Reliability of Time to Exhaustion Treadmill Running as a Measure of Human Endurance Capacity.

Little if any research has examined the variability in time to exhaustion (TTE) during submaximal treadmill running. This study investigated the test-retest reliability of submaximal treadmill TTE as a measure of endurance capacity. 16 endurance-trained males (n=14) and females (n=2) completed a run to exhaustion at 70% V̇O2max (T1) and repeated the same run 3 weeks later (T2). At 30-min intervals during each run, expired gas, heart rate (HR) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were collected. Mean ± SD TTE was 96 ± 20 min in T1 vs. 101 ± 29 min in T2 (P=0.3). The mean ± 95% confidence intervals (CI) of the coefficient of variance (CV) was 5.4% (1.4-9.6). The average intraclass correlation coefficient (± 95% CI) was 0.88 (0.67-0.96) between trials. The respiratory-exchange ratio was not different between trials, T1: 0.87 ± 0.1 and T2: 0.89 ± 0.1 (P>0.05) and neither was total whole-body carbohydrate oxidation (2.1 ± 0.4 g·min(-1) and 2.3 ± 0.6 g·min(-1)), fat oxidation (0.6 ± 0.2 g·min(-1)), HR (178 ± 8 and 175 ± 7 beats·min(-1)) or RPE (17 ± 3 and 16 ± 3). These results suggest that use of prolonged treadmill-based TTE can be a reliable research tool to assess human endurance capacity in aerobically-trained men and women.

[Zinsser-Engman-Cole syndrome (dyskeratosis congenita) with severe sicca syndrome, panuveitis and corneal perforation--a case report]. / Zinsser-Engman-Cole-Syndrom (Dyskeratosis congenita) mit schwerem Sicca-Syndrom, Panuveitis und Hornhautperforation--eine Kasuistik.

BACKGROUND: Zinsser-Engman-Cole syndrome (Z.E.C.) is a very rare type of ectodermal dysplasia, inherited in X-linked recessive manner and characterised by poikiloderma, nail dystrophy, lingual leucoplakia, bone marrow hypoplasia, hyperkeratosis and hyperhidrosis of planta and palms, dental anomalies and caries, premature grey hair. PATIENT AND METHODS: We report on a 46-year-old man who presented with occlusion of lacrimal puncta, trichiasis, severe dry eye, recurrent corneal ulceration and perforation, uveitis. HLA typing, flow cytometry of peripheral lymphocytes, bone marrow biopsy, conjunctival biopsy and extensive laboratory evaluation towards autoimmune and infectious diseases were performed. RESULTS: CD4+ T cells fraction was decreased, CD8+ and CD3+ HLA DR+ elevated. The patient was HLA-B27 positive. Laboratory studies revealed increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein level, hypochromic and hypoplastic anaemia, negative serum titers of antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus, HIV, HTLV-I, toxoplasma gondii and treponema pallidum, repeated titers to cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex and herpes zoster viruses--IgM negative, IgG positive. Corneal perforation was treated with amniotic membrane transplantation and corneal transplantation. CONCLUSION: The defect in cell-mediated immune mechanisms in Z.E.C. syndrome explains the corneal perforation, sicca syndrome and uveitis, first reported in this syndrome.

[Clinical manifestation and diagnosis of ocular borreliosis]. / Obraz kliniczny i diagnostyka boreliozy ukladu wzrokowego.

PURPOSE: To present severe involvements of Borrelia burgdorferi in the etiology of uveitis, optic neuritis and other ocular inflammatory conditions. METHODS: IgM and IgG antibodies for Borrelia burgdorferi were detected by ELISA. Since May 1995 we have examined 78 patients for borreliosis. RESULTS: Borreliosis was diagnosed in 11 patients (4 males, 7 females; aged 7 to 48). 7 persons remembered being bitten by a tick, 3 months to 3 years before the onset of ocular symptoms. All patients had systemic symptoms and signs. Ocular manifestations were as follows: nonspecific chronic conjunctivitis in 4 patients, keratitis in 2, diminished corneal sensation in 1, iritis in 1, intermediate uveitis and perivasculitis in 1, posterior uveitis in 3, retinal haemorrhage in 1, optic neuritis in 1, optic disc oedema in 2, sixth nerve paresis in 1 patient. CONCLUSIONS: We emphasize the importance of performing serological tests for borreliosis in patients with uveitis, inflammatory diseases of unknown etiology, optic neuritis and other neuro-ophthalmic conditions.

[Changes of some physicochemical parameters of gas exchange in aqueous humor of rabbits during treatment of experimental uveitis]. / Zmiany w wartosciach parametrów fizykochemicznych przemiany gazowej plynu komory przedniej oka królików w leczeniu doswiadczalnie wywolanego zapalenia blony naczyniowej.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of some parameters of the aqueous humor: pH, pO2 (oxygen pressure), pCO2 (carbon dioxide pressure) and HCO3- concentration in the diagnosis of uveitis. Changes of these parameters following conventional treatment and cryotherapy have also been investigated. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We used 40 grey rabbits (weighing 2.5-3.0 kg). Uveitis was evoked by intravitreal injection of 5 mg of animal albumin. Cryotherapy was performed by transconjunctival, quintuple cryoapplication (30 s) over ciliary body. Samples of aqueous humor were collected 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after albumin injection. pH, pO2, pCO2 values and HCO3- concentration were determined using Astrup microanalyser. RESULTS: Parameters of aqueous humor, especially pH, pCO2 and HCO3- turned out to be fairly sensitive indicators reflecting the natural history of experimental uveitis. Cryotherapy characteristically modulates the pH, pCO2 and HCO3- values in the anterior chamber. CONCLUSIONS: We came to the conclusion that monitoring of these parameters may give some important information about the intensity of the course of uveitis and the influence of the treatment. Normalisation of the values usually parallels clinical improvement.

[Detection of early cataract changes in the crystalline lens by using in vivo spectrophotometry of the eye]. / Wykrywanie wczesnych zmian zacmowych w soczewce przy pomocy przyzyciowej spektrofotometrii galki ocznej.

The aim of the paper was to study with the use of in vivo spectrophotometry of the eye the threshold values of the registered light above which one can observe clinically visible opacities of the lens. The performed experiments did not however show any major differences in the values of the registered light between persons with early cataract and control group because of considerable scattering of the results in both these groups. In order to explain the prognostic value of the in vivo spectrophotometry of the eye it is necessary to perform long-term observations of the further fate of persons with high values of the registered light.

[Effect of cataract extraction on the results of in vivo spectrophotometry of the eye]. / Wplyw usuniecia soczewki na wyniki przyzyciowej spektrofotometrii galki ocznej.

The authors compared the results of in vivo spectrophotometry of the eye in persons with a normal lens, in patients with aphakia and after an operation of intraocular lens implantation. The results received show that in the range of 400-500 microns half of the light registered by the spectrophotometer is connected with the lens in the eye. This speaks for the assumption that in vivo spectrophotometry in this range of the wave length may be one more method enabling an objective evaluation of the transparency of the lens. In the case of patients after operation of implantation of an intraocular lens the quantity of of the light reaching the retina is only slightly larger than in persons with a normal lens.

[Studies of the changes in crystalline lens transparency in rabbits with experimental cataract]. / Badania nad zmianami przezroczystosci soczewek ocznych w doswiadczalnej zacmie u królików.

Changes of the transparency of lenses were checked by means of in vivo spectrophotometry of the eye ball and by light transmission through extracted lenses in the course of experimental early cataract in rabbits caused by naphthalen. The results of investigations show that changes of lens transparency evaluated by means of in vivo spectrophotometry of the eye appear earlier than the clinically seen opacity. It speaks for the advisability of undertaking of further studies on the possibility of utilizing this method for detection of precataractous conditions in humans.

[Studies of the changes in crystalline lens transparency in subjects at risk of developing cataract]. / Badania nad zmianami przezroczystosci soczewek u osób zagrozonych rozwojem zacmy.

The aim of the survey was a comparison of transparency of the lenses examined by means of in vivo spectrophotometry of the eye in metalurgists threatened by development of cataract--with the results obtained in persons not engaged in metalurgy and selected by chance from the population. The investigations showed that the transparency of the lenses was lower in the group of the metalurgists than in the control group in spite of the fact that the ophthalmological examination did not detect any lens changes. The results of this study show that the in vivo spectrophotometry may find some employment for detection of changes in the lens which may occur in persons threatened by development of cataract.

[Changes in gas metabolism in the anterior chamber during the treatment of experimental uveitis]. / Zmiany przemiany gazowej komory przedniej w przebiegu leczenia doswiadczalnego zapalenia blony naczyniowej.

Examined was the dependence of the pH of the aqueous, the oxygen pressure pO2, the pressure of CO2, the content of bicarbonate ions--HCO3- and the balance of energy--from the intensity of uveitis provoked experimentally in rabbits by application of 5 mg of albumin fraction of the cattle protein treated by topical cortisone. It seems that the physicochemical indexes and the energy balance may be an essential source of information of the intensity and character of the process of uveitis. Their normalization proceeds together with the improvement of the clinical condition of the examined eyes.