Electromyographic evaluation of high-intensity elastic resistance exercises for lower extremity muscles during bed rest.

Purpose: Prolonged hospital bed rest after severe injury or disease leads to rapid muscle atrophy and strength loss. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of lower extremity strengthening exercises using elastic resistance that can be performed while lying in a hospital bed.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 22 healthy individuals performed three consecutive repetitions of 14 different lower extremity exercises using elastic resistance, with a perceived intensity corresponding to 8 on the Borg CR-10 scale.

Dietary intake and adipose tissue content of long-chain n-3 PUFAs and subsequent 5-y change in body weight and waist circumference.

Adding long-chain n-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to a rodent diet reduces fat mass and prevents the development of obesity, but evidence of a similar effect in humans is rather limited. We investigated the associations between dietary intake and adipose tissue content of long-chain n-3 PUFAs and subsequent 5-y change in body weight and waist circumference in humans. Effect modification by the carbohydrate:protein ratio and glycemic index was also investigated.

Impact of PEG Chain Length on the Physical Properties and Bioactivity of PEGylated Chitosan/siRNA Nanoparticles in Vitro and in Vivo.

PEGylation of cationic polyplexes is a promising approach to enhance the stability and reduce unspecific interaction with biological components. Herein, we systematically investigate the impact of PEGylation on physical and biological properties of chitosan/siRNA polyplexes. A series of chitosan-PEG copolymers (CS-PEG2k, CS-PEG5k and CS-PEG10k) were synthesized with similar PEG mass content but with different molecular weight.

Clinical characteristics and real-life diagnostic approaches in all Danish children with hereditary angioedema.

Background: With a potentially early onset, hereditary angioedema (HAE) requires special knowledge also in infancy and early childhood. In children from families with HAE, the diagnosis should be confirmed or refuted early, which can be difficult. Studies of childhood HAE and the diagnostic approaches are limited.

Selective removal of heavy metal ions by disulfide linked polymer networks.

Heavy metal contaminated surface water is one of the oldest pollution problems, which is critical to ecosystems and human health. We devised disulfide linked polymer networks and employed as a sorbent for removing heavy metal ions from contaminated water. Although the polymer network material has a moderate surface area, it demonstrated cadmium removal efficiency equivalent to highly porous activated carbon while it showed 16 times faster sorption kinetics compared to activated carbon, owing to the high affinity of cadmium towards disulfide and thiol functionality in the polymer network.

Prevalence of foodborne pathogens in food from selected African countries - A meta-analysis.

Food safety information in the African region is insufficient and fragmented due to lack of surveillance, documentation and reporting, thereby resulting in inefficient utilization of resources, duplication of activities, and lack of synergy among the countries of the region. This paper reviews the prevalence of foodborne pathogens in seven African countries (Benin, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan and Uganda) from papers in regional or international journals published between January 2000 and December 2015. One hundred and sixteen publications that dealt with food microbiology were reviewed for general analysis, while 66 papers on contamination of pathogenic bacteria were used for meta-analysis of prevalence.

Mucosal stromal fibroblasts markedly enhance HIV infection of CD4+ T cells.

Understanding early events of HIV transmission within mucosal tissues is vital for developing effective prevention strategies. Here, we report that primary stromal fibroblasts isolated from endometrium, cervix, foreskin, male urethra, and intestines significantly increase HIV infection of CD4+ T cells-by up to 37-fold for R5-tropic HIV and 100-fold for X4-tropic HIV-without themselves becoming infected. Fibroblasts were more efficient than dendritic cells at trans-infection and mediate this response in the absence of the DC-SIGN and Siglec-1 receptors.

Dietary intake of whole grains and plasma alkylresorcinol concentrations in relation to changes in anthropometry: the Danish diet, cancer and health cohort study.

Background/objectives: Whole grain intake has been associated with a small but significant lower body weight gain in observational studies, but there is limited knowledge about the associations with specific whole grain types. The objective was to investigate the association between whole grains, different sources of whole grains and biomarkers of whole grain intake (alkylresorcinols) in relation to subsequent changes in waist circumference (WC) and body weight.

Subjects/methods: Cohort study of 57 053 participants with baseline information on whole grain intake from questionnaires (FFQ) and biomarkers of whole grain rye and wheat intake, plasma alkylresorcinols, for a subset.

Trunk muscle activity during different variations of the supine plank exercise.

Background: Exercises providing neuromuscular challenges of the spinal muscles are desired for core stability, which is important for workers with heavy manual labour as well as people recovering from back pain.

Purpose: This study evaluated whether using a suspended modality increases trunk muscle activity during unilateral or bilateral isometric supine planks.

Design: Cross-sectional.

The association between gender and familial prevalence of hip dysplasia in Danish patients.

Background: The development of hip dysplasia is associated with several risk factors. 1 of these risk factors is gender, since 80% of patients with symptomatic hip dysplasia are females. Another risk factor for hip dysplasia is familial predisposition of hip dysplasia.

Progression of Core Stability Exercises Based on the Extent of Muscle Activity.

Objective: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate a variety of isometric plank exercises.

Design: Twenty university students performed the following eight different variants of plank exercises in random order and with 1-min rest intervals: stable prone plank, suspended prone plank, stable roll-out plank, suspended roll-out plank, unilateral stable prone plank, unilateral suspended prone plank, stable lateral plank, and suspended lateral plank. Surface electromyography signals were recorded for the upper rectus abdominis, lower rectus abdominis, external oblique, lumbar erector spinae, and normalized to the maximum voluntary isometric contraction.

Psychosocial effects of workplace physical exercise among workers with chronic pain: Randomized controlled trial.

While workplace physical exercise can help manage musculoskeletal disorders, less is known about psychosocial effects of such interventions. This aim of this study was to investigate the effect of workplace physical exercise on psychosocial factors among workers with chronic musculoskeletal pain.The trial design was a 2-armed parallel-group randomized controlled trial with allocation concealment.

Joint association of multimorbidity and work ability with risk of long-term sickness absence: a prospective cohort study with register follow-up.

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the joint association of multimorbidity and work ability with the risk of long-term sickness absence (LTSA) in the general working population. Methods Cox regression analysis censoring for competing events (statutory retirement, early retirement, disability pension, immigration, or death) was performed to estimate the joint association of chronic diseases and work ability in relation to physical and mental demands of the job with the prospective risk for LTSA (defined as ≥6 consecutive weeks during 2-year follow-up) among 10 427 wage earners from the general working population (2010 Danish Work Environment Cohort Study). Control variables were age, gender, psychosocial work environment, smoking, leisure physical activity, body mass index, job group, and previous LTSA.

Electromyographic comparison of conventional machine strength training versus bodyweight exercises in patients with chronic stroke.

Objective: To investigate whether bodyweight exercises can induce comparable levels of muscle activity as conventional machine exercises in chronic stroke patients.

Methods: Eighteen patients performed three repetitions of bilateral- and unilateral machine leg press and the bodyweight exercises chair rise and hip thrust. Surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded from 10 lower extremity muscles and normalized to maximal EMG (nEMG) of the non-paretic leg.

Adherence to a Healthy Nordic Diet and Risk of Stroke: A Danish Cohort Study.

Background And Purpose: Specific dietary patterns, including the Mediterranean diet, have been associated with stroke prevention. Our aim was to investigate whether adherence to a healthy Nordic diet, including fish, apples and pears, cabbages, root vegetables, rye bread, and oatmeal, was associated with risk of stroke.

Methods: Incident cases of stroke among 55 338 men and women from the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health cohort were identified from the Danish National Patient Register and verified by review of records.

Factors affecting pain relief in response to physical exercise interventions among healthcare workers.

The aim of this study is to identify factors associated with musculo-skeletal pain reduction during workplace-based or home-based physical exercise interventions among healthcare workers. Two hundred female healthcare workers (age: 42.0, BMI: 24.

Adolescent Diet Quality and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Incident Cardiovascular Disease in Middle-Aged Women.

Background: Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) focuses on treatment of risk factors, including hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. We investigated whether a healthy diet in adolescence prevents development of clinical risk factors or incidence of CVD in adulthood.

Methods And Results: We examined the time to the first development of ≥1 clinical risk factor (hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, or type 2 diabetes mellitus) or CVD in relation to a high school Alternative Healthy Eating Index (HS-AHEI) within the Nurses' Health Study II.

Self-Reported Food Hypersensitivity: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Comorbidities in the Norwegian Women and Cancer Study.

Background: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of self-reported food hypersensitivity, (SFH), the characteristics of women with SFH, and whether SFH is associated with multiple health complaints among the participants of the Norwegian Women and Cancer study (NOWAC).

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 64,316 women aged 41-76 years. The women were randomly selected from the Norwegian Central Person Register.

Neurocognitive performance and physical function do not change with physical-cognitive-mindfulness training in female laboratory technicians with chronic musculoskeletal pain: Randomized controlled trial.

Background: Cognitive and physical performance can be negatively affected by chronic pain. This study evaluates the effect of combined physical-, cognitive-, and mindfulness training (PCMT) on cognitive and physical performance.

Methods: From a large pharmaceutical company in Denmark we randomly allocated 112 female laboratory technicians with chronic upper limb pain to group-based PCMT at the worksite or a reference group for 10 weeks.

Evidence of perturbed germinal center dynamics, but preserved antibody diversity, in end-stage renal disease.

Introduction: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is associated with increased infectious susceptibility and with reduced vaccine responses consistent with compromised humoral immunity. Whether the compromised humoral immunity is due to reduced antibody diversity (reduced somatic hypermutation [SHM]) or altered germinal center (GC) dynamics is not known. The GC-derived chemokine CXCL13 as well as peripheral T follicular helper cells (pTFH) reflect GC dynamics, but have, similar to SHM, never been characterized in relation to ESRD.

The significance of sampling time in therapeutic drug monitoring of clozapine.

Objective: Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of clozapine is standardized to 12-h postdose samplings. In clinical settings, sampling time often deviates from this time point, although the importance of the deviation is unknown. To this end, serum concentrations (s-) of clozapine and its metabolite N-desmethyl-clozapine (norclozapine) were measured at 12 ± 1 and 2 h postdose.

An evaluation of equity and equality in physical activity policies in four European countries.

Background: There is strong research evidence on the importance of health equity and equality for wellbeing in societies. As chronic non-communicable diseases are widespread, the positive impact of physical activity (PA) on health has gained importance. However, PA at the population level is far from optimal.

3D-imaging: a scanning light pattern projector.

The technology of electrically adjustable optical interfaces has found applications in, e.g., camera lenses, where an adjustable focal length provides automatic focusing for the camera.