The plausible effects of wearing face masks on sports performance - A scoping review.

Objectives: The objectives of this scoping review are to discuss, firstly, the positive aspects of wearing face masks during training (such as a barrier to COVID-19 transmission, air pollutant exposure, and adding load on respiratory resistance flow); secondly, the negative aspects (adverse effects on body temperature and hypoxia risks); and thirdly, the training responses of wearing face masks on aerobic and anaerobic performance. News: Besides social distancing and hand hygiene, wearing a face mask is proposed to be the prime advocacy for virus containment. During the period of high risk of contamination, the return to sport guidelines proposed by international and national sport federations included wearing face masks during training sessions. However, it is necessary to discuss the pros and cons of wearing face masks during exercise. Prospects: Although it was essential to wear a face mask during exercise or sport-specific training, there is conflicting evidence on the implications of the use of face masks on physical, physiological as well as psychological well-being or performance. Based on the conflicting empirical findings and anecdotal evidence, certain recommendations have been made for adequate use of face masks during exercise; both to break the chain of transmission and prevent the physiological compromise expected from wearing face masks during exercise. The present review can help stakeholders balance sport guidelines in the event of a respiratory virus pandemic with athlete safety. Conclusion: Conflicting evidence of mechanistic links between the dose of exercise and the possible adverse effects associated with exercising with face masks is available. Adequately powered studies with strong methodological quality on appropriate selection of masks and usage based on the intensity, duration, and type of sport, age, and gender is needed now for the stakeholders to make informed decisions with respect to exercising with face masks.

Objectifs: Les objectifs de cette revue des connaissances sont de discuter, premièrement, les aspects positifs du port de masques pendant l'entraînement (comme une barrière à la transmission du COVID-19, l'exposition aux polluants atmosphériques et l'ajout de charge sur le flux de résistance respiratoire) ; deuxièmement, les aspects négatifs (effets indésirables sur la température corporelle et risques d'hypoxie) ; et troisièmement, les conséquences du port de masques faciaux à l'entraînement sur les performances aérobie et anaérobie. Nouvelles connaissances: Outre la distanciation physique et l'hygiène des mains, le port d'un masque facial est proposé comme le principal plaidoyer pour la maîtrise des contaminations par le nouveau coronavirus. Pendant la période à haut risque de contamination, les directives de retour au sport proposées par les fédérations sportives internationales et nationales incluaient le port de masques lors des séances d'entraînement. Cependant, il est nécessaire de discuter les avantages et les inconvénients du port de masques faciaux pendant l'exercice. Perspectives: Bien qu'il fut essentiel de porter un masque facial pendant l'exercice ou l'entraînement spécifique au sport, il existe des preuves contradictoires sur les implications des masques faciaux sur les performances physiques, physiologiques, et le bien-être psychologique. Sur la base des résultats contradictoires et de données empiriques, certaines recommandations ont été faites pour une utilisation optimale de masques faciaux pendant l'exercice, à la fois pour briser la chaîne de transmission du virus et éviter le compromis physiologique attendu du port des masques faciaux pendant l'exercice. La présente revue peut aider les parties prenantes à trouver un équilibre entre les directives sportives en cas de pandémie par un virus respiratoire et la sécurité des athlètes. Conclusion: Il existe des données contradictoires sur les liens mécanistiques entre la dose d'exercice et les effets indésirables possibles associés à l'exercice avec des masques faciaux. Des études de qualité au plan méthodologique, sur la sélection des masques, leur utilisation en fonction de l'intensité, de la durée et du type de sport, de l'âge et du sexe des sportifs sont nécessaires pour que les parties prenantes puissent prendre des décisions éclairées en ce qui concerne l'exercice avec des masques faciaux.

Curcumin-Celecoxib: a synergistic and rationale combination chemotherapy for breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Over-expression of COX-2 has been linked with various molecular signaling such as carcinogenesis, invasiveness, and malignant tumour metastasis. Besides, the use of celecoxib is also related to lowering the risk of breast cancer. This study therefore designed to explore the synergistic inhibitory effect of the combination of curcumin and celecoxib on the growth of human breast cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In our investigation, we treated MDA-MB-231 cancer cells with different concentrations of curcumin and celecoxib. The enzyme-linked immunoassay was used to measure the COX-2 expression levels. MDA-MB-231 growth was examined by MTS cell viability assay, and synergy detection was carried out using combination index approaches. The drug-likeliness of the tested drugs (curcumin and celecoxib) were computed and predicted ADME pharmacokinetic parameters by in silico. Further, we have conducted BOILED-Egg plot and bioavailability radar analysis for the curcumin and celecoxib. RESULTS: The result of the physicochemical and ADMET/pharmacokinetic properties showed that these two drugs have good oral and optically bioavailable absorption. The present in silico study could offer a reliable theoretical basis for future structural modification of these compounds to treat breast cancer. The in vitro results suggested that curcumin and celecoxib individually inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The effect was synergistic for MDA-MB-231 cells relative to the two compounds individually. The synergistic growth inhibitory effect was mediated by a mechanism that possibly involves inhibition of the COX-2 pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show the prominent anti-proliferative effects of celecoxib and/or curcumin on MDA-MB-231 cells, providing a rationale for further detailed preclinical and potential clinical studies of this combination for breast cancer therapy. Further, these computed parameters suggested that curcumin possesses a high tendency to act as an adjuvant drug with celecoxib in the treatment of breast cancer.

A microscopic evaluation of collagen-bilirubin interactions: in vitro surface phenomenon.

This study is carried out to understand the morphology variations of collagen I matrices influenced by bilirubin. The characteristics of bilirubin interaction with collagen ascertained using various techniques like XRD, CLSM, fluorescence, SEM and AFM. These techniques are used to understand the distribution, expression and colocalization patterns of collagen-bilirubin complexes. The present investigation mimic the in vivo mechanisms created during the disorder condition like jaundice. Fluorescence technique elucidates the crucial role played by bilirubin deposition and interaction during collagen organization. Influence of bilirubin during collagen fibrillogenesis and banding patterns are clearly visualize using SEM. As a result, collagen-bilirubin complex provides different reconstructed patterns because of the influence of bilirubin concentration. Selectivity, specificity and spatial organization of collagen-bilirubin are determined through AFM imaging. Consequently, it is observed that the morphology and quantity of the bilirubin binding to collagen varied by the concentrations and the adsorption rate in protein solutions. Microscopic studies of collagen-bilirubin interaction confirms that bilirubin influence the fibrillogenesis and alter the rate of collagen organization depending on the bilirubin concentration. This knowledge helps to develop a novel drug to inhibit the interface point of interaction between collagen and bilirubin.

The impact of age on clinical outcomes following cardiac resynchronisation therapy.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) is an established treatment for selected patients with symptomatic left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. Heart failure (HF) is primarily a disease of the elderly; however, these patients are underrepresented in CRT trials. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of age on clinical outcomes following CRT. METHODS: A consecutive series of 177 patients was identified and divided into those aged ≤ 7 5 years (n = 131, mean ± SD 62.1 ± 11.2 years) and those aged >75 years (n = 46, mean ± SD 80.7 ± 4.1 years). The primary end point was a composite of all-cause mortality or HF hospitalisation. RESULTS: During a median ± IQR follow up of 28.5 ± 33.7 months, the event rate for the primary end point was significantly higher in the elderly compared to younger patients (20.1 vs. 11.1 %, respectively, logrank p = 0.020). This was mainly driven by an excess mortality rate among those aged >75 years (10 vs. 4.7%, respectively, logrank p = 0.018) whereas HF hospitalisation rates were similar between groups (10 vs. 6.4%, respectively, logrank p = 0.301). After adjusting for comorbidities and ICD status, the difference in the composite end point rates was attenuated and no longer significant (HR 1.580, 95% CI 0.899-2.778; p = 0.112 for >75 vs. ≤ 75 years). Notably, both groups demonstrated similar response rates to CRT in terms of symptomatic improvement, reverse LV remodelling and neurohormonal activation. CONCLUSIONS: CRT is equally effective in the elderly as in younger patients to reduce adverse clinical outcomes. For those who fulfil the prerequisite selection criteria, it should be considered as a valid therapeutic option.

Preparation and antimicrobial activity of scleraldehyde from Schizophyllum commune.

The present study investigates the antimicrobial activity of oxidized schizophyllan (scleraldehyde) against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria by diffusion and tube dilution analysis. Schizophyllan is a natural polysaccharide produced by fungi of the genus Schizophyllum. Periodate oxidation specifically cleaves the vicinal glycols in scleraldehyde to form their dialdehyde derivatives. The antibacterial activity exhibited by scleraldehyde was defined using various tests such as the disc diffusion assay, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). MIC and MBC values were found to be in the range of 3.0-8.0 mg/mL. Hence, the present studies establish that the scleraldehyde possesses effective antibacterial properties and can be used as a biopreservative for preservation of raw hides and skins.

Variability of soil-water quality due to Tsunami-2004 in the coastal belt of Nagapattinam district, Tamilnadu.

In this study, the Tsunami-caused deterioration of soil and groundwater quality in the agricultural fields of coastal Nagapattinam district of Tamilnadu state in India is presented by analyzing their salinity and sodicity parameters. To accomplish this, three sets of soil samples up to a depth of 30 cm from the land surface were collected for the first six months of the year 2005 from 28 locations and the ground water samples were monitored from seven existing dug wells and hand pumps covering the study region at intervals of 3 months. The EC and pH values of both the soil and ground water samples were estimated and the spatial and temporal variability mappings of these parameters were performed using the geostatistical analysis module of ArcGIS((R)). It was observed that the spherical semivariogram fitted well with the data set of both EC and pH and the generated kriged maps explained the spatial and temporal variability under different ranges of EC and pH values. Further, the recorded EC and pH data of soil and ground water during pre-Tsunami periods were compared with the collected data and generated variability soil maps of EC and pH of the post-Tsunami period. It was revealed from this analysis that the soil quality six months after the Tsunami was nearing the pre-Tsunami scenario (EC< 1.5 dS m(-1); pH<8), whereas the quality of ground water remained highly saline and unfit for irrigation and drinking. These observations were compared with the ground scenarios of the study region and possible causes for such changes and the remedial measures for taking up regular agricultural practices are also discussed.

Synchronization of cells in the S phase of the cell cycle by 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine: implications for cell cytotoxicity.

The mechanism of synergy between 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) and anticancer agents was investigated with emphasis on cell-cycle events. Exposure of exponentially growing WiDr human colon carcinoma cells to AZT resulted in synchronization of cells in the S phase of the cell cycle. Following treatment with AZT at 50 or 200 microM, 62% +/- 3% or 82% +/- 4% of the cells were in the S phase as compared with 36% +/- 2% in the control. Bromodeoxyuridine uptake studies revealed that the synchronized cells actively synthesized DNA. At concentrations of up to 200 microM, AZT produced a cytostatic rather than cytotoxic effect as indicated by viability and cell growth measurements. At 200 microM, AZT-induced synchronization was significant (P = < 0.001) after 12 h of drug exposure, reached a maximum at 24 h, and reversed to baseline levels by 72 h even in the continued presence of the drug. This indicates that AZT-induced cytostasis is a transient and reversible effect. The cell-cycle events seen with AZT in WiDr cells were also observed in eight of nine human tumor cell lines tested. Isobologram analysis of WiDr cells preexposed to AZT for 24 h and then exposed to either AZT-5-fluorouracil or AZT-methotrexate for a further 72 h revealed synergy between AZT and the anticancer agents, indicating that AZT-induced synchronization may have therapeutic benefits.

Composite fish culture for mosquito control in rice fields in southern India.

Composite culture of edible fishes (common carp, Cryprinus carpio; silver carp, Hypopthalmithys molitrix, grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella; catla, Catla catla; rohu, Labeo rohita; and mrigal, Cirrhinus mrigala) in rice fields in the Cauvery delta of Tamil Nadu, southern India, resulted in 81.0% reduction in the immature mosquito population of anophelines and 83.5% of culicines. Analysis of fish feces for mosquito larval head capsules showed that common carp and silver carp are effective larvivores. The selective feeding of common carp on culicines and silver carp on anophelines is correlated to their trophic niches. Net profit in the fish-cum-rice fields was 2.5 times greater than fields in which rice alone was cultured. Hence, rice-cum-fish culture can be recommended to the farming community in this area.

Designing medical informatics research and library--resource projects to increase what is learned.

Careful study of medical informatics research and library-resource projects is necessary to increase the productivity of the research and development enterprise. Medical informatics research projects can present unique problems with respect to evaluation. It is not always possible to adapt directly the evaluation methods that are commonly employed in the natural and social sciences. Problems in evaluating medical informatics projects may be overcome by formulating system development work in terms of a testable hypothesis; subdividing complex projects into modules, each of which can be developed, tested and evaluated rigorously; and utilizing qualitative studies in situations where more definitive quantitative studies are impractical.

Deoxypyrimidine-induced inhibition of the cytokinetic effects of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyluracil.

Ara-U-induced S-phase accumulation and the interaction between high concentrations of ara-U (HiCAU) and ara-C were investigated in L1210 leukemia cells in vitro. Treatment of exponentially growing L1210 murine leukemia cells with ara-U (200-1000 microM) for 48 h caused a dose-dependent accumulation of cells in the S-phase. The extent of this ara-U-induced S-phase accumulation correlated with ara-U incorporation into DNA and with increases of up to 172% and 464% in the specific activities of deoxycytidine kinase and thymidine kinase, respectively, over control values. Metabolism of 1 microM ara-C following the exposure of cells to ara-U (1 mM) resulted in 4.5 pmol araC DNA/mg protein vs 2.1 pmol/mg protein in control cells. Although 48-h exposure of cells to 200 and 400 microM ara-U is not cytotoxic, it enhances the cytotoxicity of ara-C (10-100 microM) 4- to 10-fold. Ara-U-induced S-phase accumulation is inhibited by deoxypyrimidine nucleosides but not by pyrimidine or deoxypurine nucleosides. Some of the ara-U and ara-C concentrations used in this study are achievable in clinical practice, and ara-U/ara-C interactions may explain in part the unique therapeutic utility of high-dose ara-C.

Modulation of the metabolism and pharmacokinetics of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine by 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyluracil in leukemic mice.

The interaction between high concentrations of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyluracil (HiCAU) and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) was investigated in vivo with emphasis on cell kinetics, pharmacokinetics, and drug metabolism. Mice bearing L5178Y leukemia were given a 48-h s.c. infusion of high-dose ara-U (HiDAU) to achieve a plasma level of 0.5 to 1 mM. A total dose of 7.35 g/kg/day for 2 days was nontoxic; the mean survival of control (saline treated) leukemic mice was 12.2 +/- 1.8 days and 11.7 +/- 2.0 days for the HiDAU-treated leukemic mice. Using flow cytometry, cell cycle progression of L5178Y ascites cells was monitored during HiDAU infusion. At 48 h, the proliferative index (PI) percentage of the leukemic cells is significantly different (P less than 0.001) in HiDAU-treated leukemic mice (mean = 50.8) versus control (mean = 45.6). A higher PI percentage is associated with accumulation of cells in S phase. This effect was highly variable in the ara-U-treated mice, and the ara-U "perturbed" group was defined as those mice whose cells had an increase in the PI to greater than or equal to 50%. The higher PI percentage in HiDAU-treated mice correlated with HiCAU in ascites fluid, leukemic cells, and kidney of perturbed mice. HiCAU in the "ara-U-perturbed" group altered the plasma pharmacokinetics of high-dose ara-C (HiDAC, 1 g/kg), increased the cellular metabolism of ara-C to 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytidine triphosphate (ara-CTP) (3-fold), and increased ara-C-DNA synthesis (3-fold). In mice bearing the L5178Y leukemia, a 48-h infusion of ara-U followed by a 24-h s.c. infusion of 40 mg/kg resulted in a 260% increase in life span and seven 90-day survivors among 16 treated mice. In contrast, ara-U or ara-C alone had a negligible therapeutic effect. ara-U-induced alterations in the systemic pharmacokinetics of ara-C are the result of inhibition of cytidine deaminase activity by HiCAU in liver and kidneys. This results in a decrease in ara-C catabolism and prolongs the plasma half-life of ara-C. The dual alteration of the pharmacokinetics of ara-C and cytokinetics of the leukemia cells by HiCAU results in enhanced survival of leukemic mice. These results may help explain the clinical utility of HiDAC treatment programs for patients with acute leukemia.

Cross-resistance of menogaril and mitoxantrone in a subline of P388 leukemia resistant to doxorubicin.

Mice bearing the P388/S or P388/ADR (doxorubicin-resistant) leukemia were treated with menogaril or mitoxantrone. Both drugs were highly effective against P388/S but were ineffective against the doxorubicin-resistant subline, indicating cross-resistance. These observations may be of use in the design of clinical trials with these drugs.

Biochemical mechanisms for the scheduled synergism of (alpha S, 5S)-2 amino-3-chloro-4,5-dihydro-5-isoxazoleacetic acid and 5-fluorouracil in P388 leukemia.

A study was made of the in vivo effects of equitoxic doses of AT-125 and 5-FU combination, being administered either simultaneously (% ILS 152) or with a 6-h pretreatment with AT-125 (% ILS 184). To examine the biochemical basis for the scheduled synergism, measurements were made of the concentration of PRPP, the specific activities of CPS II, cytidine, thymidine, uridine, deoxyuridine kinases, and fluorinated nucleotide formation in P388 tumors and the small intestine. Two hours after in vivo simultaneous treatment of mice bearing tumors the concentration of PRPP increased 9- and 6-fold above baseline in the tumor and the small intestine, respectively. In the AT-125 pretreatment arm the concentration of PRPP increased 18- and 7-fold above baseline in the tumor and the small intestine, respectively. CPS II activity was reduced to 28%-18% of control in the tumors in the simultaneous and pretreatment groups, respectively, whereas it remained unchanged in the small intestine. Specific activities of cytidine kinase (5.5 +/- 1), thymidine kinase (4.0 +/- 1.6), uridine kinase (35.6 +/- 6.5), and deoxyuridine kinase (2.4 +/- 1.1) nmol/mg protein/h remained unchanged with treatment. In concert with the increased intratumor concentration of PRPP, fluorinated nucleotide formation was proportionally increased in the treatment arms. These results indicate the importance of drug scheduling of the above two agents in treating P388 leukemia.

Expert systems as aids for interpretive reporting.

Interpretive reporting is an established part of the function of many clinical laboratories. Of the three types of information included in these reports, expert system technology is being demonstrated as useful in producing interpretive comments. The ability of expert systems to explain their reasoning and to be easily updated make them superior to prior attempts to computerize this type of interpretation using traditional computer languages. In the future, the broader application of these systems in realistic clinical environments should be expected given recent commercial success in embedding such programs in laboratory instruments.