Strength, jumping, and change of direction speed asymmetries are not associated with athletic performance in elite academy soccer players

The aims of the present study were twofold: 1) to measure inter-limb asymmetries from a battery of fitness tests in youth soccer players and, 2) determine the association between asymmetry and measures of athletic performance. Sixteen elite youth soccer players (14.7 ± 0.2 years) performed a single leg Abalakov test (ABK), change of direction (COD) test over 10 m (5 + 5) and 20 m (10 + 10), and an iso-inertial power test. Subjects also performed 10 m, 20 m and 30 m sprints and a bilateral countermovement jump (CMJ), which were correlated with all ABK, COD and iso-inertial asymmetry scores. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA showed significant differences between inter-limb asymmetry scores across multiple tests (p 0.05) between the different inter-limb asymmetry scores, and between asymmetry scores and athletic performance. These findings show the test-specific nature of asymmetries in youth soccer players, with the iso-inertial power test being the most sensitive in detecting asymmetry. Moreover, the results obtained suggest that inherent asymmetry in young soccer players did not negatively impact their performance

Valoración funcional en futbolistas y su utilidad en la recuperación tras una lesión

Aim - The objective of this study was to establish reference values for professional football players in a series of previously selected functional tests. Methods - 42 professional football players were functionally assessed during two seasons (2012/13 and 2013/14), at three different times: preseason, midpoint of the season and end of the season. For this purpose, the following tests were carried out: Counter Movement Jump (bipodal jump), 5 metres Shuttle Run Sprint Test (speed/agility), Barrow Test (agility), Y Balance Test (posture control), Single Hop Test and Triple Hop Test (unipodal jump). Results - The average obtained values were: Counter Movement Jump (40.25±4.13cm), 5 metres Shuttle Run Sprint Test (10.89±0.38 seconds), Barrow Test (7.46±0.27 seconds), right asymmetry Y Balance Test (4.63±2.16%), left asymmetry Y Balance Test (3.91±2.25%), right Single Hop Test (2.06±0.11 meters), left Single Hop Test (2.07±0.12 meters), right Triple Hop Test (6.87±0.29 meters) and left Triple Hop Test (6.83±0.31). Conclusion - This paper contributes reference values which can be used to determine the sports performance or quantify the degree of functional recovery of an professional injured football player during his recovery.Objetivo – El objetivo del presente estudio consistió en establecer valores de referencia para futbolistas profesionales en una serie de test funcionales seleccionados previamente. Método – Durante dos temporadas (2012/13 y 2013/14) y en tres momentos distintos de las mismas, 42 futbolistas profesionales fueron evaluados funcionalmente mediante las siguientes pruebas: CMJ (salto bipodal), 5 m Shuttle Run Sprint Test (velocidad/agilidad), Test de Barrow (agilidad), Y Balance Test (control postural), Single Hop Test y Triple Hop Test (salto unipodal). Resultados – Los valores medios obtenidos fueron: CMJ (40.25±4.13cm), 5 m Shuttle Run Sprint Test (10.89±0.38 segundos), Test de Barrow (7.46±0.27 segundos), Y Balance asimetría derecha (4.63±2.16%), Y Balance asimetría izquierda (3.91±2.25%), Single Hop Test derecha (2.06±0.11 metros), Single Hop Test izquierda (2.07±0.12 metros), Triple Hop Test derecha (6.87±0.29 metros) y Triple Hop Test izquierda (6.83±0.31). Conclusión – Este trabajo contribuye aportando valores de referencia que puedan ser utilizados para cuantificar el grado de recuperación funcional durante la recuperación de un futbolista profesional lesionado

Height and timing of growth spurt during puberty in young people living with vertically acquired HIV in Europe and Thailand.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe growth during puberty in young people with vertically acquired HIV. DESIGN: Pooled data from 12 paediatric HIV cohorts in Europe and Thailand. METHODS: One thousand and ninety-four children initiating a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or boosted protease inhibitor based regimen aged 1-10 years were included. Super Imposition by Translation And Rotation (SITAR) models described growth from age 8 years using three parameters (average height, timing and shape of the growth spurt), dependent on age and height-for-age z-score (HAZ) (WHO references) at antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. Multivariate regression explored characteristics associated with these three parameters. RESULTS: At ART initiation, median age and HAZ was 6.4 [interquartile range (IQR): 2.8, 9.0] years and -1.2 (IQR: -2.3 to -0.2), respectively. Median follow-up was 9.1 (IQR: 6.9, 11.4) years. In girls, older age and lower HAZ at ART initiation were independently associated with a growth spurt which occurred 0.41 (95% confidence interval 0.20-0.62) years later in children starting ART age 6 to 10 years compared with 1 to 2 years and 1.50 (1.21-1.78) years later in those starting with HAZ less than -3 compared with HAZ at least -1. Later growth spurts in girls resulted in continued height growth into later adolescence. In boys starting ART with HAZ less than -1, growth spurts were later in children starting ART in the oldest age group, but for HAZ at least -1, there was no association with age. Girls and boys who initiated ART with HAZ at least -1 maintained a similar height to the WHO reference mean. CONCLUSION: Stunting at ART initiation was associated with later growth spurts in girls. Children with HAZ at least -1 at ART initiation grew in height at the level expected in HIV negative children of a comparable age

Evidence for the Higgs-boson Yukawa coupling to tau leptons with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for H → τ τ decays are presented, based on the full set of proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC during 2011 and 2012. The data correspond to integrated luminosities of 4.5 fb−1 and 20.3 fb−1 at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 7 TeV and √s = 8 TeV respectively. All combinations of leptonic (τ → `νν¯ with ` = e, µ) and hadronic (τ → hadrons ν) tau decays are considered. An excess of events over the expected background from other Standard Model processes is found with an observed (expected) significance of 4.5 (3.4) standard deviations. This excess provides evidence for the direct coupling of the recently discovered Higgs boson to fermions. The measured signal strength, normalised to the Standard Model expectation, of µ = 1.43 +0.43 −0.37 is consistent with the predicted Yukawa coupling strength in the Standard Model

Influence of oxygen-content on the cathodoluminescence of YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-x)

The influence of oxygen content of YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-x) ceramic samples on the cathodoluminescence emission has been studied in the scanning electron microscope. No luminescent band has been related to the presence of native oxygen vacancies in untreated samples. On the other hand vacancies are involved in luminescent centers formed after some treatments as electron irradiation

Role of Cannabinoid Receptor CB2 in HER2 Pro-oncogenic Signaling in Breast Cancer

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Comet P/2017 s5 (atlas)

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