Games the Government Plays: Federal Funding of Minority Economic Development

The objective of this study was to investigate regional differences in injury incidence in men's professional football in Europe. A nine-season prospective cohort study was carried out between 2001–2002 and 2009–2010 involving 1357 players in 25 teams from nine countries. Teams were categorized into different regions according to the Köppen–Geiger climate classification system. Teams from the northern parts of Europe (n = 20) had higher incidences of injury overall [rate ratio 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06 to 1.20], training injury (rate ratio 1.16, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.27), and severe injury (rate ratio 1.29, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.52), all statistically significant, compared to teams from more southern parts (n  = 5). In contrast, the anterior cruciate ligament injury incidence was lower in the northern European teams with a statistically significant difference (rate ratio 0.43, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.77), especially for noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury (rate ratio 0.19, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.39). In conclusion, this study suggests that there are regional differences in injury incidence of European professional football. However, further studies are needed to identify the underlying causes.Funding Agencies|UEFA Football Development Division||Swedish National Centre for Research in Sports||</p

Low Concentrations of Mercury Induce Changes in Ion Composition of Cultured Myoblasts

The effects of low concentrations (1 pM, 1 nM, 1 μM) of mercuric chloride on ion distribution in cultured myoblasts were analysed by energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis. An increase in intracellular sodium concentration was observed five minutes after addition of HgC12 to the culture medium. This increase was dose dependent and accompanied by a transient decrease in potassium concentration. Exposure to 1 nM and 1 μM HgC12 led to a two-fold increase in the cytoplasmic chlorine concentration. The higher HgC12 concentration (1 μM) induced morphological alterations in the form of cell membrane blebs, perforations and shrinkage or flattening of the myoblasts. It was concluded that even low concentrations of mercuric chloride cause elemental and morphological changes in cultured myoblasts, which may reflect effects of the metal on membrane permeability

Николай Иванович Хвисюк : к 80-летию со дня рождения

Background: No study has investigated whether newcomers to professional soccer have a different injury rate than established players.                      Purpose: The primary objective was to investigate whether being a newcomer to professional soccer influences injury rates. The secondary objective was to evaluate whether playing position and player age influence injury rates.                      Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.                      Methods: Twenty-six soccer clubs, with 1401 players, were followed prospectively over 9 consecutive seasons between 2001 and 2010. Club medical staff recorded time-loss injuries and soccer exposure on an individual level. Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate associations between time-loss injuries and time in professional soccer, playing position, and age.                      Results: In total, 6140 injuries and 797,389 hours of exposure were registered. A decreased general injury rate was observed for newcomers (n = 116) compared with established players (n = 3091) (hazard ratio [HR], 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61-0.99). In contrast, newcomers had a higher rate of fractures (rate ratio [RR], 1.77; 95% CI, 1.05-2.97), especially stress-related bone injuries (RR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.08-6.69). Using goalkeepers as a reference, all outfield playing positions had significantly higher adjusted injury rates: defenders with an HR of 1.91 (95% CI, 1.64-2.24), midfielders with an HR of 1.78 (95% CI, 1.53-2.07), and forwards with an HR of 1.82 (95% CI, 1.55-2.14). Using players aged ≤21 years as a reference, the overall adjusted injury rate increased with age, with a peak injury rate among players aged 29 to 30 years (HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.24-1.68).                      Conclusion: Newcomers to professional soccer had a lower general injury rate than established players but a higher rate of stress-related bone injuries. Being a goalkeeper was associated with lower injury rates than all outfield playing positions. Injury rates increased with age, a pattern that persisted after adjusting for playing position and match exposure

Return to play after thigh muscle injury in elite football players: implementation and validation of the Munich muscle injury classification

Background: Owing to the complexity and heterogeneity of muscle injuries, a generally accepted classification system is still lacking. Aims To prospectively implement and validate a novel muscle injury classification and to evaluate its predictive value for return to professional football. Methods: The recently described Munich muscle injury classification was prospectively evaluated in 31 European professional male football teams during the 2011/2012 season. Thigh muscle injury types were recorded by team medical staff and correlated to individual player exposure and resultant time-loss. Results: In total, 393 thigh muscle injuries occurred. The muscle classification system was well received with a 100% response rate. Two-thirds of thigh muscle injuries were classified as structural and were associated with longer lay-off times compared to functional muscle disorders (p<0.001). Significant differences were observed between structural injury subgroups (minor partial, moderate partial and complete injuries) with increasing lay-off time associated with more severe structural injury. Median lay-off time of functional disorders was 5–8 days without significant differences between subgroups. There was no significant difference in the absence time between anterior and posterior thigh injuries. Conclusions: The Munich muscle classification demonstrates a positive prognostic validity for return to play after thigh muscle injury in professional male football players. Structural injuries are associated with longer average lay-off times than functional muscle disorders. Subclassification of structural injuries correlates with return to play, while subgrouping of functional disorders shows less prognostic relevance. Functional disorders are often underestimated clinically and require further systematic study

Effects of dental probing on occlusal surfaces - A scanning electron microscopy evaluation

The aim of this clinical-morphological study was to investigate the effects of dental probing on occlusal surfaces by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Twenty sound occlusal surfaces of third molars and 20 teeth with initial carious lesions of 17- to 26-year-old patients (n = 18) were involved. Ten molars of each group were probed with a sharp dental probe (No. 23) before extraction; the other molars served as negative controls. After extraction of the teeth, the crowns were separated and prepared for the SEM study. Probing-related surface defects, enlargements and break-offs of occlusal pits and fissures were observed on all occlusal surfaces with initial carious lesions and on 2 sound surfaces, respectively. No traumatic defects whatsoever were visible on unprobed occlusal surfaces. This investigation confirms findings of light-microscopic studies that using a sharp dental probe for occlusal caries detection causes enamel defects. Therefore, dental probing should be considered as an inappropriate procedure and should be replaced by a meticulous visual inspection. Critical views of tactile caries detection methods with a sharp dental probe as a diagnostic tool seem to be inevitable in undergraduate and postgraduate dental education programmes. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

Models d’anàlisi per a la prevenció de lesions en l’esport. Estudi epidemiològic de lesions: el model UEFA en el futbol

El món de l’esport, i especialment el de la competició, comporta un risc considerable de lesió, pel seu nivell d’exigència física i psíquica. L’origen multifactorial de les lesions complica la identificaciódels factors de risc. Des de la publicació el 1992 del Model se-qüencial per a la prevenció de lesions de Van Mechelen, diferents autors han aportat nous criteris d’anàlisi amb l’objectiu de determinar, des d’una perspectiva científica,l’eficàciai l’eficiènciad’aquests models. Els anys 1999 i 2000 el Comitè Mèdic de la UEFA va discu-tir sobre el disseny òptim per a l’estudi i l’anàlisi epidemiològica de les lesions en el futbol. Aquest article resumeix l’evolució dels models d’anàlisi per a la prevenció de le-sions, i a més presenta el model UEFA d’estudi epidemiològic de les lesions en el futbol (“és millor prevenir que curar”, Erasmus, 1466-1536)

Автоматизация расчетов при проектировании систем электроснабжения жилых домов

Материалы XVII Междунар. науч.-техн. конф. студентов, аспирантов и молодых ученых, Гомель, 27–28 апр. 2017 г

Test-retest reliability of the Shape/Texture Identification testTM in people with chronic stroke

To evaluate the test-retest reliability of the Shape/Texture Identification test (STI-test(TM)) in persons with chronic stroke

Identifying targets for increased biogas production through chemical and organic matter characterization of digestate from full-scale biogas plants: what remains and why?

Background This study examines the destiny of macromolecules in different full-scale biogas processes. From previous studies it is clear that the residual organic matter in outgoing digestates can have significant biogas potential, but the factors dictating the size and composition of this residual fraction and how they correlate with the residual methane potential (RMP) are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to generate additional knowledge of the composition of residual digestate fractions and to understand how they correlate with various operational and chemical parameters. The organic composition of both the substrates and digestates from nine biogas plants operating on food waste, sewage sludge, or agricultural waste was characterized and the residual organic fractions were linked to substrate type, trace metal content, ammonia concentration, operational parameters, RMP, and enzyme activity. Results Carbohydrates represented the largest fraction of the total VS (32-68%) in most substrates. However, in the digestates protein was instead the most abundant residual macromolecule in almost all plants (3-21 g/kg). The degradation efficiency of proteins generally lower (28-79%) compared to carbohydrates (67-94%) and fats (86-91%). High residual protein content was coupled to recalcitrant protein fractions and microbial biomass, either from the substrate or formed in the degradation process. Co-digesting sewage sludge with fat increased the protein degradation efficiency with 18%, possibly through a priming mechanism where addition of easily degradable substrates also triggers the degradation of more complex fractions. In this study, high residual methane production (> 140 L CH4/kg VS) was firstly coupled to operation at unstable process conditions caused mainly by ammonia inhibition (0.74 mg NH3-N/kg) and/or trace element deficiency and, secondly, to short hydraulic retention time (HRT) (55 days) relative to the slow digestion of agricultural waste and manure. Conclusions Operation at unstable conditions was one reason for the high residual macromolecule content and high RMP. The outgoing protein content was relatively high in all digesters and improving the degradation of proteins represents one important way to increase the VS reduction and methane production in biogas plants. Post-treatment or post-digestion of digestates, targeting microbial biomass or recalcitrant protein fractions, is a potential way to achieve increased protein degradation