Increases in intracellular water explain strength and power improvements over a season.

Changes in body components occur over a season, but their impact on performance is still unclear. We aimed to analyze the relationship between changes in leg strength and jump performance with body composition over a season in highly trained athletes. Measures from the beginning to the main competitive periods of a season were obtained in 40 male and 23 female basketball, handball and volleyball players (20±5 years) for fat (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) estimated by DXA. Total body water (TBW) and extracellular water (ECW) were assessed by deuterium and bromide dilution, respectively, and intracellular water (ICW) was calculated as TBW minus ECW. Maximal strength was determined by the leg press, while jumping height was assessed with squat (SJ) and countermovement (CMJ) jumps. Significant improvements in strength (12.5±20.8%) and jumping height (SJ:8.3±13.9%; CMJ:6.3±8.5%) were found. FFM, TBW and ECW significantly increased (3.0±2.7%; 1.7±5.5%; 3.0±8.6%, respectively), while %FM decreased (-4.5±9.1%) and no changes were observed in ICW (1.2±9.7%). Among body composition changes only ICW was associated with performance even adjusted for gender, age, season length and sport (strength: ß=71.209, p=0.012; SJ: ß=0.311, p=0.049; CMJ: ß=0.366, p=0.018). Body composition, strength and jumping height improved over a season and ICW was the main predictor of performance in national level players.

Association of basketball season with body composition in elite junior players.

AIM: Body composition changes among elite athletes may influence competitive performance. This study aimed to characterize the body composition changes at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and whole-body level of analysis in elite junior basketball players during the course of a season. METHODS: Twelve males and 11 females (16 to 17 years) were evaluated. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to assess bone mineral (Mo) and lean-soft tissue (LST). Total-body water (TBW) and extracellular water (ECW) were assessed using isotope dilution techniques, and extracellular (ECF) and intracellular fluids (ICF) were calculated. Fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) were assessed with a four-compartment model. Body cell mass was calculated (LST - (ECF + ECS)). Skeletal muscle (SM) was estimated using appendicular LST (ALST) as: (1.19 x ALST) - 1.65. At the whole-body level, weight, sum of 7 skinfolds, and muscle circumferences (Mc) were measured. The handgrip and the countermovement jump tests were used for performance assessment. RESULTS: Males increased FFM (4.4±2.3%), TBW (3.5±4.6%), SM (4.5±2.3%), and arm (3.4±2.7%) and thigh (3.8±3%) Mc. Females increased SM (5.9±4.6%) and arm (3.6±3.8%) and thigh (4±5.2%) Mc and decreased ICF (-9.7±13.6%). FFM components differed from the established values based on cadaver analysis. Both genders increased their performance and associations were found between changes in molecular and whole-body components with performance. CONCLUSION: In conclusion the season was associated with an improved body composition profile in males and few changes in females.

Microbial hydroxylation of sclareol by Rhizopus stolonifer.

Incubation of sclareol with Rhizopus stolonifer affords in high yield a mixture of triols with 18-hydroxy-sclareol as the main component.

[Study of pulmonary epithelial permeability in healthy non-smokers]. / Estudo da permeabilidade epitelial pulmonar em indivíduos sadios não-tabagistas.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the pulmonary epithelial permeability in non-smoker healthy adult individuals, establishing the normal pattern in our milieu and to correlate the findings according to age, sex, weight, height and body surface area. METHOD: 24 healthy non-smokers using the rate of pulmonary depuration of 99mTc-DTPA as an index of pulmonary epithelial permeability were studied. The given information was correlated to sex, age, weight, height and body surface area. RESULTS: The averages found for the pulmonary depuration rate for 99mTc-DTPA were 0.82% +/- 0.19 min-1 for the left lung and of 0.88% +/- 0.23 min-1 for the right lung. No statistically significant relation with sex, age, weight, height and body surface area was found. CONCLUSION: The given data are within the interindividual variation described in the literature, in the studied age period, and must be considered as standard values among us.

Interconsultas medico-psiquiatricas.Relato de uma experiencia. / Medico-psychiatric interconsultation-report of a case

A partir de uma experiencia no Setor de Interconsultas do Ambulatorio de Saude Mental do Hospital de Clinicas da UFRJ, e feita uma discussao critica dos trabalhos de Balint, na Inglaterra, e Ferrari e Luchina, na Argentina. Sao narrados tres casos de "interconsultoria" solicitados pelas clinicas do hospital, comentando-se a forma de atuacao da equipe. Constata-se na atualidade, a implantacao de uma medicina psicologizada que preconiza os dispositivos psiquiatricos para toda a pratica medica, com base no saber psicanalitico, minimizando a demarcacao entre o normal e o patologico e conferindo ao psiquiatra/ psicoterapeuta o poder de intervencao interpretativa a todo ato medico

Estudo da permeabilidade epitelial pulmonar em indivíduos sadios näo-tabagistas / Study of pulmonary epithelial permeability in non-smoker healthy individuals

Objetivo. Medir a permeabilidade epitelial pulmonar em indivíduos sadios nao-tabagistas, estabelecendo padrao de normalidade, e correlacionar os achados com a idade, sexo, peso, altura e superfície corporal. Material e Método. Foram estudados 24 voluntários sadios nao-tabagistas, utilizando a taxa de depuraçao pulmonar do (99m)Tc-DTPA como índice da permeabilidade epitelial pulmonar. Os dados obtidos foram correlacionados com sexo, idade, peso, altura e superfície corporal. Resultados. As médias encontradas para as taxas de depuraçao pulmonar do (99m)Tc-DTPA foram de 0,82 + 0,19 por cento min(-1), para o pulmao esquerdo, e de 0,88 + 0,23 por cento min(-1), para o pulmao direito. Nao se evidenciou relaçao estatísticamente significante com sexo, idade, peso, altura e superfície corporal. Conclusao. Os valores encontrados estao dentro da variaçao interindividual descrita pela literatura e passam a ser adotados como referenciais em nosso meio.