Rugby-playing history at the national U13 level and subsequent participation at the national U16 and U18 rugby tournaments

Background. The South African Rugby Union has adopted the model of competition at a young age (U13 years) to identify talent. There is concern however that bigger players who mature early are selected at this age, and that the majority of these players do not play rugby at a high level after puberty. Objectives. The aim of this study was to establish how many players in the 2005 U13 Craven week (n=349) participated in subsequent U16 Grant Khomo and U18 Craven week tournaments. Design. Longitudinal. Results. 31.5% of the players who played in the U13 Craven week, were again selected to play at U16 Grant Khomo week and 24.1% were selected for the U18 Craven week. Conclusion. Seventy-six per cent of the players selected for the U13 tournament do not play at the U18 national Craven week tournament. These data need to be considered when decisions are made about the cost-effectiveness of staging the U13 tournament, particularly if the main goal of this tournament is for talent identification.SAJSM, vol 23 No. 4 201

CORROSION-RESISTANT SHIELD FOR CIRCUIT BOARD APPLICATIONS

Networking equipment can be deployed in environments involving polluted airspaces and other non-optimal environments involving humidity, high temperature, high pollution content, etc. Additionally, a significant factor that can be corrosive to electronic devices is the presence of sulfur-dioxide, which can be found in many forms of air pollution. Although it is often recommended to control such environmental conditions/factors, some locations and/or circumstances may limit the ability to control environmental conditions/factors. To improve the operability of electronic devices in caustic/corrosive environments, a corrosion-resistant shield is presented herein that provides a new approach to facilitate corrosion protection for electronic devices instead of conventional conformal coatings. The corrosion-resistant shield can be produced from an affordable material that is replaceable, customizable, and can be targeted to a wide-range of electronic products that may be deployed in moderately corrosive environments

Long-term player development in rugby - how are we doing in South Africa?

Rugby is a sport where size does matter. Players who are bigger, stronger and faster have an advantage over smaller, less powerful players. These differences in size are exacerbated at the junior levels where players reach puberty at different stages. Furthermore, the problem is compounded in South Africa, where children from a low socio-economic environment are generally smaller and less powerful than their counterparts from more affluent areas.1 There is a strong likelihood that the smaller talented players will rather participate in sports in which they can express their talent and not be limited by their lack of size, as is the case in rugby. Some players in this group may be late developers, who possess the skills associated with success in rugby but lack the size. If these players are not managed appropriately, their superior skills may not ever have an opportunity to manifest and develop fully. This raises the point of having a wellconstructed long-term talent development model2 which considers that talent development is multi-factorial and dynamic in nature.3 Such a model would consider the differences in size during puberty and cater as much for the slow developers as it does for the early developers. Developing talent is not an easy task and requires ongoing monitoring to ensure that there are progressions in skill, physical ability and cognitive maturation.3 Failure to adopt a long-term talent development model, where talent and skills are developed systematically, will result in many players who may be late developers, choosing to play other sports where size is not such a distinguishing factor. This raises questions of whether rugby in South Africa needs to be managed differently to cater for these smaller players, particularly during the pre-pubertal years, where most of the variation in size exists

Therapeutic Alliance Between Youth and Staff in Residential Group Care: Psychometrics of the Therapeutic Alliance Quality Scale

Therapeutic alliance has been frequently studied in individual counseling sessions; however, research on therapeutic alliance in residential settings for youth with mental health diagnoses has been limited. This may be due, in part, to the presence of multiple service providers often in caregiving roles. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric quality of a widely utilized measure of therapeutic alliance used in psychotherapy with youth in residential care where the treatment is provided by a trained married couple. We also compared the relationship between youth ratings of their male and female service provider, as well as examined correlations in ratings between youth and staff on therapeutic alliance. Finally, we investigated the direction, magnitude, and trajectory of change in therapeutic alliance over a 12-month period following admission into residential care. The method was a longitudinal assessment of 135 youth and 124 staff regarding therapeutic alliance over the course of 12 months or discharge from services. Results indicated strong psychometric properties and high correlations for youth ratings of both their male and female service providers. However, the correlation was low between youth and service provider ratings of alliance. Longitudinal analyses indicated that rates of therapeutic alliance changed over time

Repair of a wide sternal cleft in a young female

AbstractSternal clefts are rare congenital malformations of the anterior chest wall. Surgical correction is typically recommended as early as possible due to the compliance and growth potential of the infant sternum. Several operative techniques have been employed with great success. However, there is a paucity of data regarding repair in large clefts refractory to standard reparative techniques. We report the successful surgical repair in a 15-month-old female with an excessively large, superior sternal cleft

Chronic Changes In Serum IL-6 And TNF-α Following 12 Weeks of Concurrent Resistance And Aerobic Exercise Are Dependent On Exercise Mode And May Affect Adaptation

PURPOSE: To examine physiological responses to concurrent resistance and land treadmill training (RT-LTM) compared to concurrent resistance and aquatic treadmill training (RT-ATM) and the chronic effect of each on serum TNF-α and IL-6 (cytokines associated with chronic inflammation, CVD, and skeletal muscle metabolism). METHODS: Twenty-six untrained subjects (M: n=13, 98.6±17.1kg, 182.2±6.2cm, 34±11yrs, F: n=13, 78.9±14.0kg, 165.1±5.1cm, 38±11yrs) were screened to assess VO2max, body composition (DEXA), and strength (Lifts: leg press, chest press, leg curl, lat pull, leg ext, triceps push-down, biceps curl). Subjects were then randomized into 2 groups: RT-LTM (M=6, F=7), RT-ATM (M=7, F=6). Each performed progressive RT (2/wk, 3 x 8-12 @ 60%à~80% 1RM) for 12 wks. Both groups also performed 12 wks of aerobic LTM or ATM (60à85%VO2max) respectively. ATM or LTM occurred immediately following RT sessions and in isolation on a 3rd day during the wk. Kcal/session: Wk 1-6 = 250à500 kcal/session, Wk 6-12 = 500 kcal/session. Blood samples were obtained in the rested state (\u3e72h after last exercise bout) before and after training. Serum TNF-α and IL-6 was analyzed using a multiplex assay kit (Luminex®, Millipore®). A 2x2 Mixed Model ANOVA w/ repeated measures was used to examine absolute and relative changes in the independent variables listed in the table. RESULTS: INDEP. VAR. Lean Mass (kg) Fat Mass (kg) %Body Fat (%) VO2max (ml/kg/min) Total Strength (lbs) IL-6 (pg/dl) TNF-α (pg/dl) BASELINE MEASUREMENTS RT-LTM 49.9 ± 3.7 35.9 ± 3.1 42.1 ± 2.5 29.9 ± 2.0 1457.4 ± 135.1 4.6 ± 1.6 7.1 ± 1.9 RT-ATM 53.1 ± 4.0 31.1 ± 2.8 37.0 ± 2.3 32.1 ± 1.6 1552.8 ± 145.9 4.6 ± 1.5 7.9 ± 1.5 POST TRAINING MEASUREMENTS RT-LTM 51.0 ± 4.7† 34.1 ± 2.7† 40.1 ± 3.6† 35.8 ± 2.9† 1843.4 ± 201.1† 7.1 ± 1.6† 6.8 ± 0.5 RT-ATM 55.8 ± 4.6† 30.3 ± 3.1 35.6 ± 2.4† 35.8 ± 2.3† 2193.6 ± 251.3† 5.1 ± 2.7 6.6 ± 1.0† %∆ = Calculated From Each Individual Subjects Change From Baseline RT-LTM 2.6% ± 1.4†,a -6.5% ± 2.4†,a -5.8% ± 1.8†,a 14.1% ± 2.3†,a 21.3% ± 1.1†,a 125.9% ± 36.6†,a -1.8% ± 6.0a RT-ATM 4.2% ± 0.9†,b -2.1% ± 1.6b -4.1% ± 1.5†,a 4.5% ± 3.0†,b 27.1% ± 1.7†,b 28.1% ± 34.7b -13.0% ± 5.4†,b Values are means ± SE. %Δ = Individual change from baseline. Like letters = not significantly different between groups, †=Significant change from baseline within group (α ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION: Chronic RT-LTM and RT-ATM training elicit different effects on markers of chronic inflammation which may be related to differing health and fitness outcomes observed between our groups

Hemodynamics at Maximum Exercise and Exercise Recovery in Freshman Football Recruits at a BCS School

To determine if blood pressures assessed during max exercise and exercise recovery differ in Freshman football player recruits classified according to body mass index categories (BMICAT). A group of 107 freshman football recruits (mean age=18.2yrs, mean height=187.2 cm, mean weight = 103.0 kg, mean BMI=27.4 kg/meters squared, mean percent fat= 18.3%.) underwent graded exercise testing on a treadmill. Height and weight were assessed and BMI was calculated as weight (kg) / height (m) squared. All 97 subjects were classified as either “normal weight”(NW) (N=38), “overweight” (OW)(N=41) or “obese” (OB)(N=28) according to the National Institutes of Health guidelines. Body fat percentage (PCTFAT) was assessed using dual x-ray absorptiometry. Resting systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures were taken following a 3 minute rest period. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was estimated as [.3(SBP-DBP)]+DBP. Pressures were also assessed at max exercise and at 1, 3, and 5 minutes post exercise. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with PCTFAT as a covariate was used to determine if differences remained among BMICAT in adjusted values for max exercise and all recovery pressures. After ACOVA adjustment, all maximum and recovery pressures were different among BMICAT with statistical significance found at max exercise and 1 minute post exercise. After adjustment for PCTFAT, differences remain in blood pressures among BMI categories

Neutralization mechanism of a highly potent antibody against Zika virus

The rapid spread of Zika virus (ZIKV), which causes microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome, signals an urgency to identify therapeutics. Recent efforts to rescreen dengue virus human antibodies for ZIKV cross-neutralization activity showed antibody C10 as one of the most potent. To investigate the ability of the antibody to block fusion, we determined the cryoEM structures of the C10-ZIKV complex at pH levels mimicking the extracellular (pH8.0), early (pH6.5) and late endosomal (pH5.0) environments. The 4.0 Å resolution pH8.0 complex structure shows that the antibody binds to E proteins residues at the intra-dimer interface, and the virus quaternary structure-dependent inter-dimer and inter-raft interfaces. At pH6.5, antibody C10 locks all virus surface E proteins, and at pH5.0, it locks the E protein raft structure, suggesting that it prevents the structural rearrangement of the E proteins during the fusion event—a vital step for infection. This suggests antibody C10 could be a good therapeutic candidate

Comparative genome and methylome analysis reveals restriction/modification system diversity in the gut commensal Bifidobacterium breve

Bifidobacterium breve represents one of the most abundant bifidobacterial species in the gastrointestinal tract of breast-fed infants, where their presence is believed to exert beneficial effects. In the present study whole genome sequencing, employing the PacBio Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing platform, combined with comparative genome analysis allowed the most extensive genetic investigation of this taxon. Our findings demonstrate that genes encoding Restriction/Modification (R/M) systems constitute a substantial part of the B. breve variable gene content (or variome). Using the methylome data generated by SMRT sequencing, combined with targeted Illumina bisulfite sequencing (BS-seq) and comparative genome analysis, we were able to detect methylation recognition motifs and assign these to identified B. breve R/M systems, where in several cases such assignments were confirmed by restriction analysis. Furthermore, we show that R/M systems typically impose a very significant barrier to genetic accessibility of B. breve strains, and that cloning of a methyltransferase-encoding gene may overcome such a barrier, thus allowing future functional investigations of members of this species.</p