Tranexamic acid and trauma: current status and knowledge gaps with recommended research priorities.

A recent large civilian randomized controlled trial on the use of tranexamic acid (TXA) for trauma reported important survival benefits. Subsequently, successful use of TXA for combat casualties in Afghanistan was also reported. As a result of these promising studies, there has been growing interest in the use of TXA for trauma.

Protection against blast-induced mortality in rats by hemin.

Background: A critical immediate determinant of survival after exposure to blast overpressure (BOP) is cardiovascular and respiratory impairment related to disruption of the alveolar septa and pulmonary capillaries and resulting in acute pulmonary hemorrhage. Hemoglobin (Hb) released from red cells can contribute to lethality by activation of oxidative stress reactions and severe vasoconstriction associated with hypoperfusion in the pulmonary microcirculation. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is activated by hemin, a product of Hb degradation and may confer protection against hemoglobin-mediated oxidative cell and tissue damage.

Lung injury and recovery after exposure to blast overpressure.

Background: A critical immediate determinant of survival after exposure to blast overpressure (BOP) is pulmonary damage, but mechanisms of injury and the course of recovery are not well understood. The objective of this study was to characterize the progression of oxidative and inflammatory responses in lungs as well as the activation of consequent protective mechanisms after exposure to medium intensity BOP.

Methods: Rats were exposed to a moderate (approximately 120 kPa) level of BOP in a pneumatically driven shock tube.

Measurement of blast wave by a miniature fiber optic pressure transducer in the rat brain.

Exposure to blast wave that is generated during an explosion may result in brain damage and related neurological impairments. The aim of this study was to investigate pressure changes induced by exposure to blast inside the rat brain. For intracranial pressure measurement we used a miniature optic fiber sensor (o.

Effects of depletion exercise and light training on muscle glycogen supercompensation in men.

Supercompensated muscle glycogen can be achieved by using several carbohydrate (CHO)-loading protocols. This study compared the effectiveness of two "modified" CHO-loading protocols. Additionally, we determined the effect of light cycle training on muscle glycogen.

Effects of caffeine on muscle glycogen utilization and the neuroendocrine axis during exercise.

To examine the effect of caffeine ingestion on muscle glycogen utilization and the neuroendocrine axis during exercise, we studied 20 muscle glycogen-loaded subjects who were given placebo or caffeine (6 mg/kg) in a double blinded fashion 90 min before cycling for 2 h at 65% of their maximal oxygen consumption. Exercise-induced glycogen depletion in the thigh muscle was noninvasively measured by means of 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) spectroscopy, and plasma concentrations of substrates and neuroendocrine hormones, including beta-endorphins, were also assessed. Muscle glycogen content was increased 140% above normal values on the caffeine trial day (P < 0.

A computational method for determination of the individual anaerobic threshold.

The individual anaerobic threshold (IAT) has received attention recently in the field of exercise physiology. The IAT is defined as the point during progressive exercise when lactate elimination from the blood is both maximal and equal to the diffusion from the working muscles. It has been theorized that an individual can maintain exercise for relatively long periods when working at the IAT.

No effects of glycogen depleting exercise and altered diet composition on mood states.

To investigate the effects of glycogen depleting exercise and dietary composition on mood, 14 males completed the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire under four conditions. A control condition (CON) of ad libitum diet preceded any experimental manipulation. Subsequently, three treatments were administered randomly in a counterbalanced design: a) following a glycogen-depletion protocol and 3 d on a high-carbohydrate diet (93% of total caloric intake as carbohydrate [CHO]), b) following a glycogen-depletion protocol and 3 d on a low-CHO diet (23% of total caloric intake as CHO), and c) following 3 d of recorded ad libitum dietary consumption.

Differential effects of dietary carbohydrate on RPE at the lactate and ventilatory thresholds.

This study used manipulation of dietary intake and substrate utilization to dissociate the ventilatory (TVE) and lactate (TLAC) thresholds, and investigated the role of the thresholds in perception of effort as measured by the Borg 15-category rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale. Thirteen males performed graded exercise tests following: a) glycogen depletion (GD) and 3 d on a high-carbohydrate diet (HC, 93% total daily energy intake as carbohydrate), b) GD and 3 d on a low-carbohydrate diet (LC, 21%), and c) a mixed-carbohydrate diet (NC, 51%). During submaximal exercise at intensities between 30 and 90% of peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), significant differences among conditions (P less than 0.

Effects of pyridostigmine bromide on human thermoregulation during cold water immersion.

This study examined the effects of an oral 30-mg dose of pyridostigmine bromide (PYR) on thermoregulatory and physiological responses of men undergoing cold stress. Six men were immersed in cold water (20 degrees C) for up to 180 min on two occasions, once each 2 h after ingestion of PYR and 2 h after ingestion of a placebo. With PRY, erythrocyte cholinesterase inhibition was 33 +/- 12% (SD) 110 min postingestion (10 min preimmersion) and 30 +/- 7% at termination of exposure (mean 117 min).

A comparison of methods used to determine VO2 of exercising humans and animals.

The purpose of these experiments was to compare two systems for measuring oxygen uptake (VO2): the open circuit method of indirect calorimetry (Rv), which is commonly used in human studies, and the open flow method, which has been adopted in a variety of animal studies. VO2 measured using the Rv system (procedure 1) was accepted as the criterion value. Two procedures were used to calculate VO2 in the open flow system: MCO2 (where O2 and CO2 were measured in mixed expired gas) and MO2 (O2 measured only).

Precise water vapor pressure value calculations.

Precise values for water vapor pressure in saturated systems may be computed using the Goff-Gratch equation. This equation has been adapted for convenient use on microcomputers. A Microsoft BASIC listing of the programming version of the equation is presented.