Search results for "Biophysics"

Ultrastructural evidence for protection of the outer hair cells of the inner ear during intense noise exposure by application of the organic calcium …

1999

Outer hair cells could be protected during intense noise exposure by the application of the calcium channel blocker diltiazem given before and after noise treatment. After various experimental approaches, the ultrastructural morphology was analysed for the different animal populations in the basal part of the second turn of the cochlea, which was the most destroyed area after an acute noise trauma caused by a gun shot (sound pressure at the ear drum 156 dB, frequency maximum between 4 and 6 kHz). Compared to untreated control specimens (experimental animal group I), the outer hair cells in the basal part of the second turn of the cochlea were mostly destroyed without any diltiazem applicati…

Muscle adenylate kinase in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

1986

Abstract On the basis of electrophoretic and enzyme inhibition studies it was postulated that an aberrant adenylate kinase occurs in muscle and serum of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Schirmer, R.H. and Thuma, E. (1972) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 268, 92–97; Hamada, M. et al. (1981) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 660, 227–237; Hamada et al. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 11595–11602. On the basis of the following results we conclude that Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients do not possess an unusual adenylate kinase isoenzyme. (1) In muscle biopsies from five Duchenne patients, the electrophoretic mobility of adenylate kinase and the inhibition of the enzyme by P 1 , P 5 -di(adenosine-5′)pentap…

Magnesium metabolism in type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance

2007

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by cellular and extracellular Mg depletion. Epidemiologic studies showed a high prevalence of hypomagnesaemia and lower intracellular Mg concentrations in diabetic subjects. Insulin and glucose are important regulators of Mg metabolism. Intracellular Mg plays a key role in regulating insulin action, insulin-mediated-glucose uptake and vascular tone. Reduced intracellular Mg concentrations result in a defective tyrosine-kinase activity, post-receptorial impairment in insulin action, and worsening of insulin resistance in diabetic patients. Mg deficit has been proposed as a possible underlying common mechanism of the "insulin resistance" of different metabolic…

Liver mitochondria and insulin resistance

2010

Mathematical Modelling of Local Regulation of Blood Flow by Veno-Arterial Diffusion of Vasoactive Metabolites

1997

It is widely accepted that vasoactive substances which are consumed or produced by tissue metabolism play a role in the adjustment of local perfusion rate to the metabolic needs of the tissue. In order to evoke a response of the vascular system, these substances — in the following for simplicity denoted by “vasodilators” even though oxygen, for example, is a vasoconstrictor — need to get into close contact with the small arterioles which represent the most powerful effectors in perfusion control. On the other hand, tissue sites in which supply with nutrients is most critical (“lethal corners”) and in which a vasodilator signal may be generated earliest, are located hundreds of µm away from …

Low intensity magnetic field influences short-term memory: A study in a group of healthy students

2015

This study analyzes if an external magnetic stimulus (2 kHz and approximately 0.1 μT applied near frontal cortex) influences working memory, perception, binary decision, motor execution, and sustained attention in humans. A magnetic stimulus and a sham stimulus were applied to both sides of the head (frontal cortex close to temporal-parietal area) in young and healthy male test subjects (n = 65) while performing Sternberg's memory scanning task. There was a significant change in reaction time. Times recorded for perception, sustained attention, and motor execution were lower in exposed subjects (P < 0.01). However, time employed in binary decision increased for subjects exposed to magnetic …

Effect of footwear on intramuscular EMG activity of plantar flexor muscles in walking

2020

One of the purposes of footwear is to assist locomotion, but some footwear types seem to restrict natural foot motion, which may affect the contribution of ankle plantar flexor muscles to propulsion. This study examined the effects of different footwear conditions on the activity of ankle plantar flexors during walking. Ten healthy habitually shod individuals walked overground in shoes, barefoot and in flip-flops while fine-wire electromyography (EMG) activity was recorded from flexor hallucis longus (FHL), soleus (SOL), and medial and lateral gastrocnemius (MG and LG) muscles. EMG signals were peak-normalised and analysed in the stance phase using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM). We f…

The gait is less stable in children with cerebral palsy in normal and dual-task gait

2020

Home is the new gym: exergame as a potential tool to maintain adequate fitness levels also during quarantine

2020

Purpose With the coronavirus outbreak, the preventive measures include staying at home and isolation, increasing sedentary behaviours and risk for worsening of chronic diseases To explore alternative forms of home-based physical activity, the study aim was to evaluate physiological (heart rate [HR], respiratory exchange ratio [RER], oxygen consumption [ O2], energy expenditure [EE], metabolic equivalent task [MET]) and psychological (session rating of perceived exertion [sRPE], enjoyment) parameters of real (Zumba® class [ZC]) and exergame (Zumba® Fitness Rush [ZFR]) activities in relation to sex Methods Overall, 12 female (age: 24 7 ± 0 9 years) and 8 male (age: 25 3 ± 2 1 years) college s…

Intra- and inter-foot coordination in quiet standing: footwear and posture effects.

2012

Intra-foot coordination between center of pressure (COP) of the ball and heel of the foot in single leg standing and inter-foot coordination of the right and left foot during bipedal stance was examined as a function of postural stance (two legs, one leg, and toe postures), footwear (barefoot, different area based high heel shoes) and postural training (ballet group and regular exercising group). Young adult females performed three 20s trials in each postural condition. In general, the traditional variability measures of COPnet motion increased under the less stable postural support conditions and ballet dancers had better balance in single leg standing. Regularity analysis revealed a negat…