Anthropometrische, kraft-, ausdauer-und flexibilitätsmerkmale männlicher elite-eiskletterer und sportkletterer

Objective: Purpose of this study was to compare elite male ice climbers and sport climbers for their anthropometry, muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility. Although there is a certain overlap between these two activities, sport climbing, which recently became an Olympic discipline, has been studied significantly more than the ice climbing. Hence, the second aim was to indirectly determine whether sport climbing training processes and nutrition can be beneficial for the ice climbing athletes. › Methods: 23 male ice climbers of the Ice Climbing World Cup 2010 in Saas Fee (Switzerland) who all reached the final round were compared to 23 elite male sport climbers, which refers to “on sight” climbing grade of VII+/6b (UIAA/French) or higher. Measurements included anthropometry, three different tests for flexibility, two for strength and two for endurance. › Results: Ice climbers have more fat in the trunk region (Fat%-T), have significantly less handgrip strength in both hands, as well as strength to mass ratio (SMR) of the dominant hand. In the test “foot raise”, ice climbers showed significantly less flexibility. › Conclusion: Results indicate that ice climbers have not only higher body fat percentage, probably as an adaption to cold environment but also lower strength and flexibility than sport climbers. With such data, we can conclude that sport climbing training protocols for development of strength, endurance and flexibility can be potentially beneficial to ice climbers.Ziel: Ziel dieser Studie war es, männliche Elite-Eisk letterer und Sportk letterer hinsichtlich ihrer Anthropometrie, Muskelkraft, Ausdauer und Flexibilität zu vergleichen. Das zweite Ziel war zu bestimmen, ob Trainingsprozesse und Ernährung auf der Grundlage von Untersuchungen an Sportk letterern auch für Eiskletterer von Vorteil sein können.›Methoden: 23 männliche Eisk letterer des Ice Climbing World Cup 2010 in Saas Fee (Schweiz), die alle in die Finalrunde kamen, w urden mit 23 männlichen Elite-Sportkletterern verglichen, die „on sight“ einen K lettergrad von V II+/6b (UIA A/French) oder hö-her aufw iesen. Die Messungen umfassten die Anthropometrie, drei verschiedene Tests für Flexibilität, zwei für K raft und zwei für Ausdauer.›Ergebnisse: Eisk letterer haben mehr Fett im Rumpf bereich (Fat%-T), signifikant weniger Handgriff kraft in beiden Händen sowie Kraft-zu-Masse-Verhältnis (SMR) der dominanten Hand. Eiskletterer zeigten deutlich weniger Flexibilität imHüftbereich.›Schlussfolgerung: Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Eisk letterer nicht nur einen höheren Körperfettanteil haben, wahrscheinlich als Anpassung an eine kalte Umgebung, sondern auch eine gerin-gere Kraft und Flexibilität als Sportkletterer. Sportkletter-Trai-ningsprotokolle können zur Entw ick lung von Kraft, Ausdauer und Flexibilität für Eisk letterer potenziell von Vorteil sein

Poboljšanje sinhronizacije signala u softverskom GPS prijemniku / Improvement of signal synchronization in GPS software receiver / Улучшение синхронизации сигнала в программируемом GPS приемнике

In GPS receivers, navigation bit allocation is performed throughout the process of signal tracking and detection. In the process of signal tracking, the locally generated signal must be synchronized with the received signal. The Costas phase-locked loop (PLL) behavior, which is often used for signal synchronization, is characterized by dominant tracking error sources. The resulting phase tracking errors are significant in the presence of weak signals, i.e. signals with the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In order to improve the signal synchronization and enable signal tracking by the receiver, we here proposed the usage of a non-data-aided (NDA) phase estimator. Based on the practical processing of the GPS signals, it is shown that the applied NDA algorithm is more resistant to sudden changes in frequency (phase) of the input signal than the previously considered phase discriminator in the Costas PLL. Also, we have shown that the solution analyzed here exhibits more stable operation in signal tracking for a low SNR. / В GPS приемнике, распознавание навигационных битов реа- лизовано путем отслеживания и определения и обнаружения сиг- нала. В процессе отслеживания сигнала, локально генерируемый сигнал должен быть синхронизирован с входящим сигналом. Ха- рактеристикой фазового контура Costas, который традиционно используется для синхронизации сигналов, является подвержен- ность влиянию источников погрешностей. Ошибки в результа- тах по отслеживанию фазы существенны при слабом входном сигнале, например, для сигналов с малым отношением сигнал-по- мехи. Для улучшения синхронизации отслеживаемого сигнала со стороны приемника, мы рекомендуем использовать non-data-aided (NDA) фазовый компаратор.. Основываясь на практической обра- ботке GPS сигналов, можно сделать вывод, что применение ал- горитма NDA обеспечивает большую устойчивость к внезапным изменениям в частоте входного сигнала по сравнению с приме- няемыми в настоящее время фазовыми дискриминаторми с фазо- вым контуром Costas. Кроме того, на основании проведенного анализа было показано, что предложенное решение позволяет обеспечить стабильность работы, особенно для сигналов с низ- ким отношением сигнал-помехи. / Prepoznavanje navigaocionih bita u GPS prijemniku realizuje se kroz procese praćenja i detekcije signala. U procesu praćenja signala lokalno generisani signal mora biti sinhronizovan sa primljenim signalom. Karakteristika Costasove fazne petlje, koja se najčešće koristi za sinhronizaciju signala, jeste podložnost uticaju izvora grešaka. Rezultantne greške praćenja faze značajne su u prisustvu slabog ulaznog signala, kao, na primer, kod signala sa malim odnosom signal–šum. Radi pobolj- šanja sinhronizacije omogućavanja praćenja signala koji emituje strane prijemnika, predlažemo upotrebu non-data-aided (NDA) fazni estimator. Na osnovu praktične obrade GPS signala pokazano je da primena NDA algoritma omogućava veću otpornost na iznenadne promene frekvencije ulaznog signala u odnosu na do sada primenjivani fazni diskriminator u Costasovoj faznoj petlji praćenja. Na osnovu izvršene analize pokazano je, takođe, da predloženo rešenje omogućava stabilan rad, naročito kod signala sa malim odnosom signal–šum

Antibacterial activity of copper-containing clinoptilolite/PVC composites toward clinical isolate of Acinetobacter baumannii

The multidrug-resistant bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii cause serious hospital infections. Commercial poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) used for endotracheal tubes was modified in order to obtain a composite with an antibacterial effect towards a clinical isolate of A. baumannii ST145. The composites were prepared by addition of different amounts of copper-containing zeolite tuff (CuZ) and by successive impregnation with D-tyrosine (D-Tyr) solution. The composites that were obtained by addition of CuZ (CuZ PVC) only did not exhibit an antibacterial effect. The impregnation of the CuZ PVC by D-Tyr resulted in an antibacterial effect which was explained by a synergistic effect of CuZ and D-Tyr. Rheological tests confirmed that the modification of PVC by CuZ does not affect its processability and reformability

Determination of higenamine in dietary supplements by UHPLC/MS/MS method

From 1st January 2017 higenamine was added on the WADA (World Anti-doping Agency) Prohibited list under S3 group beta-2 agonists as at all times banned substance for the athletes. The main origine of higenamine (or norcoclaurine) are different plants including Nandina domestica, Aconitum carmichaelii, Asarum heterotropioides, Galium divaricatum, Annona squamosa, Nelumbo nucifera etc. Higenamine main use is related to weight loss and it could be found (un)labeled in different dietary supplements. The objective of this study was development of sensitive and reliable UHPLC/MS/MS method for determination of higenamine in various dietary supplement samples. In order to obtain high method sensitivity, hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) mode was applied. Separation was carried out on UHPLC Acquity BEH HILIC analytical column (2.1 mm x 100 mm, 1.7 mu m particle size). Mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile, respectively, was mixed in ratio of 30:70, v/v. Flow rate was set at 0.2 mL min(-1). Quercetin was used as an internal standard. ESI (+) source ionization mode using multi reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was utilized and three ion transitions of higenamine were followed 272.08 -> 107.01, 272.08 -> 161.07 and 272.08 -> 77.08. Developed method was fully validated and applied for identification and quantification of higenamine in different dietary supplements. According to the results, the most of investigated supplements were free of higenamine, and on the other hand, presence of higenamine was confirmed in some samples while it was not declared on the label

A Multiparametric Approach to Cerium Oxide Nanoparticle Toxicity Assessment in Non-Biting Midges

© 2019 SETAC Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) are included in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) priority list of engineered nanomaterials for assessment of their environmental impact. The present study was carried out to assess the CeO2 NP toxicity to the freshwater midge Chironomus riparius larvae at concentrations of 2.5, 25, 250, and 2500 mg of CeO2 NP/kg of sediment. Experiments were designed to assess the prolonged exposure of midges to CeO2 NPs while adhering to OECD test guideline 218. The following parameters were investigated: CeO2 NP uptake by larvae, oxidative stress parameters, in vivo genotoxic effects, and life trait parameters. Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry analysis showed a significant positive correlation between the concentration of CeO2 NPs in the sediment and its uptake by the larvae. No significant mortality was observed in C. riparius, and oxidative stress was not detected. The only significantly induced sublethal effect was genotoxicity, which began to manifest at a lowest-observed-effect concentration of 25 mg kg–1 of sediment and progressively increased at higher concentrations. Our results indicate that exposure to CeO2 NP–contaminated freshwater sediments does not pose a risk to chironomids at environmentally realistic concentrations. However, the significant accumulation of CeO2 NPs by chironomid larvae may pose a risk through trophic transfer to organisms further up the food chain. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;39:131–140. © 2019 SETAC

Positive impact of prescribed physical activity on symptoms of schizophrenia: Randomized clinical trial

© Medicinska naklada - Zagreb, Croatia. Background: The purpose of this study was to examine functional capacity of cardio-respiratory system in patients with schizophrenia, and to evaluate the effects of 12 weeks prescribed physical activity on aerobic capacity and symptoms of schizophrenia. Subjects and methods: Study involved 80 hospitalized patients with any of the subtypes of schizophrenia (42 men, 38 women). They were divided into two groups: exercise and control group, both with 40 patients. Maximal aerobic capacity (VO2 max) as an indicator of cardiovascular fitness has been obtained by cardiopulmonary stress test on a treadmill. Twelve weeks program of prescribed physical activity (45 minutes, four times per week) was made for every patient individually. Patients in exercise group practiced in training zone between 65 and 75% of their maximum heart rate (HR). Target HR was controlled by Polar F4 monitors. Symptoms of schizophrenia were measured by using Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS). Results: Before the exercise program was introduced, measured VO2 max was significantly lower in patients with schizophrenia, than the expected average value in matched healthy subjects (p<0.001). After twelve weeks, patients in exercise group showed a significant increase of VO2max (p=0.002), and significantly higher level of VO2max compared to the control group (p=0.000). Significant differences were also observed on PANSS general psychopathology subscale (p=0.007) and on PANSS total score (p=0.001). The pharmacotherapy and exercise had influence on PANSS general psychopathology (p=0.002) and PANSS total score (p=0.001). Conclusions: Individuals with schizophrenia have lower levels of aerobic capacity compared to general population. Prescribed physical activity significantly improves aerobic capacity in people with schizophrenia and it is effective in amelioration of some psychiatric symptoms. Prescribed physical activity could be an effective adjunctive treatment for patients with schizophrenia, not only for prevention and treatment of comorbidities, but also having an impact on symptoms of schizophrenia

Changes in maximal oxygen uptake during growth and development in girls who actively participate in basketball and non-athletes girls: A longitudinal study

© 2018, Inst. Sci. inf., Univ. Defence in Belgrade. All rights reserved. Background/Aim. It is well known that continuous engagement in physical activity is important for normal growth and development of children. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), as a measure of functional state of the organism, is largely affected by level of physical activity, but it remains unclear to what extent it can be improved during childhood. The aim of the study was to evaluate dynamics of changes in aerobic capacity, anthropometric and body composition characteristics in active and non-active girls over a period of 3 years. Methods. A total of 48 young girls were included in the study. Girls were divided into 2 groups: training group consisted of 25 girls who played basketball (age 13.84 ± 0.94) and non-training group of 23 girls who were not involved in any organized sports (age 13.83 ± 0.98). Anthropometric and body composition characteristics were measured in order to monitor somatic growth during the study. VO2maxvalues were obtained by performing cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a treadmill. All parameters were measured every 6 months during 3-years period. Results. ANOVA analysis showed a significant time and group interaction effect on VO2max (p < 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (p < 0.001) and fat percentage (FAT%) (p < 0.01). Also, there was an obvious increase in VO2max within both groups due to growth and development itself (p < 0.001). Conclusion. The main finding of the study was an increase in VO2max due to growth and development. The girls who actively participated in basketball had higher level of aerobic capacity compared to non-active girls. Furthermore, continuous basketball training led to maintaining normal body composition in terms of FAT% and BMI, which altogether may imply that organized physical activity has a positive influence on evaluated characteristics

Coronary flow velocity reserve using dobutamine test for noninvasive functional assessment of myocardial bridging

Background: It has been shown that coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) measurement by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography (TTDE) during dobutamine (DOB) provocation provides a more accurate functional evaluation of myocardial bridging (MB) compared to adenosine. However; the cut-off value of CFVR during DOB for identification of MB associated with myocardial ischemia has not been fully clarified. Purpose: This prospective study aimed to determine the cut-off value of TTDE-CFVR during DOB in patients with isolated-MB, as compared with stress-induced wall motion abnormalities (VMA) during exercise stress-echocardiography (SE) as reference. Methods: Eighty-one symptomatic patients (55 males [68%], mean age 56 ± 10 years; range: 27–74 years) with the existence of isolated-MB on the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and systolic MB-compression ≥50% diameter stenosis (DS) were eligible to participate in the study. Each patient underwent treadmill exercise-SE, invasive coronary angiography, and TTDE-CFVR measurements in the distal segment of LAD during DOB infusion (DOB: 10–40 µg/kg/min). Using quantitative coronary angiography, both minimal luminal diameter (MLD) and percent DS at MB-site at end-systole and end-diastole were determined. Results: Stress-induced myocardial ischemia with the occurrence of WMA was found in 23 patients (28%). CFVR during peak DOB was significantly lower in the SE-positive group compared with the SE-negative group (1.94 ± 0.16 vs. 2.78 ± 0.53; p 20 µg/kg/min) for the identification of MB associated with stress-induced WMA, with a sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of 96%, 95%, 88%, and 98%, respectively (AUC 0.986; 95% CI: 0.967–1.000; p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that MLD and percent DS, both at end-diastole, were the only independent predictors of ischemic CFVR values ≤2.1 (OR: 0.023; 95% CI: 0.001–0.534; p = 0.019; OR: 1.147; 95% CI: 1.042–1.263; p = 0.005; respectively). Conclusions: Non-invasive CFVR during dobutamine provocation appears to be an additional and important noninvasive tool to determine the functional severity of isolated-MB. A transthoracic CFVR cut-off ≤2.1 measured at a high-dobutamine dose may be adequate for detecting myocardial ischemia in patients with isolated-MB

Prognostic value of transthoracic doppler echocardiography coronary flow velocity reserve in patients with asymmetric hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND: Microvascular dysfunction might be a major determinant of clinical deterioration and outcome in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). However, long-term prognostic value of transthoracic Doppler echocardiography (TDE) coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) on clinical outcome is uncertain in HCM patients. Therefore, the aim of our study was to assess long-term prognostic value of CFVR on clinical outcome in HCM population. METHODS AND RESULTS: We prospectively included 150 HCM patients (82 women; mean age 48±15 years). Patients’ clinical characteristics, echocardiographic and CFVR findings (both for left anterior descending [LAD] and posterior descending artery [PD]), were assessed in all patients. The primary outcome was a composite of: HCM related death, heart failure requir-ing hospitalization, sustained ventricular tachycardia and ischemic stroke. Patients were stratified into 2 subgroups depend-ing on CFVR LAD value: Group 1 (CFVR LAD>2, [n=87]) and Group 2 (CFVR LAD≤2, [n=63]). During a median follow-up of 88 months, 41/150 (27.3%) patients had adverse cardiac events. In Group 1, there were 8/87 (9.2%), whereas in Group 2 there were 33/63 (52.4%, P<0.001 vs. Group 1) adverse cardiac events. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, patients with preserved CFVR LAD had significantly higher cumulative event-free survival rate compared to patients with impaired CFVR LAD (96.4% and 90.9% versus 66.9% and 40.0%, at 5 and 8 years, respectively: log-rank 37.2, P<0.001). Multivariable analysis identified only CFVR LAD≤2 as an independent predictor for adverse cardiac outcome (HR 6.54; 95% CI 2.83–16.30, P<0.001), while CFVR PD was not significantly associated with outcome. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with HCM, impaired CFVR LAD (≤2) is a strong, independent predictor of adverse cardiac outcome. When the aim of testing is HCM risk stratification and CFVR LAD data are available, the evaluation of CFVR PD is redundant