Modelling biochemical pathways through enhanced π-calculus

AbstractWe use the π-calculus to model the evolution of biochemical systems, taking advantage of their similarities with global computation applications. First, we present a reduction semantics for the π-calculus from which causality and concurrency can be mechanically derived. We prove that our semantics agrees with the causal definitions presented in the literature. We also extend our semantics to model biological compartments. Then, we show the applicability of our proposal on a couple of biological examples

RSA, CMJ, Leger, 10m sprint responses to Pre-season training in semi-Professional Soccer Players

Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze RSA, CMJ, Leger, 10m sprint responses to Pre-season Training in Semi-Professional Soccer Players (SPSP). Considering that numerous studies1,2 highlighted the combination of high levels of physical, technical and tactical skills during a soccer match, the cure of physical training pose a particular attention on training load that generally increases up to 2.4 times during the pre-season period compared with the in-season3. Methods: Six SPSP (age: 23±7yr; BMI: 23.3±1.8) were requested to perform aerobic training over an 8-week period on alternate days with the functional strength training sessions and sprint training drills as prescribed by the coaches and strength and conditioning staff. Repeated Sprint Ability (RSA, Total Time –TT- and percentage of fatigue index -%FI), Leger, 10m sprint and Counter Mouvement Jump (CMJ) tests, were performed before and after pre-season soccer training. ANOVA for repeated measures was conducted to assess differences (p<0.05) with respect to pre seasonal training. Correlation was calculated between the percentage of variation (Δ) of each test. Results: Compared to the values recorded before the pre-season, improvement of Leger (3%) and %FI (17.6%) and a deterioration of TT (10%), 10m sprint (0.2%) and CMJ (2.4%) were found. In addition, we have found a main effect between before and after pre-seasonal training in TT (F(1,4)=60.2; p=0.001) and Leger (F(1,5)=25; p<0.005). ΔCMJ showed very large correlation with ΔLeger (r=-0.88) and nearly perfect with Δ%FI (r=0.93); while ΔLeger was largely correlated with Δ%FI (r=-0.69). Conclusions: Given that the cure of the physical preparation is considered as an important element in order to influence the final soccer game result, this study want to be useful information for the coach in order to maximize the best physical condition of the whole team relative to the beginning of the regular season

Effects of open (Racket) and closed (running) skill sports practice on children’s attentional performance

Aims: The first aim of the study was to examine the attentional performance of children (8–13 years of age) who practiced two different sport disciplines: Open skill sport – racket and closed skill sport – running and also to investigate the acute effects of these two specific training sessions on children’s immediate and delayed attentional performance. The second aim of the present study was to verify gender differences in attentional performance. Eighteen children+ (8 girls and 10 boys; age = 10.6 ± 1.5 yrs; height = 144.3 ± 12.2 cm; weight = 44.2 ± 12.5 kg; BMI = 20.8 ± 2.7 kg/m2) engaged in a racket sports and eighteen children (9 girls and 9 boys; age = 9.9 ± 1.2 yrs; height = 142.4 ± 9.5 cm; weight = 40.0 ± 8.6 kg; BMI = 19.6 ± 2.4 kg/m2) engaged in running were enrolled. Methods: Children’s training and experience with these activities averaged 2.3 (± 1.0) years. Children’s attentional capacity was measured before, immediately after and 50 minutes after each specific training session by the d2 test of attention. This paper-and-pencil letter cancellation test evaluated concentration and sustained attention under stress induced by a fixed executing time. A 2 (Sport: open vs closed skill) x 2 (Gender: boys vs girls) x 3 (Time: pre vs 0’ post vs 50’ post) repeated measures ANOVA for time was used to compare the effect of an open skill session and a closed skill session on the individual attentional variables. Results: Children of open skill sport showed higher attentional scores (higher processing speed-TN, higher concentration performance-CP and lower percentage of errors-E%; p &lt; 0.01), improved CP from pre to 0’ post intervention (p = 0.01) and maintained this improved performance at 50’ post intervention (50’ post vs pre; p &lt; 0.01), and decreased E% from pre to 0’ post intervention (p = 0.01) and maintained this improvement at 50’ post intervention (50’ post vs pre; p &lt; 0.001). Children of closed skill sport significantly decreased their CP from pre to 50’ post intervention (50’ post vs pre; p = 0.001 and 50’ post vs 0’ post; p &lt; 0.0001) and worsened their E% across the time (50’ post vs pre; p = 0.001 and 50’ post vs 0’ post; p &lt; 0.0001). Boys showed significantly higher TN values than girls only in closed skill sport (p = 0.023). Finally, all girls of both open and closed skill sports significantly improved their CP from pre to 0’ post intervention (p = 0.04). Conclusion: Results of the study showed that open skill sport practice and training session positively affects children’s attentional performance

Physical activity and hypocaloric diet recovers osteoblasts homeostasis in women affected by abdominal obesity.

Obesity is a multifactorial disease linked to metabolic chronic disorders such as diabetes, and hypertension. Also, it has recently been associated with skeletal alterations and low bone mineral density. We previously demonstrated that exposure of osteoblasts to sera of sedentary subjects affected by obesity alters cell homeostasis in vitro, leading to disruption of intracellular differentiation pathways and cellular activity. Thus, the purpose of the present study has been to evaluate whether sera of sedentary obese women, subjected to physical activity and hypocaloric diet, could recover osteoblast homeostasis in vitro as compared to the sera of same patients before intervention protocol. To this aim, obese women were evaluated at time 0 and after 4, 6, and 12 months of individualized prescribed physical activity and hypocaloric diet. Dual-energy-X-ray absorptiometry measurements were performed at each time point, as well as blood was collected at the same points. Cells were incubated with sera of subjects before and after physical activity as described: obese at baseline and after for 4, 6, and 12 months of physical activity and nutritional protocol intervention. Osteoblasts exposed to sera of patients, who displayed increased lean and decreased fat mass (from 55.5 ± 6.5 to 57.1 ± 5.6% p ≤ 0.05; from 44.5 ± 1.1 to 40.9 ± 2.6% p ≤ 0.01 respectively), showed a time-dependent increase of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, versus cells exposed to sera of obese patients before intervention protocol, suggesting recovery of osteoblast homeostasis upon improvement of body composition. An increase in β-catenin nuclear accumulation and nuclear translocation was also observed, accompanied by an increase in Adiponectin receptor 1 protein expression, suggesting positive effect on cell differentiation program. Furthermore, a decrease in sclerostin amount and an increase of type 1 procollagen amino-terminal-propeptide were depicted as compared to baseline, proportionally to the time of physical activity, suggesting a recovery of bone remodeling modulation and an increase of osteoblast activity induced by improvement of body composition. In conclusion, our results show for the first time that sera of obese sedentary women who increased lean mass and decreased fat mass, by physical activity and hypocaloric diet, rescue osteoblasts differentiation and activity likely due to a reactivation of Wnt/β-catenin-pathway, suggesting that a correct life style can improve skeletal metabolic alteration induced by obesity

Recurrence quantification analysis of heart rate variability to detect both ventilatory thresholds

Aims of this study were: To verify if Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA) of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) time series could determine both ventilatory thresholds in individuals with different fitness levels, and to assess the validity of RQA method compared to gasexchange method (GE). The two thresholds were estimated in thirty young individuals during incremental exercise on cycle-ergometer: Heart rate (HR), Oxygen consumption (VO2) and Workload were measured by the two methods (RQA and GE). Repeated measures ANOVA was used to assess main effects of methods and methods-by-groups interaction effects for HR, VO2 and Workload at aerobic (AerT) and anaerobic (AnT) thresholds. Validity of RQA at both thresholds was assessed for HR, VO2 and Workload by Ordinary Least Products (OLP) regression, Typical Percentage Error (TE), Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) and the Bland Altman plots. No methods-by-groups interaction effects were detected for HR, VO2 and Workload at AerT and AnT. The OLP analysis showed that at both thresholds RQA and GE methods had very strong correlations (r &gt;0.8) in all variables (HR, VO2 and Workload). Slope and intercept values always included the 1 and the 0, respectively. At AerT the TE ranged from 4.02% (5.48 bpm) to 10.47% (8.53 Watts) (HR and Workload, respectively) and in all variables ICC values were excellent (≥0.85). At AnT the TE ranged from 2.53% (3.98 bpm) to 6.64% (7.81 Watts) (HR and Workload, respectively) and in all variables ICC values were excellent (≥0.90). Therefore, RQA of HRV time series is a new valid approach to determine both ventilatory thresholds in individuals with different physical fitness levels, it can be used when gas analysis is not possible or not convenient

Constrangimento mecânico provocado pela válvula aquatrainer® associada ao sistema de oximetria directa (K4 B2) na cinemática de bruços

estudo teve como objectivo determinar o constrangimento cinemático provocado pela válvula de treino Aquatrainer® (Cosmed, Roma, Itália), integrada com o sistema portátil analisador de gases K4 b2 (Cosmed, Roma, Itália), durante um esforço máximo na técnica de Bruços. O protocolo consistiu na realização de dois percursos à intensidade máxima de 100 m bruços, em piscina de 50 metros: um percurso com o sistema de oximetria acoplado e outro em nado livre (sem o sistema) e um intervalo mínimo de 48 horas por sete bruçistas. Duas câmaras registaram respectivamente imagens aéreas e subaquáticas no plano sagital. Foi efectuada a análise cinemática (Ariel Performance Analysis System, Ariel Dynamics Inc., Califórnia, EUA) de um ciclo gestual completo, através de um leitor de vídeo a 50 Hz (Panasonic, AG 7355, Japão). A duração do teste foi significativamente superior quando acoplados à válvula do que em nado livre (P = 0,02). Sem a válvula os bruçistas cumpriram os 100 metros em 109.09 ± 2.23 % do seu recorde pessoal e com a válvula a 115.94 ± 3.31 %. As restantes variáveis não apresentaram diferenças significativas entre as duas condições de exercitação. Contudo, verifica-se uma tendência para a frequência gestual (3.56 %) ser superior com a utilização da válvula; a distância de ciclo (-8.47 %), a velocidade de nado (-5.98 %), o índice de nado (-13.94 %), a flutuação da velocidade do centro de massa (-0.16 %) e periodo do ciclo (-3.24 %) serem inferiores com a utilização da válvula. Em síntese, a válvula Aquatrainer® induz constrangimentos significativos na performance durante uma prova máxima em Bruço

High School Student Athletes and Nonathletes\u27 Disciplinary Referrals and Grade Point Averages

High School Student Athletes and Nonathletes\u27 Disciplinary Referrals and Grade Point Averages by Jack Calhoun MEd, Georgia Southwestern State University, 1998 BS, Georgia Southwestern State University, 1997 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University December 2014 This quantitative study investigated how athletic participation in public high schools influenced students\u27 academic achievement and positive social behavior. Disciplinary referrals are on the rise in American schools and are a cause of concern for teachers, administrators, parents, and community members. School personnel currently implement programs designed to curb discipline problems in the classroom and foster productive behavior among adolescents. There is some debate and conflicting literature on whether sports participation has a beneficial influence on students. The writings of Virgina Chomitz, who hypothesized a positive relationship between academic achievement and physical fitness, guided this research. This study analyzed grade point average (GPA) and discipline referral data for 4,433 students in a suburban American high school over a 3-year time period. The GPA and referral data for athletes and nonathletes were compared using multiple t tests, and it was found that athletes had significantly higher GPAs and lower discipline referrals when compared to nonathletes. These results, which match the original hypotheses, provide greater insight into how participating in athletics may improve a student\u27s behavior and academic achievement. With this knowledge, educators may place greater emphasis on athletics as a method to promote achievement and positive experiences among high school students. These positive effects will contribute to social change for students at an individual level and for entire school environments

Comparação dos procedimentos metodológicos de reconstrução cinemática 2d na técnica de bruços – Duplo meio / planos seprados

O presente estudo teve como propósito principal o de averiguar os procedimentos bem como o grau de concordância das reconstruções dos parâmetros cinemáticos de execução na técnica de bruços com recurso a duas metodologias distintas de captura e reconstrução cinemétrica, duplo meio (DM) e planos separados (PS). A amostra foi constituída por 7 nadadores do sexo masculino especialistas na técnica de bruços (19.1 ± 4,3 anos de idade; 1.78 ± 0.62 m de estatura; 70.4 ± 8.0 kg de massa corporal; 69.10 ± 4.16 s de recorde pessoal aos 100 m Bruços em piscina longa). O protocolo consistiu na realização de um percurso de 100 m na técnica de bruços à máxima velocidade possível (prova maximal), em piscina de 50 metros. Os registos de imagem para posterior tratamento foram recolhidos por um sistema constituído por um par de câmaras de vídeo (uma subaquática - inclusa numa caixa estanque e uma de superfície). Assim, foram recolhidas as imagens da prova utilizando as duas metodologias, o DM e os PS. Duas câmaras registaram respectivamente imagens aéreas (GR-SX1 SVHS, JVC, Yokoama, Japão) e subaquáticas (GR-SXM25 SVHS, JVC, Yokoama, Japão) no plano sagital, a 25 metros da parede testa de partida. Foi efectuada a análise cinemática (Ariel Performance Analysis System, Ariel Dynamics Inc., Califórnia, EUA) de um ciclo gestual completo, através de um leitor de vídeo a 50 Hz (Panasonic, AG 7355, Japão). Recorreu-se ao método de digitalização em planos separados (aéreo e subaquático) e subsequente reconstrução pela aplicação do algoritmo2D-DLT [1]. Foi adoptado o modelo antropométrico de Zatsiorsky, adaptado por de Leva [6],, incluindo a divisão do tronco em 2 partes articuladas. Os sinais foram filtrados com uma frequência de corte de 5 Hz, como sugerido por Winter [15], com recurso a dupla-passagem. A fiabilidade do processo de digitalização-redigitalização para os dois métodos foi muito elevada (R = 0.97; ICR = .87; 0.95). Determinouse a duração absoluta do teste (T100, s), a duração absoluta do ciclo gestual (Durciclo), a frequência ciclo (FC, Hz), a distância de ciclo (DC, m), a velocidade de nado (v, m.s-1), o índice de nado (IN, m2.c-1.s-1), a flutuação intra-cíclica da velocidade horizontal do centro de massa (dv, %) e o deslocamento vertical do centro de massa corporal (Dy, m). Foi efectuada a comparação entre as duas situações com recurso a estatística não paramétrica (Teste de Wilcoxon) para P £ 0.05. O resultados sugerem-nos a ideia de que o padrão biomecânico de execução técnica dos nadadores na técnica de bruços parece ter características diferentes quando comparados os dados dos dois métodos de reconstrução cinemática (DP e PS)