Sustainability and perceptual responses during handgrip holds to failure at two fatigue thresholds.

PURPOSE: Critical force (CF) provides an estimate of the asymptote of the force-duration curve and the physical working capacity at the rating of perceived exertion (PWCRPE) estimates the highest force that can be sustained without an increase in perceived exertion. Handgrip-related musculoskeletal disorders and injuries derived from sustained or repetitive motion-induced muscle fatigue are prevalent in the industrial workforce. Thus, it is important to understand the physiological mechanisms underlying performance during handgrip specific tasks to describe individual work capacities. This study examined prolonged, isometric, handgrip exercises by comparing the relative force levels, sustainability, and perceptual responses at two fatigue thresholds, CF and PWCRPE. METHODS: Ten women (26.5 ± 3.5 years) performed submaximal, isometric handgrip holds to failure (HTF) with the dominant hand at four, randomly ordered percentages (30, 40, 50, and 60%) of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) force to determine CF and PWCRPE. Isometric handgrip HTF were performed at CF and PWCRPE. Time to task failure and RPE responses were recorded. RESULTS: There were no differences in the relative forces (p = 0.381) or sustainability (p = 0.390) between CF (18.9 ± 2.5% MVIC; 10.1 ± 2.7 min) and PWCRPE (19.5 ± 7.9% MVIC; 11.6 ± 8.4 min), and the RPE increased throughout both holds at CF and PWCRPE. CONCLUSION: It is possible that complex physio-psychological factors may have contributed to the fatigue-induced task failure. CF and PWCRPE may overestimate the highest force output that can be maintained for an extended period of time without fatigue or perceptions of fatigue for isometric handgrip holds.

IMPACT OF MOTOR ACTIVITY ON THE DYNAMICS OF INTELLECTUAL WORKING CAPACITY AND MENTAL COGNITIVE PROCESSES IN STUDENTS.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: To study the impact of physical exercises of different intensity on the dynamics of intellectual working capacity and mental cognitive processes in students. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: The research involved 293 students. The research was conducted in 2 stages. The 1st stage involved the study of the level of intellectual activity of students with sufficient (the experimental group, n = 76) and insufficient levels of their motor activity (the control group, n = 217). The 2nd stage provided for the determination of the dynamics of intellectual activity indicators in students (n = 76) before and after physical exercises of different intensity. RESULTS: Results: It was found that students with sufficient motor activity are characterized by significantly better indicators of intellectual working capacity and mental cognitive processes than students with insufficient motor activity. It was found that low-intensity physical exercises of a recreational nature had a more positive effect on intellectual working capacity in the course of training sessions. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: Organized motor activity and optimal physical exertion both during and after the end of intellectual functioning can directly affect the preser¬vation and improvement of students' intellectual working capacity.

THE IMPACT OF HORMONE-VITAMIN COMPLEX ON FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITY OF THE MUSCLE TISSUE OF DESCENDANTS OF IRRADIATED ANIMALS.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: To determine the hormone-vitamin complex impact on the terminal links of glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acids cycle, and the initial stage of glucone¬ogenesis in the muscle tissue in descendants of irradiated animals. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: Pyruvate kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, NADP-dependent malate dehydrogenasee and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activities, the content of lactate, pyruvate, malate and oxaloacetate were determined in the blood, myocardium and thigh muscles of 66 rats after exposure to ionizing gamma-radiation. Rats were injected by a hormone-vitamin complex which efficacy was determined using the abovementioned indexes. RESULTS: Results: Hormone-vitamin complex administration to descendants of irradiated animals exposed to 1.0 Gy results to pyruvate kinase activity increase in the myocardium and skeletal muscles of descendants from animals irradiated by 0.5 Gy and exposed to 1.0 Gy irradiation. Blood serum pyruvate kinase activity in descendants from animals irradiated by 1.0 Gy and exposed to 1.0 Gy radiation after the pharmacological correction was higher compared with the same index before pharmacological correction. The lactate dehydrogenase activity in the myocardium, skeletal muscles and blood in descendants born from animals irradiated by maximal dose exposed to 1.0 Gy radiation was less in these tissues after pharmacological correction. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The hormone-vitamin complex use in the descendants of irradiated animals led to muscle tissue energy resources improvement. Our data are the experimental background for theoriginal hormone-vitamin complex efficacy further evaluation in the aspect of vital organs and body systems functional activity restoration under the influence of ionizing radiation.

Reduction in myocardial function and oxygen consumption after chemoradiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) may induce myocardial dysfunction, congestive heart failure, and impaired physical performance in patients with esophageal cancer (EC). We aimed to investigate left ventricular (LV) function at rest and during stress, using echocardiography (echo) and a cardiopulmonary exercise (CPX) test both before and immediately after completing CRT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Consecutive EC patients referred for curative treatment were enrolled. Patients attended either definitive CRT or neoadjuvant CRT with subsequent surgery. The evaluation included cardiac biomarkers, electrocardiogram, echo, and CPX test. The primary endpoint was changes in left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) at rest. Secondary endpoints were LV ejection fraction (LVEF), LV diastolic function, LVEF and GLS at peak exercise, and maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max). The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03619317). RESULTS: Among 47 patients enrolled (94% male; median age 67 years, range 50-86 years), cardiac examinations were performed a median of three days [Interquartile range (IQR (1-5))] before CRT and one day [IQR (0-6)] after CRT. At rest, GLS and LVEF decreased, 17.6 vs. 16.4% and 56.4 vs. 55.1%, respectively (p = 0.004; p = 0.030). Furthermore, an absolute decrease of at least 5% in LVEF and 2.5% in GLS was noted in 21% of the patients. Signs of LV diastolic dysfunction increased from 13 to 21% (p = ns). VO2max significantly decreased; 21.2 ml/kg/min vs. 18.8 ml/kg/min (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: LV function and physical performance decreased in EC patients after CRT, and the LV systolic reserve capacity declined. This study highlighted that EC treatment was associated with early cardiac side effects, which may have clinical and prognostic implications.

Effect of gender, age and vaccine on reactogenicity and incapacity to work after COVID-19 vaccination: a survey among health care workers.

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to assess the impact the impact of gender and age on reactogenicity to three COVID-19 vaccine products: Biontech/Pfizer (BNT162b2), Moderna (mRNA-1273) and AstraZeneca (ChAdOx). Additional analyses focused on the reduction in working capacity after vaccination and the influence of the time of day when vaccines were administered. METHODS: We conducted a survey on COVID-19 vaccinations and eventual reactions among 73,000 employees of 89 hospitals of the Helios Group. On May 19th, 2021 all employees received an email, inviting all employees who received at least 1 dose of a COVID-19 to participate using an attached link. Additionally, the invitation was posted in the group's intranet page. Participation was voluntary and non-traceable. The survey was closed on June 21st, 2021. RESULTS: 8375 participants reported on 16,727 vaccinations. Reactogenicity was reported after 74.6% of COVID-19 vaccinations. After 23.0% vaccinations the capacity to work was affected. ChAdOx induced impairing reactogenicity mainly after the prime vaccination (70.5%), while mRNA-1273 led to more pronounced reactions after the second dose (71.6%). Heterologous prime-booster vaccinations with ChAdOx followed by either mRNA-1273 or BNT162b2 were associated with the highest risk for impairment (81.4%). Multivariable analyses identified the factors older age, male gender and vaccine BNT162b as independently associated with lower odds ratio for both, impairing reactogenicity and incapacity to work. In the comparison of vaccine schedules, the heterologous combination ChAdOx + BNT162b or mRNA-1273 was associated with the highest and the homologue prime-booster vaccination with BNT162b with the lowest odds ratios. The time of vaccination had no significant influence. CONCLUSIONS: Around 75% of the COVID-19 vaccinations led to reactogenicity and nearly 25% of them led to one or more days of work loss. Major risk factors were female gender, younger age and the administration of a vaccine other than BNT162b2. When vaccinating a large part of a workforce against COVID-19, especially in professions with a higher proportion of young and women such as health care, employers and employees must be prepared for a noticeable amount of absenteeism. Assuming vaccine effectiveness to be equivalent across the vaccine combinations, to minimize reactogenicity, employees at risk should receive a homologous prime-booster immunisation with BNT162b2. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was approved by the Ethic Committee of the Aerztekammer Berlin on May 27th, 2021 (Eth-37/21) and registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS 00025745). The study was supported by the Helios research grant HCRI-ID 2021-0272.

[Accelerated aging as a risk of the education digitalization: possibilities for prevention.]

The work is devoted to the analysis of the education digitalization negative effects and the possibilities of their prevention consideration. The urgency of this problem in the modern conditions of combating the pandemic of the new coronavirus infection and moving a significant part of education and leisure to the virtual space is noted. Against the background of a deficit in physical activity and an increase in the information consumption duration, the participants in the experiment showed a significant increase in the frequency of mental and physical maladjustment symptoms occurrence, a decrease in performance indicators and a deterioration in the biological age parameters. The geroprotective effect of correcting the student lifestyle with an emphasis on information hygiene, optimizing sleep, rest, motor and nutritional regimen in terms of qualitative and quantitative indicators is shown.

Individual characteristics of physical and mental development and their connection with regular physical exercises when playing basketball.

Basketball includes a wide range of physical actions with and without the ball, which puts forward certain requirements for motor fitness, moral, volitional and mental qualities, as well as creativity and decision-making skills in rapidly changing and often unforeseen circumstances. The scientific novelty is determined by the fact that in order to categorically define the term of "features of physical and mental development and their connection with regular physical exercise", the authors analysed the works of leading scientists on the theory and methods of physical education, grouped by the authors in accordance with the main concepts. The aim of the article is to study of the phenomenon of physical culture of the student's personality, namely, the targets of the modern system of physical education and the structure of personal physical culture of a person; the humanisation and democratisation of the system of physical education; the development of the concept of the theory of physical culture and its implementation in the conditions of reformation of higher education. The practical significance of the study is determined by the fact that the elements of basketball are included in the programmes of physical education of preschool children, in the curricula for physical culture of all degrees of general secondary education (primary, secondary, high school), in the programme for physical education of higher education institutions.

Gender-Specific Improvements in Outcome 1 and 2 Years After Major Trauma.

BACKGROUND: The study aim was to evaluate patient progress over time, given the limited knowledge available on gender-dependent longer-term outcomes after major trauma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective longitudinal survey of consecutive trauma survivors with a New Injury Severity Score ≥8, comparing working capacity and outcome scores of male versus female patients at 1- and 2-y follow-ups (trauma medical outcomes study Short Form-36, Euro Quality of Life [EuroQoL], Glasgow Outcome Scale [GOS]; mean + standard deviation; univariate analysis [Pearson's r]; P < 0.05). RESULTS: A total of 335 major trauma patients (71% male; aged 54.8 ± 18.8 y; New Injury Severity Score 18.6 ± 9.3) participated at both follow-up time points. Overall, a significant improvement in patients' working capacity was found (P < 0.001) in the second year after trauma compared with 1 y earlier. At 2 y, 24% of working patients were still suffering from a diminished capacity to work. Improvements in working capacity correlated only weakly with outcome scores; best in the GOS (r = 0.23) and the EuroQol (r = 0.22). Women, but not men, demonstrated a significant improvement in quality of life (QoL) over time: to a higher level, for example, on the GOS (P = 0.001), the EuroQoL (P = 0.018), and the physical component of the Short Form-36 (P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This longitudinal longer-term follow-up found an overall improvement in capacity to work for both genders in the second year after major trauma. Surprisingly, only women demonstrated significant improvements in measures of health-related QoL and functional outcome-a finding that has to be further evaluated in greater detail in larger systematic evaluations.

[On the strategic objectives of Russia and Japan's experience in creating jobs for citizens of a new age of working capacity: Economic and legal research.]

The increase in the duration of employment cannot but entail consequences that objectively reflect the realities of the labor market for the category of workers of pre-retirement age. The analysis of the situation in the labor market in modern economic realities allows us to highlight the global problem of obtaining and maintaining a job for the category of workers aged 50+. The prospects of its growth by the end of the transition period of change in the retirement age say experts from different industry areas. At the same time, there is currently an increase in the number of people who are actively looking for work and do not have a chance in employment as unpromising workers for the interests of the employer. Attempts to solve the problem of providing jobs for older workers at the state level are assessed as ineffective and not able to dramatically affect the improvement of the tasks of protecting the rights of people from unemployment and poverty. Referring to the experience of Japan, which has many intersections in the legislative and social aspects in solving the problems of creating and maintaining jobs for older workers with Russia, we will outline the possible prospects for solving this problem as an important strategic task of the state.

[The role of motivational factors in the health promotion training programs for the overweight subjects]. / Rol' motivatsionnykh faktorov v ozdorovitel'no-trenirovochnykh programmakh pri izbytochnoi masse tela.

BACKGROUND: The relevance of this ensues from the fact that despite the numerous currently available health promotion training programs for the reduction of body weight, there is still the need for the development of the new forms of the efficacious physical training programs and the methods of motivation for compliance with them among the people of different age, sex and social status. AIM: The objective of the present study was to determine the role of motivational factors, including the assessment of the biological age, in the improvement of the effectiveness of the health promotion training programs for the reduction of the excess body weight. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 82 students with overweight and first-degree obesity at the age from 17 to 21 years (average age 18.5±1.4 years) were examined. 42 girls included in the first (main) group spent 9 months performing health promotion training programs on an individual basis developed taking into consideration the motivational factors. The physical training programs included the aerobic exercise in the form of dance classes. 40 students in the control group were engaged in physical training envisaged by the academic curriculum of the university. The third group (the group of comparison) was comprised of 36 practically healthy girls having the normal body weight. We studied the components of the body composition with the use of bioimpedanceometry, evaluated the physical working capacity (the PWC-170 test) and the adaptive reserves of the body (heart rate variability test as proposed by R.M. Baevskyi, Garkavi test). In addition, the psycho-emotional status of the participants was estimated making use of the Lusher test and SAN. The biological age was determined by the original method based on the combination of the morphological and functional indices. RESULTS: The excess body weight in the students comprising group 1 was reduced by 10% on the average; simultaneously the physical working capacity among these students increased by an average of 24.5% while the level of emotional stability and self-esteem increased by 20% and 24%, respectively. We also documented a decrease in the initially increased biological age by 5 years on the average. The students included in group II did not experience any significant changes in the parameters of interest. CONCLUSION: The consideration of the motivational factors for the development of the training programs designed to promote the reduction of the excessive body weight significantly increases their effectiveness, as evidenced by the improvement of the morpho-functional and psychological characteristics in the students of the first group and its absence in their counterparts included in group II.

[Influence of the carbohydrateprotein phytolactate drink on the physical working capacity and endurance of experimental animals].

The study analyzes the effect of a new carbohydrate-protein phyto-lactate drink on the physical performance and endurance of BALB/c mice. The main carbohydrate and protein component in the new product was carrot juice and skim milk. Data on the technology of manufacturing a sterilized beverage have been presented. The study of the influence of the milk-carrot drink on the performance and endurance, carried out in accordance with the Porsolt test («forced swimming¼), was performed on 34 male BALB/c mice, with initial bode weight 22-24 g. An experimental group of animals (n=12) was injected daily with a milk-carrot drink per os in a volume of 0.8 ml (32 ml/kg of body weight) for 28 days, carrot juice or distilled water in the same volume were administered per os in the control groups. It was shown that the introduction of the drink improved the physical working capacity of laboratory animals, confirmed by an increase in the duration of swimming of mice by 34.6% (р<0.05). At the same time, the introduction of pure carrot juice to mice on the basis of which the milk-carrot drink was created also increased physical working capacity, compared to the control group, who received per os a similar volume of water by 17.8% (р<0.05). However, the duration of swimming of the mice of this group was shorter in comparison with the same index in mice injected with the drink (р<0.05).

Prognostic influence of witness/victim experiences and PTSD-specific symptoms on working and educational capacity: a comparison between two groups of individuals post-trauma.

BACKGROUND: Trauma exposure depends of the type of trauma and can result in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The type of traumatization (such as Holocaust experiences and other sources of trauma) and specific symptoms of PTSD have influences on the outcome, and specific symptoms of PTSD influence personal and professional outcomes. Another factor is the role of the victim in their traumatization. Some patients are actively traumatized through being victims of torture, while others are passively traumatized by witnessing the traumatization of others. METHODS: We compared two groups of victim/witness trauma sufferers (PTSD vs. Holocaust-experience PTSD (HE-PTSD)) with regard to PTSD symptoms, educational and working capacity, and functional outcome parameters. RESULTS: HE-PTSD survivors with victim/witness trauma experience showed substantially more specific PTSD symptoms and higher symptom-specific intensities but had high social function and education levels. The intensity and type of intrusive memories and sociodemographic factors do not seem to have a prognostic influence on working or educational outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying the combined victim/witness experience seems to play an important prognostic role in the assessment of PTSD victims. Further studies should consider these findings within other specific traumatization groups.

Understanding adsorption selectivity in zirconium-pillared clays for biogas upgradation: the role of metal/clay ratio.

Biogas, as a sustainable energy source, encounters challenges in practical applications due to impurities, notably carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrogen (N2). This study investigates the effect of metal/clay ratio on the adsorption selectivity of porous zirconium-pillared clay adsorbents for biogas upgradation. Comprehensive analyses including nitrogen adsorption/desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were conducted to evaluate the physicochemical properties. Adsorption properties for Zr-pillared clays for biogas components such as CO2, CH4, and N2, at 25 °C under different pressures were investigated. The ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) was employed to assess selectivity for three binary gas mixtures (CO2/CH4, CO2/N2, and CH4/N2). Results revealed the substantial impact of Zr/Clay ratio on both adsorption capacity and selectivity of the prepared materials. For instance, the maximum adsorption capacity of gases varies as ZrPILC-4 > ZrPILC-2 > ZrPILC-8 > ZrPILC-1, whereas the adsorption selectivity for CO2/CH4 separation (at 1000 kPa) varies as ZrPILC-1 > ZrPILC-2 > ZrPILC-8 > ZrPILC-4. Interestingly, the ZrPILC-8 with maximum surface area (147 m2∙g-1) did not show maximum adsorption capacity for all the three gases, which was attributed to its lower pore volume, and basal spacing, as compared to ZrPILC-4. Amongst all the pillared samples, the ZrPILC-1 exhibited highest selectivity for all binary mixtures (at 1000 kPa), signifies increased nonspecific interactions due to its lower surface area. Its separation performance, particularly for CO2/CH4 mixture exceeded that of the parent clay by 1.5 times. A significant increase in the working capacity of the prepared samples underscores the efficacy of these pillared materials in separating biogas components. This study provides valuable insights into effects of Zr/clay ratio for developing robust pillared adsorbents, contributing to the advancement of sustainable biomethane production.

Dibromomethane Knitted Highly Porous Hyper-Cross-Linked Polymers for Efficient High-Pressure Methane Storage.

Hyper-cross-linked polymers (HCPs) with ultra-high porosity, superior physicochemical stability, and excellent cost-effectiveness are attractive candidates for methane storage. However, the construction of HCPs with BET surface areas exceeding 3000 m2 g-1 remains extremely challenging. In this work, a newly developed DBM-knitting method with a slow-knitting rate is employed to increase the cross-linking degree, in which dichloromethane (DCM) is replaced by dibromomethane (DBM) as both solvent and electrophilic cross-linker, resulting in highly porous and physicochemically stable HCPs. The BET surface areas of DBM-knitted SHCPs-Br are 44%-120% higher than that of DCM-knitted SHCPs-Cl using the same building blocks. Remarkably, SHCP-3-Br exhibits an unprecedentedly high porosity (SBET = 3120 m2 g-1) among reported HCPs, and shows a competitive volumetric 5-100 bar working methane capacity of 191 cm3 (STP) cm-3 at 273 K calculated by using real packing density, which outperforms sate-of-art metal-organic framework (MOFs) at comparable conditions. This facile and versatile low-knitting-rate strategy enables effective improvement in the porosity of HCPs for porosity-desired applications.

Metal Doping to Control Gate Opening and Increase Methane Working Capacity in Isostructural Flexible Diamondoid Networks.

Adsorbed natural gas (ANG) systems involve using porous materials to increase the working capacity and/or reduce the storage pressure compared to compressed natural gas (CNG). Flexible metal-organic materials (FMOMs) are particularly interesting in this context since their stepped isotherms can afford increased working capacity if the adsorption/desorption steps occur within the proper pressure range. We report herein that metal doping in a family of isostructural FMOMs, ML2 (M=Co, Ni or Nix Co1-x , L=4-(4-pyridyl)-biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid), enables control over the gate opening between non-porous (closed) and porous (open) phases at pressures relevant to methane storage. Specifically, methane-induced phase transformations can be fine-tuned by using different Ni/Co ratios to enhance methane working capacity. The optimal working capacity from 5 to 35 bar at 298 K (153 cm3  cm-3 ) was found for Ni0.89 Co0.11 L2 (X-dia-1-Ni0.89 Co0.11 ), which is greater than that of benchmark rigid MOFs.

The Functional States of the Participants of a Marine Arctic Expedition with Different Levels of Vitamin D in Blood.

(1) Background: The vitamin D level in blood is one of the markers of the functional reserves of the human body and can contribute to more successful adaptation in the Arctic. (2) Methods: The study involved 38 participants in the project "Arctic Floating University-2021". The determination of vitamin D content was carried out at the beginning of the expedition. A dynamic study was carried out for 20 days in the morning and in the evening. The functional state parameters of the participants were assessed using psychophysiological and questionnaire methods. Statistical methods: Mann-Whitney U-test and correlation analysis. (3) Results: It was found that at the beginning of the expedition, the functional state of participants with more severe vitamin D deficiency is characterized by a shorter average duration of RR intervals (p = 0.050) and reduced SDNN values (p = 0.015). The higher the content of vitamin D, the greater increase in speed (r = 0.510), the higher the increase in projective performance (r = 0.485), and the smaller the increase in projective stress (r = -0.334). Significant relationships between the subjective characteristics of functional states and the vitamin D of participants have not been established. (4) Conclusion: With an increase in the severity of vitamin D deficiency in the blood, the adaptive capabilities of participants decrease during an expedition to the Arctic.

Does physical fitness affect cognitive functions differently across adulthood? An advantage of being older.

Introduction: There is a large interindividual variability in cognitive functioning with increasing age due to biological and lifestyle factors. One of the most important lifestyle factors is the level of physical fitness (PF). The link between PF and brain activity is widely accepted but the specificity of cognitive functions affected by physical fitness across the adult lifespan is less understood. The present study aims to clarify whether PF is basically related to cognition and general intelligence in healthy adults, and whether higher levels of PF are associated with better performance in the same or different cognitive functions at different ages. Methods: A sample of 490 participants (20-70 years) was analyzed to examine this relationship. Later, the sample was split half into the young to middle-aged group (YM; 20-45 years; n = 254), and the middleaged to older group (MO; 46-70 years; n = 236). PF was measured by a quotient of maximum power in a bicycle ergometry test PWC-130 divided by body weight (W/kg), which was supported by a self-reported level of PF. Cognitive performance was evaluated by standardized neuropsychological test batteries. Results: Regression models showed a relationship between PF and general intelligence (g-factor) and its subcomponents extracted using structural equation modeling (SEM) in the entire sample. This association was moderated by age, which also moderated some specific cognitive domains such as attention, logical reasoning, and interference processing. After splitting the sample into two age groups, a significant relationship was found between cognitive status, as assessed by the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), and PF in both age groups. However, apart from cognitive failures in daily life (CFQ), no other association between PF and specific cognitive functions was found in the YM group. In contrast, several positive associations were observed in the MO group, such as with selective attention, verbal memory, working memory, logical reasoning, and interference processing. Discussion: These findings show that middle-aged to older adults benefit more from PF than younger to middle-aged adults. The results are discussed in terms of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the cognitive effects of PF across the lifespan. Clinical trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05155397, identifier NCT05155397.

Huntington's disease influences employment before and during clinical manifestation: A systematic review.

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease. People at risk for HD can choose to get predictive testing years before the clinical onset. HD is characterized by motor, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms and has a mean age at onset between 30 and 50 years, an age at which people are usually still working. This systematic review focuses on summarizing which disease-specific characteristics influence employment and working capacity in HD. Twenty-three studies were identified and showed that while employment and working capacity in HD are negatively influenced by cognitive decline and motor impairments, apathy already plays a role in the prodromal stage. Moreover, the influence of HD transcends the clinical manifestation of the disease, as some people at risk are already experiencing the impact of HD on employment through fear of or actual genetic discrimination. Employment and working capacity are not influenced by predictive testing for HD in and of itself.

Running vs. resistance exercise to counteract deconditioning induced by 90-day head-down bedrest.

Spaceflight is associated with enhanced inactivity, resulting in muscular and cardiovascular deconditioning. Although physical exercise is commonly used as a countermeasure, separate applications of running and resistive exercise modalities have never been directly compared during long-term bedrest. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two exercise countermeasure programs, running and resistance training, applied separately, for counteracting cardiovascular deconditioning induced by 90-day head-down bedrest (HDBR). Maximal oxygen uptake ( V ˙ O2max), orthostatic tolerance, continuous ECG and blood pressure (BP), body composition, and leg circumferences were measured in the control group (CON: n = 8), running exercise group (RUN: n = 7), and resistive exercise group (RES: n = 7). After HDBR, the decrease in V ˙ O2max was prevented by RUN countermeasure and limited by RES countermeasure (-26% in CON p < 0.05, -15% in RES p < 0.05, and -4% in RUN ns). Subjects demonstrated surprisingly modest orthostatic tolerance decrease for different groups, including controls. Lean mass loss was limited by RES and RUN protocols (-10% in CON vs. -5% to 6% in RES and RUN). Both countermeasures prevented the loss in thigh circumference (-7% in CON p < 0.05, -2% in RES ns, and -0.6% in RUN ns) and limited loss in calf circumference (-10% in CON vs. -7% in RES vs. -5% in RUN). Day-night variations in systolic BP were preserved during HDBR. Decrease in V ˙ O2max positively correlated with decrease in thigh (r = 0.54 and p = 0.009) and calf (r = 0.52 and p = 0.012) circumferences. During this 90-day strict HDBR, running exercise successfully preserved V ˙ O2max, and resistance exercise limited its decline. Both countermeasures limited loss in global lean mass and leg circumferences. The V ˙ O2max reduction seems to be conditioned more by muscular than by cardiovascular parameters.

Chronic patients as retirement-aged workers: the impact of employment-based health insurance and chronic conditions on health-related working capacity and late-life career participation.

Retirement-aged workers with chronic conditions are increasingly engaged in late-life careers in the policy context of delayed retirement initiative. However, it remains uncertain as to how chronic conditions and employment-based social health insurance interact to affect health-related working capacity and late career participation in this group of people. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and the discrete choice model, this study finds that chronic conditions are negatively associated with health-related working capacity (- 0.400, p < 0.01) and late-life career participation (- 0.170, p < 0.01). Employment-based health insurance is positively associated with health-related working capacity of retirement-aged workers (0.432, p < 0.01), but is negatively associated with their late-life career participation (- 1.027, p < 0.01). Moreover, employment-based health insurance could weaken the negative associations between chronic conditions and health-related working capacity (interaction = 0.285, p < 0.05) and late-life career participation (interaction = 0.251, p < 0.05). More fine-grained policies for delayed retirement are needed to focus on the long-neglected health of retirement-aged workers with chronic conditions.