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Masterarbeit Universität Innsbruck 2024

Declines in muscle force, power, and contractile function can be observed in older adults, clinical populations, inactive individuals, and injured athletes. Passive heating exposure (e.g., hot baths, sauna, or heated garments) has been used for health purposes, including skeletal muscle treatment. An acute increase in muscle temperature by passive heating can increase the voluntary rate of force development and electrically evoked contraction properties (i.e., time to peak twitch torque, half-relation time, and electromechanical delay). The improvements in the rate of force development and evoked contraction assessments with increased muscle temperature after passive heating reveal peripheral mechanisms’ potential role in enhancing muscle contraction. This review aimed to summarise, discuss, and highlight the potential role of an acute passive heating stimulus on skeletal muscle cells to improve contractile function. These mechanisms include increased calcium kinetics (release/reuptake), calcium sensitivity, and increased intramuscular fluid.

This thesis examined the thermoregulatory and neuromuscular responses to passive heating in 42 °C hot water. The data suggest that hot-water immersion at 42 °C is an efficient, safe and tolerable method for passive heating therapy. Moreover, a single session of hot-water immersion can increase rapid force production and improve muscle contractile function. Findings from this thesis indicate that passive heating via hot baths may improve physical function in the older and patient populations and assist healthy people during sports injury recovery.

Neurodegenerative diseases involve the progressive deterioration of structures within the central nervous system responsible for motor control, cognition, and autonomic function. Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease are among the most common neurodegenerative disease and have an increasing prevalence over the age of 50. Central in the pathophysiology of these neurodegenerative diseases is the loss of protein homeostasis, resulting in misfolding and aggregation of damaged proteins. An element of the protein homeostasis network that prevents the dysregulation associated with neurodegeneration is the role of molecular chaperones. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are chaperones that regulate the aggregation and disaggregation of proteins in intracellular and extracellular spaces, and evidence supports their protective effect against protein aggregation common to neurodegenerative diseases. Consequently, upregulation of HSPs, such as HSP70, may be a target for therapeutic intervention for protection against neurodegeneration. A novel therapeutic intervention to increase the expression of HSP may be found in heat therapy and/or heat acclimation. In healthy populations, these interventions have been shown to increase HSP expression. Elevated HSP may have central therapeutic effects, preventing or reducing the toxicity of protein aggregation, and/or peripherally by enhancing neuromuscular function. Broader physiological responses to heat therapy have also been identified and include improvements in muscle function, cerebral blood flow, and markers of metabolic health. These outcomes may also have a significant benefit for people with neurodegenerative disease. While there is limited research into body warming in patient populations, regular passive heating (sauna bathing) has been associated with a reduced risk of developing neurodegenerative disease. Therefore, the emerging evidence is compelling and warrants further investigation of the potential benefits of heat acclima

author: Felix R. Willmer ..., Die Arbeit besteht aus einem Artikel mit mehreren Autoren, University Innsbruck, Masterarbeit, 2019, (VLID)4420831

Objective: Passive heating (PH) has begun to gain research attention as an alternative therapy for cardio-metabolic diseases. Whether PH improves glycaemic control in diabetic and non-diabetic individuals is unknown. This study aims to review and conduct a meta-analysis of published literature relating to PH and glycaemic control. Methods: Electronic data sources, PubMed, Embase and Web of Science from inception to July 2018 were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCT) studying the effect of PH on glycaemic control in diabetic or non-diabetic individuals. To measure the treatment effect, standardised mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results: Fourteen articles were included in the meta-analysis. Following a glucose load, glucose concentration was greater during PH in non-diabetic (SMD 0.75, 95% CI 1.02 to 0.48, P < 0.001) and diabetic individuals (SMD 0.27, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.02, P = 0.030). In non-diabetic individuals, glycaemic control did not differ between PH and control only (SMD 0.11, 95% CI 0.44 to -0.22, P > 0.050) and a glucose challenge given within 24 hours post-heating (SMD 0.30, 95% CI 0.62 to -0.02, P > 0.050). Conclusion: PH preceded by a glucose load results in acute glucose intolerance in non-diabetic and diabetic individuals. However, heating a non-diabetic individual without a glucose load appears not to affect glycaemic control. Likewise, a glucose challenge given within 24 hours of a single-bout of heating does not affect glucose tolerance in non-diabetic individuals. Despite the promise PH may hold, no short-term benefit to glucose tolerance is observed in non-diabetic individuals. More research is needed to elucidate whether this alternative therapy benefits diabetic individuals.

The purpose of this research is the enhancement of thermal comfort in social housing in four different climates zones in Mexico: Veracruz- Hot semi-humid, Monclova- Extremely Hot dry, San Luis Potosi- dry and; Mexico D.F- Temperate semi-humid. Thermal comfort levels from base case analysis showed poor building performance. Moreover, thermal variations among climate zones were evident; thus, overheating was the main concern for warm semi-humid and extremely hot dry climate; and, overcooling for temperate climates. The analysis on improvement of thermal comfort was done by dynamic simulation based on five parameters: building fabric, shading, ventilation, infiltration and height. Several strategies were tested for each parameter and simulated individually for each climate zone. The results then were compared to the base case as to determine the best strategies according to the climate zone. Three built-on strategies were made by grouping the most effective strategies of the previous five parameters: 1) insulating the building, 2) incrementing ventilation and shading, and 3) using passive cooling and heating by solar chimneys. Thus, the integrated strategies begun with the simplest improvements and built on themselves to more complex constructions capable of maintaining thermal comfort all year round with the use of active heating or cooling., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (author's final draft)

The purpose of this article is to study and prove the energy efficiency of domed houses in comparison with traditional ones. The article focuses on the construction of the house-hemisphere. The possible ways of heating and ventilation, which are most applicable in these houses, are systematized. The peculiarities of designing passive heating and ventilation systems are disclosed. The main heat losses in two types of buildings are compared., В статье уделяется внимание конструкции дома полусферы. Систематизированы возможные способы отопления и вентиляции, наиболее применимые в данном виде домов. Раскрываются особенности проектирования систем пассивного отопления и вентиляции. Приведено сравнение трансмиссионных (основных) теплопотерь через ограждающие конструкции для купольного дома и традиционного (со стенами и кровлей).

Spaces without northerly orientations have an impact on the ‘energy behaviour’ of a building. This paper outlines possible energy savings and better performance achieved by different zenithal solar passive strategies (skylights, roof monitors and clerestory roof windows) and element arrangements across the roof in zones of cold to temperate climates typical of the central and central-southern Argentina. Analyses were undertaken considering daylighting, thermal and ventilation performances of the different strategies. The results indicate that heating,ventilation and lighting loads in spaces without an equator-facing facade can be significantly reduced by implementing solar passive strategies. In the thermal aspect, the solar saving fraction reached for the different strategies were averaged 43.16% for clerestories, 41.4% for roof monitors and 38.86% for skylights for a glass area of 9% to the floor area. The results also indicate average illuminance levels above 500 lux for the different clerestory and monitor arrangements, uniformity ratios of 0.66–0.82 for the most distributed arrangements and day-lighting factors between 11.78 and 20.30% for clear sky conditions, depending on the strategy. In addition, minimum air changes rates of 4 were reached for the most extreme conditions.