Conditioning Program Prescribed from the External Training Load Corresponding to the Lactate Threshold Improved Cardiac Function in Healthy Dogs

This research focuses on the adjustments in systolic and diastolic functions that are not fully understood in dogs submitted to athletic training. Beagle dogs carried out an endurance training program (ETP) prescribed from the external training load, corresponding to 70–80% of the lactate threshold (VLT) velocity. Eighteen dogs were randomly assigned to two groups: control (C, n = 8), active dogs that did not perform any forced exercise, and trained (T, n = 10), submitted to the ETP during eight weeks. All dogs were evaluated before and after the ETP period using two-dimensional echocardiography, M-mode, Doppler, and two-dimensional speckle tracking. A principal component analysis (PCA) of the echocardiographic variables was performed. The ETP improved the left ventricular internal dimension at the end of diastole (LVDd), the left ventricular internal dimension at the end of diastole to aorta ratio (LVDd: Ao), and the strain rate indices. PCA was able to capture the dimensionality and qualitative echocardiography changes produced by the ETP. These findings indicated that the training prescribed based on the lactate threshold improved the diastolic and systolic functions. This response may be applied to improve myocardial function, promote health, and mitigate any injuries produced during heart failure.

Internal Border Control in the Schengen Area and Health Threats: Any Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the Member States’ overreliance on the rules of the Schengen Borders Code allowing for temporary reintroduction of border control and has questioned the institutional narrative of an EU-wide borderless area as a key achievement of the integration process. This article focuses on the legal implications of the border measures enacted by the Member States following the COVID-19 outbreak and discusses their compatibility with relevant EU law, also in the light of available epidemiological studies on the link between border controls and spread of the virus. The analysis contends that the pandemic has offered an unprecedented opportunity to pave the way to shared solutions to the enduring crisis of the internal dimension of the Schengen area, such as a detailed reform of the Schengen Borders Code and a reconsideration of the current governance of the Schengen area itself.

Internet Memes, Memory, and Orders of Repackaging

The present study explores the construction of humor in internet memes along two dimensions. The external dimension is concerned with humor in internet memes as opposed to verbal humor on the one hand and as opposed to humor in comics and caricatures on the other. The perceptive differences, stemming from the workings of the human memory, and the medium are posited as the two main differentiating factors. On the internal dimension, we explore manifestations of humor in light of the communicative situation and taxonomic relations at both the intermedial and intramedial levels of internet memes, taking as an example a family of You Wouldn’t Get It image macros. Our analysis employs elements of intertextuality theory and the notion of orders of indexicality. The study aims to contribute to the growing theoretical and methodological framework for multifactorial analyses of internet memes.

A Bridge to Asia or a Bridge to Nowhere? The Russian Far East and the Sakha Republic in Russia’s ‘Turn’ to Asia

The Russian leadership envisages Russia as a bridge connecting East and West via Asiatic Russia. Nevertheless, this self-image seemingly does not fully correspond to the current trends; moreover, it is unclear what the Russian Government tries to ‘bridge’ as it has been unable to construct a bridge across the Lena River connecting Yakutsk, the capital of its largest Republic, to Russian mainland. This work attempts to examine both the external and internal dimension for the Russian Far East of Russia’s ‘turn’ to Asia, and the way Sakha Republic experiences the tension between the domestic and international dimensions of this ‘turn’ to the East.

Association of Lipoprotein (a) variants with risk of cardiovascular disease: a Mendelian randomization study

Background There is a well-documented empirical relationship between lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] and cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, causal evidence, especially from the Chinese population, is lacking. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the causal association between variants in genes affecting Lp(a) concentrations and CVD in people of Han Chinese ethnicity. Methods Two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis was used to assess the causal effect of Lp(a) concentrations on the risk of CVD. Summary statistics for Lp(a) variants were obtained from 1256 individuals in the Cohort Study on Chronic Disease of Communities Natural Population in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. Data on associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and CVD were obtained from recently published genome-wide association studies. Results Thirteen SNPs associated with Lp(a) levels in the Han Chinese population were used as instrumental variables. Genetically elevated Lp(a) was inversely associated with the risk of atrial fibrillation [odds ratio (OR), 0.94; 95% confidence interval (95%CI), 0.901–0.987; P = 0.012)], the risk of arrhythmia (OR, 0.96; 95%CI, 0.941–0.990; P = 0.005), the left ventricular mass index (OR, 0.97; 95%CI, 0.949–1.000; P = 0.048), and the left ventricular internal dimension in diastole (OR, 0.97; 95%CI, 0.950–0.997; P = 0.028) according to the inverse-variance weighted method. No significant association was observed for congestive heart failure (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.950–1.038; P = 0.766), ischemic stroke (OR, 1.01; 95%CI, 0.981–1.046; P = 0.422), and left ventricular internal dimension in systole (OR, 0.98; 95%CI, 0.960–1.009; P = 0.214). Conclusions This study provided evidence that genetically elevated Lp(a) was inversely associated with atrial fibrillation, arrhythmia, the left ventricular mass index and the left ventricular internal dimension in diastole, but not with congestive heart failure, ischemic stroke, and the left ventricular internal dimension in systole in the Han Chinese population. Further research is needed to identify the mechanism underlying these results and determine whether genetically elevated Lp(a) increases the risk of coronary heart disease or other CVD subtypes.

Gambaran Konsep Diri Pengamen Jalanan

Those who are able to judge themselves as poor or called negative self-concept, will always try to stay away in relationships with their surrounding environment or act aggressively unnaturally but not naturally but can judge themselves well or have a positive self-concept and can overcome their problems. whatever problem it will be able to face and will solve it. Based on preliminary studies and previous research, it was found that self-concept is an important concept for interacting with the environment. Therefore, this study aims to determine how the self-concept image of street residents in the Al-Ayjb Foundation includes internal and external dimensions. This study is a qualitative descriptive study, with 3 subjects aged 17-20 years old. The data method used is the interview method, the method of observation and the method of documentation. The results showed that the self-concept image of the street singers at Al-Ayjb Foundation based on the internal dimension tends towards a positive self-concept because of the three subjects expressing opinions or things that are good or positive about themselves while from the external dimension it tends to negative self-concept.

Implementation of Eco-Innovation in Hotels

In a context of increasing concern with environmental factors, hotels show a tendency to respond with passivity to eco-innovation. Furthermore, the literature is scarce about the way hotels adopt and integrate eco-innovation changes in their internal processes. As such, this article intends to present an integrative perspective of the dimensions that influence the adoption of eco-innovation, starting from the external dimension, which incorporates the context and drivers of eco-innovation. The internal dimension is divided into two levels: ordinary and dynamic capabilities. Based on a survey of a sample of hotels, the data were analyzed using partial least squares. The results indicate a positive and significant relationship between context and drivers in both dynamic and ordinary capacities. The influence of context on the green behaviour of hotels was only found in the technological dimension, while external drivers show a strong correlation with eco-innovation. The results also indicate that the two dynamic capacities and the three ordinary capacities studied have a positive and significant relationship with eco-innovation. The role of knowledge is highlighted, not only by its role in establishing a link with the external dimension, but also in the reconfiguration of the set of implementation capabilities that triggers eco-innovation.

Determinantes de desempenho em joint ventures internacionais brasileiras

Purpose – Investigate the Joint Venture International performance determinants’ relevance at each point of their life cycle.Design/methodology/approach – Determinants already mapped in the literature were identified and grouped into three dimensions: internal, industrial and institutional. A questionnaire was developed and sent to academics and managers, which requested them to order the dimensions and determinants presented. Data was analyzed using Multi-Attribution Global Quality Inference (MAGIQ).Findings - Results show that the dimensions’ relevance varies according to the organization’s stage in its life cycle. The internal dimension has more influence on performance during the startup period than the industrial and institutional dimensions, but this position is reversed when the IJV becomes mature.Research limitations/implications (if applicable) – This study is based on specialists’ perceptions about IJV’s, so could be a gap between this perception and the facts that the organizational indicators can present.Practical implications – Understanding IJV’s performance determinants’ relevance at each point of their life cycle can help manage these variables to create more efficient actions in accordance to the company’s needs.Originality/value (mandatory) – this study frames performance determinants in the three proposed dimensions within strategic administration theories, ranks them and uses MAGIQ for data analysis.

Abstract 14254: Pharmacodynamic Effects of a Single Dose of CK-3773274 in Cats With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Introduction: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is characterized by left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy in the absence of known causes. HCM can be due to genetic mutations that affect sarcomeric proteins, leading to myocardial hypercontractility. HCM is often complicated by left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) and patients may be at greater risk of cardiovascular death. Medications targeted to address the pathophysiology of HCM and ameliorate LVOTO are needed. CK-3773274 (CK-274) is a novel small molecule cardiac myosin inhibitor that reduces myocardial contractility in vitro and in vivo . Cats have naturally occurring HCM commonly complicated by LVOTO and are an excellent large animal model for investigation of HCM therapeutics. In this study, we aim to characterize the pharmacodynamic effect of a single oral dose of CK-274 on cardiac function in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and LVOTO. Methods: Eight purpose-bred cats with naturally occurring HCM and LVOTO due to the A31P mutation in cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) were included in a randomized, controlled, crossover study. Cats were randomized to receive vehicle, 0.3 mg/kg, or 1 mg/kg CK-274 treatment, and received echocardiograms at baseline, 6, 24, and 48 hours post-treatment. All cats were crossed over to all treatment groups. Results: CK-274 (1 mg/kg) reduced mean LV fractional shortening at 6, 24 and 48 hours post-treatment (mean reduction 13.6%, p=0.03; 15.4%, p=0.01; 11.6% p=0.02, respectively). CK-274 (1 mg/kg) increased LV systolic internal dimension at 6 and 24-hours post-treatment (mean increase 0.21 cm, p=0.046; 0.25 cm, p=0.03), and did not affect LV diastolic internal dimension. LVOT peak pressure gradient was reduced with CK-274 (0.3 mg/kg) treatment [median pressure gradient at baseline 27.1 mmHg (IQR 18.3-33.3) vs 24 hours post-drug, 7.3 mmHg (IQR 14.2-19.7) p=0.01]. Heart rate did not change for any treatment group over time. No differences were noted following vehicle administration at any time point. Conclusion: In HCM affected cats with the cMyBP-C A31P mutation, the cardiac myosin inhibitor CK-274 is well tolerated at the studied doses and caused dose-related changes in LV systolic function and reductions in LVOT peak pressure gradient.

4D $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 1 Kaluza-Klein superspace

Motivated by recent efforts to encode 11D supergravity in 4D $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 1 superfields, we introduce a general covariant framework relevant for describing any higher dimensional supergravity theory in external 4D $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 1 superspace with n additional internal coordinates. The superspace geometry admits both external and internal diffeomorphisms and provides the superfields necessary to encode the components of the higher dimensional vielbein, except for the purely internal sector, in a universal way that depends only on the internal dimension n. In contrast, the $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 1 superfield content of the internal sector of the metric is expected to be highly case dependent and involve covariant matter superfields, with additional hidden higher dimensional Lorentz and supersymmetry transformations realized in a non-linear manner.