KINEMATIC AND ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC BEHAVIOUR OF BASKETBALL PLAYERS’ INJURED AND HEALTHY ANKLES DURING THE JUMP ONTO AN UNSTABLE BOARD

The purpose of this study was to identify kinematic and electromyographic differences of jumps performed by basketball players with healthy and previously sprained ankles. 25 elite basketball players with healthy (n=17) and already sprained ankles (n=28) jumped five times in unipodal support from a stable surface onto a round Freeman board. During the jump the flight phase of those athletes with already sprained ankles was shorter which may indicate less preparation time for the moment of contact with the surface and for the respective load. When landing, they also positioned their ankle in a more plantar flexion and generally, the contraction of their foot musles was stronger than that of the healthy athletes. The groups’ differing movement behaviour of the lower leg possibly explains resulting ankle injuries. These results indicate that it might be necessary to train athletes to jump in “safe positions” in order to prevent ankle sprains

Cloud-to-ground lightning in Portugal: patterns and dynamical forcing

An analysis of the cloud-to-ground discharges (CGD) over Portugal is carried out using data collected by a network of sensors maintained by the Portuguese Meteorological Institute for 2003–2009 (7 yr). Only cloud-to-ground flashes are considered and negative polarity CGD are largely dominant. The total number of discharges reveals a considerable interannual variability and a large irregularity in their distribution throughout the year. However, it is shown that a large number of discharges occur in the May–September period (71%), with a bimodal distribution that peaks in May and September, with most of the lightning activity recorded in the afternoon (from 16:00 to 18:00 UTC). In spring and autumn the lightning activity tends to be scattered throughout the country, whereas in summer it tends to be more concentrated over northeastern Portugal. Winter generally presents low lightning activity. Furthermore, two significant couplings between the monthly number of days with discharges and the large-scale atmospheric circulation are isolated: a regional forcing, predominantly in summer, and a remote forcing. In fact, the identification of daily lightning regimes revealed three important atmospheric conditions for triggering lightning activity: regional cut-off lows, cold troughs induced by remote low pressure systems and summertime regional low pressures at low-tropospheric levels combined with a mid-tropospheric cold trough

From Talent to High Performance: e view of coaches, players and club coordinators on the relevant factors in the development of a Basketball player

The main goal of this study was to identify a set of factors considered relevant by basketball experts in a young player’s route to high performance. The impossibility of choosing one as the most preponderant factor comes from the complex interaction between the different areas that influence the long development path of athletes to sport expertise. Our sample consisted of 14 coaches (7 of men’s level and 7 of youth level), 7 players and 7 club coordinators who were asked to give their view on the subject by means of an interview. One of the main conclusions was the decisive inuence of environmental factors, especially the family and coaches’ influence, both as promoters of the beginning of the activity and as the maintenance in it. Psychological factors – athlete’s work ethic and surpassing capacity – were also referred as having a great role on this issue. Technical, tactical and physical factors (in this order of importance) come as an asset to the young athlete. Finally, we conclude that the training process should be defying and constantly adjusted to the athlete’s needs, creating stimulus that allow the young player to develop strategies to read and understand of the game, as well as decision making processes. The context where the athlete is inserted, as well as the psychological aspects and knowledge of the game must be considered the most relevant factors.

Insecticide resistance and the future of malaria control in Zambia.

BACKGROUND: In line with the Global trend to improve malaria control efforts a major campaign of insecticide treated net distribution was initiated in 1999 and indoor residual spraying with DDT or pyrethroids was reintroduced in 2000 in Zambia. In 2006, these efforts were strengthened by the President's Malaria Initiative. This manuscript reports on the monitoring and evaluation of these activities and the potential impact of emerging insecticide resistance on disease transmission. METHODS: Mosquitoes were captured daily through a series of 108 window exit traps located at 18 sentinel sites. Specimens were identified to species and analyzed for sporozoites. Adult Anopheles mosquitoes were collected resting indoors and larva collected in breeding sites were reared to F1 and F0 generations in the lab and tested for insecticide resistance following the standard WHO susceptibility assay protocol. Annual cross sectional household parasite surveys were carried out to monitor the impact of the control programme on prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum in children aged 1 to 14 years. RESULTS: A total of 619 Anopheles gambiae s.l. and 228 Anopheles funestus s.l. were captured from window exit traps throughout the period, of which 203 were An. gambiae malaria vectors and 14 An. funestus s.s.. In 2010 resistance to DDT and the pyrethroids deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin and permethrin was detected in both An. gambiae s.s. and An. funestus s.s.. No sporozoites were detected in either species. Prevalence of P. falciparum in the sentinel sites remained below 10% throughout the study period. CONCLUSION: Both An. gambiae s.s. and An. funestus s.s. were controlled effectively with the ITN and IRS programme in Zambia, maintaining a reduced disease transmission and burden. However, the discovery of DDT and pyrethroid resistance in the country threatens the sustainability of the vector control programme

Citrulline malate supplementation does not improve German Volume Training performance or reduce muscle soreness in moderately trained males and females

Background Use of supplements to aid performance is common practice amongst recreationally active individuals, including those without a sufficient evidence base. This investigation sought to assess whether acute supplementation with 8 g of citrulline malate (CM) (1.11: 1 ratio) would improve anaerobic performance. Methods A randomised double blind placebo control trial was employed, using a counterbalanced design. We recruited recreationally active men and women to take part in an isokinetic chair protocol, based on German Volume Training (GVT) whereby participants attempted to perform 10 sets of 10 repetitions against a force representing 70% of their peak concentric force. Results The number of repetitions achieved over the course of the GVT was 94.0 ± 7.9 and 90.9 ± 13.9 for placebo and CM respectively. There was no significant difference between the placebo and CM treatment for number of repetitions (P = 0.33), isometric (P = 0.60), concentric (P = 0.38), or eccentric (P = 0.65) peak force following the GVT. Total muscle soreness was significantly higher in the CM compared to the placebo treatment following the GVT protocol over 72 h (P = 0.01); although this was not accompanied by a greater workload/number of repetitions in the CM group. Conclusions We conclude that an acute dose of CM does not significantly affect anaerobic performance using an isokinetic chair in recreational active participants. Practical implications include precaution in recommending CM supplementation. Coaches and athletes should be aware of the disparity between the chemical analyses of the products reviewed in the present investigation versus the manufacturers’ claims

PCR-based methods for the detection of L1014 kdr mutation in Anopheles culicifacies sensu lato

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Anopheles culicifacies s.l</it>., a major malaria vector in India, has developed widespread resistance to DDT and is becoming resistant to pyrethroids–the only insecticide class recommended for the impregnation of bed nets. Knock-down resistance due to a point mutation in the voltage gated sodium channel at L1014 residue (<it>kdr</it>) is a common mechanism of resistance to DDT and pyrethroids. The selection of this resistance may pose a serious threat to the success of the pyrethroid-impregnated bed net programme. This study reports the presence of <it>kdr </it>mutation (L1014F) in a field population of <it>An. culicifacies s.l</it>. and three new PCR-based methods for <it>kdr </it>genotyping.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The IIS4-IIS5 linker to IIS6 segments of the para type voltage gated sodium channel gene of DDT and pyrethroid resistant <it>An. culicifacies s.l</it>. population from the Surat district of India was sequenced. This revealed the presence of an A-to-T substitution at position 1014 leading to a leucine-phenylalanine mutation (L1014F) in a few individuals. Three molecular methods viz. Allele Specific PCR (AS-PCR), an Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS) and Primer Introduced Restriction Analysis-PCR (PIRA-PCR) were developed and tested for <it>kdr </it>genotyping. The specificity of the three assays was validated following DNA sequencing of the samples genotyped.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The genotyping of this <it>An. culicifacies s.l</it>. population by the three PCR based assays provided consistent result and were in agreement with DNA sequencing result. A low frequency of the <it>kdr </it>allele mostly in heterozygous condition was observed in the resistant population. Frequencies of the different genotypes were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The Leu-Phe mutation, which generates the <it>kdr </it>phenotype in many insects, was detected in a pyrethroid and DDT resistant <it>An. culicifacies s.l</it>. population. Three PCR-based methods were developed for <it>kdr </it>genotyping. All the three assays were specific. The ARMS method was refractory to non-specific amplification in non-stringent amplification conditions. The PIRA-PCR assay is able to detect both the codons for the phenylalanine mutation at <it>kdr </it>locus, i.e., TTT and TTC, in a single assay, although the latter codon was not found in the population genotyped.</p

Dynamics of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors in Benin: first evidence of the presence of L1014S kdr mutation in Anopheles gambiae from West Africa

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Insecticide resistance monitoring is essential to help national programmers to implement more effective and sustainable malaria control strategies in endemic countries. This study reported the spatial and seasonal variations of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors in Benin, West Africa.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>Anopheles gambiae s.l </it>populations were collected from October 2008 to June 2010 in four sites selected on the basis of different use of insecticides and environment. WHO susceptibility tests were carried out to detect resistance to DDT, fenitrothion, bendiocarb, permethrin and deltamethrin. The synergist piperonyl butoxide was used to assess the role of non-target site mechanisms in pyrethroid resistance. <it>Anopheles gambiae </it>mosquitoes were identified to species and to molecular M and S forms using PCR techniques. Molecular and biochemical assays were carried out to determine <it>kdr </it>and <it>Ace.1^R</it>allelic frequencies and activity of the detoxification enzymes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Throughout the surveys very high levels of mortality to bendiocarb and fenitrothion were observed in <it>An. gambiae s.l</it>. populations. However, high frequencies of resistance to DDT and pyrethroids were seen in both M and S form of <it>An. gambiae s.s</it>. and <it>Anopheles arabiensis</it>. PBO increased the toxicity of permethrin and restored almost full susceptibility to deltamethrin. <it>Anopheles gambiae s.l</it>. mosquitoes from Cotonou and Malanville showed higher oxidase activity compared to the Kisumu susceptible strain in 2009, whereas the esterase activity was higher in the mosquitoes from Bohicon in both 2008 and 2009. A high frequency of <it>1014F kdr </it>allele was initially showed in <it>An. gambiae </it>from Cotonou and Tori-Bossito whereas it increased in mosquitoes from Bohicon and Malanville during the second year. For the first time the <it>L1014S kdr </it>mutation was found in <it>An. arabiensis </it>in Benin. The <it>ace.1^R</it>mutation was almost absent <it>in An. gambiae s.l</it>.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Pyrethroid and DDT resistance is widespread in malaria vector in Benin and both metabolic and target site resistance are implicated. Resistance was not correlated with a change of malaria species and/or molecular forms. The <it>1014S kdr </it>allele was first identified in wild population of <it>An. arabiensis </it>hence confirming the expansion of pyrethroid resistance alleles in Africa.</p

Las estadísticas de juego y la previsión de éxito entre los equipos de la Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol

Foram analisados 19 indicadores estatísticos recolhidos nos 110 jogos da primeira fase da Época Regular e nos 28 jogos dos Playofs da Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol (LPB), época 2015/2016, com o objetivo de determinar quais os indicadores do jogo que melhor predizem o sucesso das equipas (deinido pela percentagem de sucesso). A análise da regressão múltipla mostrou que a média de ressaltos defensivos por jogo e a média de lançamentos de 2pts convertidos por jogo foram os melhores preditores do sucesso das equipas na primeira fase da época regular, explicando 96.8% da variância da percentagem de sucesso. Nos jogos dos Playofs, os resultados mostraram que a média de ressaltos defensivos por jogo foi o único preditor do sucesso das equipas nesta fase da competição, explicando um total de 53.5% da variância da percentagem de sucesso. Os resultados do estudo mostram que o sucesso nas diferentes fases da LBP está mais associado a uma dimensão defensiva do jogoAbstract: A total of 19 basketball game statistics collected in 110 regular season (irst phase) games and in 54 playof games from the 2015-2016 Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol (LPB) were analyzed in order to determine whi- ch indicators that best predict teams’ success (deine by success percentage). A multiple regression analysis revealed that average number of defensive re- bound per game and average number of 2-points shots made per game were the best predictors, explaining 96.8% of the variance in success percentage. In playof games, the results showed that average number of defensive re- bound per game was the best predictors, explaining 53.5% of the variance in success percentage. hese indings reveal that in both LPB phases success it’s more associated to a defensive dimension of the game.Resumen: Fueron analizados 19 indicadores estadísticos, recogidos en los 110 partidos de la primera fase de la Temporada Regular y en los 28 partidos de los Playofs de la Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol (LPB), de la temporada 2015/2016, con el objetivo de determinar cuáles son los indicadores del jue- go que mejor predicen el éxito de los equipos (deinido por el porcentaje de éxito). El análisis de la regresión múltiple, mostró que la media de rebotes defensivos por partido y la media de lanzamientos de 2 puntos anotados por partido, fueron los mejores predictores del éxito de los equipos en la primera fase de la temporada regular, explicando 96,8% de la varianza del porcentaje de éxito. En los partidos de Playof, los resultados mostraron que la media de rebotes defensivos por partido fue el único predictor del éxito de los equipos en esta fase de la competición, explicando un total de 53,5% de la varianza del porcentaje de éxito. Los resultados de estudio muestran que el éxito en las diferentes fases de la LPB está más asociado a la dimen- sión defensiva del juego