No diagnostic utility of antibody patterns against <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> capsular serotypes in patients with axial spondyloarthritis vs. patients with non-specific low back pain: a cross-sectional study

Objectives: To investigate whether antibody response patterns against Klebsiella pneumoniae capsular serotypes can discriminate patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) from patients with non-specific low back pain (LBP). Method: Immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgA antibodies against K. pneumoniae capsular serotypes K2, K26, K36, and K50 were measured, and antibody seropositivity compared between groups and analysed for patient correlation in five different groups: (a) 96 patients fulfilling the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) classification criteria for axSpA; (b) 38 patients with either a positive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan as defined by ASAS or a positive human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 status plus one clinical SpA feature, characterized as ‘non-axSpA’; (c) 82 non-specific LBP patients; (d) 40 healthy blood donors and (e) 43 patients with diagnosed ankylosing spondylitis (AS) served as the negative and positive control groups. Results: There was no difference in IgG and IgA seropositivity against all serotypes between the axSpA, non-axSpA, and LBP groups. No significant correlations were found between anti-Klebsiella antibodies and age, gender, HLA-B27, or high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). IgG seropositivity against K50 was more frequent in AS (25.6%) than in axSpA (13.5%, p  Conclusions: The antibody patterns against K. pneumoniae serotypes K2, K26, K36, and K50 did not discriminate between early axSpA and non-specific LBP.</p

Nordic Branding:an Odyssey into the Nordic Myth Market

The idea of the Nordic has witnessed significant attention in popular culture globally. However, little has been done to explore how Nordic brand actors perceive and enact Nordic values. We set out to explore this through a journey from southern Denmark to northern Norway, via Stockholm. The study was conducted as part of a collaborative project that focused on how myths work as a foundation for developing Nordic branding strategies. The results identified several symbolic resources which also revealed a number of cultural tensions, e.g. balancing modern Nordic aesthetics with Viking imagery and Norse mythology; egalitarian inclusiveness with fine dining/haute cuisine culture; traditional gendered fashion with post-gendered/LBTQ fashion; and ethnocentrism with multiculturalism. We discuss how brand actors try to construct compromises of these tensions, so that Nordic values as expressed in brands and products are amenable to the market, with branding strategies utilising a mode of sanitised Nordic mythology.</p

Freqüência cardíaca máxima em esteira ergométrica em diferentes horários Frecuencia cardíaca máxima en cinta ergométrica a diferentes horarios Maximal heart rate on treadmill at different times

Como muitas medidas do desempenho humano apresentam variações circadianas que parecem acompanhar o ritmo da temperatura corporal, o objetivo deste estudo foi comparar a freqüência cardíaca máxima (FCmax) no teste de Bruce (Tbruce) em diferentes horários do dia. Foram estudados 11 indivíduos do gênero masculino, com 22,0 ± 1,6 anos, fisicamente ativos e do cronotipo intermediário. Observaram-se FC de repouso (FCrep), FC máxima (FCmax), percepção de esforço (PE) e tempo até a exaustão (TBruce). Para medir a FC, foi utilizado o cardiofreqüencímetro Polar Vantage NV. A PE foi obtida pela escala de Borg (6-20). Aplicou-se o protocolo de Bruce para esteira ergométrica, até a exaustão, em seis horários distintos: 9:00, 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, 21:00 e 24:00 horas. Os resultados foram submetidos à análise de variância para medidas repetidas, seguida do teste de Tukey (p < 0,05) e ao ajuste Cosinor para identificação de padrões rítmicos. Houve diferença significativa entre a FCrep das 15:00 e 24:00 horas (67,2 ± 6,9 e 60,4 ± 6,4bpm) e na FCmax das 12:00 e 24:00 horas (197,4 ± 7,9 e 191,3 ± 5,8bpm). Não foi observada diferença na PE e no TBruce. Foi encontrada ritmicidade em um indivíduo na FCrep, um na FCmax e dois no TBruce. Concluiu-se que, em condições não controladas, mantendo-se as atividades diárias, tanto a FCrep quanto a Fcmax apresentam valores mais baixos por volta das 24:00 horas, sem perda no desempenho aeróbio máximo e sem alteração da PE. Esses achados devem ser considerados na avaliação aeróbia e na prescrição de exercícios em horários mais tardios.<br>Debido a que muchas medidas de desempeño humano presentan variaciones circadianas que parecen acompañar el ritmo de la temperatura corporal, el objetivo de este estudio ha sido el de comparar la frecuencia cardíaca máxima (FCmax) en el test de Bruce (TBruce) en diferentes horarios del día. Fueron estudiados 11 individuos del género masculino, con 22,0 ± 1,6 años, físicamente activos y de cronotipo intermedio. Se observó la FC de reposo (FCrep), FC máxima (FCmax), percepción de esfuerzo (PE) y tiempo hasta la extenuación (TBruce). Para medir la FC se usó el cardiofrecuencímetro Polar Vantage NV. La PE se obtuvo por la escala de Borg (6-20). Se aplicó el protocolo de Bruce para cinta ergométrica, hasta la extenuación, en 6 horarios distintos: 9:00, 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, 21:00 y 24:00 horas. Los resultados fueron sometidos a análisis de varianza para medidas repetidas, seguida del test de Tukey (p < 0,05) y al ajuste Cosinor para identificación de los padrones rítmicos. Hubo diferencia significativa entre la FCrep de las 15:00 y 24:00 h (67,2 ± 6,9 y 60,4 ± 6,4 bpm) y en la FCmax de las 12:00 y 24:00 horas (197,4 ± 7,9 y 191,3 ± 5,8 bpm). No fue observada diferencia en la PE y en el TBruce. Se encontró ritmo en 1 individuo en la FCrep, 1 en la FCmax y 2 en el TBruce. A partir de esto se concluyó que, en condiciones no controladas, manteniéndose las actividades diarias, tanto la FCrep, como la Fcmax, presentan valores más bajos alrededor de las 24:00 horas, sin pérdida en el desempeño aeróbico máximo y sin alteración de PE. Estos resultados deben ser considerados en la evaluación aeróbica y en la prescripción de ejercicios en horarios más tardíos.<br>The aim of this study was to compare the maximal heart rate (HRmax) in the Bruce test (TBruce) at different times of the day, since several measurements of the human performance present circadian variations which seem to follow the body temperature rhythm. Eleven male individuals, with 22.0 ± 1.6 years, physically active and from the intermediate chronotype were studied. The resting HR (HRres), maximal HR (HRmax), perceived exertion (PE) and time until exhaustion (TBruce) were observed. The Polar Vantage NV cardiofrequencymeter was used in order to measure the HR. The PE was obtained through the Borg's scale (6-20). The protocol by Bruce for treadmill was applied until exhaustion, at 6 different times: 9:00; 12:00; 15:00; 18:00; 21:00 and 24:00 hours. The results were submitted to the variance analysis for repeated measurements, followed by Tukey test (p < 0.05) and the Cosinor adjustment for identification of rhythmic patterns. There was significant difference between the HRres of the 15:00 and 24:00 h (67.2 ± 6.9 and 60.4 bpm) and in the HR max of the 12:00 and 24:00 hours (197.4 ± 7.9 and 191.3 ± 5.8 bpm). No difference was identified in the PE and in the TBruce. Rhythmicity was found in 1 individual in the HRres, 1 in the HRmax and 2 in the TBruce. It was concluded that in uncontrolled conditions, whenever daily activities are kept, both HRres and HRmax present lower indices around 24:00 hours, with no loss in the maximal aerobic performance and no PE alteration. These findings should be considered in the aerobic evaluation and in the exercises prescription at later times