Effects of a Transoceanic Rowing Challenge on Cardiorespiratory Function and Muscle Fitness.

Ultra-endurance sports and exercise events are becoming increasingly popular for older age groups. We aimed to evaluate changes in cardiac function and physical fitness in males aged 50-60 years who completed a 50-day transoceanic rowing challenge. This case account of four self-selected males included electro- and echo-cardiography (ECG, echo), cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness measures recorded nine months prior to and three weeks after a transatlantic team-rowing challenge.

Comparison of analytical sensitivity and women's interpretation of home pregnancy tests.

Background: Internationally there are no defined standards for expressing the performance of home-based pregnancy tests, nor any pre-defined accuracy standard requirements. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of a selection of home-based pregnancy tests relative to their packaging/product insert claims.

Methods: Eight home-based pregnancy tests were evaluated using human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) urine standards (0, 15, 25 mlU/mL).

Comparison of volunteers' experience of using, and accuracy of reading, different types of home pregnancy test formats.

Background: Women suspecting pregnancy need an accurate result when they conduct a home pregnancy test. A variety of tests are available from simple professional style strips to midstream tests with a digitally displayed result. However, it is not known whether all these formats can be used and read correctly by untrained women.

Silencing of androgen-regulated genes using a fusion of AR with the PLZF transcriptional repressor.

The androgen receptor (AR) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors and plays a key role in the development and progression of prostate cancer. Current therapies include the use of antiandrogens aimed at inhibiting the transcriptional activation of AR-regulated genes by AR. Here, we explore a strategy aimed at obtaining silencing of AR-regulated genes, based on the properties of the transcriptional repressor promyelocytic leukamia zinc-finger protein (PLZF).