94 to 0.99.Muscle fatigue is a limiting factor of human performance. It is unclear whether sex-based differences in fatigability exist during dynamic exercise of varying velocities of contraction. We aimed at exploring sex differences in muscle fatigue elicited by maximal isokinetic muscle contractions performed at different angular velocities. Twenty-six healthy participants (13 men 23.2 ± 1.5; 13 women 21.9 ± 3.0 years) were tested for concentric knee-extension at slow, moderate and fast angular isokinetic velocity (60, 180 and 300º.s-1, respectively), on non-consecutive days. The impact of sex on fatigue resistance and consecutive recovery for each isokinetic condition was explored by calculating the percent change in maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and in rate of torque development (RTD), from pre- to post-isokinetic exercise (30 repetitions). The isokinetic fatigue index was also determined. No sex differences were obtained in response to isokinetic contractions completed at 60º.s-1. After performing muscle contractions at 300º.s-1, women had a significantly greater loss in MVIC than men (- 18.4 ± 5.5 vs. - 12.9 ± 3.8%; p = 0.009) and larger decreases in work output during isokinetic exercise (- 34.2 ± 8.9 vs - 27.5 ± 10.6%; p = 0.017). Recovery of initial MVIC strength was greater for women post-exercise at 180º.s-1 (15.6 ± 4.1% vs. 6.7 ± 9.5; p = 0.003). No differences were found between sexes in any condition for RTD from pre- to post-fatigue. These results suggest the presence of a sexually dimorphic fatigability in response to dynamic (isokinetic) contractions favouring men at higher absolute velocities of contraction.There has been an increase in the identification of cases of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) in recent years around the world. While there are a range of possible explanations for this, studies have implicated the pyrite content of coal as a key determinant of CWP risk. However, experimental studies to support this link are limited. The aim of this study was to assess the association between the pyrite content, and subsequent release of bioavailable iron, in coal particles and the response of lung cells involved in the pathogenesis of CWP (epithelial cells, macrophages and fibroblasts). Using real-world Australian coal samples, we found no evidence of an association between the pyrite content of the coal and the magnitude of the detrimental cell response. We did find evidence of an increase in IL-8 production by epithelial cells with increasing bioavailable iron (p = 0.01), however, this was not linked to the pyrite content of the coal (p = 0.75) and we did not see any evidence of a positive association in the other cell types. Given the lack of association between the pyrite content of real-world coal particles and lung cell cytotoxicity (epithelial cells and macrophages), inflammatory cytokine production (epithelial cells, macrophages and fibroblasts), and cell proliferation (fibroblasts) our data do not support the use of coal pyrite content as a predictor of CWP risk.Exposed rats to normal saline and paraquat (PQ) aerosol as control and PQ group, rats exposed to PQ and treated with 20 and 80 mg/kg/day carvacrol, 5 and 10 mg/kg/day pioglitazone, low dose of pioglitazone + carvacrol and 0.03 mg/kg/day dexamethasone (Dexa) for 16 days after the end of PQ exposure were studied (n = 6 in each group). Lung pathological changes, tracheal responsiveness to methacholine and ovalbumin (OVA) as well as transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and interleukin (IL)-6 level in the lung tissue homogenize as well as TGF-β, IL-6, oxidant and antioxidant levels oxidant and antioxidants were increased in PQ group (p  less then  0.01 to p  less then  0.001). Lung pathological changes, tracheal responsiveness to methacholine and OVA as well as TGF-β, IL-6 oxidant and antioxidant levels were improved in all treated groups except lung pathological changes in treated group with low dose of pioglitazone (p  less then  0.05 to p  less then  0.001). The effects of low dose of pioglitazone and carvacrol alone were significantly lower than in the combination group of low dose of pioglitazone + carvacrol (p  less then  0.05 to p  less then  0.001). Carvacrol treatment improved inhaled PQ-induced lug injury similar to the effects of dexamethasone. The synergic effect of carvacrol and pioglitazone suggests PPAR-γ receptor mediated effects of carvacrol on inhaled PQ-induced lung injury.The conciliation between career and family is a relevant issue for working women, in particular during the first years of motherhood. Data about the state of the cardiac autonomic regulation in working women with preschoolers are lacking. Aim of this study was to compare the cardiac autonomic profile of female healthcare professionals with and without preschoolers via the analysis of the variability of the time distance between two consecutive R-wave peaks (RR) from standard 24-h Holter electrocardiogram (ECG). BI3812 Fifty healthy active female healthcare professionals were enrolled 25 with at least one preschooler (W_KID) and 25 without (W_NOKID). A standard Holter ECG was obtained during a regular working day. Segments of 5000 consecutive RRs were selected during daytime (DAY) and nighttime (NIGHT). Heart rate variability analysis was performed and the following parameters were considered for comparison between the two groups mean (μRR), variance (σ2RR), and the absolute power in high frequency component (HF) of RR (HFRR) series. HFRR was considered as a marker of vagal cardiac modulation. Only µRR significantly increased from DAY to NIGHT in both groups (699 ± 88 vs 887 ± 140 ms in W_KID and 728 ± 90 vs 942 ± 166 ms in W_NOKID). Instead, σ2RR and HFRR increased from DAY to NIGHT only in W_NOKID (from 3334 ± 2153 to 4816 ± 4063 ms2 and from 356 ± 334 to 1397 ± 1629 ms2, respectively). W_KID showed lower σ2RR and HFRR during NIGHT, compared to W_NOKID (2336 ± 3170 vs 4816 ± 4063 ms2 and 556 ± 950 vs 1397 ± 1629 ms2, respectively). The perceived stress according to the visual analogue scale was similar in the two groups (4.7 ± 2.1 in W_KID, 5.7 ± 2.1 in W_NOKID). The presence of preschoolers lowered nocturnal cardiac vagal modulation in female healthcare professionals. This might represent an adaptation with a finalistic purpose, scilicet the facilitation of a prompt reaction in case of a child’s need.