The fundamental motor skill proficiency among Polish primary school-aged children: A nationally representative surveillance study.

OBJECTIVES: With the premise that physical education classes should promote physical activity by teaching and learning fundamental motor skills, this study aimed to evaluate the fundamental motor skill proficiency of primary school students and determine the level of achievement of established learning outcomes for fundamental motor skills, as specified in the Polish National Physical Education Curriculum. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used for this study. The sample consisted of 2605 children and adolescents enrolled in grades 1-3 (ages 7-9, n = 1165), 4-6 (ages 10-12, n = 837), and 7-8 (ages 13-14, n = 603), including 1353 boys and 1252 girls. The Fundamental Motor Skills in Sport test, a qualitative and process-oriented assessment tool, was used to evaluate fundamental motor skills. The Fundamental Motor Skills in Sport test evaluates the following movement skills: hurdles, jumping rope, forward roll, ball bouncing, ball throwing and catching, and kicking and stopping a ball. RESULTS: The desired level of overall fundamental motor skill proficiency was achieved by only 2 % of students. An elementary level of fundamental motor skill proficiency was demonstrated by an additional 3.5 % of students. Further, the results showed that only 10-30 % of students had achieved mastery or were close to achieving mastery in a given fundamental motor skill. The skill with the lowest level of proficiency was jumping rope, which only 11 % of students had mastered or were near to mastering. CONCLUSIONS: The present study of a large, nationally representative sample of primary school students in Poland indicates that the vast majority (approximately 94 %) of them demonstrated insufficient fundamental motor skill proficiency. This may greatly hinder effective, safe, and healthy participation in lifelong physical activity.

The fus test: a promising tool for evaluating fundamental motor skills in children and adolescents.

Fundamental motor skills (FMS) are essential for enjoyable, confident and skillful participation in physical activity across the lifespan. Due to the alarming low level of FMS proficiency in children and adolescents worldwide, the development of motor competency is an urgent issue for physical education. The promotion and implementation of a systematic process of teaching and learning FMS should be a physical education priority. Accordingly, effective assessment tools for evaluating FMS should be adopted or developed. Because FMS assessment for both children and adolescents need further effective solutions, the primary aim of this study was to develop the new age-related test of FMS (Fundamental Motor Skills in Sport test, in Polish: Test Fundamentalnych Umiejetnosci Ruchowych w Sporcie, FUS). The secondary aim of this study was to establish validity and inter-rater, intra-rater, test-retest reliabilities and internal consistency of the FUS test. The FUS test involves six sport skill-based tasks: hurdling, jumping rope, forward roll, ball bouncing, throwing and catching a ball, and kicking and stopping a ball. Two hundred sixty-four Polish students in grades 1-3 (7-9 yrs; n = 81), 4-6 (10-12 yrs; n = 89) and 7-8 (13-14 yrs; n = 94), including 139 girls and 125 boys completed the FUS test. The content validity index for all items was notably high. Both inter-rater and intra-rater reliability showed substantial to almost perfect agreement, with observed agreements for FUS skills between 78.5 and 93.1%. Ball bouncing had a moderate correlation with the forward roll and throwing and catching, while other correlations were low or insignificant. ICC values, ranging from 0.95 to 0.97, confirmed excellent test-retest reliability. The results of our study provide evidence that the FUS test is valid, reliable, and feasible to administer in school settings. Therefore, this tool test has the potential to support deliberate practice and improve motor competence by providing a standardized and structured approach to measuring FMS among school-aged children and adolescents.

Comment on "Structural, electrical, and multiferroic characteristics of lead-free multiferroic: Bi(Co0.5Ti0.5)O3-BiFeO3 solid solution" by N. Kumar, A. Shukla, N. Kumar, R. Choudhary and A. Kumar, RSC Adv., 2018, 8, 36939".

My comments concern the significant errors in the crystallographic part of the commented paper. It was found that the studied crystal is of the sillenite type and the correct formula should be Bi25FeO39 : Co,Ti instead of BiFeO3. Moreover, the type of unit cell is not correct. Due to the double doping the new type of unit cell, previously unknown, was proposed for such crystals. Furthermore, the authors did not find that the studied sample contains two slightly different phases, both of the sillenite type. The actual chemical composition of the studied crystals is not known.

Hydration Status in Men Working in Different Thermal Environments: A Pilot Study.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different seasons of the year and the time of day (before work vs. after work) on hydration status in men. The study involved sixty foresters who spent most of the work outdoors. During three seasons of the year (summer, autumn, and winter), indices of hydration status (body mass (BM) and percentage change of BM, total body water (TBW) and percentage change of TBW, serum osmolality (Sosm) and percentage change of Sosm, urine osmolality, urine-specific gravity (USG), urine color, and thirst) were determined before work on the first day (time point 1 used as baseline), immediately after work on the first day (time point 2), and before work on the following day (time point 3). USG decreased at time point 2 compared to time point 1 (p < 0.001) and time point 3 (p = 0.03). At time point 2 (p = 0.002) in winter and time point 3 in autumn (p = 0.049), serum osmolality was higher than in summer. In conclusion, the differences in hydration status depended on the time of day and season. A large percentage of foresters come to work inadequately hydrated, especially in colder seasons compared to summer.

Pain threshold in selected trigger points of superficial muscles of the back in young adults.

BACKGROUND: Monitoring of pain threshold is the basis for verification of the effectiveness of therapy or assessment of the patient's condition. This study aimed to determine the pain threshold of selected superficial muscles of the back taking into account trigger point activity in young and healthy males and females, with the evaluation of intrarater reliability of algometric measurements. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study examined 30 young adult participants (15 males and 15 females) aged 26.23 ± 3.21, and BMI of 23.80 ± 3.43. The Pain Test FPX Algometer (Wagner) was used for the study. Trigger points on the levator scapulae and trapezius muscles (superior and inferior portion) on both sides were examined. It was also verified whether the trigger points studied are active or inactive. Furthermore, an author's survey questionnaire was used. RESULTS: Within the trigger points of the right (p = 0.04) and left (p = 0.02) superior trapezius muscle and the left (p = 0.04) levator scapulae muscle, the pain threshold values were higher in the male group. There was a statistically significantly higher number of active trigger points in the female group compared to that in the male group (2.49 ± 1.51 vs. 1.07 ± 1.16, respectively), p = 0.01. For all muscles tested, mean pain threshold values were significantly higher for inactive trigger points. A greater number of active trigger points is associated with lower pain thresholds at these points (left: the superior trapezius, r = -0.597, the inferior trapezius, r = -0.609; the levator scapulae, r = -0.746; right: the superior trapezius, r = -0.610, the inferior trapezius, r = -0.604; the levator scapulae, r = -0.747). The evaluation of the intrarater reliability showed excellent agreement between the first and second measurements, ICC > 0.987 for all examined trigger points. CONCLUSIONS: (1) Women who reported pain more than once a week in the studied muscles showed a greater number of active trigger points. (2) A greater number of active trigger points in female is related to a lower pain threshold (which is associated with greater pain sensitivity) in female than in male. (3) A sample size of 30 people seems sufficient to detect variations in the pain threshold at active and inactive trigger points of selected back muscles, especially when the frequency of occurrence of both types of points is comparable.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity and Interference Questionnaire for Musicians of the Polish Population (MPIIQM-P).

BACKGROUND The aim of the study was the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity and Interference Questionnaire for Musicians. MATERIAL AND METHODS The process consisted of the following stages: forward translation, backward translation, analysis by committee of experts, pretest of Polish-language version of questionnaire, and cross-cultural validation: psychometric evaluation. In the last step, a convenience sample of 31 professional orchestra musicians (professional experience 16.7±9.5 years) was used to validate the new tool. The primary study outcome measurements were construct validity and internal consistency as measured by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Cronbach's alpha, respectively. RESULTS A final Polish version of the questionnaire was developed. Using EFA, the 2-factor structure (pain intensity and pain interference) was obtained, taking into account all 9 items, explaining about 76% of the total variance. The pain interference and pain intensity factors were characterized by high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.923 and 0.784, respectively). The lifetime prevalence of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders was 87%. CONCLUSIONS Translation and a cross-cultural adaptation of the Polish version of the questionnaire was successfully completed. The results obtained show a correctly carried-out validation process, but further testing of the tool is suggested. The Polish-language version of the validated tool can be used in scientific and clinical practice. The next step would be to estimate cutoff values for severity of health status in orchestra musicians.

Impact of Exercises and Chair Massage on Musculoskeletal Pain of Young Musicians.

Due to the occurrence among musicians of musculoskeletal problems associated with playing a musical instrument, it is necessary to use prophylaxis. The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of two physioprophylaxis methods: chair massage and an original set of exercises. The study lasted four weeks and consisted of eight 15-min meetings (chair massage/exercises). The study was conducted on 44 music students assigned to three groups (chair massage/exercise program/control group). The algometric measurements and questionnaire were conducted. Health problems associated with playing an instrument was reported by 86.4% of the participants. The largest changes in pain threshold concerned the trigger points of the muscles with the highest pain sensitivity, i.e., upper part of trapezius ones, and reached 25-34% in relation to the initial values. For the trigger points of the levator scapulae and lower part of trapezius, the increase in the pain threshold was between 20 and 28%. Raising the pain threshold was observed both after each session and meeting by meeting, and these differences were most visible in the massage group. This effect was particularly visible from the fourth treatment. Chair massage and exercise should be used regularly, and significant results can be obtained after two weeks.

Utility of Novel Hypochromia and Microcythemia Markers in Classifying Hematological and Iron Status in Male Athletes.

In athletes, no reliable indices exist for an unambiguous evaluation of hematological and iron status. Therefore, the utility of some new red blood cell (RBC) parameters was explored in 931 elite male athletes aged 13-35 years. To diagnose iron status, the values of ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and basic blood morphology were determined in blood. The new hematological markers included among others: mean cellular hemoglobin content in reticulocytes (CHr), percentage of erythrocytes (HYPOm) and reticulocytes (HYPOr) with decreased cellular hemoglobin concentration, percentage of erythrocytes (LowCHm) and reticulocytes (LowCHr) with decreased cellular hemoglobin content, mean volume of reticulocytes (MCVr), and percentage of erythrocytes with decreased volume (MICROm). Despite adverse changes in reticulocyte hypochromia indices (CHr, LowCHr, HYPOr; p < 0.001) in the iron depletion state, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) values calculated for them were relatively low (0.539-0.722). In iron-deficient erythropoiesis (IDE), unfavorable changes additionally concern microcythemia indices in both reticulocytes and erythrocytes (MCVr, MCV, MICROm, and red cell volume distribution width-RDW), with especially high values of AUC-ROC (0.947-0.970) for LowCHm, LowCHr, and CHr. Dilutional sports anemia was observed in 6.1% of athletes. In this subgroup, only hemoglobin concentration (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), and RBC (all dependent on blood volume) were significantly lower than in the normal group. In conclusion, the diagnostic utility of the new hematology indices was not satisfactory for the detection of an iron depletion state in athletes. However, these new indices present high accuracy in the detection of IDE and sports anemia conditions.

Postural stability in Parkinson's disease patients' wives and in elderly women leading different lifestyles.

The study aimed to determine postural stability of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients' wives in comparison with women differing in their lifestyle. (PD) patients' wives (n = 44), homemakers (n = 41), and female students of the University of the Third Age (n = 43) performed balance tests on a stabilometric platform. The PD patients' wives were characterized by significantly (p < 0.001) higher values of mean velocity sway than the homemakers and students (approximately 3.5 and 5 mm/s, respectively) and performed worst in displacement velocity and sway range in both sagittal and frontal plane. The results indicate that the wives of PD patients need support in the area of health training targeted at improving their standing stability.

Biological and Social Determinants of Maximum Oxygen Uptake in Adult Men.

The maximum rate of O2 uptake (V̇O2max) is one of the most important positive indicators of health. While the V̇O2max decreases with age, reducing the capacity for physical effort, it can be considerably upregulated through optimal environmental interventions, including systematic physical activity. This study seeks to determine variations in the cardiorespiratory function, estimated from the level of V̇O2max, in 798 employed men aged 20-59, according to biological (age, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and limb muscle strength and agility) and social (place of residence, education, occupation, economic status, and smoking) predictors. We found that the variables abovementioned, with the exception of smoking and hand strength, were significant predictors of V̇O2max in univariate logistic regression, with age (OR = 0.52; 95%CI 0.47-0.57) and BMI (OR = 0.91; 95%CI 0.90-0.93) having the greatest effect on V̇O2max. The additional predictors, established in multivariate analysis, were the place of residence, education, and hand and arm strength. The multivariate model was fairly well-fitted (Nagelkerke r 2 = 0.54) and had a satisfactory prognostic value, with over 80% of cases classified correctly. Social variance in the V̇O2max makes it desirable to develop and implement the intervention programs with physical activity dedicated for men, especially men who are over the age of 50 years and have an excessive body mass, as this could reduce the risk of disorders and help improve the quality of life and workplace effectiveness of this group.

Lessons learnt from early failure of a patient trial with a polymer-on-polymer resurfacing hip arthroplasty.

Background and purpose - Hip resurfacing (HR) is a treatment option promoted for hip arthritis in young and active patients. However, adverse reactions to metal are a concern and the search for non-metallic bearing options proceeds. We present the first clinical study performed in patients using a newly developed hydrophilic polymer-on-polymer hip resurfacing device. Patients and methods - After performing extensive hip simulator tests, biocompatibility testing and animal tests (ISO 14242-1,3; 10993-3,4,5,10,11), approval was obtained from the IRB committee to enroll 15 patients in the first clinical study in humans using this experimental polymer-on-polymer hip resurfacing device. All surgeries were done by 2 experienced hip resurfacing surgeons. Clinical scores and standard radiographs as well as routine MRIs were obtained at regular intervals. Results - The surgical technique proved feasible with successful implantation of the new device using PMMA cement fixation on both sides without complications. Postoperative imaging revealed a well-positioned and well-fixed polymer resurfacing hip arthroplasty in all 4 initial cases. All 4 patients were free of pain and had good function for the first 2 months. However, in all 4 cases early cup loosening occurred between 8 and 11 weeks after surgery, necessitating immediate closure of the study. All 4 patients had a reoperation and were revised to a conventional THA. Retrieval analyses confirmed early cup loosening at the implant-cement interface in all 4 cases. The femoral components remained well attached to the cement. The periprosthetic tissues showed only small amounts of polymeric wear debris and there was only a very mild inflammatory reaction to this. Interpretation - Early cup loosening mandated a premature arrest of this study. After additional laboratory testing this failure mode was found to be the result of a small, yet measurable contraction in the cup size after exposing these implants to biological fluid divalent ion fluctuations in vivo. Currently used preclinical tests had failed to detect this failure mechanism. Modification of the polymer is essential to overcome these problems and before the potential of a polymer-on-polymer resurfacing arthroplasty may be further evaluated in patients.

Weight Disorders in Short Children.

This study aimed to determine the degree of adiposity and prevalence of weight disorders in short children and to assess relationships between selected birth parameters and actual body fat content and body mass indicators. The study encompassed 85 girls and 97 boys, aged 7-14 years, with height below the 10th centile of the age and sex standard. In addition, 609 normal-height children (height between 25th and 75th centile) served as a comparison group. The children underwent measurements of body mass and height, skinfold thickness, and waist circumference. Detailed history on pregnancy and neonatal status of short children was collected. Body mass index, waist-to-height ratio, and body fat percentage (%FAT) were assessed. We found that about 27% of short children had insufficient %FAT and about 14% of them had excessive %FAT, regardless of sex. In terms of BMI, 24% of short children were underweight and only 6% were overweight or obese, while in normal-height children these percentages were 6 and 27.5%, respectively. Abdominal obesity was observed in about 5% of short children and 18% of normal-height children (p < 0.001). There was no association between birth parameters and somatic indicators in short children. We conclude that the prevalence of overweight and obesity, including abdominal obesity, among short children is much lower than that in normal-height children. The insufficient fat tissue and body mass, observed in one out of four short children, are particularly disturbing in the context of ensuring their correct development.

Somatic characteristics and motor fitness of elite and sub-elite Polish male badminton players.

BACKGROUND: An appropriate level of somatic and fitness traits is believed to contribute to success in an international badminton competitions however, these have not been sufficiently explored in elite Polish badminton players. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess somatic build and physical fitness of elite and sub-elite Polish badminton players and to identify key traits that determine achieving sporting success in badminton. METHODS: The study participants comprised 20 men from the Polish Badminton National Teams A (elite; N.=9) and B (sub-elite; N.=11). In all participants body height, arm span, body mass, body fat, fat free mass and Body Mass Index (BMI) were assessed. Fitness tests included two badminton-specific on-court movement tests and cycloergometer test to assess maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). RESULTS: Studied players did not differ in body height and arm span however, elite players were heavier by about 10 kg and had significantly higher values of BMI and body fat. Irrespectively of sport level, elite and subelite badminton players achieved comparable results in both on-court tests as well as with respect to VO2max (55.9 and 57.2 mL/min/kg, respectively). Cluster analysis allowed to indirectly describe the profile of somatic traits and physical fitness that facilitates achieving success in badminton. CONCLUSIONS: Relatively small body size of badminton players can be considered advantageous in sport competitions. It also seems that aerobic capacity contributes to achieving sport success in badminton to a much lower degree than the badminton-specific on-court skills.

Body Mass Disorders in Healthy Short Children and in Children with Growth Hormone Deficiency.

The aim of the study was to determine the degree of adiposity and the incidence of body mass disorders, including abdominal obesity, in healthy short children and children with growth hormone deficiency. The study included 134 short children (height < 10th percentile) aged 7-15. In this cohort there were 63 (31 boys and 32 girls) children without diagnosed hormonal disorders and 71 patients (35 boys and 36 girls) with growth hormone deficiency. Basic somatic features were assessed and the study participants were categorized according to the percentage of body fat (%FAT), body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). We found that there were no significant differences in %FAT and the incidence of body weight disorders depending on gender or diagnosis. %FAT deficit was observed in 12-21% of the participants and underweight in almost every fourth child. Overweight involved 3-14% of the participants and obesity was diagnosed in isolated cases (0-3%); both were considerably lower compared to the estimates based on %FAT. Using the cut-off points of WHtR, abdominal adiposity was observed in 3-15% of the participants. In conclusion, quite a large number of short children (between 25 and 50%) are characterized by abnormal body fat or body mass index values. The results indicate a limited usefulness of BMI in evaluating the incidence of overweight and obesity in children characterized by a height deficit.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery in hemothorax evacuation after cardiac surgery or cardiac interventions.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiac surgery and cardiac interventions are associated with the risk of iatrogenic complications, including hemothorax. Minimally invasive methods of evacuating hemothorax include video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). AIM: This paper presents this method and provides its detailed analysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The VATS procedures were used to evacuate hemothorax in 8 patients (7 after cardiac surgery and 1 after a cardiac intervention). Complete three-port VATS was performed in 7 patients, while 1 patient underwent assisted VATS due to a large number of adhesions. RESULTS: On average, the repeat procedures were performed on the 20th postoperative day (10th-58th postoperative day). In 6 (75%) cases the VATS intervention was the third surgical intervention performed. One patient, operated on 12 days after the original procedure, was diagnosed with active arterial bleeding, which required conversion to a classic procedure using median sternotomy. No postoperative wound infection was noted. Complete hemothorax removal was achieved in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Classic median sternotomy is the standard approach for hemothorax evacuation. However, it may sometimes be burdened with a high perioperative risk due to massive mediastinal adhesions in the late postoperative period. Additionally, access through the postoperative wound appears to be associated with a higher risk of local infection and sternal instability. Hemodynamically stable patients in the late postoperative period, with stable sternums and healed postoperative wounds, are good candidates for VATS aiming to evacuate hemothorax. The VATS is an effective procedure for evacuating hemothorax.

Periprosthetic cortical bone remodeling in patients with an osseointegrated leg prosthesis.

Qualitative studies have shown that the periprosthetic cortical bone may decrease in the first years after the implantation of an osseointegrated leg prosthesis (OILP) in patients with a transfemoral amputation. The resorption of periprosthetic cortical bone may endanger implant survival because of outbreak fractures and aseptic loosening. A decrease in periprosthetic bone quality may also lead to insufficient bone stock for potential revision surgery. This study quantified the periprosthetic bone changes and skeletal remineralization in 27 patients with an ILP (Integrated Leg Prosthesis)-type transfemoral OILP. Periprosthetic cortical thickness was analyzed from standard anteroposterior (AP) radiographs that were taken immediately postoperatively and at both 12 and 24 months post-implantation. The bone mineral density of the femoral hip neck on both sides was measured pre-operatively with Dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and at 12 and 24 months post-implantation. Compared to that immediately post-operative, the periprosthetic cortical thickness increased significantly by 9.6% (p = 0.020) and 8.9% (p < 0.001) at 12 and 24 months, respectively. The change in bone mineral density of the hip neck on both sides was not significant. In contrast to previous observations, this study reports increased periprosthetic cortical thickness around the OILP implant in the first 2 years after implantation. These data indicate good prospects for implant survival and possibilities for revision surgery. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:1237-1241, 2017.