EVIDENCE meta-analysis: evaluating minimal residual disease as an intermediate clinical end point for multiple myeloma.

Estimating progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival superiority during clinical trials of multiple myeloma (MM) has become increasingly challenging as novel therapeutics have improved patient outcomes. Thus, it is imperative to identify earlier end point surrogates that are predictive of long-term clinical benefit. Minimal residual disease (MRD)-negativity is a common intermediate end point that has shown prognostic value for clinical benefit in MM.

Reliability of the passive leg movement assessment of vascular function in men.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? Use of the passive leg movement (PLM) test, a non-invasive assessment of microvascular function, is on the rise. However, PLM reliability in men has not been adequately investigated, nor has such reliability data, in men, been compared to the most commonly employed vascular function assessment, flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD). What is the main finding and its importance? PLM is a reliable method to assess vascular function in men, and is comparable to values previously reported for PLM in women, and for FMD.

Modulating OPG and TGF-β1 mRNA expression via bioelectrical stimulation.

Background: Bone remodeling is a lifelong process that ranges from orthodontic tooth movement/alignment to bone damage/healing, to overall bone health. Osteoprotegerin (OPG) and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) are secreted by osteoblasts and participate in bone remodeling. OPG promotes bone remineralization and stabilization prominent in post-mechanical repositioning of the teeth in the dental alveolus.

Vascular function in continuous-flow left ventricular assist device recipients: effect of a single pulsatility treatment session.

Vascular function is further attenuated in patients with chronic heart failure implanted with a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD), likely due to decreased arterial pulsatility, and this may contribute to LVAD-associated cardiovascular complications. However, the impact of increasing pulsatility on vascular function in this population is unknown. Therefore, 15 LVAD recipients and 15 well-matched controls underwent a 45-min, unilateral, arm pulsatility treatment, evoked by intermittent cuff inflation/deflation (2-s duty cycle), distal to the elbow.

Nitric oxide synthase inhibition with N(G)-monomethyl-l-arginine: Determining the window of effect in the human vasculature.

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition with N(G)-monomethyl-l-arginine (L-NMMA) is often used to assess the role of NO in human cardiovascular function. However, the window of effect for L-NMMA on human vascular function is unknown, which is critical for designing and interpreting human-based studies. This study utilized the passive leg movement (PLM) assessment of vascular function, which is predominantly NO-mediated, in 7 young male subjects under control conditions, immediately following intra-arterial L-NMMA infusion (0.

Imaging transcranial Doppler ultrasound to measure middle cerebral artery blood flow: the importance of measuring vessel diameter.

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is commonly inferred from blood velocity measurements in the middle cerebral artery (MCA), using nonimaging, transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD). However, both blood velocity and vessel diameter are critical components required to accurately determine blood flow, and there is mounting evidence that the MCA is vasoactive. Therefore, the aim of this study was to employ imaging TCD (ITCD), utilizing color flow images and pulse wave velocity, as a novel approach to measure both MCA diameter and blood velocity to accurately quantify changes in MCA blood flow.

Vasodilatory and vascular mitochondrial respiratory function with advancing age: evidence of a free radically mediated link in the human vasculature.

Recognizing the age-related decline in skeletal muscle feed artery (SMFA) vasodilatory function, this study examined the link between vasodilatory and mitochondrial respiratory function in the human vasculature. Twenty-four SMFAs were harvested from young (35 ± 6 yr, = 9) and old (71 ± 9 yr, = 15) subjects. Vasodilation in SMFAs was assessed, by pressure myography, in response to flow-induced shear stress, acetylcholine (ACh), and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) while mitochondrial respiration was measured, by respirometry, in permeabilized SMFAs.

Strong Relationship Between Vascular Function in the Coronary and Brachial Arteries.

Early detection of coronary artery dysfunction is of paramount cardiovascular clinical importance, but a noninvasive assessment is lacking. Indeed, the brachial artery flow-mediated dilation test only weakly correlated with acetylcholine-induced coronary artery function ( r=0.36).

Targeting Peripheral Vascular Pulsatility in Heart Failure Patients with Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices: The Impact of Pump Speed.

Current continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) decrease peripheral vascular pulsatility, which may contribute to side effects such as bleeding and thrombotic events. However, the actual impact of manipulating LVAD pump speed, revolutions per minute (rpm), on peripheral (brachial) pulsatility index (brachial PI), in patients with heart failure implanted with a HeartWare (HVAD) or HeartMateII (HMII) LVAD is unknown. Therefore, blood velocities (Doppler ultrasound) in the brachial artery were recorded and brachial PI calculated across rpm manipulations which spanned the acceptable clinical outpatient range: 360 rpm (HVAD, n = 10) and 1200 rpm (HMII, n = 10).

Delineating the age-related attenuation of vascular function: Evidence supporting the efficacy of the single passive leg movement as a screening tool.

Continuous passive leg movement (PLM) is a promising clinical assessment of the age-related decline in peripheral vascular function. To further refine PLM, this study evaluated the efficacy of a single PLM (sPLM), a simplified variant of the more established continuous movement approach, to delineate between healthy young and old men based on vascular function. Twelve young (26 ± 5 yr) and 12 old (70 ± 7 yr) subjects underwent sPLM (a single passive flexion and extension of the knee joint through 90°), with leg blood flow (LBF, common femoral artery with Doppler ultrasound), blood pressure (finger photoplethysmography), and leg vascular conductance (LVC) assessed.

U.S. Army physical demands study: Identification and validation of the physically demanding tasks of combat arms occupations.

Objectives: In 2013, the U.S. Army began developing physical tests to predict a recruit's ability to perform the critical, physically demanding tasks (CPDTs) of combat arms jobs previously not open to women.

Single passive leg movement assessment of vascular function: contribution of nitric oxide.

Broxterman RM, Trinity JD, Gifford JR, Kwon OS, Kithas AC, Hydren JR, Nelson AD, Morgan DE, Jessop JE, Bledsoe AD, Richardson RS. Single passive leg movement assessment of vascular function: contribution of nitric oxide. J Appl Physiol 123: 1468-1476, 2017.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Predictors of Military Task Performance: Maximal Lift Capacity.

Hydren, JR, Borges, AS, and Sharp, MA. Systematic review and meta-analysis of predictors of military task performance: maximal lift capacity. J Strength Cond Res 31(4): 1142-1164, 2017-Physical performance tests (e.

Current Scientific Evidence for a Polarized Cardiovascular Endurance Training Model.

Recent publications have provided new scientific evidence for a modern aerobic or cardiovascular endurance exercise prescription that optimizes the periodization cycle and maximizes potential endurance performance gains in highly trained individuals. The traditional threshold, high volume, and high-intensity training models have displayed limited improvement in actual race pace in (highly) trained individuals while frequently resulting in overreaching or overtraining (physical injury and psychological burnout). A review of evidence for replacing these models with the proven polarized training model seems warranted.

International Research Consensus: Identifying Military Research Priorities and Gaps.

A multidisciplinary survey was administered to military performance researchers attending the Third International Conference on Soldier Physical Performance to obtain their opinions of the priority levels and importance of research topics related to soldier health and determinants of soldier physical performance. Respondents included 140 individuals from 22 different countries, of which 96% had at least a graduate degree and 79% were associated with a military organization. The top 5 highest importance/priority research topics were (a) physical demands in operational environments, (b) measuring physical performance/fitness, (c) musculoskeletal injury mitigation programs, (d) physical employment standards, and (e) physical strength-training programs.

Observed Dietary Practices of Recreational Ultraendurance Cyclists in the Heat.

Dietary approaches for optimizing exercise performance have been debated in the literature for years. For endurance athletes, various position stands focus on recommendations for high-carbohydrate diets to maximize performance in events. However, theories of low-carbohydrate diets and their ability to provide more fuel may prove beneficial to ultraendurance athletes.

Human Muscle Protein Synthetic Responses during Weight-Bearing and Non-Weight-Bearing Exercise: A Comparative Study of Exercise Modes and Recovery Nutrition.

Effects of conventional endurance (CE) exercise and essential amino acid (EAA) supplementation on protein turnover are well described. Protein turnover responses to weighted endurance exercise (i.e.

Drinking to thirst versus drinking ad libitum during road cycling.

Context: The sensation of thirst is different from the complex behavior of drinking ad libitum. Rehydration recommendations to athletes differ, depending on the source, yet no previous researchers have systematically compared drinking to thirst (D(TT)) versus ad libitum drinking behavior (D(AL)).

Objective: To compare 2 groups of trained cyclists (D(TT) and D(AL)) who had similar physical characteristics and training programs (P > .

Bone formation is suppressed with multi-stressor military training.

Purpose: To determine the effects of US Army Ranger Training, an 8-week, physically demanding program (energy expenditure of 2,500-4,500 kcal/day) with energy restriction (deficit of 1,000-4,000 kcal/day) and sleep deprivation (<4 h sleep/night) on bone metabolism.

Methods: Blood was collected from 22 men (age 24 ± 4 years) before and after training. Follow-up measurements were made in a subset of 8 subjects between 2 and 6 weeks after training.