A HIGH LEVEL OF VOLLEYBALL PRACTICE ENHANCES BONE FORMATION MARKERS AND HORMONES IN PREPUBESCENT BOYS

Objectives: To examine the effects of volleyball on hormones and biochemical markers before puberty. Methods: 130 prepubescent white boys were investigated in this study. 80 prepubescent volleyball players were divided into two groups according to the duration of training: 40 (age: 11.5 ± 0.6 years), representing the high-level training group (HLG), completed 6 to 8 hours of training/week; 40 (age: 11.2 ± 0.7 years), representing the low-level training group (LLG), completed 3 to 5 hours of training/week. The other 50 non-athletic boys (age: 11.3 ± 0.2 years) were used as control subjects (C). Results: Serum concentration of growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and carrier protein 3 (IGFBP-3), cortisol, bone formation markers (osteocalcin [OC] and bone alkaline phosphatase [BAP], and a bone resorption marker (cross-linked C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen [CTX] were measured. No difference in CTX was observed among the three groups. However, the HLG presented higher levels of bone formation markers (OC, BAP) compared to controls. Hormonal concentrations of GH, IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and cortisol were higher in HLG than in controls. Conclusion: Volleyball did not lead to enhanced bone turnover markers and anabolic hormones of bone after a low-training level when compared to controls. Indeed, a high-training level induces enhanced bone formation markers and basal concentration of anabolic (GH, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3) and catabolic (cortisol) hormones of bone metabolism. Therefore, basal hormone concentrations and bone formation markers were directly related to the intensity and the duration of the training level

SPECIFIC SITES OF BONE EXPANSION DEPEND ON THE LEVEL OF VOLLEYBALL PRACTICE IN PREPUBESCENT BOYS

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 18 months of high and low levels of volleyball practice on bone acquisition. 130 prepubescent boys (mean age 11.4 ± 0.7) were divided into a high-level training group (HLG), low-level training group (LLG), and controls. Bone mineral content (BMC) and bone area at the whole body, lumbar spine L2-L4, femoral neck of the dominant leg, and right and left radius were measured using dual-photon X-ray absorptiometry. Enhanced BMC resulted from high-training volleyball activity in all measured sites except the third left and right distal radius, which is not modified by low-level training in prepubescent players but it was accompanied by a bone area expansion in radius and weight-bearing sites for the HLG, and in legs, whole right and left radius for the LLG. Significant improvement of skeletal tissues is associated with the intensity and duration of volleyball training

Sarcoidosis and spondyloarthritis: A coincidence or common etiopathogenesis?

Background: Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease. Co-existence with spondyloarthritis (SA) has been more described as an adverse effect of anti-TNF α therapy than an association. We report herein a case of a typical sarcoidosis confirmed by histological proofs and an advanced SA with a bamboo column. Case Presentation: A 48-years-old woman presented with inflammatory back pain for 5 years and ankle swelling for 1 year. On physical examination, she had an exaggerated dorsal kyphosis and disappearance of lumbar lordosis with limitation in motion of the cervical and lumbar spine. Laboratory tests did not show an inflammatory syndrome or hypercalcemia. Plain radiographies of the spine and pelvic revealed a triple ray appearance with sacroiliitis grade 4. Chest radiography and CT confirmed the presence of bilateral hilar lymph nodes and parenchymal nodes. Bronchoscopy and biopsies were performed showing non-calcified granulomatous reaction without cell necrosis. The diagnosis of SA was performed based on 9 points of Amor criteria associated with pulmonary sarcoidosis. She was treated with 15 mg per week of methotrexate and 1mg/kg/day of prednisone for pulmonary disease with good outcomes. Conclusions: Sarcoidosis may be associated to SA besides paradoxical drug effect. The same physio pathological pathways mediate by TNF α are arguments for association than hazardous coincidence

A Novel Convolutional Neural Network Classification Approach of Motor-Imagery EEG Recording Based on Deep Learning

Abstract: Recently, Electroencephalography (EEG) motor imagery (MI) signals have received increasing attention because it became possible to use these signals to encode a person’s intention to perform an action. Researchers have used MI signals to help people with partial or total paralysis, control devices such as exoskeletons, wheelchairs, prostheses, and even independent driving. Therefore, classifying the motor imagery tasks of these signals is important for a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) system. Classifying the MI tasks from EEG signals is difficult to offer a good decoder due to the dynamic nature of the signal, its low signal-to-noise ratio, complexity, and dependence on the sensor positions. In this paper, we investigate five multilayer methods for classifying MI tasks: proposed methods based on Artificial Neural Network, Convolutional Neural Network 1 (CNN1), CNN2, CNN1 with CNN2 merged, and the modified CNN1 with CNN2 merged. These proposed methods use different spatial and temporal characteristics extracted from raw EEG data. We demonstrate that our proposed CNN1-based method outperforms state-of-the-art machine/deep learning techniques for EEG classification by an accuracy value of 68.77% and use spatial and frequency characteristics on the BCI Competition IV-2a dataset, which includes nine subjects performing four MI tasks (left/right hand, feet, and tongue). The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of this proposed method for the classification of MI-EEG signals and can be applied successfully to BCI systems where the amount of data is large due to daily recording

Storage facilities reclamation using dredged sediments from waterways: Growing media formulation for plants according to the EU Ecolabel requirements

Dredged sediments display a great potential for growing media applications; however, there are few studies about their beneficial reuse for the waste storage reclamation. This research study aims at checking the agronomic values and environmental impacts of three growing media based on waterways sediments (WSs) and green waste (GW) according ecolabel requirements. For this purpose, three growing media named GW0, GW25, and GW50 were prepared at field pilot scale by co-composting WS and GWs during 12 months. Samples were submitted to ecolabel analyses package. Following to the ecolabel requirements, the growing media comply with criteria like pH, electrical conductivity, trace elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contents, chlorides, and pathogens, whereas they are not in compliance with the EU Ecolabel guidelines for propagules, organic matter, and zinc contents. Results of laboratory leaching tests performed according to NF EN 12457-2 for GW0, GW25, and GW50 have shown that sulfates, soluble fraction exceed limit for inert waste storage. Lysimeter tests at pilot scale were performed during 6 months to check the leaching potential of pollutants from growing media under real field conditions, including a European ecolabel product. Results demonstrate that Ba, Mo, Sb, Zn, Se, and Sb are higher in GW0, GW25, and GW50 than in the European ecolabel. As, Cd, Cr, Ni, and F − are more soluble in the commercial product compared to other growing media. This study allowed to demonstrate that main characteristics are fulfilling for reusing these growing media in the specific field of waste storage reclamation

Reference Values of Physical Performance in Handball Players Aged 13–19 Years: Taking into Account Their Biological Maturity

Biological maturity status significantly influences success in handball, impacting an athlete’s performance and overall development. This study aimed to examine the anthropometric and physical performance variables concerning age and maturity status, establishing reference values for physical performance among Tunisian players. A total of 560 handball players (309 males and 251 females aged 13–19 years) were categorized based on maturity status: early (n = 98), average (n = 262), and late (n = 200), determined through Mirwald and colleagues’ equations. Anthropometric, physical fitness, and physiological data were collected for reference value creation. Our findings revealed significantly higher anthropometric parameters (p = 0.003) in late-maturing athletes compared to their early-maturing counterparts. Post-pubertal athletes showed significantly superior (p = 0.002) jumping ability, change of direction, and aerobic performance compared to their pre-pubertal peers. Additionally, male athletes outperformed females in both fitness (p = 0.001) and aerobic (p = 0.001) performance. A notable age-by-maturity interaction emerged for most performance outcomes (η2 ranging from 0.011 to 0.084), highlighting increased sex-specific differences as athletes progressed in age. Percentile values are provided for males and females, offering valuable insights for coaches and sports scientists to design personalized training programs. Understanding a player’s performance relative to these percentiles allows trainers to tailor workouts, addressing specific strengths and weaknesses for enhanced development and competitiveness

Bone mineral density of young boy soccer players at different pubertal stages: relationships with hormonal concentration.

International audienceOBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of soccer in relation with the hormonal concentration, on the bone mass of young Tunisian players at different pubertal stages. METHODS: Two groups of 152 young boys (age: 13.3+/-0.9 years) participated in this study: (1) 91 soccer players, and (2) 61 non-athletic boys used as control subjects. The bone mineral density (BMD) and the bone mineral content (BMC) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Pubertal stages were assessed, and serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), growth hormone (GH) and the total testosterone were measured. RESULTS: The BMD and BMC for whole body, lumbar spine, femoral neck, pelvis and lower limbs were higher in soccer players than in controls (p<0.001). In early puberty, the soccer players also exhibited significantly greater BMD and BMC in the whole body and in weight-bearing bones compared with the controls (p<0.001). However, there was no intersubject variability due to puberty in either BMD or BMC. The pubescent soccer players had significantly higher hormonal concentrations of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 than their counterpart controls (p<0.05). Moreover, the whole body BMD was significantly (p<0.001) correlated with GH, IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 but not with the testosterone concentrations. CONCLUSION: The soccer participation of boys is generally associated with the improvement of their bone mass which is mainly marked at early and late puberty. The relationships between somatotropic axis hormones and BMD of the players may be linked to the parallel development of these two parameters during puberty

Adaptations densitométriques et architecturales du tissu osseux lors d'activités sportives chez l'enfant et la personne âgée

L'exercice physique est maintenant admis comme stimulateur du modelage osseux et un facteur majeur d'acquisition d'un capital osseux élevé chez l'adolescent ou un ralentisseur du remodelage osseux chez l'adulte. Chez la personne âgée, il ne semble pas toujours induire une augmentation de la densité minérale osseuse. Dans ce contexte nous avons voulu étudier la réponse osseuse liée à la pratique sportive chez le garçon pré-pubère, pubère et chez des hommes de plus de 60 ans. Dans une première étude, nous avons analysé l'effet du football sur la masse osseuse de garçons pré-pubères. Ce sport ostéogénique chez l'adulte, n'entraîne pas chez ces garçons qui s'entraînent depuis au moins 3 ans 2 à 4 heures par semaine, d'augmentation du contenu minéral osseux (CMO) par rapport aux sujets contrôles. Dans une deuxième étude, nous avons déterminé dans quelle période, pré-pubertaire ou péripubertaire, la pratique du football est plus favorable pour l'acquisition d'une meilleure masse osseuse dans une autre population de garçons pratiquant ce sport depuis au moins 3 ans et s'entraînant 2 à 5 heures par semaine. Nous confirmons les résultats de la première étude, à savoir que le football n'entraîne pas d'augmentation du CMO chez les jeunes garçons pré-pubères. A l'approche de la puberté, un an de pratique, entraîne une augmentation du CMO au niveau des os porteurs chez les footballeurs pré-pubères par rapport aux contrôles. A l'entrée dans la puberté, le football entraîne une augmentation du CMO et du gain annuel de CMO plus importante au niveau des os porteurs chez les footballeurs que les sujets contrôles. Ce gain annuel de CMO est également plus important au niveau des territoires porteurs et non porteurs chez les footballeurs pubères que pré-pubères. Dans une troisième étude, nous avons analysé l'effet de la pratique d'un sport théoriquement adapté aux personnes âgées, le golf, sur la densité (DXA : corps entier, hanche, vertèbres lombaires et radius) et la microarchitecture osseuses (3D-pQCT haute résolution : radius et tibia) à proximité ou au niveau des sites osseux périphériques les plus fréquemment touchés par la survenue de fractures ostéoporotiques : le poignet et la hanche. Le golf ne semble pas avoir d'effets bénéfiques sur la densité de l'architecture osseuse par rapport à la marche quelque soit le site mesuré. Les activités professionnelles et sportive antérieures, plus élevées chez les marcheurs que les golfeurs et les sédentaires, semblent avoir un effet non négligeable sur l'aptitude physique des individus ce qui pourrait renforcer la solidité et la qualité osseuses. En conclusion, l'exercice physique à impact augmente la masse osseuse à l'approche de la puberté, cette augmentation est d'autant plus marquée que l'imprégnation par les hormones sexuelles se met en place. Chez la personne âgée, l'exercice physique à faible impact ne semble pas avoir d'effets bénéfiques sur la densité et l'architecture osseuses mais pourrait permettre d'améliorer le tonus musculaire, la fonction cardio-vasculaire et les postures, limitant de ce fait le risque de fracture par chute.ST ETIENNE-BU Médecine (422182102) / SudocSudocFranceF