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We present a model to calculate the displacement and extension of deformable cellular cargo pulled by molecular motors stepping along cytoskeletal filaments. We consider the case of a single type of molecular motor and cytoskeletal filaments oriented in one dimension in opposite directions on either side of a cargo. We model a deformable cargo as a simple elastic spring. We simulate this tug-of-war simple exclusion process model using a Monte Carlo Gillespie algorithm and calculate the displacement and extension of the cargo for different configurations of motors and filaments. We apply our model to kinesin-1 motors on microtubules to investigate whether they are strong enough to translocate and deform the largest cellular cargo, the nucleus. We show that the extension caused by motors on a single microtubule saturates for larger numbers of motors but that the extension and displacement scales linearly with the number of microtubules. We also show how the binding and unbinding behaviors of molecular motors on microtubule filaments affect the nuclear deformation. Our modelling results correspond to experiments on cells treated with the drug kinesore, which is thought to increase rescue events resulting in more stable microtubules and more active kinesin-1 molecular motors bound to them. Both the experiments and our simulations result in nuclear deformation.

Life cycle analysis (LCA) is a popular tool for determining the environmental impacts of a product in use. The aim of this study is to carry out a life cycle analysis, gate-to-gate, of a mass packaging process using a polyethylene shrinking film with a focus on energy consumption, raw material use and associated emissions, and film post-consumer disposal scenarios. Two different scenarios for the disposal of the shrinking film used in the packaging process were analyzed, namely recycling and landfills. The analysis showed that choosing recycling as the post-consumer management of film waste within the studied system boundaries reduces the negative environmental impact by approximately 17%. The study showed significantly higher environmental benefits in terms of harmfulness to human health for recycling than for landfills. A study of the environmental impact of the mass packaging process depending on the energy source showed that using a renewable source minimizes environmental damage. Three sources of energy options were analyzed, including the country’s energy mix, wind, and solar. The research shows that changing sources to wind power reduces potential damage to human health by 91%, to ecosystems by 89%, and to resources by 92% compared to the country’s energy mix power option. When comparing the results for the renewable energy options, the variant with energy from wind presents lower harm in all three damage categories compared to the solar option.

Tribulus terrestris L. (TT) supplementation have been shown to enhance sports performance in many but not all studies. Moreover, data regarding the potential impact of TT supplementation on CrossFit® endurance is limited. This study aimed to determine whether TT supplementation improve body composition, hormonal response, and performance among CrossFit® athletes. In a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled trial, a total of 30 healthy CrossFit®-trained males were randomly allocated to receive either 770 mg of TT supplementation or a placebo daily for 6 weeks. Body mass, fat mass, fat composition, testosterone and cortisol levels, and CrossFit® performance (5 common Workouts of the Day: back squat, bench press, dead lift, Grace, and CrossFit® Total) were assessed before and after intervention. There were no significant group x time interactions for the outcomes of the study except for testosterone levels and bench press performance (p < 0.05). TT supplementation did not impact enhance performance or body composition in CrossFit® male athletes. However, TT supplementation may act as a testosterone booster helping the recovery after physical loads and mitigating fatigue.

Three-dimensionally printed parts are increasingly used in industry for quick repairs. They are often operated in the presence of grease, oil, and others. This article describes the effect of engine mineral oil on the fatigue life of 3D-printed FDM plastic samples. For this reason, this article aimed to investigate the influence of oil on the fatigue life of materials made using this technology. Samples made of ABA, ASA, PLA, and HIPS materials were printed with 100% fill. Divided into groups, they were stored for 15, 30, and 60 days in an oil bath at a room temperature of 23 °C and an increased temperature of 70 °C. To compare the effect of storage in oil, static tests were performed to determine the tensile strength of the specimens and to determine the load levels for the cyclic tests. Cyclic tests were performed to determine the effect of oil and temperature on the fatigue life. Internal structure studies of the specimens were performed using computed microtomography to determine the changes in the porosity of the specimens under the influence of oil. In the case of ABS, the oil-bathed samples showed a clear increase in the fatigue life, especially at 23 °C. For the ASA specimens, an increase was also evident, especially for the lower stress value. For HIPS and PLA, no clear effect of the oil bath on the fatigue life value of the samples was determined. Porosity studies using computed microtomography showed a clear decrease in the porosity of the samples as a result of the oil bath for all of them.

The lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic inherently changed people’s lifestyles. Forty-eight days of isolation led to worsening physical fitness in addition to the development of other unhealthy habits. The aim of this study was to describe sport-related injuries in the active general population. Physical therapy centres and sports medicine clinics were contacted via e-mail, seeking patients who had sustained an injury during or immediately (up to two weeks) after the lockdown. Patients who agreed to participate completed an online survey that followed the International Olympic Committee Statement. The questionnaire focused on physical exercise habits, type of injury, location and tissue affected. A total of 51 females and 67 males (30.5, SD = 8.8 years) participated in the study. Eighty percent of the participants performed aerobic training sessions, while the rest dedicated their workouts to strength training. Two in every three injuries were located in the lower limbs, and 80% affected the musculoskeletal tissue. Of all the injuries recorded, 67% occurred during the first week after lockdown. The number of aerobic exercise sessions was positively correlated with lower limb injuries (χ2 = 17.12, p < 0.05). Exercise habits should be considered when planning to return to a sport after a period of confinement to avoid injury.

The aim of this study was to assess the environmental impact of using recycled polyethylene film for shrink-wrapping bottles. For this aim, film properties were tested and the harmfulness of the packaging process was simulated for film made from virgin and recycled material. For the recycled film, the results showed an increase of 14.7% in impact resistance, a change from −21.6 to +94.3% in tear resistance, and a decrease of up to 45.4% in tensile strength in dependence on the test direction. Using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the changes in the properties of the two types of film with temperature changes were evaluated. DSC analysis showed that recycled film has a 1.94 °C lower glass transition temperature and a 1.85 °C lower melting point in comparison to polyethylene film. This can reduce the temperature of the packaging process and lead to energy savings. A study conducted with SimaPro 9.3 software showed that a change in films made of virgin raw material to recycled films reduces the negative impact on the environment from 68.5 to 11.5%. The change also reduces resource consumption by about 80 percent. The results of conducted tests and simulations showed that using recycled film for bottle packaging allows reducing the negative environmental impact of examined process, especially in terms of resource consumption and energy savings.

To assess the relationship between history of past season groin pain and current pain during the five-second squeeze test (5SST) with groin function and adductor strength in rink hockey players. Cross-sectional. First (Ok Liga), Second (Plata) and third division (Bronce) clubs. Participants: Sixty-eight female and 183 male hockey players. Seasonal prevalence of groin pain (time/non-time-loss). Adductor strength and pain during the 5SST. Function was evaluated with the Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS). Seasonal time-loss groin pain prevalence was 21%. Male players had 3.5 higher odds of having had an episode of time-loss groin pain during the previous season compared to female players. The adductor relative strength was no different between players with and without previous season groin injury (p = 0.53-0.55), while the HAGOS results differed between groups, with past season groin injury players obtaining lower values in all subscales. HAGOS scores differed between the 5SST pain intensity groups (p < 0.01). Male players had higher odds of having had a groin injury in the previous season compared to female players. Players with pain during 5SST and previous season groin injury reported functional deficits, while strength remains identical to their healthy counterparts. •Groin injury seasonal prevalence is high among rink hockey players.•Current pain on 5-s squeeze does not affect adductor strength.•Players with current pain or previous episode of groin injury reported worse sporting function.

The current systematic review evaluated the effects of different pre-cooling techniques on sports performance in highly-trained athletes under high temperature conditions. PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, CENTRAL, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases were searched from inception to December 2019. Studies performing pre-cooling interventions in non-acclimatized highly-trained athletes (>55 mL/kg/min of maximal oxygen consumption) under heat conditions (≥30 °C) were included. The searched reported 26 articles. Pre-cooling techniques can be external (exposure to ice water, cold packs, or cooling clothes), internal (intake of cold water or ice), or mixed. Cooling prior to exercise concluded increases in distance covered (1.5–13.1%), mean power output (0.9–6.9%), time to exhaustion (19–31.9%), work (0.1–8.5%), and mean peak torque (10.4–22.6%), as well as reductions in completion time (0.6–6.5%). Mixed strategies followed by cold water immersion seem to be the most effective techniques, being directly related with the duration of cooling and showing the major effects in prolonged exercise protocols. The present review showed that pre-cooling methods are an effective strategy to increase sports performance in hot environments. This improvement is associated with the body surface exposed and its sensibility, as well as the time of application, obtaining the best results in prolonged physical exercise protocols.

Background: Incorporating physical activity (PA) has been a challenge for health care professionals working with anorexia nervosa (AN) patients. This has contributed to partial physical fitness (PFit) recovery that persists after weight restoration. Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relationships between PA, sedentary behaviors, PFit, and quality of life (QoL) in a group of adolescents after hospitalization. Methods: QoL, PA, and sedentary behaviors were measured using the Health-Questionnaire Short-Form 36 (SF-36) and accelerometers, while PFit was assessed through cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition (anthropometry), and strength (six repetition maximum) tests in a total of 63 patients. Results: Light-PA (LPA), moderate-PA (MPA), moderate-to-vigorous-PA (MVPA), and relative sedentary time (%ST) did not meet the recommendations (p < 0.001). Only 22% of the patients met MVPA criteria, and ~82% exceeded %ST. SF-36 scores were lower than normative values except the physical component scale. Absolute cardiorespiratory fitness was reduced (p < 0.001) in 84% of the patients, and was positively associated to body weight, body mass index (BMI), circumferences, and muscle areas. Additional positive significant relationships were found between QoL, muscular strength, and body composition, and negative associations between vigorous-to-very vigorous PA and BMI, skinfolds, and percent body fat. Regression analyses revealed lower body strength as an explanatory factor for improved QoL (OR 1.03, 95%CI 1.00–1.07). Conclusions: PFit and QoL scores are poor after hospitalization. LPA, MPA, and MVPA do not meet recommendations. PFit management—with emphasis on improving muscular fitness—may be a valuable strategy for QoL improvement in AN after hospitalization.

Transdermal delivery can be accomplished through various mechanisms including formulation optimization, epidermal stratum corneum barrier disruption, or directly by removing the stratum corneum layer. Microneedling, electroporation, a combination of both and also the intradermal injection known as mesotherapy have proved efficacy in epidermal-barrier disruption. Here we analyzed the effects of these methods of epidermal-barrier disruption in the structure of the skin and the absorption of four compounds with different characteristics and properties (ketoprofen, biotin, caffein, and procaine). Swine skin (Pietrain x Durox) was used as a human analogue, both having similar structure and pharmacological release. They were biopsied at different intervals, up to 2 weeks after application. High-pressure liquid chromatography and brightfield microscopy were performed, conducting a biometric analysis and measuring histological structure and vascular status. The performed experiments led to different results in the function of the studied molecules: ketoprofen and biotin had the best concentrations with intradermal injections, while delivery methods for obtaining procaine and caffein maximum concentrations changed on the basis of the lapsed time. The studied techniques did not produce significant histological alterations after their application, except for an observed increase in Langerhans cells and melanocytes after applying electroporation, and an epidermal thinning after using microneedles, with variable results regarding dermal thickness. Although all the studied barrier disruptors can accomplish transdermal delivery, the best disruptor is dependent on the particular molecule.