This study investigated effects of caffeine ingestion (8 mg/kg) on maximum voluntary torque (MVT) and voluntary activation of the quadriceps during isometric, concentric and eccentric contractions. Fourteen subjects ingested caffeine and placebo in a randomized, controlled, counterbalanced, double-blind crossover design. Neuromuscular tests were performed before and 1 h after oral caffeine and ...

In the vertex connectivity survivable network design problem we are given an undirected graph G = (V,E) and connectivity requirement r(u, v) for each pair of vertices u, v ∈ V .We are also given a cost function on the set of edges. Our goal is to find the minimum cost subset of edges such that for every pair (u, v) of vertices we have r(u, v) vertex disjoint paths in the graph induced by the ch...

The choice of proper evaluation criteria is a key aspect of any clinical trial. The efficacy, tolerance and safety of symptomatic treatments can be evaluated by assessing clinical symptoms and/ or signs (vital functions). For life-threatening diseases, the relevant evaluation criterion is morbi-mortality. However, this criterion is rarely chosen because it requires very long-term studies and a ...

This Commentary addresses the ongoing disagreements between many safety advocates who endorse traditional models of prevention and those who oppose them, arguing that safety measures are offset by risk compensation (RCT). The debate is especially heated with respect to regulatory or legislative prevention measures. After explaining the rationale behind risk compensation (aka risk homeostasis th...

There is emerging evidence to demonstrate the efficacy of music-based interventions for improving social functioning in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). While this evidence lends some support in favor of using song over spoken directives in facilitating engagement and receptive intervention in ASD, there has been little research that has investigated the efficacy of such stimuli o...

This study evaluated the acute effect of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) on a high-intensity intermittent exercise performance and physiological indicators in amateur soccer players. Thirteen players (21.5 ± 2 yrs) attended three trials separated by 3-5 days in a counterbalanced randomized cross-over design: IPC (4 × 5-min occlusion 220 mmHg/reperfusion 0 mmHg) in each thigh; SHAM (similar to th...

PURPOSE To investigate the effect of warm-up on 100-m swimming performance. METHODS Twenty competitive swimmers (with a training frequency of 8.0 ± 1.0 sessions/wk) performed 2 maximal 100-m freestyle trials on separate days, with and without prior warm-up, in a counterbalanced and randomized design. The warm-up distance totaled 1000 m and replicated the swimmers' usual precompetition warm-up...

This study was undertaken to examine whether prostaglandin (PG) inhibition with indomethacin interferes with angiotensin II receptor blockade (losartan) during treatment for arterial hypertension. In a double-blind crossover design 10 patients with essential arterial hypertension and treated with losartan were randomized to supplementary treatment with indomethacin or placebo for 1 week, with a...

BACKGROUND The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) plays an important role in appetite and food intake regulation. OBJECTIVE Because previous data revealed that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the DLPFC reduces food cravings, we hypothesized that repetitive electric stimulation of the right DLPFC would lower food intake behavior in humans. DESIGN In a single-blind, code...