Effect of physical activity education on shoulder girdle pain and muscle strength in participants with fibromyalgia: a pilot experimental study.

Background: In patients with fibromyalgia, exercise and education are recommended to decrease pain level and improve pain management. The latest scientific evidence recommends to focus interventions on the upper limb. The aim of this pilot study was to compare the immediate effect of physical activity education vs. a control group on pain and muscle capacity in fibromyalgia patients. Method: Fifty-six participants with fibromyalgia were randomized into an experimental group and a control group. The intervention consisted in watching a five-minute video that provided information about fibromyalgia, pain, kinesiophobia and physical activity. The control group watched a neutral five-minute video about beavers in Quebec. Following the video, participants performed a muscular fatigue task consisting of a repeated unilateral shoulder abduction task. At baseline and following the muscular fatigue task, maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) in shoulder abduction was assessed as well as pain level and pressure pain threshold (PPT) in the upper limb. Electromyographic activity was also assessed for upper trapezius and middle deltoid muscles. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare the MVC, PPT, and pain level before and after the muscular fatigue task between groups. Results: The experimental group showed a significantly lower increase in pain than the control group in the middle deltoid muscle (p = 0.002) when assessed by verbal pain rating scale. No significant interaction or main effect of Group and Time were observed for the pain level at the upper trapezius and elbow extensor muscles nor for any of the PPT measures. According to electromyographic data, the median frequency values indicate that neither group experienced muscle fatigue during the repeated contraction task. Conclusions: The preliminary results suggest that a short physical activity education video positively influenced middle deltoid pain following repeated abduction in participants with fibromyalgia. Electromyographic analysis showed no evidence of objective muscle fatigue, suggesting that there might be a partial disconnection between the perception of muscle fatigue and the physiological biomarkers associated with muscle fatigue.

Removal of Motion Artifacts in Capacitive Electrocardiogram Acquisition: A Review.

Capacitive electrocardiogram (cECG) systems are increasingly used for the monitoring of cardiac activity. They can operate within the presence of a small layer of air, hair or cloth and do not require a qualified technician. They can be integrated into wearables, clothing or objects of daily life, such as beds or chairs. While they offer many advantages over conventional electrocardiogram systems (ECG) that rely on wet electrodes, they are more prone to be affected by motion artifacts (MAs). These effects, which are due to the relative movement of the electrode in relation to the skin, are several orders of magnitude higher than ECG signal amplitudes, they occur in frequencies that might overlap with the ECG signal, and they may saturate the electronics in the most severe cases. In this paper, we provide a detailed description of MA mechanisms that translate into capacitance variations due to electrode-skin geometric changes or into triboelectric effects due to electrostatic charge redistribution. A state-of-the-art overview of the different approaches based on materials and construction, analog circuits and digital signal processing is provided as well as the trade-offs to be made using these techniques, to mitigate MAs efficiently.

An ecological approach to predict areas with established populations of Ixodes scapularis in Quebec, Canada.

Public health management of Lyme disease (LD) is a dynamic challenge in Canada. Climate warming is driving the northward expansion of suitable habitat for the tick vector, Ixodes scapularis. Information about tick population establishment is used to inform the risk of LD but is challenged by sampling biases from surveillance data. Misclassifying areas as having no established tick population underestimates the LD risk classification. We used a logistic regression model at the municipal level to predict the probability of I. scapularis population establishment based on passive tick surveillance data during the period of 2010-2017 in southern Quebec. We tested for the effect of abiotic and biotic factors hypothesized to influence tick biology and ecology. Additional variables controlled for sampling biases in the passive surveillance data. In our final selected model, tick population establishment was positively associated with annual cumulative degree-days > 0°C, precipitation and deer density, and negatively associated with coniferous and mixed forest types. Sampling biases from passive tick surveillance were controlled for using municipal population size and public health instructions on tick submissions. The model performed well as indicated by an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.92, sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 81%. Our model enables prediction of I. scapularis population establishment in areas which lack data from passive tick surveillance and may improve the sensitivity of LD risk categorization in these areas. A more sensitive system of LD risk classification is important for increasing awareness and use of protective measures employed against ticks, and decreasing the morbidity associated with LD.

Relationship between occupational stress injury score and simulated patient-care scenario performance among experienced paramedics.

BACKGROUND: It is well-known that psychosocial health status of paramedics may be altered by their job demands. However, it is unknown whether psychosocial health status can affect occupational performance. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to explore whether a paramedic's symptom severity of Occupational Stress Injury (OSI) was related to simulated patient-care performance. METHODS: Nineteen paramedics with 15.0±8.7 years of paramedic experience participated in this study. Participants completed both an OSI symptom severity questionnaires, and a patient-care simulation. Vagal activity was also collected during the patient-care simulation. The simulation was used to assess experienced paramedics in a realistic stressful setting. Based on the provincial standard in New Brunswick, an experienced paramedic instructor graded the patient-care simulation using the provincial standard charts, observing performance videos and assessing data from the manikin. RESULTS: The current study suggests that paramedics who self-reported elevated symptoms of OSI were less likely to successfully complete the simulated patient-care scenario. CONCLUSION: This research suggests that the presence of self-reported elevated symptoms of OSI negatively impacts paramedics' performance during a stressful work task simulation. Therefore, to help paramedics maintain optimal performance, it may be important to ensure that paramedics have access to appropriate resources to monitor and improve their psychosocial health.

A Longitudinal Study on the Impact of Indoor Temperature on Heat-Related Symptoms in Older Adults Living in Non-Air-Conditioned Households.

BACKGROUND: Both chronic and acute heat result in a substantial health burden globally, causing particular concern for at-risk populations, such as older adults. Outdoor temperatures are often assessed as the exposure and are used for heat warning systems despite individuals spending most of their time indoors. Many studies use ecological designs, with death or hospitalizations rates. Individual-level outcomes that are directly related to heat-symptoms should also be considered to refine prevention efforts. OBJECTIVES: In this longitudinal study, we assessed the association between indoor temperature and proximal symptoms in individuals ≥60 years of age living in non-air-conditioned households in Montérégie, Quebec, during the 2017-2018 summer months. METHODS: We gathered continuously measured indoor temperature and humidity from HOBO sensors and repeated health-related questionnaires about health-related symptoms administered across three periods of increasing outdoor temperatures, where the reference measurement (T1) occurred during a cool period with a target temperature of 18-22°C and two measurements (T2 and T3) occurred during warmer periods with target temperatures of 28-30°C and 30-33°C, respectively. We used generalized estimating equations with Poisson regression models and estimated risk ratios (RRs) between temperature, humidity, and each heat-related symptom. RESULTS: Participants (n=277) had an average age (mean±standard deviation) of 72.8±7.02y. Higher indoor temperatures were associated with increased risk of dry mouth (T3 RR=2.5; 95% CI: 1.8, 3.5), fatigue (RR=2.3; 95% CI: 1.8, 3.0), thirst (RR=3.4; 95% CI: 2.5, 4.5), less frequent urination (RR=3.7; 95% CI: 1.8, 7.3), and trouble sleeping (RR=2.2; 95% CI: 1.6, 3.2) compared with T1. We identified a nonlinear relationship with indoor temperatures across most symptoms of interest. DISCUSSION: This study identified that increasing indoor temperatures were associated with various health symptoms. By considering the prevalence of these early stage outcomes and indoor temperature exposures, adaptation strategies may be improved to minimize the burden of heat among vulnerable communities. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10291.

Inhibition of mitochondrial complex I reverses NOTCH1-driven metabolic reprogramming in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is commonly driven by activating mutations in NOTCH1 that facilitate glutamine oxidation. Here we identify oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) as a critical pathway for leukemia cell survival and demonstrate a direct relationship between NOTCH1, elevated OxPhos gene expression, and acquired chemoresistance in pre-leukemic and leukemic models. Disrupting OxPhos with IACS-010759, an inhibitor of mitochondrial complex I, causes potent growth inhibition through induction of metabolic shut-down and redox imbalance in NOTCH1-mutated and less so in NOTCH1-wt T-ALL cells. Mechanistically, inhibition of OxPhos induces a metabolic reprogramming into glutaminolysis. We show that pharmacological blockade of OxPhos combined with inducible knock-down of glutaminase, the key glutamine enzyme, confers synthetic lethality in mice harboring NOTCH1-mutated T-ALL. We leverage on this synthetic lethal interaction to demonstrate that IACS-010759 in combination with chemotherapy containing L-asparaginase, an enzyme that uncovers the glutamine dependency of leukemic cells, causes reduced glutaminolysis and profound tumor reduction in pre-clinical models of human T-ALL. In summary, this metabolic dependency of T-ALL on OxPhos provides a rational therapeutic target.

Anthropometrics, Athletic Abilities and Perceptual-Cognitive Skills Associated With Baseball Pitching Velocity in Young Athletes Aged Between 10 and 22 Years Old.

Objective assessments of players performance and individual characteristics are increasingly used in baseball. However, evidence linking individual characteristics to players' performance are scarce. The purpose of the study was to identify across ages, in younger males and females, and to compare, in younger males, the anthropometrics, athletic abilities and perceptual-cognitive skills associated with baseball pitcher's ball velocity. A cross-sectional design was used to conduct this study. Male and female athletes completed a sociodemographic questionnaire followed by anthropometric, athletic ability, perceptual-cognitive skill and pitching velocity assessments. Athletes were categorized by their age categories (11U, 13U, 15U, 18U, 21U). To evaluate the athletes' anthropometrics, height and weight, BMI, waist circumference, arms segmental length and girth were measured. Athletic abilities were assessed using athletes' grip strength, upper body power, vertical jump height, sprint, change of direction, and dynamic balance. Perceptual-cognitive skills performance was assessed with the Neurotracker platform. Pitching performance assessment was completed using the athletes' average fastball velocity. Kendall Tau's correlation coefficient was used to assess relationships between variables and pitching velocity in male athletes (p < 0.05). A 1-way ANOVA was performed to identify differences between age categories for all variables in male athletes (p < 0.05). In male athletes, without age categories discrimination, all anthropometric, athletic ability and perceptual-cognitive skill factors were associated with pitching velocity with associations ranging from τ = 0.185 for perceptual-cognitive skills to τ = 0.653 for left arm grip strength. The results showed that significant differences exist between age categories for anthropometric, athletic ability and perceptual-cognitive skill assessments. The study showed that associations between anthropometrics and pitching velocity, and athletic abilities and pitching velocity vary across age categories. Descriptive data of female athletes results regarding anthropometrics, athletic abilities, perceptual-cognitive skills and pitching velocity are also presented. Gender differences should be investigated in future studies exploring baseball pitching performance.

Monoallelic Heb/Tcf12 Deletion Reduces the Requirement for NOTCH1 Hyperactivation in T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Early T-cell development is precisely controlled by E proteins, that indistinguishably include HEB/TCF12 and E2A/TCF3 transcription factors, together with NOTCH1 and pre-T cell receptor (TCR) signalling. Importantly, perturbations of early T-cell regulatory networks are implicated in leukemogenesis. NOTCH1 gain of function mutations invariably lead to T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), whereas inhibition of E proteins accelerates leukemogenesis. Thus, NOTCH1, pre-TCR, E2A and HEB functions are intertwined, but how these pathways contribute individually or synergistically to leukemogenesis remain to be documented. To directly address these questions, we leveraged Cd3e-deficient mice in which pre-TCR signaling and progression through ß-selection is abrogated to dissect and decouple the roles of pre-TCR, NOTCH1, E2A and HEB in SCL/TAL1-induced T-ALL, via the use of Notch1 gain of function transgenic (Notch1ICtg) and Tcf12+/- or Tcf3+/- heterozygote mice. As a result, we now provide evidence that both HEB and E2A restrain cell proliferation at the ß-selection checkpoint while the clonal expansion of SCL-LMO1-induced pre-leukemic stem cells in T-ALL is uniquely dependent on Tcf12 gene dosage. At the molecular level, HEB protein levels are decreased via proteasomal degradation at the leukemic stage, pointing to a reversible loss of function mechanism. Moreover, in SCL-LMO1-induced T-ALL, loss of one Tcf12 allele is sufficient to bypass pre-TCR signaling which is required for Notch1 gain of function mutations and for progression to T-ALL. In contrast, Tcf12 monoallelic deletion does not accelerate Notch1IC-induced T-ALL, indicating that Tcf12 and Notch1 operate in the same pathway. Finally, we identify a tumor suppressor gene set downstream of HEB, exhibiting significantly lower expression levels in pediatric T-ALL compared to B-ALL and brain cancer samples, the three most frequent pediatric cancers. In summary, our results indicate a tumor suppressor function of HEB/TCF12 in T-ALL to mitigate cell proliferation controlled by NOTCH1 in pre-leukemic stem cells and prevent NOTCH1-driven progression to T-ALL.

Different sit:stand time ratios within a 30-minute cycle change perceptions related to musculoskeletal disorders.

Regular standing interruptions to sedentary work are recommended, but their dosage is understudied. To measure perception variations associated with different sit:stand ratios, 16 people used six ratios (30:0, 27:3, 24:6, 21:9, 18:12 and 15:15) within 30-min cycles in their normal office environment. At start and end of each workday, study participants recorded their perception of 11 factors on a 10-point scale. Musculoskeletal discomfort in 10 body regions was measured before and after exposure to sit-stand ratios. Overall preferred ratios were recorded. Sit:stand ratio affected all perceived factors, with impact varying. Standing at least 6 min improved results most overall; however, individual perceived factors were least impacted by any of 30:0, 27:3, 24:6 or 21:9. Preferred sit:stand ratios were 15:15, 18:12 and 21:9. Typically, least liked ratios involved briefest standing (30:0, 27:3, 24:6) although two participants least liked 15:15. Understanding these variations contributes to appropriate standing dosage recommendations.

A Bi-Spectral Microbolometer Sensor for Wildfire Measurement.

This study describes the development of a prototype bi-spectral microbolometer sensor system designed explicitly for radiometric measurement and characterization of wildfire mid- and long-wave infrared radiances. The system is tested experimentally over moderate-scale experimental burns coincident with FLIR reference imagery. Statistical comparison of the fire radiative power (FRP; W) retrievals suggest that this novel system is highly reliable for use in collecting radiometric measurements of biomass burning. As such, this study provides clear experimental evidence that mid-wave infrared microbolometers are capable of collecting FRP measurements. Furthermore, given the low resource nature of this detector type, it presents a suitable option for monitoring wildfire behaviour from low resource platforms such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or nanosats.

A Novel Sensor-Array System for Contactless Electrocardiogram Acquisition.

The cardiac ECG is one of the most important human biometrics. An electrocardiogram (ECG) or EKG, captures the electrical activity of the heart and allows a healthcare professional to evaluate, diagnose, and monitor patient cardiac condition. The standard method to capture electrocardiogram signals (ECG) involves skin preparation and attachment of wet electrodes to the skin, which is not comfortable for the patient and requires a trained technician. In this work, a novel contactless-based ECG system is proposed, where 128 sensors are deployed on a mattress to capture the ECG information from the back of the patient. The proposed system can capture the ECG through clothing and is more comfortable to the patients. The measurements captured by the proposed system provides a 100% accuracy of QRS complex detection and heartbeat rate estimation and a maximum of 4% error in other major ECG features compared to a hospital-grade standard system. This paper shows that ECG features can be accurately extracted from contactless electrodes, through clothing and from the back of the patient.

Contactless Capacitive Electrocardiography Using Hybrid Flexible Printed Electrodes.

Traditional capacitive electrocardiogram (cECG) electrodes suffer from limited patient comfort, difficulty of disinfection and low signal-to-noise ratio in addition to the challenge of integrating them in wearables. A novel hybrid flexible cECG electrode was developed that offers high versatility in the integration method, is well suited for large-scale manufacturing, is easy to disinfect in clinical settings and exhibits better performance over a comparable rigid contactless electrode. The novel flexible electrode meets the frequency requirement for clinically important QRS complex detection (0.67-5 Hz) and its performance is improved over rigid contactless electrode across all measured metrics as it maintains lower cut-off frequency, higher source capacitance and higher pass-band gain when characterized over a wide spectrum of patient morphologies. The results presented in this article suggest that the novel flexible electrode could be used in a medical device for cECG acquisition and medical diagnosis. The novel design proves also to be less sensitive to motion than a reference rigid electrode. We therefore anticipate it can represent an important step towards improving the repeatability of cECG methods while requiring less post-processing. This would help making cECG a viable method for remote cardiac health monitoring.

Occupational health profile of Canadian Maritimes truck drivers.

BACKGROUND: There are over 12,000 professional truck drivers in the Canadian Maritime provinces, with the majority being in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Previous studies have focused on the health of Canadian and American truck drivers but the occupational health status of truck drivers in the Maritime Provinces remains undocumented. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to provide a general, occupational health and demographic characteristics description of professional truck drivers in the Maritimes. METHODS: One-hundred and four male truck drivers from the Canadian Maritime Provinces volunteered for this study. Nine occupational health indicators were measured (seven were self-reported via questionnaire and two were physical measurements). Participants self-reported their age, years of truck driving experience and education. RESULTS: Only one-quarter of the current sample had no health conditions. In contrast, more than half were obese, one third had back problems, and one-sixth had a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). The group comparison analysis showed that the group without health condition was younger and more educated than the group with multiple health conditions. For this study, age and low rate of education were associated with an increased number of health conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Similar to health profiles of other populations of North American truck drivers, this study suggests that the majority of truck drivers in the Canadian Maritime Provinces have at least one poor indicator of occupational health.

Regulation of stem/progenitor cell maintenance by BMP5 in prostate homeostasis and cancer initiation.

Tissue homeostasis relies on the fine regulation between stem and progenitor cell maintenance and lineage commitment. In the adult prostate, stem cells have been identified in both basal and luminal cell compartments. However, basal stem/progenitor cell homeostasis is still poorly understood. We show that basal stem/progenitor cell maintenance is regulated by a balance between BMP5 self-renewal signal and GATA3 dampening activity. Deleting Gata3 enhances adult prostate stem/progenitor cells self-renewal capacity in both organoid and allograft assays. This phenotype results from a local increase in BMP5 activity in basal cells as shown by the impaired self-renewal capacity of Bmp5-deficient stem/progenitor cells. Strikingly, Bmp5 gene inactivation or BMP signaling inhibition with a small molecule inhibitor are also sufficient to delay prostate and skin cancer initiation of Pten-deficient mice. Together, these results establish BMP5 as a key regulator of basal prostate stem cell homeostasis and identifies a potential therapeutic approach against Pten-deficient cancers.

Physiological responses during paramedics' simulated driving tasks.

BACKGROUND: Most ambulance collisions happen in emergency driving conditions and are caused by human factors. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the influence of human factors associated with time pressure, patient-care intervention, and health status on the physiological responses of simulated emergency driving tasks. METHODS: A cohort of seventeen experienced paramedics performed a battery of three simulated diving tasks. The driving tasks were a non-urgent and two urgent driving simulations (one to the scene and one to the hospital). The second urgent driving task was preceded by a patient-care simulation (unstable cardiac patient with cardiopulmonary resuscitation). RESULTS: The physiological responses between the three driving tasks were not significantly different due to time pressure and patient-care intervention. It is postulated that the physiological response of experienced paramedics was influenced by the fact that they are accustomed to handling stressful situations daily. Furthermore, it was observed that paramedics with health conditions were more physiologically aroused during the urgent driving scenarios (pre and post-intervention), suggesting they might have an elevated risk of collision when they drive with urgency. Paramedics with health conditions also had higher physiological responses for the post-intervention baseline, leading to a longer recovery time period, which might represent an elevated risk of developing chronic health problems or amplifying existing ones. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this research suggest that experienced paramedics manage the influence of time pressure and the impact of challenging patient-care well. Paramedics with health conditions represent an elevated risk of collision.

Exploration of the health status of experienced New Brunswick paramedics.

BACKGROUND: Literature reports that paramedics represent an at-risk occupation for the development of health problems. At least half of the paramedic population presents at least one risk factor associated with a negative health condition. These reports may suffer a "mono-method bias" where most reported outcomes are based on a single screening tool approach (may attenuate or inflate the prevalence). OBJECTIVE: The current study characterizes the health status of a cohort of twenty-five experienced New Brunswick (Canadian province) paramedics. METHODS: To understand possible limitations of past research, health status was characterized using four different methods: two methods using only one health measure and two were combined methods, integrating outcomes from at least two health measures to determine the prevalence of a given health status. RESULTS: Mono-bias was observed when using the single health measure methods. The difference among the four methods highlighted that a third of the cohort seemed unaware of their health condition. This result shed additional light on paramedics' health, where a high proportion of paramedics worked without knowledge of their health conditions. Based on a two health measures combined method, it was observed that only two-fifths of the current sample had no health conditions or could otherwise be considered as a "healthy". CONCLUSIONS: Because the literature has focused on single screening methods, our results were difficult to compare. However, there was a consensus that paramedics represent an at-risk occupation comprised of health problems. This study was exploratory and should be the basis for further research.

Individual factors associated with baseball pitching performance: scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Ball velocity, accuracy and game statistics represent three methods used to measure pitching performance. However, individual determinants of pitching performance are more elusive. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to classify the performance factors associated with baseball pitchers, to identify the methods used to quantify their abilities through all features of the game and to document relationships between performance factors and indicators. DESIGN: Scoping review. DATA SOURCES: Electronic searches of MEDLINE, Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, SportDiscus, PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane and of grey literature were undertaken from inception to January 2019. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: Cross-sectional studies that investigated the relationship between performance indicators and individual performance factors in healthy baseball pitchers were selected. RESULTS: Thirty-four cross-sectional studies investigating individual potential factors of pitching performance met the inclusion criteria. The primary performance factors investigated were kinematic, kinetic, timing outcomes, personal characteristics, physical tests and range of motion. Shoulder horizontal adduction (SHA), upper torso forward flexion, maximal shoulder external rotation, upper torso rotation angle, upper torso lateral flexion, lead knee flexion (LKF) and forward trunk tilt (FTT) were identified as key kinematic features associated with increased ball velocity. Shoulder proximal force and peak elbow proximal forces were associated with greater ball velocity. Individual performances in jumping tests and body weight (BW) are also associated with pitching performance. SUMMARY/CONCLUSION: Based on studies presenting low and moderate risk of bias, we conclude that BW, age and kinematics, such as FTT, LKF, SHA and lateral trunk tilt, are associated with pitching performance.

Comparison of land use regression and random forests models on estimating noise levels in five Canadian cities.

Chronic exposure to environment noise is associated with sleep disturbance and cardiovascular diseases. Assessment of population exposed to environmental noise is limited by a lack of routine noise sampling and is critical for controlling exposure and mitigating adverse health effects. Land use regression (LUR) model is newly applied in estimating environmental exposures to noise. Machine-learning approaches offer opportunities to improve the noise estimations from LUR model. In this study, we employed random forests (RF) model to estimate environmental noise levels in five Canadian cities and compared noise estimations between RF and LUR models. A total of 729 measurements and 33 built environment-related variables were used to estimate spatial variation in environmental noise at the global (multi-city) and local (individual city) scales. Leave one out cross-validation suggested that noise estimates derived from the RF global model explained a greater proportion of variation (R2: RF = 0.58, LUR = 0.47) with lower root mean squared errors (RF = 4.44 dB(A), LUR = 4.99 dB(A)). The cross-validation also indicated the RF models had better general performance than the LUR models at the city scale. By applying the global models to estimate noise levels at the postal code level, we found noise levels were higher in Montreal and Longueuil than in other major Canadian cities.

Exploring simulated driving performance among varsity male soccer players.

Background: It is documented that male athletes display riskier behaviors while driving (as well as in life in general) than female athletes and nonathletes. However, the literature has reported that athletes show better driving ability than nonathletes. This paradox between behaviors and abilities motivated the present study to further understand the collision risk of varsity athletes. Objective: The current study estimates the performance differences between varsity male soccer players and male undergraduate nonathletes on (1) a driving task and (2) three perceptual-cognitive tasks (associated with collision risk prediction; i.e., Useful Field of View [UFOV] test). Methods: Thirty-five male undergraduate students (15 varsity soccer players, 20 undergraduate nonathletes) took part in this study. Driving performance was assessed during 14 min of urban commuting using a driving simulator. While completing the simulated driving task and UFOV test, the physiological responses were monitored using an electrocardiograph (ECG) to document heart rate variability (HRV). Results: Varsity soccer players showed more risky behaviors at the wheel compared to their nonathlete student peers. Varsity soccer players spent more time over the speed limit, committed more driving errors, and adopted fewer safe and legal behaviors. However, no difference was observed between both groups on driving skill variables (i.e., vehicle control, vehicle mobility, ecodriving). For subtests 1 and 2 of the UFOV (i.e., processing speed, divided attention), both groups performed identically (i.e., 17 ms). The nonathlete group tended to perform better on the selective attention task (i.e., subtest 3 of UFOV test; 63.2 ± 6.2 ms vs. 87.2 ± 10.7 ms, respectively; this difference was not significant, P = .76). Conclusion: Preventive driving measures should be enforced in this high-risk population to develop strategies for risk reduction in male team athletes.

GATA transcription factors in development and disease.

The GATA family of transcription factors is of crucial importance during embryonic development, playing complex and widespread roles in cell fate decisions and tissue morphogenesis. GATA proteins are essential for the development of tissues derived from all three germ layers, including the skin, brain, gonads, liver, hematopoietic, cardiovascular and urogenital systems. The crucial activity of GATA factors is underscored by the fact that inactivating mutations in most GATA members lead to embryonic lethality in mouse models and are often associated with developmental diseases in humans. In this Primer, we discuss the unique and redundant functions of GATA proteins in tissue morphogenesis, with an emphasis on their regulation of lineage specification and early organogenesis.