How to develop a Grand Slam winner...:physical and psychological skills in Dutch junior tennis players

Roger Federer is convinced: "... every game has become almost mental and physical ...". Good physical and mental skills are therefore very important to be able to play tennis at the highest level. However, until now there was little information about how young tennis players perform and develop on physical and mental skills. From 2005-2018 we measured 833 young tennis players (10-15 year old boys and girls, top 200 youth rankings) in which several physical tests and one mental questionnaire were taken. We have been able to follow nearly half of this group for several years. In the area of physical skills (speed, strength and agility), we saw that the fastest young tennis players showed better performance (higher ranking). The effect of good physical skills on tennis performance was greater in girls than in boys. However, physical skills measured at the age of 12 could not predict tennis performance at age 14. After puberty, the differences in physical skills were no longer visible. The tennis players who showed a better tennis performance at a younger age continued to perform better on the court even after puberty. Perhaps there are other factors that play a role in tennis performance at this age. One of these factors may be the mental skills of the young tennis players. Tennis performance can partly be explained by mental skills. In conclusion, physical skills appear to form the basis for professional-level development, while mental skills can help players optimize their tennis performance

Pick's disease

This issue of eMedRef provides information to clinicians on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapeutics of Pick's disease

A coaches’ perspective on the contribution of anthropometry, physical performance, and motor coordination in racquet sports

Differences and similarities between table tennis and other racquet sports exist, but are not well documented in the literature, in spite of the relevance for talent identification. In this study we aimed at identifying the key characteristics of table tennis in comparison with tennis and badminton based upon a survey in coaches. A total of 177 licensed coaches from all across the world and with diverse professional backgrounds completed a survey on anthropometric measures, physical performance, and motor coordination skills. On a scale from 1 to 10, coaches indicated to what extent a talent characteristic was important for their sport. MANOVA identified key differences as well as similarities between all three racquet sports and a subsequent discriminant analysis allocated coaches correctly for table tennis, tennis, and badminton 81.01%, 55.6%, and 71.4% respectively. Our results show that table tennis and other racquet sport coaches are well aware of differences between the racquet sports and also the importance and value of testing and assortment of skill components. These findings can assist coaches in future talent orientation and transfer in racquet sports

Longitudinal development of 5m sprint performance in young female tennis players

Sprint performance over short distances is a central component in young tennis players' development. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal development of sprint performance in young female tennis players, and to investigate differences between performance levels. Also potentially explanatory variables were investigated. Female tennis players aged 10-15 (N= 167) participated in a, mixed-longitudinal study (n= 48 elite;n= 119 sub-elite). Players were measured annually on the 5 m sprint as well as for possible explaining variables for 5 m sprint performance development (age, height, body mass, maturity status, lower limb explosive strength). Multilevel analysis was used to obtain a developmental model. Moreover, it was possible to predict sprint performance (5 m) based on chronological age, body size given by height, and lower limb strength performance (p . 05). Sprint performance is an important characteristic of young female tennis players and seemed to depend on growth and maturation in parallel to physical fitness

An improved quantitative measure of the tendency for volcanic ash plumes to form in water: implications for the deposition of marine ash beds

Laboratory experiments and numerical simulations have shown that volcanic ash particles immersed in water can either settle slowly and individually, or rapidly and collectively as particle-laden plumes. The ratio of timescales for individual and collective settling, in the form of analytical expressions, provides a dimensionless quantitative measure of the tendency for such plumes to grow and persist which has important implications for determining particle residence times and deposition rates. However, existing measures in the literature assume that collective settling obeys Stokes' law and is therefore controlled by the balance between gravitational forces and viscous drag, despite plume development actually being controlled by the balance between gravitational forces and inertial drag even in the absence of turbulence during early times. This paper presents a new measure for plume onset which takes into account the inertial drag-controlled (rather than viscous drag-controlled) nature of plume growth and descent. A parameter study comprising a set of numerical simulations of small-scale volcanic ash particle settling experiments highlights the effectiveness of the new measure and, by comparison with an existing measure in the literature, also demonstrates that the timescale of collective settling is grossly under-estimated when assuming that plume development is slowed by viscous drag. Furthermore, the formulation of the new measure means that the tendency for plumes to form can be estimated from the thickness and concentration of the final deposit; the magnitude and duration of particle flux across the water's surface do not need to be known. The measure therefore permits the residence times of particles in a large body of water to be more accurately and practically determined, and allows the improved interpretation of layers of volcaniclastic material deposited at the seabed

Mental Toughness in Talented Youth Tennis Players:A Comparison Between on-Court Observations and a Self-Reported Measure

In tennis, mental toughness is often considered highly important in achieving the elite level. The current study is the first to examine behavioural expressions of mental toughness on the court and their relationships with selfreported measures. Based on the input of five experienced tennis coaches of junior tennis players and behaviours used in previous studies, we developed a taxonomy consisting of six positive behaviours and ten negative ones. To investigate the relationship between these on-court behaviours of mental toughness and how the players rated their own mental toughness, emotional control in particular, six talented tennis players (aged 10-13) were recorded during tennis matches and filled out the self-reported measure of mental toughness (MTQ48). The intra-and inter-rater reliability of the taxonomy was high. With regard to the relationships between on-court behaviours and self-reported mental toughness (total score and subscale emotional control), results revealed no significant correlations between the ratios of positive and negative behaviours (range r = -0.49 -0.11, p > 0.05) or between the variability of negative behaviours (r = 0.54 & r = 0.10, p > 0.05) and the self-reported measure. However, interestingly, we found negative correlations between the variability of positive behaviours and self-reported mental toughness (r = -0.93 & r = -0.84, p <0.05). These results indicate that variability in on-court behaviours provides interesting information about tennis players' mental toughness, more specifically on the (in) stability of their psychological state during a match

Recombinant spider silk protein eADF4(C16)-RGD coatings are suitable for cardiac tissue engineering

Cardiac tissue engineering is a promising approach to treat cardiovascular diseases, which are a major socio-economic burden worldwide. An optimal material for cardiac tissue engineering, allowing cardiomyocyte attachment and exhibiting proper immunocompatibility, biocompatibility and mechanical characteristics, has not yet emerged. An additional challenge is to develop a fabrication method that enables the generation of proper hierarchical structures and constructs with a high density of cardiomyocytes for optimal contractility. Thus, there is a focus on identifying suitable materials for cardiac tissue engineering. Here, we investigated the interaction of neonatal rat heart cells with engineered spider silk protein (eADF4(C16)) tagged with the tripeptide arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid cell adhesion motif RGD, which can be used as coating, but can also be 3D printed. Cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells attached well to eADF4(C16)-RGD coatings, which did not induce hypertrophy in cardiomyocytes, but allowed response to hypertrophic as well as proliferative stimuli. Furthermore, Kymograph and MUSCLEMOTION analyses showed proper cardiomyocyte beating characteristics on spider silk coatings, and cardiomyocytes formed compact cell aggregates, exhibiting markedly higher speed of contraction than cardiomyocyte mono-layers on fibronectin. The results suggest that eADF4(C16)-RGD is a promising material for cardiac tissue engineering

Systems-wide RNAi analysis of CASP8AP2/FLASH shows transcriptional deregulation of the replication-dependent histone genes and extensive effects on the transcriptome of colorectal cancer cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Colorectal carcinomas (CRC) carry massive genetic and transcriptional alterations that influence multiple cellular pathways. The study of proteins whose loss-of-function (LOF) alters the growth of CRC cells can be used to further understand the cellular processes cancer cells depend upon for survival.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A small-scale RNAi screen of ~400 genes conducted in SW480 CRC cells identified several candidate genes as required for the viability of CRC cells, most prominently <it>CASP8AP2</it>/<it>FLASH</it>. To understand the function of this gene in maintaining the viability of CRC cells in an unbiased manner, we generated gene specific expression profiles following RNAi. Silencing of <it>CASP8AP2</it>/<it>FLASH </it>resulted in altered expression of over 2500 genes enriched for genes associated with cellular growth and proliferation. Loss of CASP8AP2/FLASH function was significantly associated with altered transcription of the genes encoding the replication-dependent histone proteins as a result of the expression of the non-canonical polyA variants of these transcripts. Silencing of <it>CASP8AP2</it>/<it>FLASH </it>also mediated enrichment of changes in the expression of targets of the NFκB and MYC transcription factors. These findings were confirmed by whole transcriptome analysis of <it>CASP8AP2</it>/<it>FLASH </it>silenced cells at multiple time points. Finally, we identified and validated that CASP8AP2/FLASH LOF increases the expression of neurofilament heavy polypeptide (NEFH), a protein recently linked to regulation of the AKT1/ß-catenin pathway.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We have used unbiased RNAi based approaches to identify and characterize the function of CASP8AP2/FLASH, a protein not previously reported as required for cell survival. This study further defines the role CASP8AP2/FLASH plays in the regulating expression of the replication-dependent histones and shows that its LOF results in broad and reproducible effects on the transcriptome of colorectal cancer cells including the induction of expression of the recently described tumor suppressor gene <it>NEFH</it>.</p

Population Health Solutions for Assessing Cognitive Impairment in Geriatric Patients.

In December 2017, the National Academy of Neuropsychology convened an interorganizational Summit on Population Health Solutions for Assessing Cognitive Impairment in Geriatric Patients in Denver, Colorado. The Summit brought together representatives of a broad range of stakeholders invested in the care of older adults to focus on the topic of cognitive health and aging. Summit participants specifically examined questions of who should be screened for cognitive impairment and how they should be screened in medical settings. This is important in the context of an acute illness given that the presence of cognitive impairment can have significant implications for care and for the management of concomitant diseases as well as pose a major risk factor for dementia. Participants arrived at general principles to guide future screening approaches in medical populations and identified knowledge gaps to direct future research. Key learning points of the summit included: recognizing the importance of educating patients and healthcare providers about the value of assessing current and baseline cognition;emphasizing that any screening tool must be appropriately normalized and validated in the population in which it is used to obtain accurate information, including considerations of language, cultural factors, and education; andrecognizing the great potential, with appropriate caveats, of electronic health records to augment cognitive screening and tracking of changes in cognitive health over time