Impact differences among the landing phases of a drop vertical jump in soccer players

The aim of this study was to examine the differences of landing phase biomechanics between the players who had anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and healthy participants during single leg drop vertical jump. In this study, 11 soccer players who had anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (aged 23.0±3.6 years, height 177±5.0 cm, weight 83.8±11.7 kg) and 9 healthy soccer players( aged 22.2±2.4 years, height 178±3.0 cm, weight 74.3±6.1 kg) participated voluntarily. During the data collection phase three high speed cameras synchronized to each other and force plate were used. Visual analysis programme and MATLAB were used to calculate kinetic and kinematic variables. Landing techniques of the subjects' were examined by flexion angle of knee, ground reaction force and moment parameters. The statistical analyses of the measured results were performed by t-test and Pearson Correlation analysis. According to the results, it was determined that peak vertical ground reaction force exhibited significant phase differences (p=0.00, and p=0.00, respectively) between the groups. Obtained results can be explained with "quadriceps avoidance" motion pattern which is characterized by decreased quadriceps activity and lower external knee flexion moment in an effort to control anterior translation of the tibia in subjects with ACL reconstruction. A better understanding of the different phases during single-leg landings can shed a light on mechanism of non-contact anterior crucaite ligament injuries therefore future researches should assess how phase differences affect drop vertical jump performance. © 2018 Montenegrin Sports Academy. All rights reserved

Les ressources génétiques forestières dans le bassin méditerranéen

Ce texte est le rapport du Groupe FAO d'experts des ressources génétiques forestières, pour la Méditerranée. Il a été présenté par Michel Bariteau, membre de ce groupe, lors de la 12e Session de la FAO à Rome, du 21 au 23 novembre 2001. Il fait le point sur l'état actuel des ressources génétiques forestières dans l'ensemble des pays du bassin méditerranéen

Spring cleaning as a safety risk: results of a population-based study in two consecutive years

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Spring cleaning is a popular tradition in Iran as well as in many other countries. The purpose of our study was to determine the pattern and compare the incidence of spring cleaning related injuries in Tehran, in the years 2007 and 2008.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the year 2007, a household survey was performed in Tehran by random cluster sampling. The survey was repeated in May 2008 with the same clusters and starting points, but different households. The incidence of spring cleaning related injuries, the age and sex of injured person(s), the mechanism, type and cost of injuries were recorded through semi-structured interviews. The incidence rates of injuries and injuries leading to health visits (severe) according to sex and age groups were calculated. Data were analyzed using SPSS and STATA statistical softwares.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The incidence of all and severe spring cleaning related injuries were 3.8 (3.0 - 4.8) and 1.6 (1.1-2.3) per 1000, respectively. The most common mechanisms of injuries were falls, followed by cutting and lifting heavy objects or overexertion. Falls were also the main mechanism of severe injuries. The most common injuries were open wounds, followed by superficial injuries (including contusions) and sprain and strain. Among severe injuries, the most frequent injuries were open wounds and contusions, followed by dislocations. The injuries were most common among women with an incidence of about 8.4 per 1000 in women older than 18 years of age (severe injuries: 3.4 per 1000 (2.2-5.1)).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The incidence of spring cleaning related injuries is high enough to raise concern in health system authorities. It could be estimated that about 23,927 to 38,283 persons get injured during the spring cleaning in Tehran at the beginning of every Persian new year. In addition, about 8,773-18,344 of these cases are expected to be severe enough to lead to medical attention (considering 7,975,679 as the population of Tehran at the time of study). Improving awareness of families, especially young women, regarding the scope and importance of spring cleaning safety can be suggested as the first population-based strategy to decrease the incidence of these injuries.</p

Enzyme-Nanoporous Gold Biocomposite: Excellent Biocatalyst with Improved Biocatalytic Performance and Stability

Background: Applications involving biomolecules, such as enzymes, antibodies, and other proteins as well as whole cells, are often hampered by their unstable nature at extremely high temperature and in organic solvents. Methodology/Principal Findings: We constructed enzyme-NPG biocomposites by assembling various enzymes onto the surface of nanoporous gold (NPG), which showed much enhanced biocatalytic performance and stability. Various enzymes with different molecular sizes were successfully tethered onto NPG, and the loadings were 3.6, 3.1 and 0.8 mg g 21 for lipase, catalase and horseradish peroxidase, respectively. The enzyme-NPG biocomposites exhibited remarkable catalytic activities which were fully comparable to those of free enzymes. They also presented enhanced stability, with 74, 78 and 53 % of enzymatic activity retained after 20 successive batch reactions. Moreover, these novel biocomposites possessed significantly enhanced reaction durability under various thermal and in organic solvent systems. In a sample transesterification reaction, a high conversion rate was readily achieved by using the lipase-NPG biocomposite. Conclusion/Significance: These nano-biocomposite materials hold great potential in applications such as biosensing, molecular electronics, catalysis, and controlled delivery

Mapping genomic loci implicates genes and synaptic biology in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia has a heritability of 60-80%1, much of which is attributable to common risk alleles. Here, in a two-stage genome-wide association study of up to 76,755 individuals with schizophrenia and 243,649 control individuals, we report common variant associations at 287 distinct genomic loci. Associations were concentrated in genes that are expressed in excitatory and inhibitory neurons of the central nervous system, but not in other tissues or cell types. Using fine-mapping and functional genomic data, we identify 120 genes (106 protein-coding) that are likely to underpin associations at some of these loci, including 16 genes with credible causal non-synonymous or untranslated region variation. We also implicate fundamental processes related to neuronal function, including synaptic organization, differentiation and transmission. Fine-mapped candidates were enriched for genes associated with rare disruptive coding variants in people with schizophrenia, including the glutamate receptor subunit GRIN2A and transcription factor SP4, and were also enriched for genes implicated by such variants in neurodevelopmental disorders. We identify biological processes relevant to schizophrenia pathophysiology; show convergence of common and rare variant associations in schizophrenia and neurodevelopmental disorders; and provide a resource of prioritized genes and variants to advance mechanistic studies.</p

Replicated evidence that endophenotypic expression of schizophrenia polygenic risk is greater in healthy siblings of patients compared to controls, suggesting gene-environment interaction. The EUGEI study

Background First-degree relatives of patients with psychotic disorder have higher levels of polygenic risk (PRS) for schizophrenia and higher levels of intermediate phenotypes. Methods We conducted, using two different samples for discovery (n = 336 controls and 649 siblings of patients with psychotic disorder) and replication (n = 1208 controls and 1106 siblings), an analysis of association between PRS on the one hand and psychopathological and cognitive intermediate phenotypes of schizophrenia on the other in a sample at average genetic risk (healthy controls) and a sample at higher than average risk (healthy siblings of patients). Two subthreshold psychosis phenotypes, as well as a standardised measure of cognitive ability, based on a short version of the WAIS-III short form, were used. In addition, a measure of jumping to conclusion bias (replication sample only) was tested for association with PRS. Results In both discovery and replication sample, evidence for an association between PRS and subthreshold psychosis phenotypes was observed in the relatives of patients, whereas in the controls no association was observed. Jumping to conclusion bias was similarly only associated with PRS in the sibling group. Cognitive ability was weakly negatively and non-significantly associated with PRS in both the sibling and the control group. Conclusions The degree of endophenotypic expression of schizophrenia polygenic risk depends on having a sibling with psychotic disorder, suggestive of underlying gene–environment interaction. Cognitive biases may better index genetic risk of disorder than traditional measures of neurocognition, which instead may reflect the population distribution of cognitive ability impacting the prognosis of psychotic disorder

Examining the association between exposome score for schizophrenia and functioning in schizophrenia, siblings, and healthy controls: Results from the EUGEI study.

Background. A cumulative environmental exposure score for schizophrenia (exposome score for schizophrenia [ES-SCZ]) may provide potential utility for risk stratification and outcome prediction. Here, we investigated whether ES-SCZ was associated with functioning in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder, unaffected siblings, and healthy controls. Methods. This cross-sectional sample consisted of 1,261 patients, 1,282 unaffected siblings, and 1,525 healthy controls. The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale was used to assess functioning. ES-SCZ was calculated based on our previously validated method. The association between ES-SCZ and the GAF dimensions (symptom and disability) was analyzed by applying regression models in each group (patients, siblings, and controls). Additional models included polygenic risk score for schizophrenia (PRS-SCZ) as a covariate. Results. ES-SCZ was associated with the GAF dimensions in patients (symptom: B = 1.53, p-value = 0.001; disability: B = 1.44, p-value = 0.001), siblings (symptom: B = 3.07, p-value < 0.001; disability: B = 2.52, p-value < 0.001), and healthy controls (symptom: B = 1.50, p-value < 0.001; disability: B = 1.31, p-value < 0.001). The results remained the same after adjusting for PRS-SCZ. The degree of associations of ES-SCZ with both symptom and disability dimensions were higher in unaffected siblings than in patients and controls. By analyzing an independent dataset (the Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis study), we replicated the results observed in the patient group. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that ES-SCZ shows promise for enhancing risk prediction and stratification in research practice. From a clinical perspective, ES-SCZ may aid in efforts of clinical characterization, operationalizing transdiagnostic clinical staging models, and personalizing clinical management

Estimating Exposome Score for Schizophrenia Using Predictive Modeling Approach in Two Independent Samples: The Results From the EUGEI Study

Exposures constitute a dense network of the environment: exposome. Here, we argue for embracing the exposome paradigm to investigate the sum of nongenetic "risk" and show how predictive modeling approaches can be used to construct an exposome score (ES; an aggregated score of exposures) for schizophrenia. The training dataset consisted of patients with schizophrenia and controls, whereas the independent validation dataset consisted of patients, their unaffected siblings, and controls. Binary exposures were cannabis use, hearing impairment, winter birth, bullying, and emotional, physical, and sexual abuse along with physical and emotional neglect. We applied logistic regression (LR), Gaussian Naive Bayes (GNB), the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and Ridge penalized classification models to the training dataset. ESs, the sum of weighted exposures based on coefficients from each model, were calculated in the validation dataset. In addition, we estimated ES based on meta-analyses and a simple sum score of exposures. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, area under the receiver operating characteristic, and Nagelkerke's R2 were compared. The ESMeta-analyses performed the worst, whereas the sum score and the ESGNB were worse than the ESLR that performed similar to the ESLASSO and ESRIDGE. The ESLR distinguished patients from controls (odds ratio [OR] = 1.94, P < .001), patients from siblings (OR = 1.58, P < .001), and siblings from controls (OR = 1.21, P = .001). An increase in ESLR was associated with a gradient increase of schizophrenia risk. In reference to the remaining fractions, the ESLR at top 30%, 20%, and 10% of the control distribution yielded ORs of 3.72, 3.74, and 4.77, respectively. Our findings demonstrate that predictive modeling approaches can be harnessed to evaluate the exposome