Formation of robust bound states of interacting microwave photons.

Systems of correlated particles appear in many fields of modern science and represent some of the most intractable computational problems in nature. The computational challenge in these systems arises when interactions become comparable to other energy scales, which makes the state of each particle depend on all other particles1. The lack of general solutions for the three-body problem and acceptable theory for strongly correlated electrons shows that our understanding of correlated systems fades when the particle number or the interaction strength increases. One of the hallmarks of interacting systems is the formation of multiparticle bound states2-9. Here we develop a high-fidelity parameterizable fSim gate and implement the periodic quantum circuit of the spin-½ XXZ model in a ring of 24 superconducting qubits. We study the propagation of these excitations and observe their bound nature for up to five photons. We devise a phase-sensitive method for constructing the few-body spectrum of the bound states and extract their pseudo-charge by introducing a synthetic flux. By introducing interactions between the ring and additional qubits, we observe an unexpected resilience of the bound states to integrability breaking. This finding goes against the idea that bound states in non-integrable systems are unstable when their energies overlap with the continuum spectrum. Our work provides experimental evidence for bound states of interacting photons and discovers their stability beyond the integrability limit.

Cell size and actin architecture determine force generation in optogenetically activated cells.

Adherent cells use actomyosin contractility to generate mechanical force and to sense the physical properties of their environment, with dramatic consequences for migration, division, differentiation, and fate. However, the organization of the actomyosin system within cells is highly variable, with its assembly and function being controlled by small GTPases from the Rho family. To understand better how activation of these regulators translates into cell-scale force generation in the context of different physical environments, here we combine recent advances in non-neuronal optogenetics with micropatterning and traction force microscopy on soft elastic substrates. We find that, after whole-cell RhoA activation by the CRY2/CIBN optogenetic system with a short pulse of 100 ms, single cells contract on a minute timescale in proportion to their original traction force, before returning to their original tension setpoint with near perfect precision, on a longer timescale of several minutes. To decouple the biochemical and mechanical elements of this response, we introduce a mathematical model that is parametrized by fits to the dynamics of the substrate deformation energy. We find that the RhoA response builds up quickly on a timescale of 20 s, but decays slowly on a timescale of 50 s. The larger the cells and the more polarized their actin cytoskeleton, the more substrate deformation energy is generated. RhoA activation starts to saturate if optogenetic pulse length exceeds 50 ms, revealing the intrinsic limits of biochemical activation. Together our results suggest that adherent cells establish tensional homeostasis by the RhoA system, but that the setpoint and the dynamics around it are strongly determined by cell size and the architecture of the actin cytoskeleton, which both are controlled by the extracellular environment.

Psychosocial aspects and perspectives of adult-onset type 1 diabetes: A systematic scoping review.

AIM: To map existing research on psychosocial aspects of adult-onset type 1 diabetes (T1D), including psychosocial health status, ways psychosocial aspects may affect management of T1D in everyday life, and interventions targeting management of adult-onset T1D. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycInfo. Search results were screened with predefined eligibility criteria, followed by data extraction of the included studies. Charted data were summarized in narrative and tabular form. RESULTS: We included 10 reports describing nine studies from the 7302 identified in the search. All studies were conducted in Europe. Participant characteristics were missing in several studies. Five of the nine studies incorporated psychosocial aspects as the main aim of the study. Limited information on psychosocial aspects was available in the remaining studies. We identified three overarching themes related to psychosocial aspects: (1) the impact of the diagnosis on everyday life, (2) the influence of psychosocial health on metabolic levels and adaptation, and (3) provision of self-management support. CONCLUSIONS: Research focussing on psychosocial aspects of the adult-onset population is scarce. Future research should involve participants across the adult life age span and from a wider geographical area. Sociodemographic information should be collected to explore different perspectives. Further exploration of suitable outcome measures considering adults' limited experience of living with the condition is needed. This would help to better understand how psychosocial aspects may affect management of T1D in everyday life and thus enable healthcare professionals to provide appropriate support to adults with new-onset T1D.

Sub-ice-shelf sediments record history of twentieth-century retreat of Pine Island Glacier.

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is one of the largest potential sources of rising sea levels. Over the past 40 years, glaciers flowing into the Amundsen Sea sector of the ice sheet have thinned at an accelerating rate, and several numerical models suggest that unstable and irreversible retreat of the grounding line-which marks the boundary between grounded ice and floating ice shelf-is underway. Understanding this recent retreat requires a detailed knowledge of grounding-line history, but the locations of the grounding line before the advent of satellite monitoring in the 1990s are poorly dated. In particular, a history of grounding-line retreat is required to understand the relative roles of contemporaneous ocean-forced change and of ongoing glacier response to an earlier perturbation in driving ice-sheet loss. Here we show that the present thinning and retreat of Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica is part of a climatically forced trend that was triggered in the 1940s. Our conclusions arise from analysis of sediment cores recovered beneath the floating Pine Island Glacier ice shelf, and constrain the date at which the grounding line retreated from a prominent seafloor ridge. We find that incursion of marine water beyond the crest of this ridge, forming an ocean cavity beneath the ice shelf, occurred in 1945 (±12 years); final ungrounding of the ice shelf from the ridge occurred in 1970 (±4 years). The initial opening of this ocean cavity followed a period of strong warming of West Antarctica, associated with El Niño activity. Thus our results suggest that, even when climate forcing weakened, ice-sheet retreat continued.

Corrigendum: Sub-ice-shelf sediments record history of twentieth-century retreat of Pine Island Glacier.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/nature20136.

Imagined eating - An investigation of priming and sensory-specific satiety.

While obesity remains a pressing issue, the wider population continues to be exposed to more digital food content than ever before. Much research has demonstrated the priming effect of visual food content, i.e., exposure to food cues increasing appetite and food intake. In contrast, some recent research points out that repeated imagined consumption can facilitate satiate and decrease food intake. Such findings have been suggested as potential remedies to excessive food cue exposure. However, the practically limitless variety of digital food content available today may undermine satiation attempts. The present work aims to replicate and extend prior findings by introducing a within-subjects baseline comparison, disentangling general and (sensory-) specific eating desires, as well as considering the moderating influence of visual and flavour stimulus variety. Three online studies (n = 1149 total) manipulated food colour and flavour variety and reproducibly revealed a non-linear dose-response pattern of imagined eating: 3 repetitions primed, while 30 repetitions satiated. Priming appeared to be specific to the taste of the exposed stimulus, and satiation, contrary to prior literature, appeared to be more general. Neither colour nor flavour variety reliably moderated any of the responses. Therefore, the results suggest that a more pronounced variety may be required to alter imagery-induced satiation.

[Tinnitus following treatment with ultrasonic scaler]. / Tinnitus na behandeling met ultrasone scaler.

A 51-year-old woman was referred to a periodontology practice for treatment of advanced generalized periodontitis stage IV, grade C. When the dental hygienist treated the distal surface of tooth 17 with the ultrasonic scaler, the patient indicated she heard a painful, high tone. The dental hygienist immediately stopped the treatment. At a subsequent attempt to treat the same distal surface, the patient heard a painful, high tone again. After two weeks, the high tone had not disappeared. The patient was referred to an ENT specialist. He confirmed the diagnosis: tinnitus in the right ear. Pharmacological treatment with prednisone did not produce a positive result. Ultrasonic treatment of periodontitis is generally considered safe. However, in exceptional cases, sudden deafness and/or tinnitus can occur. In the event of such complaints, it is recommended not to wait, but to refer the patient to an ENT specialist immediately.

A novel in vitro model for haematogenous spreading of S. aureus device biofilms demonstrating clumping dispersal as an advantageous dissemination mechanism.

Staphylococcus aureus is able to disseminate from vascular device biofilms to the blood and organs, resulting in life-threatening infections such as endocarditis. The mechanisms behind spreading are largely unknown, especially how the bacterium escapes immune effectors and antibiotics in the process. Using an in vitro catheter infection model, we studied S. aureus biofilm growth, late-stage dispersal, and reattachment to downstream endothelial cell layers. The ability of the released biofilm material to resist host response and disseminate in vivo was furthermore studied in whole blood and phagocyte survival assays and in a short-term murine infection model. We found that S. aureus biofilms formed in flow of human plasma release biofilm thromboemboli with embedded bacteria and bacteria-secreted polysaccharides. The emboli disseminate as antibiotic and immune resistant vehicles that hold the ability to adhere to and initiate colonisation of endothelial cell layers under flow. In vivo experiments showed that the released biofilm material reached the heart similarly as ordinary broth-grown bacteria but also that clumps to some extend were trapped in the lungs. The clumping dispersal of S. aureus from in vivo-like vascular biofilms and their specific properties demonstrated here help explain the pathophysiology associated with S. aureus bloodstream infections.

Immune tolerance induction: What have we learned over time?

Development of inhibitory antibodies to infused factor VIII (FVIII) concentrates continues to be the most serious complication of haemophilia A management. Induction of immune tolerance by administering high doses of FVIII concentrate (antigen) and prothrombin complex concentrates to control bleeding was originated in the 1970s in Bonn, Germany, by Dr Hans-Hermann Brackmann, and became known as the Bonn protocol. ITI transformed the life of the index patient, who was 19 years of age when he began treatment, and dramatically improved the medical landscape for all patients with haemophilia and inhibitors. Over the past 40 years, variations to the Bonn protocol have been proposed. All protocols are effective although some are better suited than others for use in certain situations. The specific molecular defect in FVIII and the human leucocyte antigen (HLA) type of an individual with haemophilia are major codependent determinants to inhibitor development. Given the range of potential molecular defects and the staggering number of potential HLA types, it is likely that treatment arms of randomized studies in haemophilia represent highly diverse populations, which reduces the power of a study to demonstrate differences between treatments. Although available clinical guidelines and consensus recommendations for ITI therapy are not always in complete agreement, collectively the guidelines provide a reasonable level of guidance for administering ITI therapy under different clinical scenarios. Several studies of ITI therapy are ongoing with the aim of clarifying unresolved issues in haemophilia management including the role of von Willebrand factor in inhibitor eradication.

Effect of lifelong football training on the expression of muscle molecular markers involved in healthy longevity.

PURPOSE: We investigated whether lifelong football training affects the expression of healthy longevity-related muscle molecular markers. METHODS: Biopsies were collected from the vastus lateralis muscle of 10 lifelong football-trained men (68.2 ± 3.0 years) and of 10 active untrained healthy men (66.7 ± 1.3 years). Gene and protein expression was measured by RTqPCR on RNA and by western blotting on protein extracts from muscle biopsies, respectively. RESULTS: The expression of AMPKα1/α2, NAMPT, TFAM and PGC1α, which are markers of oxidative metabolism, and MyHC ß isoform expression was higher in the muscle of football-trained men vs untrained men. Also citrate synthase activity was higher in trained than in untrained men (109.3 ± 9.2 vs 75.1 ± 9.2 mU/mg). These findings were associated with a healthier body composition in trained than in untrained men [body weight: 78.2 ± 6.5 vs 91.2 ± 11.2 kg; body mass index BMI: 24.4 ± 1.6 vs 28.8 ± 4.0 kg m-2; fat%: 22.6 ± 8.0 vs 31.4 ± 5.0%)] and with a higher maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max: 34.7 ± 3.8 vs 27.3 ± 4.0 ml/min/kg). Also the expression of proteins involved in DNA repair and in senescence suppression (Erk1/2, Akt and FoxM1) was higher in trained than in untrained men. At BMI- and age-adjusted multiple linear regression analysis, fat percentage was independently associated with Akt protein expression, and VO2max was independently associated with TFAM mRNA and with Erk1/2 protein expression. CONCLUSIONS: Lifelong football training increases the expression of key markers involved in muscle oxidative metabolism, and in the DNA repair and senescence suppression pathways, thus providing the molecular basis for healthy longevity.

Effect of adding insulin degludec to treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin and liraglutide: a double-blind randomized controlled trial (BEGIN: ADD TO GLP-1 Study).

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of adding insulin degludec (IDeg) to treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes receiving liraglutide and metformin and qualifying for treatment intensification because of inadequate glycaemic control. METHODS: In this 26-week, double-blind trial, patients who still had inadequate glycaemic control after a 15-week run-in period with initiation and dose escalation of liraglutide to 1.8 mg in combination with metformin (≥1500 mg) were randomized to addition of once-daily IDeg ('IDeg add-on to liraglutide' arm; n = 174) or placebo ('placebo add-on to liraglutide' arm; n = 172), with dosing of both IDeg and placebo based on titration guidelines. RESULTS: At 26 weeks, the mean change in glycated haemoglobin level was greater in the IDeg add-on to liraglutide arm (-1.04%) than in the placebo add-on to liraglutide arm (-0.16%; p < 0.0001). Similarly, the mean fasting plasma glucose reduction was greater, and self-measured plasma glucose values were lower at all eight time points, with IDeg add-on versus placebo add-on (both p < 0.0001). At 26 weeks, the IDeg dose was 51 U (0.54 U/kg). During the run-in period with liraglutide, body weight decreased by ∼3 kg in both groups. After 26 weeks, the mean change was +2.0 kg (IDeg add-on to liraglutide) and -1.3 kg (placebo add-on to liraglutide). Confirmed hypoglycaemia rates were low in both groups, although higher with IDeg than with placebo (0.57 vs. 0.12 episodes/patient-years of exposure; p = 0.0002). Nocturnal confirmed hypoglycaemia was infrequent in both groups, with no episodes of severe hypoglycaemia, and no marked differences in adverse events with either treatment approach. CONCLUSION: The addition of liraglutide and IDeg to patients sub-optimally treated with metformin and liraglutide and requiring treatment intensification was found to be effective and well-tolerated.

Injuries in male professional football: A prospective comparison between individual and team-based exposure registration.

Methodological considerations of football injury epidemiology have only scarcely been described. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter-rater agreement in injury capture rate and injury categorization for data registered in two different prospective injury surveillance audits studying the same two Norwegian male professional football clubs for two consecutive seasons, 2008-2009. One audit used team-based exposure (TBE) recording and the other individual-based exposure (IBE). The number of injuries recorded and corresponding injury rates (injuries/1000 h exposure) were compared between audits. Cohen's kappa and prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK) coefficients were calculated for injury variables. Of 323 injuries included, the IBE audit captured 318 (overall capture rate 98.5%, training 98.9%, match 97.8%) and the TBE audit 303 injuries (overall capture rate 93.8%, training 91.4%, match 97.1%). Agreement analysis showed kappa and PABAK coefficients regarded as almost perfect (> 0.81) for 8 of 9 injury variables, and substantial (ƙ 0.75) for the variable injury severity. In conclusion, the capture rate for training injuries was slightly higher with IBE recording, and inter-agreement in injury categorization was very high.

Kicking Velocity and Effect on Match Performance When using a Smaller, Lighter Ball in Women's Football.

The present study evaluated the effect of a smaller, lighter ball on kicking speed and technical-tactical and physical match performance in high-level adult female footballers. In the laboratory test setting, the peak ball velocity was 6% higher with the new ball (NB) than the standard ball (SB) (26.5±0.5 vs. 25.1±0.5 m·s-1, p<0.05). However, during match-play, no differences were observed in mean heart rate (87±5 vs. 87±5%HRmax; p>0.05), blood lactate (90 min: 4.7±1.7 and 4.0±1.7 mmol·l-1; p>0.05), total distance covered (10.6±0.9 and 10.4±0.8 km; p>0.05), intense running (>16 km/h) (2.08±0.42 and 1.94±0.38 km; p>0.05) and match-induced decrement in Yo-Yo IR1 performance (28 vs. 31%, respectively, p<0.05) using NB compared to SB. Likewise, no difference was observed in the number of short, medium-range or long passes during matches played with the 2 ball types, and there was no difference in passing success rate (NB: 68±1% and SB: 68±1%, p>0.05). In conclusion, high-level adult female footballers had a higher kicking speed when using a smaller, lighter ball, but no differences were observed during match-play with the 2 ball types in respect of technical-tactical and physical match performance. The physical loading was high for the players when playing with both ball types.

Toll-like receptor 2 and 4 induced interleukin-19 dampens immune reactions and associates inversely with spondyloarthritis disease activity.

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a group of immune mediated inflammatory diseases affecting joints, gut, skin and entheses. The inflammatory process involves activation of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-2 and TLR-4 and production of cytokines and chemokines such as monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (CCL2/MCP-1). This proinflammatory chemokine recruits monocytes to sites of inflammation and is central in the development of several immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Interleukin (IL)-19 is a member of the IL-10 family of cytokines. IL-19-deficient mice are more susceptible to innate-mediated colitis and develop more severe inflammation in response to injury. In this work, we studied inducers of IL-19 production and effect of IL-19 on the production of CCL2/MCP-1 and proinflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy controls (HCs) and in PBMCs and synovial fluid mononuclear cells (SFMCs) from SpA patients. Further, we measured IL-19 in plasma from HCs and in plasma and synovial fluid from SpA patients. Constitutive IL-19 expression was present in both PBMCs and SFMCs and the secretion of IL-19 was increased by TLR-2 and TLR-4 ligands. Neutralizing IL-19 in HC PBMCs and SpA SFMCs resulted in increased production of CCL-2/MCP-1. IL-19 concentrations were decreased in synovial fluid compared with plasma and associated inversely with disease activity in SpA. SpA SFMCs produced less IL-19 in response to LPS compared with HC PBMCs. These findings indicate that IL-19 production is diminished in SpA. Taken together, impaired IL-19 control of the innate immune system might be involved in the pathogenesis of SpA.

High rate of disease-related copy number variations in childhood onset schizophrenia.

Copy number variants (CNVs) are risk factors in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, epilepsy, intellectual disability (ID) and schizophrenia. Childhood onset schizophrenia (COS), defined as onset before the age of 13 years, is a rare and severe form of the disorder, with more striking array of prepsychotic developmental disorders and abnormalities in brain development. Because of the well-known phenotypic variability associated with pathogenic CNVs, we conducted whole genome genotyping to detect CNVs and then focused on a group of 46 rare CNVs that had well-documented risk for adult onset schizophrenia (AOS), autism, epilepsy and/or ID. We evaluated 126 COS probands, 69 of which also had a healthy full sibling. When COS probands were compared with their matched related controls, significantly more affected individuals carried disease-related CNVs (P=0.017). Moreover, COS probands showed a higher rate than that found in AOS probands (P<0.0001). A total of 15 (11.9%) subjects exhibited at least one such CNV and four of these subjects (26.7%) had two. Five of 15 (4.0% of the sample) had a 2.5-3 Mb deletion mapping to 22q11.2, a rate higher than that reported for adult onset (0.3-1%) (P<0.001) or autism spectrum disorder and, indeed, the highest rate reported for any clinical population to date. For one COS subject, a duplication found at 22q13.3 had previously only been associated with autism, and for four patients CNVs at 8q11.2, 10q22.3, 16p11.2 and 17q21.3 had only previously been associated with ID. Taken together, these findings support the well-known pleiotropic effects of these CNVs suggesting shared abnormalities early in brain development. Clinically, broad CNV-based population screening is needed to assess their overall clinical burden.

Interleukin-23 in early disease development in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the levels of interleukin (IL)-23 in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (eRA) and the effect of anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF)-α treatment on IL-23 levels. METHOD: Treatment-naïve eRA patients from the OPERA cohort were included (n = 151). Patients were randomized to methotrexate (MTX) plus adalimumab (ADA; n = 75) or MTX plus placebo-ADA (PLA; n = 76). Plasma samples were obtained at baseline and at months 3, 6, and 12 together with values for C-reactive protein (CRP), the 28-joint Disease Activity Score based on CRP (DAS28CRP), scores on the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and the Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI), visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain/fatigue/physician global and total Sharp/van der Heijde score (TSS). IL-23 was measured at each time point. RESULTS: IL-23 levels decreased significantly in the ADA group from 20.6 pg/mL (IQR 13.1-32.7 pg/mL) at baseline to 18 pg/mL (IQR 7.2-25.0 pg/mL) at 12 months (p < 0.01). No significant decrease in IL-23 level was observed in the PLA group. No associations between baseline IL-23 levels and measures of disease activity (DAS28CRP, CRP, CDAI, or SDAI) at 12 or 24 months were present in the treatment groups. Baseline IL-23 correlated inversely with changes in TSS and symptom duration before diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show increased baseline levels and a significant decrease in IL-23 levels in eRA patients treated with anti-TNF-α. The inverse correlation with duration of symptoms before diagnosis supports the importance of IL-23 in the preclinical disease development of RA.

Motives for sports participation as predictions of self-reported outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament injury of the knee.

Aim of the study was to access how individual's motives for participation in sports impact on self-reported outcomes 2 years after an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Based on a longitudinal cohort study, this secondary analysis present data from the Knee Anterior Cruciate Ligament, Nonsurgical versus Surgical Treatment (KANON) study, a randomized controlled trial. At baseline, 121 patients recorded in an initial questionnaire that their motives for sports participation fell into four categories: achievement, health, social integration, or fun and well-being. These four categories were used as variables in the analyses. All 121 subjects completed the 2-year follow-up. The largest improvement was seen in the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) subscale sports and recreation function, with an effect size of 2.43. KOOS sports and recreation function was also the subscale score best predicted by the motives for sports participation. Baseline motives achievement and fun and well-being predicted worse levels of pain and function 2 years after the injury, even after adjusting for age, gender, treatment and baseline scores. Psychological aspects, such as motives for participation in sport, can be factors in predicting of patient-reported outcomes 2 years after injury. Evaluating motives for sports participation may help predict the outcome 2 years after ACL injury.

Prevalence of abnormal ECGs in male soccer players decreases with the Seattle criteria, but is still high.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiography are mandatory in preparticipation cardiac screening in soccer players. Abnormal ECG findings usually require follow-up investigations. The main aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of abnormal ECG findings in male professional soccer players according to European Society of Cardiology's (ESC) recommendations and the Seattle criteria, and to assess the need for echocardiography. ECGs from 587 of 595 (99%) players were recorded with ClickECG, and measurements were derived with visually adjusted on-screen calipers on the computer-based averaged PQRST complex. Echocardiographic recordings were performed with Vivid 7/i and categorized according to reference values for athlete's heart. After the initial screening, 32 (5.5%) players were recommended for follow-up. The prevalence of abnormal ECGs was 29.3% vs 11.2% according to the ESC's recommendations and the Seattle criteria, respectively. None of the players with abnormal ECGs only according to the ESC's recommendations had abnormal echocardiograms. Echocardiography alone detected one player with abnormalities (athlete's heart). The Seattle criteria reduced the number of athletes with abnormal ECGs considerably compared with the ESC recommendations. Based on echocardiographic evaluations, this increased the specificity of the Seattle criteria, without increasing the number of false-negative ECGs. The need for mandatory echocardiography in soccer players seems limited.

Cardiovascular function is better in veteran football players than age-matched untrained elderly healthy men.

The aim of the study was to determine whether lifelong football training may improve cardiovascular function, physical fitness, and body composition. Our subjects were 17 male veteran football players (VPG; 68.1 ± 2.1 years) and 26 healthy age-matched untrained men who served as a control group (CG; 68.2 ± 3.2 years). Examinations included measurements of cardiac function, microvascular endothelial function [reactive hyperemic index (RHI)], maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max), and body composition. In VPG, left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume was 20% larger (P < 0.01) and LV ejection fraction was higher (P < 0.001). Tissue Doppler imaging revealed an augmented LV longitudinal displacement, i.e., LV shortening of 21% (P < 0.001) and longitudinal 2D strain was 12% higher (P < 0.05), in VPG. In VPG, resting heart rate was lower (6 bpm, P < 0.05), and VO2max was higher (18%, P < 0.05). In addition, RHI was 21% higher (P < 0.05) in VPG. VPG also had lower body mass index (P < 0.05), body fat percentage, total body fat mass, android fat percentage, and gynoid fat percentage (all P < 0.01). Lifelong participation in football training is associated with better LV systolic function, physical fitness, microvascular function, and a healthier body composition. Overall, VPG have better cardiovascular function compared with CG, which may reduce their cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Central and peripheral hemodynamics in exercising humans: leg vs arm exercise.

In humans, arm exercise is known to elicit larger increases in arterial blood pressure (BP) than leg exercise. However, the precise regulation of regional vascular conductances (VC) for the distribution of cardiac output with exercise intensity remains unknown. Hemodynamic responses were assessed during incremental upright arm cranking (AC) and leg pedalling (LP) to exhaustion (Wmax) in nine males. Systemic VC, peak cardiac output (Qpeak) (indocyanine green) and stroke volume (SV) were 18%, 23%, and 20% lower during AC than LP. The mean BP, the rate-pressure product and the associated myocardial oxygen demand were 22%, 12%, and 14% higher, respectively, during maximal AC than LP. Trunk VC was reduced to similar values at Wmax. At Wmax, muscle mass-normalized VC and fractional O2 extraction were lower in the arm than the leg muscles. However, this was compensated for during AC by raising perfusion pressure to increase O2 delivery, allowing a similar peak VO2 per kg of muscle mass in both extremities. In summary, despite a lower Qpeak during arm cranking the cardiovascular strain is much higher than during leg pedalling. The adjustments of regional conductances during incremental exercise to exhaustion depend mostly on the relative intensity of exercise and are limb-specific.