chapters 5 and 6 were cross-compared (n=77) with regards to clinical signs, comfort scores, LWE and lid margin morphology at both lid margins and width measurements for the LW and MCJ areas. Upper and lower lid margins were also compared.
RESULTS:
• Chapter 3: IC delivered optimal results using the hydrophilic PTFE membrane. Fixing in 95% ethanol for >20 minutes, then staining in 500µl each of AB, hematoxylin Gill No.1, OG-6 and EA-65 for 3 minutes revealed the presence of goblet cells, mucins, cell nuclei and various degrees of pre- and para-keratinization. Calcein AM (4µM) and Ethidium (4µM) were combined to successfully show cell esterase activity and compromised cell membranes. Up to 200 microscopy digital images were captured for each sample and stitched into a high-resolution, large scale image of the entire IC span;
• Chapter 4: Three distinct cellular morphologies were identified, spanning between the tarsal/marginal conjunctiva, through the LW conjunctiva, to the MCJ at the Marx line. Epithelial cell morphology did not vary with LWE grade or lens wear. Sample cellularity may or may not be altered by lens wear, LWE and/or symptoms. No association was found between LWE and ocular discomfort;
• Chapter 5: Average (±SD) upper and lower LWE grades were identical in both groups (0.8 ± 0.7) and did not correlate with any subjective comfort score or other study variable. The average width in the upper LW (415±131 µm) and MCJ (114±43), and lower LW (187±120) and MCJ (90±41) was measured (n=139). Wider LW and MCJ areas correlated with higher LWE grades (p<0.05, r=0.61 to 0.86);
• Chapter 6: RGP wearers reported overall similar or better comfort than nCL wearers (p>0.05). Average LWE grades (±SD) were significantly different, for both upper (RGP: 1.66±0.97; nCL: 0.44±0.75; p=0.0002) and lower (RGP: 1.48±0.94; nCL: 0.39±0.49; p=0.0001) lid margins. The average width of the upper (RGP: 666±219 µm; nCL: 265±64; p<0.0001) and lower LW areas (RGP: 518±211; nCL: 224±101; p<0.0001) was significantly higher in RGP wearers, and correlated well with the LWE grade (p<0.01, r=0.78 to 0.89);
• Chapter 7: The average (±SD) LWE grade of SCL wearers (0.8 ± 0.8) was greater than in nCL (0.4 ± 0.7, p=0.0125) and lower than in RGP wearers (1.6 ± 0.9, p=0.0015). No significant difference was found between the upper and lower LWE grades in any of the four groups. Longer average CL wear times and older age were correlated with higher LWE grades (Spearman r range: 0.27 to 0.31, p<0.05) and better comfort scores (Spearman r range: 0.25 to 0.44, p<0.05). The width of the upper LW of SCL wearers (415 ± 132 µm) was greater than in nCL (266 ± 64, p=0.0003) and narrower than in RGP wearers (667 ± 219, p=0.0004). The width of the lower LW of SCL wearers (187 ± 120) was up to 2.8 times smaller than in RGP wearers (519 ± 212, p<0.0001), but similar to nCL (225 ± 102, p=0.072). The upper LW was significantly wider than the lower LW in all participants (p<0.05), except for RGP wearers.
CONCLUSIONS:
A protocol for collecting, staining, imaging and analyzing cells from the lid marginal epithelium was developed and showed appropriate sensitivity for identifying distinct cellular morphology and varying degrees of keratinization. We presented the first account to show a correlation between LWE grade and widths of the LW and MCJ areas after histological inspection. By identifying enlarged areas of keratinization in the LW of LWE versus non-LWE subjects, we provide evidence to support the frictional etiology of LWE and possibly also the Marx line. This is the first study to show that SCL lens wear is associated with enlarged LW areas in the upper and lower lid margins, providing strong evidence that the mechanical interaction with a CL may alter the cyto-morphology of the lid margin epithelium. The effect of RGP lenses is similar and significantly more pronounced. Regardless of CL wear, the LW at the upper lid margin is wider than the lower one, upholding the frictional role of the LW during habitual blinking
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