EXPLOSIVE LEG STRENGTH OF ELITE BASKETBALL PLAYERS

Summary (Abstract): The study was performed in order to determine changes in the level of explosive leg strength in elite basketball players after in a 12-week experimental treatment. The study included 15 basketball players from OKK “Konstantin” in Nis in which they are also participants in a basketball league located in Serbia. The youngest basketball player is 18 and the oldest is 26 years old.  A sample of measuring instruments consisted tests of explosive leg strength: squat jump, countermovement jump, drop jump and standing long jump. The experimental program lasted for 12 weeks, from January to March 2015 and during this interval there were 36 training sessions, three sessions per week, for the development of explosive leg strength. In addition to training in the experimental treatment, the basketball players had a regular training through a competitive cycle. Statistical analysis included the basic descriptive parameters (mean value -  mean and standard deviation – St. Dev) and analysis of variance (MANOVA and ANOVA). Analyses of variance were obtained by changes in the final compared to the initial measurement. The results showed statistically significant changes of explosive leg strength r>0.05. It can be concluded that an experimental treatment significantly affect the date skills

MOTOR ABILITIES OF CHILDREN IN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS

Knowledge of motor skills in young schoolchildren is directly related to the effects of physical education and the development of certain motor skills. During the younger school age, the dynamics of the development change is slower when compared to the development of preschoolers. The general mobility factor which, according to most authors, exists during the pre-school age begins to vary during the first few years of elementary school, and this is precisely the period in which children quickly develop their motor skills. The aim of this study is to determine the differences in the motor abilities of students in urban and rural areas. The sample in this study consisted of fourth-grade elementary school students (N = 120) in the municipality of Vranje. The data processing was carried out with the help of the T-test and X2 test.  What was tested was the explosive strength, speed of movement frequency, repetitive strength of the trunk and flexibility. Each test of motor ability is covered with at least three variables, and in any case, it did not happen that one group had better results in all three variables that are used for the estimation of some motor skills. Students from urban areas showed significantly better results in explosive strength of the upper limbs (MBCM) and the flexibility of the lower extremities (MDPR and MPRS). Students from rural areas showed significantly better results in speed-frequency movements of the arms and legs (MKRR and MKRN) and the repetitive strength of the trunk (MPNL and MZTL). The number of schoolchildren from urban areas who participate in sports is not significantly different from the number of schoolchildren from rural areas who are involved in sports. The difference that occurs in some variables of motor skills is most likely a consequence of specific training in the context of some field of sport, the quality of training in the field, genetics and physical activity during leisure time

Key Learning Outcomes for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Education in Europe: A Modified Delphi Study.

Harmonizing clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) education in Europe is necessary to ensure that the prescribing competency of future doctors is of a uniform high standard. As there are currently no uniform requirements, our aim was to achieve consensus on key learning outcomes for undergraduate CPT education in Europe. We used a modified Delphi method consisting of three questionnaire rounds and a panel meeting. A total of 129 experts from 27 European countries were asked to rate 307 learning outcomes. In all, 92 experts (71%) completed all three questionnaire rounds, and 33 experts (26%) attended the meeting. 232 learning outcomes from the original list, 15 newly suggested and 5 rephrased outcomes were included. These 252 learning outcomes should be included in undergraduate CPT curricula to ensure that European graduates are able to prescribe safely and effectively. We provide a blueprint of a European core curriculum describing when and how the learning outcomes might be acquired

Predictive Markers for Malignant Urothelial Transformation in Balkan Endemic Nephropathy: A Case–Control Study

Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) is a chronic tubulointerstitial disease frequently accompanied by urothelial carcinoma (UC). In light of the increased UC incidence and the markers observed in BEN patients with developed UC, the aim of the current case–control study is to assess survivin, p53 protein, growth factors and receptors (VEGF, VEGFR1, IGF I, IGF-1R and IGFBP5), tumor marker (TF)/CD142, circulating soluble Fas receptor and neopterin, as potentially predictive markers for UC in patients with BEN (52 patients), compared to healthy, age-matched subjects (40). A threefold increase was registered in both circulating and urinary survivin level in BEN patients. Especially noticeable was the ratio of U survivin/U Cr level five times the ratio of BEN patients associated with standard renal markers in multivariate regression models. The concentrations of VEGF, VEGFR1, (TF)/CD142, (sFas) were not significantly different in BEN patients, while urinary/plasma level demonstrated a significant decrease for VEGF. The levels of IGF I, IGFBP5 and IGF-1R were significantly reduced in the urine of BEN patients. Plasma concentration of neopterin was significantly higher, while urinary neopterin value was significantly lower in BEN patients compared to healthy controls, which reflected a significantly lower urine/plasma ratio and low local predictive value. As BEN is a slow-progressing chronic kidney disease, early detection of survivin may be proposed as potential predictor for malignant alteration and screening tool in BEN patients without the diagnosis of UC

Prognostic importance of steroid receptor status for disease free and overall survival after surgical resection of isolated liver metastasis in breast cancer patients

PURPOSE: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy among women, while isolated operable liver metastases (LMs) from BC are very rare and occur in only 1-5% of the patients. Besides, positive steroid receptor (SR) status for oestrogen and/or progesterone is known as a factor which improves disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The primary aim of this study was to examine the impact of SR status on DFS and OS after liver metastasectomy in female patients with primary BC. METHODS: We analyzed 32 medical records of female patients diagnosed and treated for primary BC with LMS as the first and only site of disease progression, at the Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia (IORS), during 2006- 2009. All of them underwent primary BC surgery as well as LMs resection. RESULTS: Patients with metachronous BC and LMs and positive SR status in both BC and LM (BC+/LM+) had a median time from BC to LM occurrence (TTLM) of 36 months, compared to BC+/LM- and BC-/LM- subgroups, whose medians for TTLM were 30.5 and 14.5 months, respectively (p<0.01). For all patients, positive SR status showed high correlation with longer DFS and OS after LM resection (medians according survival analysis for DFS/OS in subgroups BC-/LM-, BC+/LM- and BC+-LM+ were 10/19, 25/45, 50/not reached months respectively; p<0.01 for DFS/ OS). Cox regression analysis confirmed that the subgroup of patients with BC-/LM- had 10.8 and 18.8 higher risk of events for DFS (disease relapse or death) and event for OS (death only), respectively, compared to BC+/LM+ subgroup of patients. CONCLUSION: Positive SR status in BC and LM has a high impact not only on time from BC to LM occurrence, but also on longer DFS and OS after LM resection