Inflammatory and Adipose Response in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients After a Marathon Cycling Race

Abstract Background Organ transplant recipients frequently have chronic inflammation, with a weighty impact on cardiovascular risk. These patients can benefit from exercise, although the role of intense training is unclear. We evaluated the effect of a 130-km cycling race on inflammatory cytokines and adiponectin levels in transplant recipients. Methods Circulating interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-γ, and adiponectin were assayed in 35 healthy subjects vs 19 transplant recipients (10 kidney, 8 liver, 1 heart), matched for sex, age, body mass index, and preparation workout. The determinations were performed before the race, at the end, and after 18 to 24 hours. Baseline values of 32 sedentary transplant recipients also were evaluated to explore the possible chronic impact of lifestyle. Results All cyclists had 6- to 8-fold increased IL-6 levels after the race that decreased, without returning to baseline, the day after. Conversely, serum TNF-α and IFN-γ showed a progressive increase starting during physical performance and enduring for the next 18 to 24 hours in healthy subjects, whereas they were unchanged over time in cyclists with transplants. In transplant recipients who did not perform exercise, all of the analytes were significantly higher in comparison to basal levels of physically active subjects. Conclusions Our data suggest that clinically stable and properly trained transplant recipients can safely perform and progressively benefit from exercise, even at a competitive level. The changes in inflammation parameters were temporary and parallel with those of the healthy subjects. The comparison with sedentary transplant recipients revealed an overall amelioration of inflammatory indexes as a possible effect of regular physical activity on systemic inflammation

La prestazione tecnico-tattica nel gioco del calcio

Questo lavoro analizza i dati tecnico tattici di tutte le 760 partite in un intero campionato di calcio di serie A (2009-10). Vengono studiati degli indicatori di performance come i punti fatti, i gol segnati o le varie tipologie di tiri in porta e vari indici derivati (come efficienza, precisione, rapporto gol fatti e subiti) in relazione alla classifica finale del campionato. Alcune variabili, per esempio numero dei passaggi, possesso palla, vantaggio territoriale, distribuzione del gioco, non sono correlate con la prestazione ma sono egualmente importanti per definire un profilo tecnico-tattico, in modo che l\u2019allenatore possa comprendere meglio i punti forti e deboli di ogni reparto della propria squadra e degli avversari

Kinematic comparison among players of different level in tennis serve

The tennis serve was studied by many authors (Elliott 1995; Reid 2008). Although, in this previous works, kinetics and kinematics aspects were studied, but they did not analysed the differences of the body displacement as regards the racket and the body angles at the instant of impact, among players of different level. The aim of this study is to compare the ball, racket and body kinematics, in order to find the technical differences among Experts, Intermediates and Beginners players. Methods 18 right-handed subjects performed 16 serves each one, during a training session. The players were divided in 3 groups (based on the national ranking), 8 Experts 5 Intermediates, 5 Beginners. Three 50Hz cameras were located outside the court, with 120\ub0 between the optical axis angles. The serve area was calibrated with a 3D object with known dimensions (1,10 x 1,10 x 2 m.), using 16 points. Simi Motion Analysis System was used for a manual digitalization to obtain 3D coordinate data. 25 points were digitized from the same operator (19 for the body, 5 for the racket and 1 for the ball). Excel, Matlab and Spss softwares were used to analysed the data. The determination of the instant of impact was made by Camorani et al. (2007,P. 173). The variables were compared among the 3 groups of players using the Kruskal Wallis Test (p<0,05). Results Significant differences were found in ball velocities after impact, in all its directions among all groups, except for the lateral velocity between Intermediates and Beginners players. Regarding the racket differences in linear velocity were found only in the net direction among all groups. The racket angular velocity at impact were significant differences between Experts and Beginners and between Intermediates and Beginners players. The height of the ball impact was statistically different among all groups. The ball throw test (200g), used as explosive strength index, gave the same results of the racket angular velocity. Only 4 variables on 16 analyzed showed statistically significant differences among the groups. In particular, the wrist position (dominant arm) respect the racket centre on the sagittal plane at impact, resulted significant different between Experts and Beginners and between Intermediates and Beginners players. The lateral trunk flexion at impact did not show significant differences only between the Experts and Beginners groups. The left knee flexion (anterior knee) resulted significant only when the racket arrive at its lowest point during the cocking phase (RLP), and this significant difference was between Experts and Beginners. The racket longitudinal angle resulted significant only between Experts and Beginners. The sequent variables were not statistically different: the position of the shoulders respect the racket on the frontal and saggital plane, the position of the wrist respect the racket on the frontal plane, the shoulders angles between the frontal and saggital plane, the elbow angle, the wrist angle, the trunk angle between the frontal plane, the trunk torsion angle, the maximum knee flexion angle, the knee angle at impact, the racket trasverse angle. Discussion As expected the performance indexes are significant different among the groups. The anthropometric data and the height of impact of the ball, the muscular strength (ball throw test) can give an important explanation for significant differences showed by the ball and racket velocities. As appears from this study, the 3 groups use different techniques strategies during the cocking phase and at the instant of impact. During the cocking phase the maximum knee flexion is similar among the groups, but at RLP the knee angle shows a significant difference between Experts and Beginners. The up word force is more utilized from the Experts (confirmed by knee angle at impact). The Beginners cannot use the leg cocking, for the up force, in the right time section. Comparing the lateral trunk flexion, th..

Performance models in the English and Italian professional soccer championships

Scored and conceded goals are important performance indices in an international cup or national professional soccer league (Lanham, 2005). These parameters concur with many others to determine the outcome of the championship (Hughes, 2004). The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between selected match parameters in the English and Italian professional soccer leagues and to compare the two performance models. Methods All the games of all the teams participating to the English Premier League and the Italian Serie A in the 2006-2007 season were considered for the analysis. The following data were collected: points; home and away scores, wins, draws, losses; scored and conceded goals in the four quarters of the match; positional role of the goalscorer; substitutions in the different quarters of the game; bookings and expulsions. For each team, peaks and minimums of scored and conceded goals during the season were estimated with 5th order moving averages, and compared with the team\u2019s seasonal mean values. Sixth order polynomial curves were used to asses the positive phases for the attack and the defense, characterized respectively by a higher scored goals trend and a lower conceded goals trend compared to the seasonal mean values. The number of positive rounds, and positive and negative periods, were considered as performance indices during the competitive season. Hierarchical cluster analyses (performed with the SPSS package) were used to classify the performance indices and the teams in the two championships. Results In the analysis of single matches three clusters are shown in the English Premier League. The first one may be defined the \u201csuccess\u201d cluster including, with decreasing importance, points, home wins, goals scored between 45\u2019 and 68\u2019, away wins, midfielders\u2019 goals, goal scored in the first and the last quarter of the game, the forwards\u2019 goals, substitutions in the last quarter. In the \u201cfailure\u201d cluster are included, in the following order: home losses, conceded goals, away losses, substitutions in the first half of the game, bookings and expulsions. Home and away draws are surprisingly linked to defenders\u2019 goals in the third cluster. The Italian Serie A model shows only two clusters, since away draws weakly link with the success cluster, while home draws with the failure. The second cluster analysis, performed on time series of the entire season, shows similar clusters between the two leagues, however with an important difference. In fact, the success in the Premier League is connected with the mean of scored goals and the sum of positive rounds of the attack, while in the analogous cluster the Italian Serie A shows the sum of positive rounds for the defense. Discussion The success in the Premier League appears especially associated with the attack\u2019s performance, while in the Italian Serie A the defense\u2019s performance seems more determinant. The cluster analysis carried out on each team enables detection of the correspondence of the team behaviour vs. the model performance of the entire league. Thus, typical and atypical clubs may be characterized. The single match performance indices may be useful to the coach from a technical and tactical perspective, while time series analyses performed on the entire season may suggest valid information for the physical training programme, differentiating between the positional roles

Reliability and validity of coordination test battery for scholl age

To date many studies investigated the coordination abilities in school age, but there is a lack information about the validity and reliability of coordination test in the Italian scholar population. The aim of this research was to establish the reliability and the validity of a battery of motor tests used in school age. 295 children (160 male, 135 female) aged between 7 and 11 were tested with 10 motor tests to assess: balance, speed, eye-hand coordination, muscular explosive stength of lower and upper limbs (at 100% and 75% of maximum effort), laterality, kinaestetic differentiation, frequency and precision of movements. Anthropometric data of height and weight were determined in 174 subjects. To value the reliability and the validity were used the statistical correlation cluster analysis and factorial analysis. The reliability was studied through the Test-Retest method calculating the correlation index (R) between the trials of the same test. R was over the 0,80 for all test, except of balance (0,78) and the basketball throw with 75% of the maximum effort (0,76) but this results were still sufficient. Best reliabilities resulted from the sprint (0,93) and the standing broad jump (0,92). Results showed a good correlation between conditional tests, that tended to make homogeneous groups based on cluster an factorial analysis. Coordination tests seemed more independent. Balance and kinaesthetic differentiation test were combined with the other tests resulting in inferior levels of correlation. The conditional and coordination factorial structure results stable dividing the subjects in class age of a year. The used tests are good indicators of the conditional and coordination abilities for all age tested

Kinematic analysis of figure exercises in artistic roller-skating

Obligatory exercises (OE) are key exercises in artistic roller-skating, and thus they are introductory to all other more complex exercises. Therefore, carrying out movement analysis studies on OE is very important. The only available data on OE come from a federal handout (Merlo 2008). In that handout, the movement is explained using a qualitative approach, and the wheel displacements are analysed through signs left by the athlete on the chalk. Amongst the many OE described in the handout, we decided to consider in this study the: -Forward outside bracket (FOB), consisting in a turn performed on one foot with a change of pressure and a clockwise or counter-clockwise body rotation in a sense opposite to that of the movement. -Backward inside bracket (BIB), following the same principles of the FOB, but with a backwards execution. -Forward outside counter (FOC), consisting in one-foot turn from one circle to another, without a change of pressure and with a body rotation that is opposite to the initial direction of the movement. The exercise is executed on the longitudinal axis of the circles, in their tangency point. It must have the initial length of one skate and a depth between the length of one truck and one-half the length of one skate. -Backward outside counter (BOC), following the principles of the FOC, but with a backwards execution. Eight word-class skaters, representing the best European and world athletes, were involved in the study. A motion analysis system constituted by ten synchronized cameras was used. (BTS SMART-D Motion Capture System). The cameras have a maximum resolution of 0.48 Megapixel with an acquisition rate of 250 photograms per second. The ten cameras were placed around the tangency point of the athlete\u2019s trajectories at various heights. The longer duration of pivot phases of the wheels in the BIB can be related to the wider spaces in the direction of the movement observed in this exercise. The counters, being more precise on the linear spaces, show a shorter duration of the pivot phases. The brackets are the exercises with the highest error trend in the direction of the movement. It seems that the athletes, to maintain the trace, delay the movement on the x-axis. In the BIB the athletes perform the exercise most delayed. A possible explanation is that they have a worst visual feed-back compared to the other exercises, due to the body and the swinging limb position, blocking a good vision of the trace. This leads to conclude that the BIB is the most difficult exercise. The counters are more precise on the x-axis, but they show a wide trend to make mistakes on the z-axis. In this case, the subjects search for the following trace, as they must perform a change of circle. Concerning the support leg, we can state that the initial, more marked in the BOC, loading and maximum extension can be explained as an attempt of the athlete to lighten the skate during the rotation. This can be related to the shorter times of the pivot phases of the wheels. Furthermore, this explains a more fluid action of the skate in the counters. The loading at the end of the rotation is more marked in the FOB. This is due to a wider seeking of the trajectory and the dynamic equilibrium. Different strategies in the sequence of movements are observed also about the free leg adduction. This is justified by the pelvis rotation, being counterclockwise in forwards exercises, and clockwise in backwards exercises. The different behaviour in BIB about the trunk flexion can be explained considering that the BIB is the only, amongst the three examined exercises, that is performed backwards. The initial flexion is more marked due to a bigger difficulty to see the trace. At the end of the rotation the athlete, extends more the trunk compared to the other exercises. The shoulder rotation with respect to the x-axis and the pelvis is due to the position of the athlete that is required in the exercise

Technical-tactical performance and success in the 2010-2011 Italian Serie A League: a latent variable approach

In soccer, few authors have assessed the technical and tactical performance throughout an entire season (Lago, 2007; Davies et al., 2008; Merni et al., 2008). This study aimed to individuate a set of latent variables allowing to describe the technical-tactical performance of the teams in the whole 2010-2011 season (n=760 matches) of the Italian Serie A league. A factor analysis was performed using 15 indicators of technical and tactical performance of the teams, after downloading the data from a specialized website (www.sportmediaset.it). To determine which indicators were more related to the success, an additional variable constituted by the points of each team in the final ranking was included in the analysis. The total variance explained was 74%. Six main factors were obtained as reported below (definitions, explained variance and the most representative variables are indicated) 1. \u201cPlaying in the wings\u201d (15.8 %; crosses, corner kicks, territorial advantage) 2. \u201cControl of the play\u201d (15.7%; passess, ball possession, long passess) 3. \u201cSuccess\u201d (12.5%, goals scored, shots on goal, points in the final ranking) 4. \u201cAggressive play\u201d (11.3%, won tackles, fouls suffered, dribblings) 5. \u201cFailure\u201d (9.7%, goals conceded, points in the final ranking \u2013 negatively correlated) 6. \u201cPenalties\u201d (9.2%, fouls committed, yellow cards received) It is possibile to create a model of the game by projecting the results of all the matches on 3D plots representing the factorial axes, thus individuating the variables more related to the success or failure. By comparing one\u2019s team data to those of the opponents, the coaches are allowed to determine specific strengths and weakness and develop the appropriate strategies for technical and tactical training. Davies C et al. (2008), World Congress of Performance Analysis of Sport VIII, 53-57 Lago C (2007), International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 7:36,47 Merni F et al. (2008), World Congress of Performance Analysis of Sport VIII, 138-14

Evaluation of the impact in tennis serve and analysis of body segments position

The aim of this study is to find the impact instant and than to examine the position of the body segments and angles of the upper arm, during first serve. We have also calculated the post-impact ball velocity, the pre-impact racket centre velocity and its angular velocity too. Data were collected from six right-handed middle and young players during a training session, analyzed with Simi Motion System (50Hz). The impact event resulted more precise with the pre- and post-impact position of the racket centre connecting to the last frame of the fall of the ball after release, using raw data. The post-impact resultant velocity of the ball is lower than the professional tennis players (male 13.5m/s, female 5m/s). The angular velocity of the racket between the two frames of impact is variable by 55.5 to 26.2rad/s. The positions of the body segments show a big variability because we analyzed in and out serves