Effects of resistance training on expression of IGF-I splice variants in younger and older men

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and its splice variants Insulin-like growth factor-I isoform Ea (IGF-IEa) and mechano growth factor (MGF) may play an important role in muscular adaptations to resistance training (RT) that may be modulated by ageing. It has been suggested that IGF-I induces cellular responses via AKT8 virus oncogene cellular homolog (Akt) and Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) signalling pathways. Therefore, resistance exercise-induced changes in skeletal muscle IGF-IEa and MGF messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), and MGF, Erk1/2, Akt and p70S6K protein expression were investigated before and after 21 weeks of RT in younger (YM, 20–34 yrs., n?=?7) and older men (OM, 51–71 yrs., n?=?10). Experimental resistance exercises (RE) of 5?×?10 repetition maximum leg presses were performed pre- and post-RT. Muscle biopsies were obtained before and 48?h after REs, to study the late response to muscle loading. The muscle proteins or mRNAs of interest were not systematically influenced by the REs or RT, except for MGF mRNA expression which was increased (p?相似文献   

Stronger disciplinary identities in multidisciplinary research schools

In this study, two multidisciplinary Social Sciences and Humanities research schools in Sweden have been investigated regarding disciplinary identity-making. This study investigates the meetings between different disciplines around a common thematic area of study for Ph.D. students. The Ph.D. students navigate through a complex social and organisational landscape with obligations and loyalties towards the discipline and the research school, which may be in conflict with each other. The main finding is that a multidisciplinary environment in fact creates strong disciplinary identities, partly in contrast to the purpose with the multidisciplinary research school. Encounters with Ph.D. students from other disciplines give the Ph.D. student something to relate to and to discuss e.g. with the supervisor. Another finding is that multidisciplinary research schools extend the perspectives of students. For some, new methods and theories from neighbouring disciplines were integrated and used, while for others the empirical scope of research was affected.     

The University and Its Region: The Case of the University of Turku

Because in recent years the universities of Finland have had to rely more on regional than on national support, the University of Turku, which was created in 1920 to serve a national purpose, had to redirect the scope of its activities to its region. However, this region is the most important economic area of Finland outside the capital area and can thus provide many opportunities for the university. A more targeted central management at the university evaluated the external impact of the institution and decided to focus on the biosciences, cultural interactions and integration, mathematics and mathematical methods, learning and teaching, information and communication technology, materials research, and collaboration in the Baltic Sea zone as areas of regional outreach and collaboration. The latter takes place in many ways. In particular, collaboration in science takes place through the BioCity Turku organization, an umbrella organization for research in cell and molecular biology, the Turku Center for Computer Science, and the Turku Science Park. Thus the University of Turku is helping to unlock the resources of its region, and the region supports its university in a number of ways.     

Knowledge-intensity as an organisational characteristic

The sector of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) has a central role in modern economies. However, there are no explicit and generally acknowledged criteria for characterising KIBS or other knowledge-intensive organisations. In addition, the concept of knowledge-intensity has no significant managerial use. This paper aims to widen the existing understanding about the concept of knowledge-intensity and take a step towards its operational application and managerial usefulness. Methodologically, two steps are carried out. First, a conceptual study based on intellectual capital literature and literature on knowledge-intensive firms is carried out. Second, an interview study (n=8) is carried out to empirically examine the role of knowledge assets in selected KIBS organisations. This paper contributes by tackling the vagueness of the concept of knowledge-intensity: the paper demonstrates that there are different types of ‘knowledge-intensity profiles’ among KIBS companies and that knowledge assets can be used as an analytical framework to identify the sources of value creation.     

Public e-services for agency efficiency and citizen benefit — Findings from a stakeholder centered analysis

The main goals of e-government are to increase agency efficiency and offer benefits to citizens. These goals have often been addressed as two interplaying outcomes of public e-service development, which are possible to achieve in parallel. This article shows that the two frequently applied stakeholders of e-government (agencies and citizens) are much too extensive and heterogeneous in order to be meaningfully addressed in public e-service conceptualization and development. We conduct a stakeholder centered analysis of a public e-service development and implementation process in order to identify stakeholder groups and discuss how they differ in their perceptions and, consequently, also in their feelings of relevance and need related to the e-service. By adopting a multi-faceted perspective on stakeholders, public e-service development can be analyzed and understood in a way that takes several stakeholder groups into account. Our study contributes with deeper insights about a situation where stakeholder salience changes over time, while some stakeholder groups have low salience during the entire process. The result of conducting a stakeholder centered analysis is that we, by visualizing the stakeholder groups' differences, are better prepared to meet and combine different needs related to a planned e-service. Thus, we argue that a stakeholder centered analysis of expectations and opinions concerning the e-service help to develop e-services possible to succeed in offering both external service and internal efficiency.     

Accelerometry-Based Characteristics of Overall Sedentary Behavior and Sitting in Middle-Aged Adults

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to describe the accelerometry-based characteristics of overall sedentary behavior (SB) and sitting among adults under free-living conditions. Thirty-six (mean age 47.6 years) volunteers carried a waist-worn accelerometer for ≥4 days with data ≥600 min/d during 14 consecutive days. A machine learning (ML) based method was used to classify the patterns of SB and sitting from raw 3D acceleration. The participants spent most (69.3%) of their waking time in SB, and a half (52.2%) of the SB was performed in a sitting posture. Men broke their overall sedentary time less often (4.1 vs. 6.1 bouts/h), but women sat more; however, women broke their sitting time as often as men (7.6 bouts/h). This study confirms that SB and sitting can be distinguished using ML methods, and more information about SB can be achieved when overall SB and sitting are analyzed separately in free-living conditions.     

Release parameters at the foul line and the official result in javelin throwing

Range in javelin throwing is determined by the release parameters and aerodynamic factors. The current study was designed to investigate the effects of release speed, release angle and uncorrected angle of attack measured at the foul line on the official javelin throwing result. The data were collected in international competitions for 26 elite male and 15 elite female javelin throwers (total 248 throws). Multiple regression models were constructed to predict the range of throw for a) individual throwers, b) a group of throwers using the mean value for each thrower in the analysis, and c) all individual throws registered for each gender separately. The data collection was carried out using a computerised photocell gate that consists of two invisible infrared walls two metres apart, perpendicular to the throwing direction. Release speed was found to have the highest correlation with the official throwing result. The three release parameters accounted for 56% of the variance in the official result for the male and 51% for the female throwers. For individual male and female throwers, the variance explained by the model was between 46 and 87%. Among the individual male throwers an increase of 1 m.s-1 in the release speed from 29 to 30 m.s-1 was calculated to increase the official result between 2.12 to 6.14 m while among the female throwers the effect of increase from 24 to 25 m.s-1 in the release speed was from 2.25 to 3.68 m. The study emphasises the importance of investigating javelin throwing biomechanics on an individual thrower basis.     

Understanding neurophobia: Reasons behind impaired understanding and learning of neuroanatomy in cross‐disciplinary healthcare students

Recent studies have highlighted a fear or difficulty with the study and understanding of neuroanatomy among medical and healthcare students. This has been linked with a diminished confidence of clinical practitioners and students to manage patients with neurological conditions. The underlying reasons for this difficulty have been queried among a broad cohort of medical, dental, occupational therapy, and speech and language sciences students. Direct evidence of the students’ perception regarding specific difficulties associated with learning neuroanatomy has been provided and some of the measures required to address these issues have been identified. Neuroanatomy is perceived as a more difficult subject compared to other anatomy topics (e.g., reproductive/pelvic anatomy) and not all components of the neuroanatomy curriculum are viewed as equally challenging. The difficulty in understanding neuroanatomical concepts is linked to intrinsic factors such as the inherent complex nature of the topic rather than outside influences (e.g., lecture duration). Participants reporting high levels of interest in the subject reported higher levels of knowledge, suggesting that teaching tools aimed at increasing interest, such as case‐based scenarios, could facilitate acquisition of knowledge. Newer pedagogies, including web‐resources and computer assisted learning (CAL) are considered important tools to improve neuroanatomy learning, whereas traditional tools such as lecture slides and notes were considered less important. In conclusion, it is suggested that understanding of neuroanatomy could be enhanced and neurophobia be decreased by purposefully designed CAL resources. This data could help curricular designers to refocus attention and guide educators to develop improved neuroanatomy web‐resources in future. Anat Sci Educ 11: 81–93. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.     

Social Contradictions in Informational Capitalism: The Case of Finnish Wage Earners and Their Labor Market Situation

Along with the diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICTs), work processes are becoming ever more knowledge intensive. In keeping with this trend, the number of informational (or knowledge) workers in Finland has more than tripled from 12% in 1988 to 39% in 2000. What makes the Finnish case unique and interesting is the exceptional speed with which the information sector of the economy has grown. A few years after facing the most severe economic recession in its history in the early 1990s, Finland is now considered to have an advanced information economy. However, our empirical analysis--based on survey data from 1988, 1994, and 2000--yields a somewhat more critical picture of the Finnish information society than what usually comes across in the mainstream media. The opportunities for social equality offered by the growth of informational work are far more limited than was the case with the transition from agricultural to industrial production.