Training in Rhythmic Gymnastics during the pandemic

[Abstract]: The pandemic caused by the COVID 19 Virus creates an unprecedented situation of global confinement altering the development of competition and sports training at all levels of participation and in all sports, including rhythmic gymnastics (RG). To avoid possible effects of physical, technical and psychological detraining, coaches looked for home training alternatives. The objectives of the study were to know how rhythmic gymnastics training developed during the lockdown period (the conditions, type of training, performance monitoring means, and determinants of gymnasts’ participation) and to provide recommendations for a possible future lockdown. Three hundred and two RG coaches from twenty-six different countries throughout the five continents and four professional levels took part in the study: national team (28), international (26), national (172) and regional (75). The data collection tool was a questionnaire consisting of 39 closed questions structured in three dimensions: identification data of the coaches, training data during confinement and gymnast participation data. The independent variable was the gymnasts’ performance levels and the dependent variables organized in four categories: the technical media used to conduct and monitor the training sessions, the type of training done, the mechanisms for monitoring training performance and the aspects that determined participation. Most coaches kept their gymnasts training during confinement, although 76.5% confirm abandonment of any of their gymnasts. The main means used were real-time video conferencing, although at the lower practice levels the media stand out in deferred time. The contents of the training were mainly body technique, physical preparation and body difficulties. For performance monitoring, challenges, physical, and technical tests were predominant. The determinants for the development of training in the confinement vary depending on the level of the gymnasts, connectivity and electronic resources at the highest level, and the availability of spaces and social distancing at lower levels. For future lockdowns, it is necessary to review the content of the trainings, as well as the performance evaluation and the means necessary for it

Asociación entre morfología del pie y rendimiento en gimnasia rítmica

[Abstract] The objectives of the study were to determine the influence of foot morphology on performance in Rhythmic Gymnastics and to analyze the influence of years of practice. The sample consisted of 48 gymnasts who had practiced federated gymnastics and competed during the last year. The results indicate that the gymnasts have predominantly a neutral foot and with a normal footprint, presenting enough asymmetry between feet, not significant, which may be a consequence of asymmetric work and should be corrected in training. Only the range of amplitude of the talocrural joint seems to be a characteristic of foot morphology that affects technical performance and seems more an innate characteristic. The practice of rhythmic gymnastics might not be as decisive a factor as could be supposed in the morphological modifications of the footprint.[Resumen] Los objetivos del estudio fueron determinar la influencia de la morfología del pie en el rendimiento en Gimnasia Rítmica y analizar la influencia de los años de práctica. La muestra estaba compuesta por 48 gimnastas que habían practicado gimnasia federada y competido durante el último año. Los resultados indican que las gimnastas tienen predominantemente un pie neutro y con huella normal, presentando bastante asimetría entre pies, no significativa, lo que puede ser consecuencia de un trabajo asimétrico y debería ser corregido en el entrenamiento. Sólo el rango de amplitud de la articulación talocrural parece ser una característica de la morfología del pie que incida sobre el rendimiento técnico y parece más una característica innata. La práctica de la Gimnasia Rítmica podría no ser un factor tan decisivo como podía suponerse en las modificaciones morfológicas de la huella plantar

Development of brown rot epidemics in Spanish peach orchards

A new approach to modelling epidemics of brown rot caused by Monilinia spp. in Ebro Valley peach orchards has been developed. This compartmental model was subdivided according to the phenological stages in which the disease can develop (blossom, immature fruit, and ripe fruit). Information host susceptibility, primary and secondary inoculum sources and latent infections in immature fruit was taken into account. The compartmental model is described by a system of differential equations, and is simple enough to allow an analytical study of the main epidemiological factors that determine the rate of disease progress during a single growing season. The proposed model fits well to the epidemic pattern of brown rot observed in north-eastern Spain. The transmission of the disease as a non-linear term implied that small changes in the infection rate had a large effect on the development of the disease. The model has confirmed the usefulness of removing mummies (infected fruit that remains in the crop during winter) from the field to reduce the final incidence of the disease. In addition, all control measures that reduce the rate of secondary infection in ripe fruit, either through the use of more resistant varieties or the use of fungicides, are effective in reducing brown rot incidence. The proposed epidemic model is flexible and allows to add complexities to the system and evaluate the effectiveness of different control strategies.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This study was supported by grant PID2020-115702RB-C21 and AGL2017-84389-C2-2-R from the Ministry of Science and Innovation (Spain)

Developmental Analysis of Mimulus Seed Transcriptomes Reveals Functional Gene Expression Clusters and Four Imprinted, Endosperm-Expressed Genes

The double fertilization of the female gametophyte initiates embryogenesis and endosperm development in seeds via the activation of genes involved in cell differentiation, organ patterning, and growth. A subset of genes expressed in endosperm exhibit imprinted expression, and the correct balance of gene expression between parental alleles is critical for proper endosperm and seed development. We use a transcriptional time series analysis to identify genes that are associated with key shifts in seed development, including genes associated with secondary cell wall synthesis, mitotic cell cycle, chromatin organization, auxin synthesis, fatty acid metabolism, and seed maturation. We relate these genes to morphological changes in Mimulus seeds. We also identify four endosperm-expressed transcripts that display imprinted (paternal) expression bias. The imprinted status of these four genes is conserved in other flowering plants, suggesting that they are functionally important in endosperm development. Our study explores gene regulatory dynamics in a species with ab initio cellular endosperm development, broadening the taxonomic focus of the literature on gene expression in seeds. Moreover, it is the first to validate genes with imprinted endosperm expression in Mimulus guttatus, and will inform future studies on the genetic causes of seed failure in this model system

Prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants and anogenital distance in children at 18 months

Background: Anogenital distance (AGD) is a measure of in utero exposure to hormonally active agents. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and AGD. Methods: POP levels were measured in pregnant women, and the AGD was recorded in 43 offspring at 18 months. We used linear regression models to analyze the association between maternal POP exposure and offspring AGD. We defined the anogenital index (AGI) as AGD divided by weight at 18 months (AGI = AGD / weight at 18 months [mm/kg]) and included this variable in the regression models. Results: AGI measure was 2.35 (0.61) and 1.38 (0.45) in males and females, respectively. AGI was inversely associated with lipid-adjusted concentrations of PBDE-99 (β = -0.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.51, -0.04) and PBDE-153 (β = -0.61, 95% CI: -1.11, -0.11) in males. We did not find any statistically significant relationship between any POPs and AGI in females. Conclusions: Environmental exposure to POPs may affect genital development and result in reproductive tract alterations with potentially relevant health consequences in maturity. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.This study was funded by grants from FIS-FEDER (PI04/2018, PI09/02311, and PI13/02429), Fundación Cajastur-Liberbank, and Universidad de Oviedo.Peer reviewe

Communicable Ulcerative Colitis Induced by T-bet Deficiency in the Innate Immune System

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been attributed to overexuberant host immunity or the emergence of harmful intestinal flora. The transcription factor T-bet orchestrates inflammatory genetic programs in both adaptive and innate immunity. We describe a profound and unexpected function for T-bet in influencing the behavior of host inflammatory activity and commensal bacteria. T-bet deficiency in the innate immune system results in spontaneous and communicable ulcerative colitis in the absence of adaptive immunity and increased susceptibility to colitis in immunologically intact hosts. T-bet controls the response of the mucosal immune system to commensal bacteria by regulating TNF-α production in colonic dendritic cells, critical for colonic epithelial barrier maintenance. Loss of T-bet influences bacterial populations to become colitogenic, and this colitis is communicable to genetically intact hosts. These findings reveal a novel function for T-bet as a peacekeeper of host-commensal relationships and provide new perspectives on the pathophysiology of IBD