Exercise training and metformin, but not exercise training alone, decreases insulin production and increases insulin clearance in adults with prediabetes.

Adding metformin to exercise does not augment the effect of training alone to boost whole body insulin sensitivity and lower circulating insulin concentrations. Although lower insulin concentrations (lower supply) following lifestyle and/or pharmacological interventions are primarily attributed to reductions in insulin secretion that match increases in peripheral insulin sensitivity (lower demand), it is unclear whether exercise and/or metformin exert direct effects on insulin production, extraction, or clearance. Thirty-six middle-aged, obese, sedentary adults with prediabetes were randomized to placebo (P), metformin (M), exercise and placebo (E+P), or exercise and metformin (E+M) for 12 wk.

Polytrauma in the elderly: a review.

Although the field of geriatric trauma is - ironically - young, care for the elderly trauma patient is increasingly recognised as an important challenge, considering the worldwide trend towards increasing longevity.Increasing age is associated with physiological changes and resulting comorbidities that present multiple challenges to the treating physician.Even though polytrauma is less likely with increasing age, lower-energy trauma can also result in life-threatening injuries due to the reduced physiological reserve.

Using a novel data resource to explore heart rate during mountain and road running.

Online, accessible performance and heart rate data from running competitions are posted publicly or semi-publicly to social media. We tested the efficacy of one such data resource- Strava- as a tool in exercise physiology investigations by exploring heart rate differences in mountain racing and road racing running events. Heart rate and GPS pace data were gathered from Strava activities posted by 111 males aged 21-49, from two mountain races (Mt.

Weight-bearing recommendations after operative fracture treatment-fact or fiction? Gait results with and feasibility of a dynamic, continuous pedobarography insole.

Purpose: Rehabilitation after lower-extremity fractures is based on the physicians' recommendation for non-, partial-, or full weight-bearing. Clinical studies rely on this assumption, but continuous compliance or objective loading rates are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the compliance to weight-bearing recommendations by introducing a novel, pedobarography system continuously registering postoperative ground forces into ankle, tibial shaft and proximal femur fracture aftercare and test its feasibility for this purpose.

Pelvic ring fractures in the elderly now and then - a pelvic registry study.

Objectives: To analyze the changes in demographic data stratified for age, sex and type of injury of elderly patients suffering from pelvic ring fractures over a 22-year observation period.

Design/setting: Data has been collected prospectively, multi-centrically in hospitals participating in the German Pelvic Trauma Registry.

Patients: We analyzed the data of 5665 patients with an age ≥60years included in the German Pelvic Trauma Registry from 1991 to 2013.

Prenatal and adult androgen activities in alcohol dependence.

Objective: Alcohol dependence is more prevalent in men than in women. The evidence for how prenatal and adult androgens influence alcohol dependence is limited. We investigated the effects of prenatal and adult androgen activity on alcohol dependence.

Recombinant expression of porcine spermadhesin AWN and its phospholipid interaction: Indication for a novel lipid binding property.

AWN is a porcine (Sus scrofa domestica) seminal plasma protein and has been linked to a variety of processes related to fertilization. To acquire the protein in sufficient amount and purity for functional studies, we established its recombinant expression in E. coli and a three-step purification protocol based on different chromatographies.

Ebola Preparedness Resources for Acute-Care Hospitals in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Study of Costs, Benefits, and Challenges.

OBJECTIVE To assess resource allocation and costs associated with US hospitals preparing for the possible spread of the 2014-2015 Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic in the United States. METHODS A survey was sent to a stratified national probability sample (n=750) of US general medical/surgical hospitals selected from the American Hospital Association (AHA) list of hospitals. The survey was also sent to all children's general hospitals listed by the AHA (n=60).

Synthesis of M + 4 Stable Isotopomers of Ergometrine and Ergometrinine.

The priority ergot alkaloids ergometrine and ergometrinine are highly toxic mycotoxins naturally occurring in different types of grains (i.e. rye, wheat, rice), as well as grain-based foods and, therefore, have gained increasing importance for food safety over the last years.

[A new continuous gait analysis system for ankle fracture aftercare].

Background: Correct aftercare following lower extremity fractures remains a controversial issue. Reliable, clinically applicable weight-bearing recommendations have not yet been defined. The aim of the current study was to establish a new gait analysis insole during physical therapy aftercare of ankle fractures to test patients' continuous, long-term compliance to partial weight-bearing restrictions and investigate whether patients can estimate their weight-bearing compliance.

[Rationing in inpatient psychiatric care].

Objective: This study examined whether and in which services in psychiatric institutions implicit rationing takes place from the perspective of doctors and nurses.

Methods: From October 2013 to the middle of 2014 we conducted a written and standardized survey among physicians/psychologists (n = 256) and nurses (n = 796) from eight psychiatric hospitals in Germany.

Results: Out of 11 clinical activities 4 judged as necessary, namely communication and interaction with patients and relatives, coordination of treatment with other professionals and adequate documentation of the treatment, were not carried out sufficiently or implicitly rationed by 42-59% of the surveyed physicians/psychologists.

An air-liquid interphase approach for modeling the early embryo-maternal contact zone.

We developed an air-liquid interphase culture procedure for mammalian oviduct epithelial cells leading to the formation of functional epithelial tissues, which generate oviduct fluid surrogates. These in vitro oviduct epithelia can be co-cultured with living zygotes and enable embryonic development up to the blastocyst stage without addition of embryo culture medium. The described strategy is broadly applicable to analyze early embryo-maternal interactions under standardized in vitro conditions.

Analysis of gene expression in granulosa cells post-maturation to evaluate oocyte culture systems in the domestic cat.

Maturation of oocytes is a prerequisite for successful embryo development. The fertilization competence of in vivo derived oocytes is significantly higher than that of oocytes matured in vitro. Commonly evaluated morphological criteria for oocyte maturation do not reflect the complexity and quality of maturation processes.

BMP-2-coated mineral coated microparticles improve bone repair in atrophic non-unions.

Atrophic non-unions are a major clinical problem. Mineral coated microparticles (MCM) are electrolyte-coated hydroxyapatite particles that have been shown in vitro to bind growth factors electrostatically and enable a tuneable sustained release. Herein, we studied whether MCM can be used in vivo to apply Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 (BMP-2) to improve bone repair of atrophic non-unions.

Calpain inhibition decreases inflammatory protein expression in vessel walls in a model of chronic myocardial ischemia.

Background: Emerging data suggest a link between calpain activation and the enhanced inflammatory response of the cardiovascular system. We hypothesize that calpain activation associates with altered inflammatory protein expression in correlation with the proinflammatory profile of the myocardium. Our pig hypercholesterolemic model with chronic myocardial ischemia was treated with calpain inhibitors to establish their potential to improve cardiac function.

Predictive value of clinical scoring and simplified gait analysis for acetabulum fractures.

Background: Fractures of the acetabulum show a high, long-term complication rate. The aim of the present study was to determine the predictive value of clinical scoring and standardized, simplified gait analysis on the outcome after these fractures.

Methods: Forty-one patients with acetabular fractures treated between 2008 and 2013 and available, standardized video recorded aftercare were identified from a prospective database.

Research on reproduction is essential for captive breeding of endangered carnivore species.

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) has great potential for conservation, but its successful application in captive breeding programmes of endangered species is often compromised by limited background on species' biology. Although carnivore species benefit from knowledge obtained in domesticated species (dogs, cats and ferrets), the focus of research is different. In pet animals, research in reproduction has mainly been focused on ovarian function and contraception, although substantial progress has also been made in the field of in vitro embryo production, transgenic embryos and cloning to aid relevant medical models.

Expression of steroidogenic enzymes and steroid receptors in foetal gonads of domestic cat-Sex similarities and differences.

Foetal gonads already produce steroid hormones and by this influence the further development of external and internal genitalia as well as of the brain. Beside this, foetal gonads themselves can be influenced by foetal or maternal hormones. The time course of foetal gonadal development can differ between species.

Proactive coping and gambling disorder among young men.

Objectives Male sex, young age, and frequent gambling are considered as risk factors for gambling disorder (GD) and stress might be one of the triggers of gambling behavior among problem gamblers. Conversely, well-developed coping with stress might counteract gambling problems. The Proactive Coping Theory provides a promising approach for the further development of preventive and treatment measures.

Unraveling the microbial community of a cold groundwater catchment system.

The abundance, diversity and composition of bacterial communities in water wells with low groundwater temperatures were assessed. The drinking water catchment system, equipped with subsurface groundwater treatment for iron- and manganese removal, is located within a continental influenced veldt landscape type in eastern Russia, close to the border to China. In this study, the bacterial communities in 22 different water wells of the catchment system were analyzed and correlated to operating conditions and environmental factors.

Blood loss in pelvic ring fractures: CT-based estimation.

Background: The main cause of mortality after pelvic ring fractures is the acute haemorrhagic shock. The aim of the study was to estimate blood loss using CT and to correlate estimated blood loss to the mortality.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 42 patients with AO/OTA C-type pelvic ring fractures was performed.

An acoustic study on non-local anticipatory effects of Italian length contrast.

The present study investigates non-local temporal adjustments before an upcoming length contrast in Italian minimal pairs that differ only in the length of the medial consonant (e.g., geminate word palla "ball" vs singleton word pala "shovel").

Is There a Seasonal Influence on Orthopaedic Surgical Wound Infection Rates?

Postoperative surgical wound infections are a significant cause of morbidity in orthopaedic surgical cases. To date, there has been no large, single-institution study evaluating orthopaedic surgical wound infection rates and their correlation with seasonality. The hypothesis of this study was that there would be more infections in the warmer months of the year.