Skeletal muscle adaptations and post-exertional malaise in long COVID.

When acute SARS-CoV-2 infections cause symptoms that persist longer than 3 months, this condition is termed long COVID. Symptoms experienced by patients often include myalgia, fatigue, brain fog, cognitive impairments, and post-exertional malaise (PEM), which is the worsening of symptoms following mental or physical exertion. There is little consensus on the pathophysiology of exercise-induced PEM and skeletal-muscle-related symptoms.

Muscle type-specific effects of bilateral abobotulinumtoxinA injection on muscle growth and contractile function in spastic mice.

Intramuscular injection of botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A) is commonly used to improve or maintain the joint range of motion in young children with spasticity. However, the effectiveness of BoNT-A treatment is variable and movement limitations are recurrent. Here we show long-term effects of a single, bilateral abobotulinumtoxinA (aboBoNT-A) injection in the gastrocnemius medialis and soleus muscles of wild-type and spastic (B6.

Integrated analysis of transcriptome and proteome reveals a core set of genes involved in osteoblast under oxidative stress.

Osteoblasts dysfunction, induced by oxidative stress (OS), is a significant contributor to the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. However, the genes implicated in regulating osteoblast dysfunction remain unclear. Here, we employed the hydrogen peroxide (HO)-induced osteoblast dysfunction model to assess its impact on osteoblast phenotype and to conduct transcriptome and proteome analyses in osteoblasts under OS.

Reduced myotube diameter induced by combined inhibition of transforming growth factor-β type I receptors Acvr1b and Tgfbr1 is associated with enhanced β1-syntrophin expression.

Simultaneous inhibition of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) type I receptors Acvr1b and Tgfbr1 signalling has been associated with excessive skeletal muscle hypertrophy in vivo. However, it remains unclear whether the increased muscle mass in vivo is a direct result of inhibition of intracellular TGF-β signalling or whether this is an indirect effect of an altered extracellular anabolic environment. Here, we tested whether individual or simultaneous knockdown of TGF-β type I receptors in C2C12 myotubes was sufficient to induce muscle hypertrophy.

Association of adiponectin gene single nucleotide polymorphisms with environmental risk factors in type 2 diabetes mellitus: An updated evidence of haplotype-based analysis study.

Background And Aim: Adiponectin (ADIPOQ) gene is considered to be one of the promising players in deciphering the genetic bases of type 2 diabetes. This study investigated the associations between haplotype combinations of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the ADIPOQ gene and two SNPs of the adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1) and 2 (AdipoR2) genes with environmental risk factors for the prediction of T2DM disorder susceptibility in the Iranian population.

Methods: This case-control and cross-sectional study was conducted on 182 patients with T2DM and 155 healthy controls.

The impact of nursing workforce skill-mix on patient outcomes in intensive care units in Victoria, Australia.

Objective: This article aims to examine the impact of nursing workforce skill-mix (percentage of critical care registered nurses [CCRN]) in the intensive care unit (ICU) during a patient's stay.

Design: Registry linked cohort study of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Adult Patient Database and the Critical Health Resources Information System using real-time nursing workforce data.

Settings: Fifteen public and 5 private hospital ICUs in Victoria, Australia.

Determining V̇O in competitive swimmers: Comparing the validity and reliability of cycling, arm cranking, ergometer swimming, and tethered swimming.

Objectives: This study aims to identify the optimal method for determining V̇O in competitive swimmers in terms of validity and test-retest reliability.

Design: Controlled experiment.

Methods: Twenty competitive swimmers performed four maximal incremental exercise tests: cycling, arm cranking, ergometer swimming, and tethered swimming.

Yap/Taz activity is associated with increased expression of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase that supports myoblast proliferation.

In skeletal muscle, the Hippo effector Yap promotes satellite cell, myoblast, and rhabdomyoblast proliferation but prevents myogenic differentiation into multinucleated muscle fibres. We previously noted that Yap drives expression of the first enzyme of the serine biosynthesis pathway, phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (Phgdh). Here, we examined the regulation and function of Phgdh in satellite cells and myoblasts and found that Phgdh protein increased during satellite cell activation.

Enhanced capacity for CaMKII signaling mitigates calcium release related contractile fatigue with high intensity exercise.

Background: We tested whether enhancing the capacity for calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II (CaMKII) signaling would delay fatigue of excitation-induced calcium release and improve contractile characteristics of skeletal muscle during fatiguing exercise.

Methods: Fast and slow type muscle, gastrocnemius medialis (GM) and soleus (SOL), of rats and mouse interosseus (IO) muscle fibers, were transfected with pcDNA3-based plasmids for rat α and β CaMKII or empty controls. Levels of CaMKII, its T287-phosphorylation (pT287-CaMKII), and phosphorylation of components of calcium release and re-uptake, ryanodine receptor 1 (pS2843-RyR1) and phospholamban (pT17-PLN), were quantified biochemically.

Myotube growth is associated with cancer-like metabolic reprogramming and is limited by phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase.

The Warburg effect links growth and glycolysis in cancer. A key purpose of the Warburg effect is to generate glycolytic intermediates for anabolic reactions, such as nucleotides → RNA/DNA and amino acids → protein synthesis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a similar 'glycolysis-for-anabolism' metabolic reprogramming also occurs in hypertrophying skeletal muscle.

The contribution of PFAS to thyroid hormone-displacing activity in Dutch waters: A comparison between two in vitro bioassays with chemical analysis.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of xenobiotics that are widely distributed throughout the aquatic environment. Many PFAS are possible thyroid hormone (TH) system disrupting compounds, because they have the capacity to -amongst other- inhibit the TH thyroxine (T) from binding to its transport protein transthyretin (TTR). This study investigated the occurrence of TH-displacing activity in the Dutch water cycle, and more specifically, the contribution of PFAS to this effect.

Coating 3D-Printed Bioceramics with Histatin Promotes Adhesion and Osteogenesis of Stem Cells.

Mesenchymal stem cell and 3D printing-based bone tissue engineering present a promising technique to repair large-volume bone defects. Its success is highly dependent on cell attachment, spreading, osteogenic differentiation, and survival of stem cells on 3D-printed scaffolds. In this study, we applied human salivary histatin-1 (Hst1) to enhance the interactions of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) on 3D-printed β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) bioceramic scaffolds.

(HIIT-The Track) High-Intensity Interval Training for People with Parkinson's Disease: Individual Response Patterns of (Non-)Motor Symptoms and Blood-Based Biomarkers-A Crossover Single-Case Experimental Design.

Introduction: Physical exercise is receiving increasing interest as an augmentative non-pharmacological intervention in Parkinson's disease (PD). This pilot study primarily aimed to quantify individual response patterns of motor symptoms to alternating exercise modalities, along with non-motor functioning and blood biomarkers of neuroplasticity and neurodegeneration.

Materials & Methods: People with PD performed high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and continuous aerobic exercise (CAE) using a crossover single-case experimental design.

Eight weeks of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching and static stretching do not affect muscle-tendon properties, muscle strength, and joint function in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

Background: While the effect of static stretching for individuals with cerebral palsy is questionable, recent results suggest that the combination with activation seems promising to improve muscle-tendon properties and function. Therefore, this study analyzed the effects of 8-week proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching on the gastrocnemius medialis muscle-tendon properties, muscle strength, and the ankle joint in children with spastic cerebral palsy in comparison to static stretching.

Methods: Initially, 24 children with spastic cerebral palsy were randomly assigned to a static stretching (10.

Silica nanocarrier-mediated intracellular delivery of rapamycin promotes autophagy-mediated M2 macrophage polarization to regulate bone regeneration.

Targeting macrophages to regulate the immune microenvironment is a new strategy for bone regeneration with nano-drugs. Nano-drugs have achieved surprising anti-inflammatory and bone-regenerative effects, however, their underlying mechanisms in macrophages remain to be clarified. Macrophage polarization, immunomodulation, and osteogenesis are governed by autophagy.

Silibinin Attenuates Experimental Periodontitis by Downregulation of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress.

Periodontitis is an oral microbiota-induced inflammatory disease, in which inflammation and oxidative stress play a critical role. Silibinin (SB), a Silybum marianum-derived compound, exhibits strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties. We adopted a rat ligature-induced periodontitis model and a lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) stimulated human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) model to evaluate the protective effects of SB.

Quercetin prevents osteoarthritis progression possibly via regulation of local and systemic inflammatory cascades.

Due to the lack of effective treatments, osteoarthritis (OA) remains a challenge for clinicians. Quercetin, a bioflavonoid, has shown potent anti-inflammatory effects. However, its effect on preventing OA progression and the underlying mechanisms are still unclear.

Leptin-deficient ob/ob mice exhibit periodontitis phenotype and altered oral microbiome.

Background And Objective: Leptin-deficient obesity is associated with various systemic diseases including diabetes and low bone mass phenotype. However, the periodontal status of leptin-deficient obese individuals is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to analyze the periodontal status, alveolar bone phenotype, and oral microbiome status in leptin-deficient obese mice (ob/ob mice).

CypD-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to titanium ion-induced MC3T3-E1 cell injury.

Titanium (Ti) ion can stimulate osteoblast apoptosis and therefore have a high potential to play a negative role in the aseptic loosening of implants. Mitochondrial abnormalities are closely related to osteoblast dysfunction. However, the mitochondrial molecular mechanism of Ti ion induced osteoblastic cell apoptosis is still unclear.

regulates osteogenesis and bone mass phenotype via targeting gene.

MicroRNA-155 (miR155) is overexpressed in various inflammatory diseases and cancer, in which bone resorption and osteolysis are frequently observed. However, the role of miR155 on osteogenesis and bone mass phenotype is still unknown. Here, we report a low bone mass phenotype in the long bone of -Tg mice compared with wild-type mice.

Nursing workforce deployment and intensive care unit strain during the COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria, Australia.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic demanded intensive care units (ICUs) globally to expand to meet increasing patient numbers requiring critical care. Critical care nurses were a finite resource in this challenge to meet growing patient numbers, necessitating redeployment of nursing staff to work in ICUs.

Objective: Our aim was to describe the extent and manner by which the increased demand for ICU care during the COVID-19 pandemic was met by ICU nursing workforce expansion in the late 2021 and early 2022 in Victoria, Australia.

Skin Displacement as fascia tissue manipulation at the lower back affects instantaneously the flexion-and extension spine, pelvis, and hip range of motion.

Low back pain (LBP), associated with spine, pelvis, and hip mobility impairments can be caused by tight muscle contractions, to protect sensitized lumbar fasciae. Fascia tissue manipulations are used to treat lumbar fascia in LBP. The effect of fascia tissue manipulations through lumbodorsal skin displacement (SKD) on mobility is inconclusive likely depending on the location and displacement direction of the manipulation.