#ReadyToplay: hamstring injuries in women's football - a two-season prospective cohort study in the Norwegian women's premier league.

In this two-season prospective cohort study (2020-2021), we aimed to describe the characteristics, clinical findings and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of hamstring injuries in the Norwegian women's premier league. Hamstring injuries were examined by team physiotherapists using a standardised clinical examination and injury form. Injury location and severity (modified Peetrons classification) were graded based on MRI by two independent radiologists. Fifty-three hamstring injuries were clinically examined, 31 of these with MRI. Hamstring injuries caused 8 days (median) lost from football (interquartile range: 3-15 days, range: 0-188 days), most were non-contact and occurred during sprinting. Gradual-onset (53%) and sudden-onset injuries (47%) were evenly distributed. The injuries examined with MRI were classified as grade 0 (52%), grade 1 (16%) or grade 2 (29%). One proximal tendinopathy case was not graded. Grade 2 injuries caused more time loss than grade 0 (19 ± 8 vs. 7 ± 7 days, p = 0.002). Of injuries with MRI changes, 60% were in the m. biceps femoris, mainly the muscle-tendon junction, and 40% in the m. semimembranosus, most in the proximal tendon. Compared to previous findings from men's football, a higher proportion of hamstring injuries in women's football had a gradual onset and involved the m. semimembranosus, particularly its proximal tendon.

Mindfulness in primary school children as a route to enhanced life satisfaction, positive outlook and effective emotion regulation.

BACKGROUND: Mindfulness programmes as a potential avenue of enhancing pupil wellbeing are beginning to show great promise. However, research concerning the effectiveness of mindfulness training for primary aged school children (7-11 years of age) has been neglected. METHODS: Building on methodological limitations of prior research, this study employed an active controlled design to assess the longer term wellbeing and emotion regulation outcomes after a 6 week mindfulness programme (Living Mindfully Programme, UK), for a group of school children aged between 9 and 10. The programme was delivered by class teachers as part of their normal curriculum entitlement. One hundred and eight children took part from across three schools in North East of England. Participants formed a treatment group (n = 64), active control (n = 19) and wait list control (n = 25). Self-report measures of wellbeing, mindfulness and emotion regulation were collected at pre and post training as well as at 3 months follow up. RESULTS: Reliable findings, judged by medium to large effect sizes across both post intervention, follow-up and between both controls, demonstrated enhancement in a number of domains. Immediately after training and follow up, when compared with the wait list control, children who received mindfulness training showed significant improvements in mindfulness (d = .76 and .77), Positive Outlook (d = .55 and .64) and Life Satisfaction (d = .65 and 0.72). Even when compared to an active control, the effects remained although diminished reflecting the positive impact of the active control condition. Furthermore, a significant positive relationship was found between changes in mindfulness and changes in cognitive reappraisal. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, this study provides preliminary evidence that the Living Mindfully Primary Programme is feasibly delivered by school staff, enjoyed by the children and may significantly improve particular components of wellbeing. Importantly, higher levels of mindfulness as a result of training may be related to effective emotional regulatory and cognitive reappraisal strategies.

In vivo characterization of ischemic small intestine using bioimpedance measurements.

The standard clinical method for the assessment of viability in ischemic small intestine is still visual inspection and palpation. This method is non-specific and unreliable, and requires a high level of clinical experience. Consequently, viable tissue might be removed, or irreversibly damaged tissue might be left in the body, which may both slow down patient recovery. Impedance spectroscopy has been used to measure changes in electrical parameters during ischemia in various tissues. The physical changes in the tissue at the cellular and structural levels after the onset of ischemia lead to time-variant changes in the electrical properties. We aimed to investigate the use of bioimpedance measurement to assess if the tissue is ischemic, and to assess the ischemic time duration. Measurements were performed on pigs (n = 7) using a novel two-electrode setup, with a Solartron 1260/1294 impedance gain-phase analyser. After induction of anaesthesia, an ischemic model with warm, full mesenteric arterial and venous occlusion on 30 cm of the jejunum was implemented. Electrodes were placed on the serosal surface of the ischemic jejunum, applying a constant voltage, and measuring the resulting electrical admittance. As a control, measurements were done on a fully perfused part of the jejunum in the same porcine model. The changes in tan δ (dielectric parameter), measured within a 6 h period of warm, full mesenteric occlusion ischemia in seven pigs, correlates with the onset and duration of ischemia. Tan δ measured in the ischemic part of the jejunum differed significantly from the control tissue, allowing us to determine if the tissue was ischemic or not (P < 0.0001, F = (1,75.13) 188.19). We also found that we could use tan δ to predict ischemic duration. This opens up the possibility of real-time monitoring and assessment of the presence and duration of small intestinal ischemia.

Increased beta-thromboglobulin in essential hypertension: interactions between arterial plasma adrenaline, platelet function and blood lipids.

Twenty-three 50-year-old men with untreated, essential hypertension had elevated plasma concentrations of the platelet release product beta-thromboglobulin (BTG) compared to 14 age-matched control men (p less than 0.01). BTG correlated with arterial plasma adrenaline concentrations in the hypertensive (r = 0.44, p less than 0.05), normotensive (r = 0.73, p less than 0.01) and combined group (r = 0.51, p less than 0.01). Significant correlations (p less than 0.05) between BTG and cholesterol (LDL + VLDL fraction) were observed both in the hypertensive and the normotensive group. In the hypertensive group arterial adrenaline correlated with cholesterol (LDL + VLDL) (p less than 0.05). These findings are consistent with increased platelet activity in middle-aged men with essential hypertension, and may indicate that plasma adrenaline influence platelet function. The risk factors for coronary artery disease (blood pressure, lipid status, stress as evidenced by catecholamine release and platelet function) were positively related. Measurement of arterial instead of venous adrenaline is essential for the demonstration of the associations presented.

Increased plasma free dopamine after treatment with atenolol and oxprenolol in essential hypertension.

In 19 men aged 50 with essential hypertension, 18 weeks' treatment with atenolol (n = 9) or oxprenolol (n = 10) increased supine plasma free dopamine concentrations by 78% (p less than 0.05) and 121% (p less than 0.001) respectively. Increments in plasma dopamine were observed in all patients except for one treated with atenolol. Supine peripheral venous adrenaline and noradrenaline concentrations were not influenced by beta-blockade. The mechanism and significance of the present elevation of plasma free dopamine by beta-blockade are unknown. However, increased plasma free dopamine may be involved in the hypotensive effect of chronic beta-adrenergic blockade, both beta-1 selective and non-selective, and may lend further support to decreased dopaminergic activity in essential hypertension.

The contribution of embryo extract to myogenesis of avian striated muscle in vitro.

Myogenesis of avian striated muscle in vitro requires the presence of serum and embryo extract. The serum requirement can be satisfied by insulin. Embryo extract contributes at least two factors, one of which promotes the fusion of myoblasts, whereas the other promotes the development of myotubes.