The acute effect of upper-body complex training on power output of martial art athletes as measured by the bench press throw exercise

The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effect of upper body complex training on power output, as well as to determine the requisite preload intensity and intra-complex recovery interval needed to induce power output increases. Nine amateur-level combat/martial art athletes completed four distinct experimental protocols, which consisted of 5 bench press repetitions at either: 65% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) with a 4-min rest interval; 65% of 1RM with an 8-min rest; 85% of 1RM with a 4-min rest; or 85% of 1RM with an 8-min rest interval, performed on different days. Before (pre-conditioning) and after (post-conditioning) each experimental protocol, three bench press throws at 30% of 1RM were performed. Significant differences in power output pre-post conditioning were observed across all experimental protocols (F=26.489, partial eta2=0.768, p=0.001). Mean power output significantly increased when the preload stimulus of 65% 1RM was matched with 4 min of rest (p=0.001), and when the 85% 1RM preload stimulus was matched with 8 min of rest (p=0.001). Moreover, a statistically significant difference in power output was observed between the four conditioning protocols (F= 21.101, partial eta²=0.913, p=0.001). It was concluded that, in complex training, matching a heavy preload stimulus with a longer rest interval, and a lighter preload stimulus with a shorter rest interval is important for athletes wishing to increase their power production before training or competition

Spleen Tyrosine Kinase (Syk) Regulates Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) T Cell Signaling

Engagement of the CD3/T cell receptor complex in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) T cells involves Syk rather than the zeta-associated protein. Because Syk is being considered as a therapeutic target we asked whether Syk is central to the multiple aberrantly modulated molecules in SLE T cells. Using a gene expression array, we demonstrate that forced expression of Syk in normal T cells reproduces most of the aberrantly expressed molecules whereas silencing of Syk in SLE T cells normalizes the expression of most abnormally expressed molecules. Protein along with gene expression modulation for select molecules was confirmed. Specifically, levels of cytokine IL-21, cell surface receptor CD44, and intracellular molecules PP2A and OAS2 increased following Syk overexpression in normal T cells and decreased after Syk silencing in SLE T cells. Our results demonstrate that levels of Syk affect the expression of a number of enzymes, cytokines and receptors that play a key role in the development of disease pathogenesis in SLE and provide support for therapeutic targeting in SLE patients

Resilience training in the workplace from 2003 to 2014: a systematic review

Over a decade of research attests to the importance of resilience in the workplace for employee well-being and performance. Yet, surprisingly, there has been no attempt to synthesize the evidence for the efficacy of resilience training in this context. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to provide a systematic review of work-based resilience training interventions. Our review identified 14 studies that investigated the impact of resilience training on personal resilience and four broad categories of dependent variables: (a) mental health and subjective well-being outcomes, (b) psychosocial outcomes, (c) physical/biological outcomes, and (d) performance outcomes. Findings indicated that resilience training can improve personal resilience, and is a useful means of developing mental health and subjective well-being in employees. We also found that resilience training has a number of wider benefits that include enhanced psychosocial functioning and improved performance. Due to the lack of coherence in design and implementation, we cannot draw any firm conclusions about the most effective content and format of resilience training. Therefore, going forward, it is vital that future research uses comparative designs to assess the utility of different training regimes, explores whether some people might benefit more/less from resilience training, and demonstrates consistency in terms of how resilience is defined, conceptualized, developed, and assessed

CD28null CD4 T-cell expansions in autoimmune disease suggest a link with cytomegalovirus infection

Immunosenescence is thought to contribute to the increase of autoimmune diseases in older people. Immunosenescence is often associated with the presence of an expanded population of CD4 T cells lacking expression of CD28 (CD28null). These highly cytotoxic CD4 T cells were isolated from disease-affected tissues in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, or other chronic inflammatory diseases and their numbers appeared to be linked to disease severity. However, we recently demonstrated that the common herpes virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV), not ageing, is the major driver of this subset of cytotoxic T cells. In this review, we discuss how CMV might potentiate and exacerbate autoimmune disease through the expansion of CD28null CD4 T cells

Biologic Treatments in Interstitial Lung Diseases

Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) represent a group of heterogeneous parenchymal lung disorders with complex pathophysiology, characterized by different clinical and radiological patterns, ultimately leading to pulmonary fibrosis. A considerable proportion of these disease entities present with no effective treatment, as current therapeutic regimens only slow down disease progression, thus leaving patients, at best case, with considerable functional disability. Biologic therapies have emerged and are being investigated in patients with different forms of ILD. Unfortunately, their safety profile has raised many concerns, as evidence shows that they might cause or exacerbate ILD status in a subgroup of patients. This review article aims to summarize the current state of knowledge on their role in patients with ILD and highlight future perspectives

A small CD11b+ human B1 cell subpopulation stimulates T cells and is expanded in lupus

Human B1 cells can be divided, based on surface CD11b expression, into two transcriptionally and functionally distinct subsets, one of which is more abundant in lupus patients than healthy individuals

Experience with rituximab in scleroderma: results from a 1-year, proof-of-principle study

Objective. To assess the efficacy of rituximab (RTX) in SSc