Changes in physical performance, body composition and physical training during military operations: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Systematic review and meta-analysis applying PRISMA guidelines with a PICOS format was constructed to provide an overview of changes in physical performance, body composition and physical training in soldiers during prolonged (≥ 3 months) military operations. Twenty-four studies out of the screened 4431 records filled the inclusion criteria. A small decrease in endurance performance was the most consistent finding (Hedge's g [g] - 0.21, 95% CI - 0.01 to - 0.41) while small overall increases in maximal strength of the lower (g 0.33, 95% CI 0.16-0.50) and upper body (g 0.33, 95% CI 0.19-0.46) were observed. In addition, small increases in strength endurance (push-up, g 0.34, 95% CI 0.15-0.52; sit-up g 0.26, 95% CI 0.07-0.44) were observed. The overall changes in body composition were trivial. Heterogeneity in the outcome variables varied mainly between low to moderate. Large inter-individual variations were observed in physical training volume, including decrements especially in endurance training frequency and volume. A reduction in total training load was often associated with negative changes in body composition and physical performance according to the principle of training specificity. Individuals with higher initial fitness level were more susceptible to decrements in their physical performance during operation.

Aerobic fitness predicted by demographics, anthropometrics, health behaviour, physical activity and muscle fitness in male and female recruits entering military service.

INTRODUCTION: The physical and mental training load can be high during military service. Therefore, tailored preconditioning programmes based on assessment of physical fitness could increase readiness for military service, especially among those ones with lower baseline fitness level. The purpose of present study was to investigate how self-assessed health behaviour, physical activity and muscle fitness can predict physical fitness in young male and female military cohorts. METHODS: Demographics, health behaviour and daily physical activity preceding military service were surveyed by a questionnaire. Thereafter, physical fitness was assessed during the military service by the tests of 12 min running, 1 min push-ups and sit-ups. Explosive power of the lower extremities was studied by maximal standing long jump. Measurements of body anthropometry consisted of body mass, height, and waist circumference. RESULTS: The two strongest individual predictors of objectively measured running distance in 12 min were self-reported physical activity and physical readiness in both men and women. Self-reported physical activity, readiness for military service, sitting time, education, smoking and body anthropometrics together explained 52% of the variance in the 12 min running test result (R2=0.52, mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) 8.8%, mean absolute error (MAE) 207 m) in men, while for women the predictive values were weaker. Addition of muscle fitness results to the adjusted regression model further improved the model, which explained 59% of the variance in the 12 min running tests result of male conscripts (R2=0.59, MAPE 7.8%, MAE 181 m). CONCLUSION: In the present study, self-reported physical activity, muscle fitness, physical readiness for military service, sitting time, education, smoking and body anthropometrics predicted inadequately the measured endurance capacity among recruits. The present questionnaire-based variables do not accurately predict physical fitness of recruits and thus, they are not either suitable for practical use for preconditioning programmes or preselection before entering the military service.

Changes in physical fitness and anthropometrics differ between female and male recruits during the Finnish military service.

INTRODUCTION: Military training programmes are often similar for male and female recruits despite sex differences in physical performance that may influence training adaptations during military service. The present study aimed to compare changes in physical fitness and anthropometrics between Finnish female and male recruits during military service. METHODS: A total of 234 690 male and 3549 female recruits participated in fitness tests at the beginning and end of military service between 2005 and 2015. Anthropometric measurements were body mass, height, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). Fitness tests consisted 12 min running, standing long jump, and sit-ups and push-ups. RESULTS: No changes were observed in anthropometrics, while both sexes improved most of the fitness test results. After adjustment for service time, branch, age, initial fitness test results, BMI and WC, improvement in running test performance was 158 m (95% CI 142 to 173, p≤0.001) greater in male than female recruits. Similarly, improvements were larger in male recruits for push-ups (5 reps/min, 95% CI 5 to 6, p≤0.001), sit-ups (2 reps/min, 95% CI 2 to 3, p≤0.001) and standing long jump (12 cm, 95% CI 11 to 13, p≤0.001) when compared with women. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed sex differences in adaptations to the standardised military training. Both male and female recruits improved their physical fitness, but smaller gains were observed in women using the same training programme. The mechanisms explaining sex differences in adaptations to military training, and whether tailored training programmes are needed specifically for female recruits to reduce sex differences during military service, warrants further studies.

Orienting spins in dually doped monolayer MoS2: from one-sided to double-sided doping.

Electron spins of the doped monolayer MoS2 were aligned by placing two magnetic impurities at sulfur vacancies, both on the same side and different sides of the slab. Origins of the calculated magnetisms are beyond most conventional physical models, yet interactions of single-molecule magnets are tentatively proposed.

Magnetic field-induced effects on NMR properties.

In principle, all the NMR observables, spin-spin coupling J, nuclear shielding σ and quadrupole coupling q, are magnetic field-dependent. The field dependence may be classified into two categories: direct and indirect (apparent) dependence. The former arises from the magnetic field-induced deformation of the molecular electronic cloud, while the latter stems from a slightly anisotropic orientation distribution of molecules, due to the interaction between the anisotropy of the molecular susceptibility tensor and the external magnetic field. Here we use 1,3,5-D3-benzene as a model system to investigate the indirect effect on the one-bond 1H-13C and 2H-13C spin-spin couplings (J couplings) and the 2H quadrupole coupling. Experiments carried out at four magnetic fields (4.7, 9.4, 14.1, and 18.8 T) show that the indirect effect is significant already at the magnetic fields commonly used in NMR spectrometers. A joint fit of the data extracted at the different field strengths provides experimental results for the susceptibility anisotropy, 2H quadrupole coupling constant and the related asymmetry parameter, as well as the one-bond CH and CD coupling constants extrapolated to vanishing field strength. The field-induced contributions are found to exceed the commonly assumed error margins of the latter. The data also indicate a primary isotope effect on the one-bond CH coupling constant. There is a tendency to further increase the magnetic field of NMR spectrometers, which leads to more pronounced indirect contributions and eventually significant direct effects as well.

Benzene at 1GHz. Magnetic field-induced fine structure.

The deuterium NMR spectrum of benzene-d6 in a high field spectrometer (1GHz protons) exhibits a magnetic field-induced deuterium quadrupolar splitting Δν. The magnitude of Δν observed for the central resonance is smaller than that observed for the (13)C satellite doublets Δν'. This difference, Δ(Δν)=Δν'-Δν, is due to unresolved fine structure contributions to the respective resonances. We determine the origins of and simulate this difference, and report pulse sequences that exploit the connectivity of the peaks in the (13)C and (2)H spectra to determine the relative signs of the indirect coupling, JCD, and Δν. The positive sign found for Δν is consonant with the magnetic field biasing of an isolated benzene molecule-the magnetic energy of the aromatic ring is lowest for configurations where the C6 axis is normal to the field. In the neat liquid the magnitude of Δν is decreased by the pair correlations in this prototypical molecular liquid.

Maximal strength, muscular endurance and inflammatory biomarkers in young adult men.

The aim was to study associations of maximal strength and muscular endurance with inflammatory biomarkers independent of cardiorespiratory fitness in those with and without abdominal obesity. 686 young healthy men participated (25±5 years). Maximal strength was measured via isometric testing using dynamo-meters to determine maximal strength index. Muscular endurance index consisted of push-ups, sit-ups and repeated squats. An indirect cycle ergometer test until exhaustion was used to estimate maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max). Participants were stratified according to those with (>102 cm) and those without abdominal obesity (<102 cm) based on waist circumference. Inflammatory factors (C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor alpha) were analysed from serum samples. Maximal strength and muscular endurance were inversely associated with IL-6 in those with (ß=-0.49, -0.39, respectively) (p<0.05) and in those without abdominal obesity (ß=-0.08, -0.14, respectively) (p<0.05) adjusted for smoking and cardio-respiratory fitness. After adjusting for smoking and cardiorespiratory fitness, maximal strength and muscular endurance were inversely associated with CRP only in those without abdominal obesity (ß=-0.11, -0.26, respectively) (p<0.05). This cross-sectional study demonstrated that muscular fitness is inversely associated with C-reactive protein and IL-6 concentrations in young adult men independent of cardiorespi-ratory fitness.

Associations of maximal strength and muscular endurance with cardiovascular risk factors.

The aim was to study the associations of maximal strength and muscular endurance with single and clustered cardiovascular risk factors. Muscular endurance, maximal strength, cardiorespiratory fitness and waist circumference were measured in 686 young men (25±5 years). Cardiovascular risk factors (plasma glucose, serum high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure) were determined. The risk factors were transformed to z-scores and the mean of values formed clustered cardiovascular risk factor. Muscular endurance was inversely associated with triglycerides, s-LDL-cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure (ß=-0.09 to - 0.23, p<0.05), and positively with s-HDL cholesterol (ß=0.17, p<0.001) independent of cardiorespiratory fitness. Muscular endurance was negatively associated with the clustered cardiovascular risk factor independent of cardiorespiratory fitness (ß=-0.26, p<0.05), whereas maximal strength was not associated with any of the cardiovascular risk factors or the clustered cardiovascular risk factor independent of cardiorespiratory fitness. Furthermore, cardiorespiratory fitness was inversely associated with triglycerides, s-LDL-cholesterol and the clustered cardiovascular risk factor (ß=-0.14 to - 0.24, p<0.005), as well as positively with s-HDL cholesterol (ß=0.11, p<0.05) independent of muscular fitness. This cross-sectional study demonstrated that in young men muscular endurance and cardiorespiratory fitness were independently associated with the clustering of cardiovascular risk factors, whereas maximal strength was not.

Charge localization in alcohol isomers studied by Compton scattering.

The isomers of small molecule alcohols propanol (PrOH) and butanol (BuOH) are studied by x-ray Compton scattering experiments with synchrotron radiation and density-functional theory calculations. The lineshape of the measured spectra, i.e., the Compton profile, is a momentum-space property, and its changes reflect changes in the electronic charge density between the isomers. Compared to the linear alcohols (n-PrOH and n-BuOH), the Compton profiles of the branched alcohols (iso-PrOH, iso-BuOH, sec-BuOH) are found to be narrower, which indicates a more delocalized charge for the latter. The calculations are performed for systems consisting of one to three monomer units and are found to reproduce reasonably the experimental spectral features. The influence of the basis set and exchange-correlation scheme is studied in more detail. The results provide new insight into the isomeric differences in small molecule alcohols and show that quantum chemical calculations can be increasingly tested against the x-ray Compton scattering data.

Application of self-organizing maps in conformational analysis of lipids.

The characteristics of lipid assemblies are important for the functions of biological membranes. This has led to an increasing utilization of molecular dynamics simulations for the elucidation of the structural features of biomembranes. We have applied the self-organizing map (SOM) to the analysis of the complex conformational data from a 1-ns molecular dynamics simulation of PLPC phospholipids in a membrane assembly. Mapping of 1.44 million molecular conformations to a two-dimensional array of neurons revealed, without human intervention, the main conformational features in hours. Both the whole molecule and the characteristics of the unsaturated fatty acid chains were analyzed. All major structural features were easily distinguished, such as the orientational variability of the headgroup, the mainly trans state dihedral angles of the sn-1 chain, and both straight and bent conformations of the unsaturated sn-2 chain. Furthermore, presentation of the trajectory of an individual lipid molecule on the map provides information on conformational dynamics. The present results suggest that the SOM method provides a powerful tool for routinely gaining rapid insight to the main molecular conformations as well as to the conformational dynamics of any simulated molecular assembly without the requirement of a priori knowledge.

Magnetic-field-induced quadrupole splitting in gaseous and liquid 131Xe NMR: quadratic and quartic field dependence.

A theory for the magnetic-field-dependent quadrupole splitting in the 131Xe NMR spectra in isotropic media is presented and tested by ab initio electronic structure calculations. Evidence exists only for even-power magnetic field dependence. The dominant mechanism is verified to be the electric field gradient caused by the diamagnetic distortion of the atomic electron cloud, quadratic in the magnetic field. The computed results are in excellent agreement with the recent experiment by Meersmann and Haake.

Spin-spin coupling tensors in fluoromethanes

All spin-spin coupling tensors J of the fluoromethanes CH3F, CH2F2, and CHF3 are obtained theoretically by multiconfiguration self-consistent field linear response (MCSCF LR) ab initio calculations. Furthermore the principal values and the orientation of the principal axis systems of each theoretical J tensor are specified. Experimental liquid crystal NMR (LC NMR) data on the tensorial properties of the CF spin spin coupling in CH3F and CH2F2, and the FF spin-spin coupling in CHF3 are also reported. In the analysis of the experiments, the contributions from molecular vibrations, as well as that of the correlation of vibrational and rotational motion to the experimental anisotropic couplings, D(exp), are taken into account. The information of the anisotropic indirect coupling, 1/2J(aniso), is detected as the difference between D(exp) and the calculated dipolar coupling, D(calc). The extracted indirect contributions, 1/2J(aniso), are in fair agreement with the ab initio results. All relative (experimental and theoretical) CF and FF indirect contributions, 1/2J(aniso)/D(exp), are negative and under 1.7% in magnitude, when the observed molecular orientations are used. Therefore, in the one bond CF couplings and in the two bond FF couplings, the indirect contribution can normally be ignored without introducing serious error to the determination of molecular orientation and/or structure. However, a more accurate method is to partially correct for the indirect contribution by utilising the transferability of the spin-spin coupling tensors in related molecules. This is due to the fact that even small contributions may be significant, if the order parameter of the internuclear direction is negligibly small, leading to dominating indirect contributions. The very good agreement of the experimental values with the calculated coupling constants and the reasonable agreement in the anisotropic properties, which are experimentally much more difficult to define, indicates that the MCSCF LR method is capable of producing reliable J tensors for these systems, contrary to the case of density-functional theory.

Rovibrationally averaged nuclear shielding constants in OCS.

The nuclear shielding constants in OCS are studied using ab initio theoretical methods and gas-phase NMR measurements. The shielding surfaces are calculated and the rovibrational effects and the resulting temperature dependence are analyzed. The temperature dependence of 13C shielding in the gas phase is determined experimentally in the range 278-373 K. 13C is the single nucleus for which the experimental data for the temperature dependence can be converted to a reference-independent scale, and good agreement of the measured and calculated ab initio results is observed. For 33S, we discuss a new, more accurate absolute shielding scale.

Mycobacteria in prurigo nodularis: the cause or a consequence?

BACKGROUND: Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic skin disorder; its cause remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated mycobacteria as a possible cause of PN. METHODS: Forty-three patients with PN were examined. Skin biopsy specimens were obtained for microbiologic and histopathologic studies. The patients were tested for intracutaneous reactivity to 12 mycobacterial antigens with the Mantoux technique. RESULTS: Six specimens (14%) grew mycobacteria in culture: M. avium-intracellulare (3), M. malmoense (1), and Mycobacterium sp. (2). Histopathologically, 12 samples (28%) were positive for acid-fast bacilli, and granulomatous changes were present in one sample. Patients whose cultures were positive for mycobacteria had significantly larger skin reactions to mycobacterial antigens. Two patients underwent 2 years of antituberculous chemotherapy; one had an excellent response and the other a partial response. CONCLUSION: Detection of mycobacteria by culture or staining, combined with elevated skin reactivity to mycobacteria in a high proportion of patients with PN, suggests a mycobacterial cause.

Granulomatous gastritis as a diagnostic problem between sarcoidosis and other granulomatous disorders.

A 59-year-old man, who suffered from achlorhydria and epigastric pains but was otherwise asymptomatic, was found to have a granulomatous lesion on the gastric mucosa suggesting sarcoidosis or a localized form of Crohn's disease. No sign of involvement of terminal ileum or rectum was detected. A liver biopsy specimen showed slight changes suggestive of granulomatous inflammation, but other signs of generalized sarcoid manifestations were absent. The patient was successfully treated with corticosteroids.

Comparison of twice-daily and four-times daily administration of beclomethasone dipropionate in patients with severe chronic bronchial asthma.

Twice-daily and four-times daily treatment with beclomethasone dipropionate aerosol were compared in a double dummy crossover study in patients with severe chronic bronchial asthma. The trial consisted of two two-month treatment periods preceded by a two-week baseline period. No significant difference was found in the morning or evening PEF, in symptom scores for wheeze, cough, sputum, sleep disturbance, limitation of daily activity, rhinitis, daily usage of bronchodilator aerosol or requirement for additional oral corticosteroids. The study has confirmed that in management of severe bronchial asthma, a twice-daily regimen of beclomethasone dipropionate aerosol is as effective as four-times daily treatment, if the total daily dose of beclomethasone dipropionate is kept unchanged.

Solitary amyloid tumour of the lung: a rare manifestation of primary amyloidosis.

We describe a 66-year-old woman with a "coin lesion" in the right upper lobe, diagnosed on a routine preoperative chest X-ray. At thoracotomy the lesion proved to be a solitary amyloid tumour of the lung. During the subsequent 6-year follow-up no recurrence has been detected.

Inactive pulmonary lesions: a potent risk factor of tuberculosis.

Case histories and previous chest X-ray films of 142 patients with bacteriologically confirmed active pulmonary tuberculosis from eastern Finland were re-examined. In 18% of the series the disease was a reactivation of previously diagnosed and treated tuberculosis. In 70% of the patients with first clinical attack of tuberculosis, previous RP-films revealed fibrotic lesions in the lungs. Only 23% of the whole series had no previous abnormality on chest X-ray examination or previous clinical tuberculosis. Fibrotic pulmonary lesions are therefore a significant risk factor in the epidemiology of pulmonary tuberculosis, which has been given too little attention.