Stable vs. variable eccentric load. Do they induce different training and physical performance outcomes?

Since most movements on the field require athletes to produce forces in variable and unpredictable contexts, the use of training programs based on identical repetitions of an exercise may not be optimal for movement transference. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the effects of unexpected eccentric load variability during resistance training in team sport players. Sixty-three men were randomly allocated to two experimental groups (Variable (VTG) and stable (STG) training group) and control group: (CG) volunteered to participate in this study. Experimental groups trained with the same average load of half-squat exercise twice a week for six weeks using rotary inertial devices (RIDs) with (VTG) and without (STG) an unexpected variability of the load. The squat force was measured for every session with force plates. Counter-movement jump (CMJ), sprint, and change of direction performances were measured pre and post-test. CMJ performance improved for VTG (p = .014; ES = 0.7) and STG (p = .005; ES = 0.79) but not for CG. Exposure to high eccentric forces with RIDs lead athletes to improve physical performance in the trained force vector but, since RIDs induce in high levels of variability per se, increasing the level of variability of the exercise will not add benefits to physical performance and training outcomes.HIGHLIGHTSThe relevance of the study is to analyse if increasing the variability of the load will improve the athlete output to different physical performance tests.The exposure to eccentric overload with RIDs during the squat exercise allows to greater CMJ height improvements than those seen in the literature with RIDs without overloading the eccentric contraction.RIDs induce in high level of variability per se. Therefore, increasing the level of variability of the exercise will not add benefits to physical performance and training outcomes.

Muscle Architecture, Morphology, and Mechanical and Functional Properties of Biceps Femoris Long Head in Professional Soccer Players with a Prior Healed Injured Hamstring.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to compare the fascicle length, pennation angle, muscle thickness and stiffness of the biceps femoris long head, and eccentric hamstring strength between injured dominant limbs, injured non-dominant limbs, uninjured dominant limbs and uninjured non-dominant legs in previously injured players, and between dominant and non-dominant legs in uninjured elite soccer players. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty elite soccer players participated in this study. Ultrasound imaging and MyotonPRO were used to determine the morphological and mechanical properties of the biceps femoris long head. Isokinetic and Nordic hamstring exercises were used to assess eccentric hamstring strength. RESULTS: Previously injured players showed substantially lower fascicle length and muscle thickness, and significantly higher biceps femoris long head stiffness than uninjured players, without differences between limbs. CONCLUSION: The morphological and mechanical properties of elite soccer players with hamstring injury history were different from those in uninjured players. The lack of differences between limbs showed that these values are characteristics of individual players that must be considered in the design of programs to prevent BFlh injury.

Digital Quality Resources Resulting from Standardized Program for Rubric Training in Medical Residents.

INTRODUCTION: In the health care area, tuition is an essential part to provide the instrument that proves the graduates have acquired the necessary skills in their specialties. OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the improvement in quality of resources for residents after standardized digital training program with rubrics. METHODS: Prospective observational study of first year medical residents in seven medical specialties in four different training centers. Five dimensions were considered to scale the quality of medical resident research: Validation of rubric in investigation methodology topics for each block in b-learning mode; initial and ending evaluation; colloquium investigation rubric; results of final investigation; satisfaction survey of 360 degrees. The instruments were validated using the delphi method with a minimum agreement of 0.8. We considered global values greater than 80 points as good quality. RESULTS: 85 medical residents participated and obtained a final average of 80.62 (±9.59), and the satisfaction of the course was qualified as excellent/good in 82.5%. A positive relation was observed between the scope of the evaluation and the level of satisfaction. Mean quality score for the course was good. There is no relationship between the research experience of the students and the final average r = 0.123 (p = 0.291). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of research seminars in b-learning mode results in improving the education program for health residents after a training program with a rubric system and their acquiring research skills, and, as a consequence, the final product also showed better quality, even when the student did not have any experience in a scientific publication.

The Flywheel Device Shaft Shape Determines Force and Velocity Profiles in The Half Squat Exercise.

Flywheel resistance training devices can be classified by their shaft shape. The objective of this study was to analyze whether using two flywheel resistance training devices shaft shapes can influence force and velocity production, regardless of the inertia used. Thirty-nine (n = 39) healthy active men participated in this study. They were randomized to perform 3 sets of 7 repetitions at maximal concentric voluntary execution, followed by a break in the last third of the eccentric phase in the half squat exercise. A progressive rotational inertial setting of 0.11, 0.22, and 0.33 kg·m2 was used. Force- and velocity-time profiles were captured using two force plates and a synchronized linear encoder. Statistical parametric mapping was used to compare biomechanical output between the flywheel devices. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Force application was significantly higher in the horizontal cylinder-shaped device for the three moments of inertia used in the eccentric phase (p < 0.001). In the concentric phase, force application was significantly higher in the horizontal cylinder-shaped device in 0.11 (p < 0.001) and 0.22 kg·m2 (p < 0.001). The resultant speed was higher in the vertical cone-shaped device in the concentric phase and the eccentric phase for the three moments of inertia (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the flywheel shaft type determines the mechanical output of the half squat exercise, regardless of the moment of inertia used. While a horizontal cylinder-shaped device is more suitable to achieve higher forces, especially in the eccentric phase, a vertical cone-shaped device can be used to achieve higher speeds during the execution of the exercise.

Knee Flexor Eccentric Strength, Hamstring Muscle Volume and Sprinting in Elite Professional Soccer Players with a Prior Strained Hamstring.

The aim was to determine if players with a prior hamstring strain injury (HSI) exhibit bilateral deficits in knee flexor eccentric strength and hamstring muscle volume and differences in sprinting performance compared with players without a history of HSIs. Forty-six male professional soccer players participated in this study. Eccentric knee flexor strength, hamstring muscle volume (MRI), and a 20-m running sprint test (5- and 10-m split time) were assessed at the start of the preseason. Eccentric knee strength of the previously injured limbs of injured players was greater (ES: 1.18-1.36) than the uninjured limbs in uninjured players. Previously injured limbs showed possibly larger biceps femoris short heads (BFSh) and likely semitendinosus (ST) muscle volumes than the contralateral uninjured limbs among the injured players (ES: 0.36) and the limbs of the uninjured players (ES: 0.56), respectively. Players who had experienced a previous HSI were possibly slower in the 5-m (small ES: 0.46), while unclear differences were found in both the 10-m and 20-m times. Players with a prior HSI displayed greater eccentric knee flexor strength, possibly relatively hypertrophied ST and BFSh muscles, and possibly reduced 5-m sprinting performances than previously uninjured players. This can have implication for the design of secondary hamstring muscle injury prevention strategies.

Variability in the Application of Eccentric Force Using Different Rotary Inertia Devices May Influence the Treatment of Tendinopathy.

High intraset variability has been considered as a potential aid in the treatment of tendinopathy by producing forces in variable and unpredictable contexts that allow the athlete to return to sport pain free. The aim of this study was to compare the intraset variability in force profiles between different rotational inertia devices (RIDs) during concentric and eccentric (ECC) phases of movement and between different moments of inertia. Thirty-nine men performed a half-squat incremental test on 2 different RIDs: a horizontal cylinder and a vertical cone-shaped axis. Intraset variabilities in vertical force and velocity were analyzed using average coefficients of variation. RID squat exercise produced force intraset variability. The ECC phase of the movement showed more intraset variability in force output than the concentric phase. ECC vertical cone-shaped shaft showed a higher intraset variability in force than ECC horizontal cylinder-shaped shaft. This study demonstrated that using an RID to provide resistance in squat training of athletes produced a high intraset variability in the application of force.

The use of real-time monitoring during flywheel resistance training programmes: how can we measure eccentric overload? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to analyse the technologies and main training variables used in the literature to monitor flywheel training devices in real time. In addition, as the main research question, we investigated how eccentric overload can be effectively monitored in relation to the training variable, flywheel shaft type device and the moment of inertia selected. The initial search resulted in 11,621 articles that were filtered to twenty-eight and seventeen articles that met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review and meta-analysis, respectively. The main technologies used included force sensors and rotary/linear encoders, mainly to monitor peak or mean force, power or speed. An eccentric overload was not always achieved using flywheel devices. The eccentric overload measurement was related to the main outcome selected. While mean force (p = 0.011, ES = -0.84) and mean power (p < 0.001, ES = -0.30) favoured the concentric phase, peak power (p < 0.001, ES = 0.78) and peak speed (p < 0.001, ES = 0.37) favoured the eccentric phase. In addition, the lower moments of inertia (i.e., from 0.01 to 0.2 kg·m2) and a cylindrical shaft type (i.e., vs conical pulley) showed higher possibilities to achieve eccentric overload. A wide variety of technologies can be used to monitor flywheel devices, but to achieve eccentric overload, a flywheel cylindrical shaft type with low moments of inertia is advised to be used.

Characterization of the ocular surface temperature dynamics in glaucoma subjects using long-wave infrared thermal imaging: publisher's note.

This publisher's note corrects the funding section in J. Opt. Soc. Am. A36, 1015 (2019)JOAOD61084-752910.1364/JOSAA.36.001015.

Characterization of the ocular surface temperature dynamics in glaucoma subjects using long-wave infrared thermal imaging.

We evaluated the dynamics of ocular surface temperature using thermal imaging in 21 glaucoma subjects and 19 healthy subjects. On opening of the eye, subjects with glaucoma showed significantly cooler temperatures in the central cornea compared to the control group. The upper eyelid was also significantly cooler just before the eye opened. Immediately after opening the eye, the dynamic of temperature change was different in the two groups. In subjects with glaucoma, the eyes cooled significantly faster, with an average decrease of 0.49°C during the first second compared to 0.24°C in the control group. Our results support the hypothesis that both the stability of the tear film and changes in the ocular blood supply in subjects with glaucoma play an important role in thermal dynamics of the ocular surface.

In-season eccentric-overload training in elite soccer players: Effects on body composition, strength and sprint performance.

The aim of this study was to describe the changes in body composition, strength and sprint performance in response to an entire competitive season of football training supplemented with 2 inertial eccentric-overload training sessions a week in young male professional soccer players. Whole body and regional composition (assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), power output in half-squat and 40-m sprinting performance were evaluated in fourteen players. The eccentric-overload training consisted of training sessions a week of 1-2 sets of 10 exercises of upper-body and core (Day 1) and lower-body (Day 2), during the entire competitive season (27 weeks). Whole body fat mass decreased (-6.3 ± 3.6%, ES = -0.99 ± 0.54) substantially while lean mass increased (2.5 ± 0.8%, ES = 0.25 ± 0.09), with some regional differences. There was a substantial increase in half-squat power output (from 3% to 14%, ES from 0.45 to 1.73) and sprint performance (from 1.1% to 1.8%, ES from -0.33 to -0.44), however performance changes were not correlated with changes in body composition. A combined soccer and eccentric-overload training program was able to promote positive changes in body composition and physical factors relevant to both on-field performance and injury prevention in elite soccer players.

Endophthalmitis caused by Fusarium: An emerging problem in patients with corneal trauma. A case series / Endoftalmitis por Fusarium: un problema emergente en pacientes con traumatismo corneal. Serie de casos

Background: Although fortunately very rare in countries with a temperate climate, certain factors, such as clinical or pharmacological immunosuppression, may cause Fusarium-related fungal infections to become an emerging problem. Moreover, Fusarium is one of the most important etiological agents in exogenous endophthalmitis, which is often favored by the disruption of the epithelial barriers. Aims: The aim of this series of clinical cases is to identify characteristic clinical findings that may allow an early diagnosis and more efficient management of this ophthalmologic emergency. Methods: Three cases of endophthalmitis due to Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum, diagnosed in 2009, 2010, and 2014 in patients from two different health regions belonging to the same health system and separated by around 43 miles, are presented. The Fusarium isolates were initially identified microscopically and the species subsequently confirmed by sequencing the elongation factor alpha (EFalfa) and internal transcribed spacers (ITS). Susceptibility to antifungal agents was determined using the EUCAST broth dilution method. Results: Evolution was poor as two of the three patients progressed to phthisis bulbi despite surgical measures and broad-spectrum antifungal antibiotic therapy. Conclusions: It is essential to rapidly instigate multidisciplinary measures to combat suspected endophthalmitis due to Fusarium given the poor prognosis of this type of infection

Antecedentes: Afortunadamente, las infecciones por Fusarium son poco frecuentes en países de clima templado; sin embargo, determinados factores como la inmunodepresión clínica o farmacológica, pueden convertirlas en un problema emergente. Fusarium es uno de los microrganismos etiológicos más importantes de la endoftalmitis exógena, favorecida habitualmente por una rotura de las barreras epiteliales. Objetivos: En esta serie de casos clínicos queremos identificar hallazgos clínicos característicos que puedan establecer un diagnóstico temprano y un tratamiento más eficiente de esta urgencia oftalmológica. Métodos: Se presentan tres casos de endoftalmitis por Fusarium solani y Fusarium oxysporum que se produjeron en los años 2009, 2010 y 2014, en pacientes de dos áreas de salud diferentes, pero pertenecientes al mismo sistema sanitario, las cuales distan 43 millas una de la otra. Las cepas aisladas de Fusarium se identificaron inicialmente por microscopia y su identidad se confirmó posteriormente mediante secuenciación del factor de elongación alfa (EFalfa) y de la región codificadora espaciadora interna (ITS). La sensibilidad a los antifúngicos se llevó a cabo por el método de dilución en caldo del EUCAST. Resultados: Se produjo una mala evolución, ya que dos de los tres pacientes evolucionaron haca la atrofia ocular a pesar de las medidas quirúrgicas y el tratamiento antibiótico y antifúngico de amplio espectro. Conclusiones: Es importante actuar rápidamente con medidas multidisciplinarias ante la sospecha de una endoftalmitis por Fusarium por el mal pronóstico de este tipo de infecciones

Endophthalmitis caused by Fusarium: An emerging problem in patients with corneal trauma. A case series.

BACKGROUND: Although fortunately very rare in countries with a temperate climate, certain factors, such as clinical or pharmacological immunosuppression, may cause Fusarium-related fungal infections to become an emerging problem. Moreover, Fusarium is one of the most important etiological agents in exogenous endophthalmitis, which is often favored by the disruption of the epithelial barriers. AIMS: The aim of this series of clinical cases is to identify characteristic clinical findings that may allow an early diagnosis and more efficient management of this ophthalmologic emergency. METHODS: Three cases of endophthalmitis due to Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum, diagnosed in 2009, 2010, and 2014 in patients from two different health regions belonging to the same health system and separated by around 43 miles, are presented. The Fusarium isolates were initially identified microscopically and the species subsequently confirmed by sequencing the elongation factor alpha (EFα) and internal transcribed spacers (ITS). Susceptibility to antifungal agents was determined using the EUCAST broth dilution method. RESULTS: Evolution was poor as two of the three patients progressed to phthisis bulbi despite surgical measures and broad-spectrum antifungal antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: It is essential to rapidly instigate multidisciplinary measures to combat suspected endophthalmitis due to Fusarium given the poor prognosis of this type of infection.

The effects of unilateral and bilateral eccentric overload training on hypertrophy, muscle power and COD performance, and its determinants, in team sport players.

The study aimed to compare the chronic eccentric-overload training effects of unilateral (lateral lunge) vs bilateral (half-squat) using an inertial device, on hypertrophy and physical performance. Twenty-seven young team sports male players performed a 4 sets of 7 repetitions of inertial eccentric overload training, biweekly for 6 weeks, distributed in unilateral lunge group (UG: age: 22.8 ± 2.9 years; body mass: 75.3 ± 8.8 kg; height: 177.3 ± 3.7 cm) and bilateral squat group (BG: age: 22.6 ± 2.7 years; body mass: 79.5 ± 12.8 kg; height: 164.2 ± 7 cm). Lower limb muscle volume, counter movement jump (CMJ), power with both (POWER), dominant (POWERd) and no-dominant leg (POWERnd), change of direction turn of 90° with dominant (COD90d) and no-dominant leg (COD90nd) and 180° (COD180d and COD180nd), and 10m sprint time (T-10m) were measured pre and post-intervention. The UG obtained an increase of adductor major (+11.1%) and vastus medialis (+12.6%) higher than BG. The BG obtained an increase of vastus lateralis (+9.9%) and lateral gastrocnemius (+9.1%) higher than UG. Both groups improved CMJ, POWER, POWERd, POWERnd, COD90 and DEC-COD90, without changes in T-10m. The UG decrease DEC-COD90nd (-21.1%) and BG increase POWER (+38.6%) substantially more than the other group. Six-weeks of unilateral / bilateral EO training induce substantial improvements in lower limbs muscle volume and functional performance, although unilateral training seems to be more effective in improving COD90 performance.

Zonal processing of Hartmann or Shack-Hartmann patterns.

Instead of measuring the wavefront deformations, Hartmann and Shack-Hartmann tests, we measure the wavefront slopes, which are equivalent to the ray transverse aberrations. Numerous different integration methods have been described in the literature to obtain the wavefront deformations from these measurements. Basically, they can be classified in two different categories, i.e., modal and zonal. In this paper, we describe a proposed new zonal procedure. This method finds a different analytical expression for each square cell formed by four sampling points in the pupil of the system. In this manner, a full single analytical expression for the wavefront is not obtained. The advantage is that small localized errors that cannot be adjusted by a single polynomial function can be represented with this method. A second advantage is that the analytical function for each cell is obtained in an exact manner, without the errors in a trapezoidal integration.