Descending motor drive does not interact with muscle metaboreflex for ventilation regulation during rhythmic exercise in healthy humans.

The muscle metaboreflex effect on pulmonary ventilation (V̇E) regulation is more apparent during rhythmic exercise than rest, possibly because this reflex interacts with other mechanisms regulating V̇E during voluntary contractions, such as central command. Therefore, we tested whether one part of central command, the descending component of motor execution (i.e., descending motor drive), and the muscle metaboreflex interact synergistically to regulate V̇E. Thirteen healthy adults (9 men) completed four experiments in random order under isocapnia. The muscle metaboreflex was activated by rhythmic handgrip exercise at 60% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force with the dominant hand. Then, the muscle metaboreflex remained active during a 4-minute recovery period via post-exercise circulatory occlusion (PECO), or it was inactivated, maintaining free blood flow to the dominant upper limb. During the last 2-minutes of the handgrip exercise recovery, participants either performed rhythmic voluntary plantar flexion with the dominant leg at 30% MVC torque to generate descending motor drive or the dominant leg's calf muscles were involuntarily activated by electrical stimulation at a similar torque level (i.e., without descending motor drive). V̇E increased to a similar level during handgrip exercise in all conditions (≈22 L/min, P = 0.364). PECO maintained V̇E elevated above recovery with free blood flow (≈17 L/min vs. ≈13 L/min, P = 0.009). However, voluntary and involuntary plantar flexion with or without PECO evoked similar V̇E responses (∆ ≈ 4 L/min, P = 0.311). Therefore, an interaction between descending motor drive and muscle metaboreflex is not ubiquitous for V̇E regulation during rhythmic exercise.

Breathing variability during running in athletes: The role of sex, exercise intensity and breathing reserve.

Highly trained aerobic athletes progressively use most of their breathing reserve with increased exercise intensity during whole-body exercise. Additionally, females typically present proportionally smaller lungs than males. Therefore, sex, exercise intensity, and breathing reserve use likely influence the volume and time in which respiratory parameters vary between consecutive breaths during whole-body exercise. However, breath-by-breath variability has been scarcely investigated during exercise. Accordingly, we sought to investigate breath-by-breath pulmonary ventilation (V̇E), tidal volume (VT), and respiratory frequency (fR) variability during a maximal treadmill incremental exercise test in 17 females and 18 males highly trained professional endurance runners. The breath-by-breath variability was analyzed by root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) within 1-minute windows. Females had lower absolute and percent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) than males, as well as lower height-adjusted absolute FVC than males. V̇E and VT reserve use were similar between the sexes at peak exercise. While RMSSDV̇E and RMSSDfR did not change over exercise (P > 0.05), RMSSDVT progressively decreased (P < 0.001). RMSSDVT was negatively correlated with VT reserve use only in males. Females showed lower RMSSDV̇E than males during the entire exercise test (P < 0.001). At iso-V̇E reserve use, between-sex differences in RMSSDV̇E persisted (P = 0.003). Our findings indicate that exercise intensity decreases VT variability in professional runners, which is linked to VT reserve use in males but not females. Additionally, the female sex lowers V̇E variability regardless of exercise intensity and V̇E reserve use.

Restaging magnetic resonance imaging of the rectum after neoadjuvant therapy: a practical guide.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Rectal cancer accounts for approximately one-third of new colorectal cancer cases, with adenocarcinoma as the predominant subtype. Despite an overall decline in colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, due to advancements in screening, early diagnosis, and treatment options, there is a concerning increase in incidence rates among young patients. Recent significant advances in managing locally advanced rectal cancer, such as the establishment of different surgical approaches, neoadjuvant treatment using different protocols for high-risk cases, and the adoption of organ-preservation strategies, have increased the importance of the role played by radiologists in locoregional assessment on magnetic resonance imaging at baseline, at restaging, and during active surveillance of patients with rectal cancer. In this article, we review the role of restaging rectal magnetic resonance imaging after neoadjuvant therapy, providing radiologists with a practical, step-by-step guide for assessing treatment response.

O câncer colorretal é o terceiro câncer mais comum e a segunda principal causa de morte relacionada ao câncer. O câncer retal representa aproximadamente um terço dos novos casos de câncer colorretal, sendo o adenocarcinoma o subtipo predominante. Apesar de uma diminuição geral na incidência e mortalidade, impulsionada por avanços na prevenção do câncer, diagnóstico precoce e opções de tratamento aprimoradas, há uma preocupante elevação nas taxas entre os pacientes jovens. Avanços recentes significativos no manejo do câncer retal localmente avançado, como abordagens cirúrgicas, o uso de diferentes protocolos de tratamento neoadjuvante para casos de alto risco e a adoção de estratégias de preservação de órgãos, aumentaram o papel dos radiologistas na avaliação locorregional por meio da ressonância magnética na avaliação inicial, reestadiamento e vigilância ativa de pacientes com câncer retal. Este manuscrito tem como objetivo revisar o papel da ressonância magnética retal no reestadiamento após terapia neoadjuvante, fornecendo aos radiologistas um guia prático para revisar exames nesse contexto.

Assessing short-term and long-term security and efficacy of anterior nucleus of the thalamus deep brain stimulation for treating drug-resistant epilepsy: A systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT) is a widespread invasive procedure for treating drug-resistant epilepsy. Nonetheless, there is a persistent debate regarding the short-term and long-term efficacy and safety of ANT-DBS. Thus we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), we searched PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Web of Science for studies treating refractory epilepsy with ANT-DBS. Short-term analysis was considered for studies with a mean follow-up of 3 years or less. The following outcomes were assessed for data extraction: procedure responders and nonresponders, increased seizure frequency, complications, and procedure-related mortality. Of 650 studies, 25 fit our inclusion criteria, involving 427 patients. Previous surgical treatments have been reported in 214 patients (50.1%) and a median average baseline seizure frequency of 64.9 monthly seizures. In the short-term analysis, we observed a proportion of 67% (95% confidence interval [CI] 54%-79%) of responders and 33% (95% CI 21%-46%) of nonresponders. In addition, 4% (95% CI 0%-9%) of the patients presented increased seizure frequency. In the long-term analysis, we observed 72% (95% CI 66%-78%) responders and 27% (95% CI 21%-34%) nonresponders. Moreover, there was a 2% (95% CI 0%-5%) increase in seizure frequency. No procedure-related mortality was reported at any follow-up. ANT-DBS effectively treats refractory epilepsy, with lasting short-term and long-term benefits. It remains safe and efficient despite complications, showing no procedure-linked fatalities, high patient responsiveness, and minimal increased seizures. Consistent results over time and low morbidity/mortality rates emphasize its worth. Further research is necessary to diminish the discrepancy among results.

The Physician Surprise Question in the Emergency Department: prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to test the ability of the surprise question (SQ), when asked to emergency physicians (EPs), to predict in-hospital mortality among adults admitted to an emergency room (ER). METHODS: This prospective cohort study at an academic medical centre included consecutive patients 18 years or older who received care in the ER and were subsequently admitted to the hospital from 20 April 2018 to 20 October 2018. EPs were required to answer the SQ for all patients who were being admitted to hospital. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: The cohort included 725 adults (mean (SD) age, 60 (17) years, 51% men) from 58 128 emergency department (ED) visits. The mortality rates were 20.6% for 30-day all-cause in-hospital mortality and 23.6% for in-hospital mortality. The diagnostic test characteristics of the SQ have a sensitivity of 53.7% and specificity of 87.1%, and a relative risk of 4.02 (95% CI 3.15 to 5.13), p<0.01). The positive and negative predictive values were 57% and 86%, respectively; the positive likelihood ratio was 4.1 and negative likelihood ratio was 0.53; and the accuracy was 79.2%. CONCLUSIONS: We found that asking the SQ to EPs may be a useful tool to identify patients in the ED with a high risk of in-hospital mortality.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the Brazilian maternal mortality ratio: A comparative analysis of Neural Networks Autoregression, Holt-Winters exponential smoothing, and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average models.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The acute respiratory infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has resulted in increased mortality among pregnant, puerperal, and neonates. Brazil has the highest number of maternal deaths and a distressing fatality rate of 7.2%, more than double the country's current mortality rate of 2.8%. This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Brazilian Maternal Mortality Ratio (BMMR) and forecasts the BMMR up to 2025. METHODS: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the BMMR, we employed Holt-Winters, Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), and Neural Networks Autoregression (NNA). We utilized a retrospective time series spanning twenty-five years (1996-2021) to forecast the BMMR under both a COVID-19 pandemic scenario and a controlled COVID-19 scenario. RESULTS: Brazil consistently exhibited high maternal mortality values (mean BMMR [1996-2019] = 57.99 ±6.34/100,000 live births) according to World Health Organization criteria. The country experienced its highest mortality peak in the historical BMMR series in the second quarter of 2021 (197.75/100,000 live births), representing a more than 200% increase compared to the previous period. Holt-Winter and ARIMA models demonstrated better agreement with prediction results beyond the sample data, although NNA provided a better fit to previous data. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed an increase in BMMR and its temporal correlation with COVID-19 incidence. Additionally, it showed that Holt-Winter and ARIMA models can be employed for BMMR forecasting with lower errors. This information can assist governments and public health agencies in making timely and informed decisions.

Restaging magnetic resonance imaging of the rectum after neoadjuvant therapy: a practical guide / Ressonância magnética do reto no reestadiamento após terapia neoadjuvante: um guia prático

Abstract Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Rectal cancer accounts for approximately one-third of new colorectal cancer cases, with adenocarcinoma as the predominant subtype. Despite an overall decline in colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, due to advancements in screening, early diagnosis, and treatment options, there is a concerning increase in incidence rates among young patients. Recent significant advances in managing locally advanced rectal cancer, such as the establishment of different surgical approaches, neoadjuvant treatment using different protocols for high-risk cases, and the adoption of organ-preservation strategies, have increased the importance of the role played by radiologists in locoregional assessment on magnetic resonance imaging at baseline, at restaging, and during active surveillance of patients with rectal cancer. In this article, we review the role of restaging rectal magnetic resonance imaging after neoadjuvant therapy, providing radiologists with a practical, step-by-step guide for assessing treatment response.

Resumo O câncer colorretal é o terceiro câncer mais comum e a segunda principal causa de morte relacionada ao câncer. O câncer retal representa aproximadamente um terço dos novos casos de câncer colorretal, sendo o adenocarcinoma o subtipo predominante. Apesar de uma diminuição geral na incidência e mortalidade, impulsionada por avanços na prevenção do câncer, diagnóstico precoce e opções de tratamento aprimoradas, há uma preocupante elevação nas taxas entre os pacientes jovens. Avanços recentes significativos no manejo do câncer retal localmente avançado, como abordagens cirúrgicas, o uso de diferentes protocolos de tratamento neoadjuvante para casos de alto risco e a adoção de estratégias de preservação de órgãos, aumentaram o papel dos radiologistas na avaliação locorregional por meio da ressonância magnética na avaliação inicial, reestadiamento e vigilância ativa de pacientes com câncer retal. Este manuscrito tem como objetivo revisar o papel da ressonância magnética retal no reestadiamento após terapia neoadjuvante, fornecendo aos radiologistas um guia prático para revisar exames nesse contexto.

Ventilatory response to peripheral chemoreflex and muscle metaboreflex during static handgrip in healthy humans: evidence of hyperadditive integration.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? What is the effect of peripheral chemoreflex and muscle metaboreflex integration on ventilation regulation, and what is the effect of integration on breathing-related sensations and emotions? What is the main finding and its importance? Peripheral chemoreflex and muscle metaboreflex coactivation during isocapnic static handgrip exercise appeared to elicit a hyperadditive effect with regard to ventilation and an additive effect with regard to breathing-related sensations and emotions. These findings reveal the nature of the integration between two neural mechanisms that operate during small-muscle static exercise performed under hypoxia. ABSTRACT: Exercise augments the hypoxia-induced ventilatory response in an exercise intensity-dependent manner. A mutual influence of hypoxia-induced peripheral chemoreflex activation and exercise-induced muscle metaboreflex activation might mediate the augmentation phenomenon. However, the nature of these reflexes' integration (i.e., hyperadditive, additive or hypoadditive) remains unclear, and the coactivation effect on breathing-related sensations and emotions has not been explored. Accordingly, we investigated the effect of peripheral chemoreflex and muscle metaboreflex coactivation on ventilatory variables and breathing-related sensations and emotions during exercise. Fourteen healthy adults performed 2-min isocapnic static handgrip, first with the non-dominant hand and immediately after with the dominant hand. During the dominant hand exercise, we (a) did not manipulate either reflex (control); (b) activated the peripheral chemoreflex by hypoxia; (c) activated the muscle metaboreflex in the non-dominant arm by post-exercise circulatory occlusion (PECO); or (d) coactivated both reflexes by simultaneous hypoxia and PECO use. Ventilation response to coactivation of reflexes (mean ± SD, 13 ± 6 l/min) was greater than the sum of responses to separated activations of reflexes (mean ± SD, 8 ± 8 l/min, P = 0.005). Breathing-related sensory and emotional responses were similar between coactivation of reflexes and the sum of separate activations of reflexes. Thus, the peripheral chemoreflex and muscle metaboreflex integration during exercise appeared to be hyperadditive with regard to ventilation and additive with regard to breathing-related sensations and emotions in healthy adults.

A cultura de segurança do paciente na perspectiva da equipe de enfermagem / Patient safety culture from the nursing team's perspective / La cultura de seguridad del paciente desde la perspectiva del equipo de enfermería

RESUMO Objetivo: identificar o conhecimento da equipe de enfermagem sobre a segurança do paciente e a ocorrência de eventos adversos em Pronto Atendimento Médico. Método: estudo transversal, quantitativo, desenvolvido em hospital de ensino da região Centro-Oeste do Brasil. Foi realizado com profissionais de enfermagem por meio de um questionário online contendo questões relacionadas à segurança do paciente, aplicado em setembro de 2021. A análise dos dados foi descritiva. Resultado: Noventa profissionais participaram do estudo, sendo 28(31,1%) enfermeiros e 62(68,9%) técnicos de enfermagem. Na avaliação dos itens do questionário, o melhor índice de acerto foi sobre higienização das mãos 84(93,3%), o pior item avaliado foi protocolo de identificação do paciente 45(50%). A lesão por pressão foi apontada como o evento adverso mais frequente 28(33%). Conclusão: os resultados evidenciam que a educação permanente é fundamental para os profissionais aplicarem as metas internacionais de segurança do paciente na prática.

ABSTRACT Objective: to identify the nursing staff knowledge about patient safety and the occurrence of adverse events in Emergency Medical Care. Method: cross-sectional, quantitative study, developed in a teaching hospital in the Midwest region of Brazil. It was conducted with nursing professionals through an online questionnaire containing questions related to patient safety, applied in September 2021. The data analysis was descriptive. Results: Ninety professionals participated in the study, 28(31.1%) being nurses and 62(68.9%) nursing technicians. In the evaluation of the questionnaire items, the best score was about hand hygiene 84(93.3%), the worst evaluated item was patient identification protocol 45(50%). Pressure ulcers were indicated as the most frequent adverse event 28(33%). Conclusion: the results indicate that continuing education is essential for professionals to apply the international patient safety goals in practice.

RESUMEN Objetivo: identificar el conocimiento del equipo de enfermería sobre la seguridad del paciente y la ocurrencia de eventos adversos en la Atención Médica de Urgencia. Método: estudio transversal, cuantitativo, desarrollado en un hospital escuela de la región Centro-Oeste de Brasil. Se realizó a profesionales de enfermería a través de un cuestionario online con preguntas relacionadas con la seguridad del paciente, aplicado en septiembre de 2021. El análisis de los datos fue descriptivo. Resultado: Noventa profesionales participaron en el estudio, siendo 28(31,1%) enfermeros y 62(68,9%) técnicos de enfermería. En la evaluación de los ítems del cuestionario, el mejor porcentaje de aciertos fue sobre higiene de manos 84(93,3%), el ítem peor evaluado fue protocolo de identificación del paciente 45(50%). Las úlceras por presión se señalaron como el acontecimiento adverso más frecuente 28(33%). Conclusión: los resultados muestran que la formación continua es esencial para que los profesionales apliquen en la práctica los objetivos internacionales de seguridad del paciente.

How much does sleep deprivation impair endurance performance? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effect of sleep deprivation on endurance performance, as well as possible effect-modifying factors. Searches were done in Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus on 12 July 2022. We additionally searched the bibliographic references and citations on Google Scholar of the papers whose full text was analyzed. Eligible studies were randomized and non-randomized controlled trials that compared sleep deprivation and habitual-sleep night effects on endurance performance in healthy humans. The studies' quality was examined by the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool. We calculated the pooled standardized mean differences (pooled SMD) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) by a random-effects model. A mixed-effects model analyzed subgroups. Thirty-one studies were analyzed (n = 478), generating 38 effect sizes in full. The overall risk of bias was low in 8% of the studies, unclear in 74%, and high in 18%. Sleep deprivation in general had a moderate negative effect on endurance performance (polled SMD [95%CI] = -0.52 [-0.67; -0.38]). Training status, sleep deprivation magnitude, assessment time, exercise mode, and endpoint type did not influence the sleep deprivation effect, whereas longer exercises (>30 min) were more affected by sleep deprivation than shorter ones (P = 0.035). Therefore, the available evidence supports that sleep deprivation's deleterious effect on endurance performance is of moderate size and depends on exercise duration. This information can be useful to estimate the performance decrement of endurance exercise practitioners under sleep deprivation in training routines and competitions.PROSPERO registration number CRD42021229717.

Sleep deprivation causes a moderate deleterious effect on endurance performance.Sleep deprivation similarly impairs endurance performance in untrained, recreationally-trained, and trained people, but its effect on well-trained and professional endurance athletes is unknown.One or more nights of partial sleep deprivation or one night of total sleep deprivation similarly compromise endurance performance. Uncertainties about the effect of more than one night of total sleep deprivation warrant more studies.Sleep deprivation impairs walking, running, and cycling endurance performance regardless of the exercise endpoint being unknown (i.e. incremental or constant load tests) or known (i.e. time trial tests) and assessment time. However, sleep deprivation causes a more deleterious effect on endurance performance in exercises lasting more than 30 min.

Theoretical Model of Polarization Effects on Third-Order NLO Properties of the Stilbazolium Derivative Crystal.

The linear and nonlinear properties of the stilbazolium derivative, 2-[2-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-phenyl)-vinyl]-1-methyl-pyridinium naphthalene-2-sulfonate dihydrate crystal (VSNS), were investigated using an iterative electrostatic embedding scheme and density functional theory (DFT). The dipole moment and second hyperpolarizability of the VSNS molecule are sharply influenced by its crystalline phase. Standard DFT global hybrids such as B3LYP and M06 are strongly benefited by the effects of crystalline polarization. The performance can be further improved by making small changes in the amount of Hartree-Fock exchange included in the hybrid, delivering good hyperpolarizability and spectroscopy.

Perceived Exertion: Revisiting the History and Updating the Neurophysiology and the Practical Applications.

The perceived exertion construct creation is a landmark in exercise physiology and sport science. Obtaining perceived exertion is relatively easy, but practitioners often neglect some critical methodological issues in its assessment. Furthermore, the perceived exertion definition, neurophysiological basis, and practical applications have evolved since the perceived exertion construct's inception. Therefore, we revisit the careful work devoted by Gunnar Borg with psychophysical methods to develop the perceived exertion construct, which resulted in the creation of two scales: the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and the category-ratio 10 (CR10). We discuss a contemporary definition that considers perceived exertion as a conscious perception of how hard, heavy, and strenuous the exercise is, according to the sense of effort to command the limbs and the feeling of heavy breathing (respiratory effort). Thus, other exercise-evoked sensations would not hinder the reported perceived exertion. We then describe the neurophysiological mechanisms involved in the perceived exertion genesis during exercise, including the influence of the peripheral feedback from the skeletal muscles and the cardiorespiratory system (i.e., afferent feedback) and the influence of efferent copies from the motor command and respiratory drive (i.e., corollary discharges), as well as the interaction between them. We highlight essential details practitioners should consider when using the RPE and CR10 scales, such as the perceived exertion definition, the original scales utilization, and the descriptors anchoring process. Finally, we present how practitioners can use perceived exertion to assess cardiorespiratory fitness, individualize exercise intensity prescription, predict endurance exercise performance, and monitor athletes' responses to physical training.

Effect of probiotic supplementation on plasma metabolite profile after Roux-Y gastric bypass: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: There is evidence that metabolic profile changes after Roux-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), especially due to modifications in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, previous studies have suggested that probiotics can modify the microbiome and produce metabolites important for metabolic health maintenance. In this sense, the aim of this study was to verify the influence of probiotic supplementation on the plasma metabolite profile after RYGB. METHODS: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted with 31 patients subjected to RYGB surgery, randomized in probiotic group that was supplemented with a probiotic supplement (FloraVantage®) for 3 months after surgery or a placebo group. Plasma metabonomics was performed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) at the preoperative period (T0) and at 45-50 days (T1) and 90-95 days (T2) during the postoperative period/intervention. RESULTS: Reductions in trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) and alanine were observed in both groups, however this reduction was greater in the probiotic group (TMAO 13.82%, p = 0.01 and alanine 14.03%, p = 0.03) at T2. Additionally, ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) levels increased 10.77% in the probiotic group (p = 0.03) compared to the placebo group at T2. CONCLUSION: Supplementation with Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 was able to associate with significant differences in relevant plasma metabolites associated with improved metabolic health.

Effect of the formulation with fipronil and fluazuron on the reproductive biology and ovaries histopathology of Rhipicephalus microplus engorged females.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a commercial formulation containing fipronil and fluazuron on the reproductive biology and the morphology of ovaries from Rhipicephalus microplus engorged females. To carry out the study, three calves were artificially infested every 3 days with approximately 5000 larvae. On day 0, the animals were treated with a commercial formulation containing fipronil (1.25 mg/kg) + fluazuron (2.5 mg/kg). Before the application of the acaricide, engorged females of R. microplus were collected to constitute the control group (10 for biology analyses and 20 for histology analyses). After applying the commercial formulation, naturally detached engorged females were recovered on days + 5, + 10, and + 20 (10 engorged females/day) to evaluate their reproductive biology, and on days + 4, + 12, and + 20 (20 engorged females/day) for histological evaluation of the ovaries. Females from the treated groups produced smaller amounts of eggs, exhibiting lower viability when compared to eggs from the control group (p < 0.05). The ovaries of females from all treated groups (+ 4, + 12, and + 20) showed morphological changes, including: cytoplasmic disorganization, cytoplasmic degradation, irregular shape of the oocyte and germinal vesicle, reduction and vacuolization of yolk granules and oocyte disruption. Oocytes were observed in smaller numbers in all stages of development (I, II, III, IV, and V) and greater numbers of indeterminate oocytes were verified in the ovaries of the treated groups when compared to the control group. Therefore, results showed that the commercial formulation containing fipronil and fluazuron affected the reproductive biology, caused morphological changes in the ovaries, and reduced the number of oocytes in R. microplus engorged females.

Relationship between vertical jumping ability and endurance capacity with internal training loads in professional volleyball players during preseason.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to quantify internal training load and changes in vertical jumping ability and endurance capacity of professional volleyball players during the preseason, and to explore relationships between players' physical qualities at the beginning of the preseason with internal training load accumulated during the first two weeks of training. METHODS: Sixteen male professional volleyball players from a team participating in the Brazilian National Super League took part in the study. Before and after a 10-week preseason, their vertical jumping ability and endurance capacity were assessed by squat jump, countermovement jump without and with arm swing, and YoYo endurance test, level 1. The internal training load was quantified by the session rating of perceived exertion method. Results were analyzed using analysis of variance, magnitude-based inference and Pearson's correlation. RESULTS: The internal training load varied between 1388±111 arbitrary units (a.u.) and 3852±149 a.u., and performance in all the tests was positively changed (small to moderate effect sizes) at end of preseason training. Significant (P<0.05) very large and large correlations were observed between squat jump (r=-0.81) and YoYo endurance test (r=-0.64) performances and internal training load accumulated during the first two training weeks, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The internal training load and training strategies undertaken by the investigated team were effective to improve players' vertical jumping ability and endurance capacity. Coaches need to improve these physical qualities of volleyball players in order to improve their tolerance to training.

NMR-based foodomics of common tubers and roots.

Common roots and tubers such as arracacha, Asterix potato, cassava, potato, sweet potato, taro, and yam are consumed by millions of people. These foods are an integral part of the diet in developing countries and are nutritionally important as energy reserves due to their carbohydrate content. Although many studies have been performed on these foods, comparative chemical profiles have been still poorly evaluated. In this work, we applied nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis associated with chemometrics to evaluate the chemical composition of extracts obtained in deuterated water from roots and tubers that are commercially consumed in Brazil and the rest of the world. From the 31 metabolites characterized in the extracts, 22 were quantified. Multivariate analyses showed 8 metabolites which were primary responsible for the distinction between samples, including choline, γ-aminobutyrate (GABA), glutamine, asparagine, isoleucine, fructose, glucose, and sucrose. Thus, our work shows important information on the chemical composition in addition to the mere carbohydrate content of these food matrices. This knowledge can provide information about food safety and beneficial nutritional values of the studied tubers and roots, which can be useful to consumers and the food industry.

Knee proprioceptive function and physical performance of patients with patellofemoral pain: A matched case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with patellofemoral pain (PFP) present pain, functional limitation, and alteration in knee proprioception. PURPOSE: To compare the knee joint position sense and lower extremity functionality between patients with PFP and controls. Secondarily, investigate the relationship between proprioceptive acuity and physical performance. METHODS: This is a matched case-control study including 48 patients with PFP and 48 healthy individuals matched by age, sex, weight, height, and limb dominance. The proprioceptive evaluation was performed using the joint position sense test (absolute error and relative error) and functionality was assessed using the Single-Leg Triple-Hop test and the Y-Balance Test. The groups were compared using the independent student's T-test. Proprioceptive acuity and physical performance correlations were determined by Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Participants were on average 31 years old and 62.5% were men. There was no statistically difference for absolute and relative angular error between groups. Patients presented lower relative reached distance on the anterior direction of the Y-Balance Test than controls [patients=58.6 (6.6) % versus controls=61.7 (5.9) %, p=.020]. No differences between groups were found for other functional measures. Significant correlation was found between absolute angular error and anterior component at 60° (r=0.225, p=.028) and relative angular error at 60° with the posterolateral component of the Y- Balance Test (r=0.231, p=.024). CONCLUSION: Proprioceptive acuity of patients with PFP was not reduced. The anterior direction of the Y-Balance Test was impaired compared to matched controls. Proprioceptive sense is related to dynamic balance but not to jump ability.

Association between movement patterns and risk of musculoskeletal injuries in navy cadets: A cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of movement patterns evaluated by the Dynamic Movement Assessment (DMA) with the occurrence of musculoskeletal injuries in navy cadets. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: Participants were filmed performing the six functional tests of the DMA (deep squat, step up, single-leg squat, hop, plank and side-plank tests). PARTICIPANTS: 240 navy cadets. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Depending on the number of certain movement patterns on the Dynamic Movement Assessment (DMA), participants were classified as high, moderate, medium or low risk of developing injuries. Predictive associations between injuries and risk classification were examined using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Considering sex, previous injuries and the type of secondary school as covariates, participants who were classified as high risk were not more likely to develop injuries. Non-military high school was an independent risk factor for any injuries (OR = 3.14, 95% CI [1.43,6.91]; OR = 4.57, 95% CI [1.92,10.83]), overuse injuries (OR = 2.58, 95% CI [1.05,6.30]; OR = 2.55, 95% CI [1.06, 6.14]) and acute injuries (OR = 4.88, 95% CI [1.19,19.99]), respectively. Previous musculoskeletal symptoms also increased the chance of AI (OR = 4.45, 95% CI [1.15,17.18]; OR = 5.91, 95% CI [1.13,30.88]). CONCLUSIONS: Movement patterns evaluated by DMA are not associated with an increased risk of injuries. However, attendance of a non-military high school and previous musculoskeletal symptoms are associated with musculoskeletal injuries.