Efekti programiranog treninga na promene eksplozivne snage i agilnosti mladih odbojkašica

The doctoral dissertation was done with the aim of determining the effects a programmed training would have on the changes in the explosive strength and agility of young female volleyball players. The sample was constituted of 30 female volleyball players, aged 14 to 16, who, at the time of the testing process, were active players of two volleyball clubs from Nis, OK ‘Desetka’ and OK ‘Millennium’. The examinees were divided into two groups – the experimental one (n=15) and the control group (n=15). The experimental group was comprised of the players from the club OK ‘Desetka’, who, apart from the basic technical and tactical training process, underwent a specially designed programme for developing explosive power and agility two times a week (on Tuesdays and Thursdays). The experimental programme was applied during the period pf preparations before the official beginning of the regional competitions for cadets. The control group was comprised of the players from the club OK ‘Millennium’, who, during the same period of time, underwent only those training sessions which had previously been planned within the annual plan and programme of the club. The sample of the measuring instruments for evaluating the explosive strength included four sets of tests: squat jump (SJ), countermowement jump (CMJ), drop jump (DJ),one-legged countermovement jump (OLCMJ). The agility of the examinees was evaluated through seven tests: T-test, Hexagon Agility Test, Illinois Agility Test, 9-6-3-6-9 Agility Test, Japan Agility Test, 505 Agility Test, Step-Hop Agility Test. Data analysis was done by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test. The effects of the progremmed training on the development of the explosive strength and agility of the young female volleyball players was determined by the Covariance Analysis, AKNOVA. The results obtained in such a way showed the statistically significant improvement in the parameters tested within the experimental group. The difference was insignificant in the OLCMJ test only. The results point to the conclusion that the experimental training programme had positive effects on the changes of explosive strength and agility of young female volleyball players

DIFFERENCES IN EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH OF ELITE FEMALE HANDBALL PLAYERS DURING THE COMPETITION SEASON

The aim of our research was to determine the explosive strength of the legs i.e., the height of the jump of the top-ranked female handball players during the season. 15 female players underwent the following tests for estimating the explosive strength of the legs: SJ, CMJ, CMJ free arm, CMJ right leg and CMJ left leg. The Student’s t-test was applied for establishing the changes between the measuring sessions during the season. The results obtained show that there were statistically significant changes and better results at the end of the season in the following parameters: CMJ right leg =.002 and CMJ left leg = .018, whereas no significant changes occurred in all the other two-leg jumps. Taking into consideration the fact that in performing different throws and goal shooting the most prominent movements in handball are done on one leg, the results were expected. It is recommended that throughout the season the training process should include additional exercises for improving and maintaining the ability of the handball players to jump (plyometric, proprioceptive and the combination of the two with the common strength improving exercises), since their positive effects have been proven by quite a few studies

CHANGES IN SPEED, AGILITY AND BODY COMPOSITION OF TOP-RANKED FEMALE HANDBALL PLAYERS DURING THE PLAYING SEASON

Handball is a dynamic Olympic sport dominated by acyclic movements (sudden changes in direction, jumps, landings, contacts between the players, etc.) with speed and agility playing an important role in their successful realization. Our aim was to establish which changes occurred in the body composition, speed and agility of top-ranked female handball players during the playing season. The parameters for estimating body composition were: body mass, body mass index (BMI), the percentage of muscle and fat. The ability to achieve speed (in 5, 10 and 30m sprints) and agility (new envelope test without a ball, straight slalom run without a ball and Straight slalom run with a ball, zig-zag with and zig-zag without a ball) was estimated with the portable timing system. The differences between the initial and the final measurements were established with the Student’s t-test. The results obtained show that there were statistically significant changes and weaker results in almost all the tested variables. The only improvements were detected in the maximum speed in 30m sprint and the agility without a ball (new envelope test and slalom run without a ball). It is recommended that the training plan should be carefully devised (the activities of the high intensity load should be applied throughout the season) as well as the plan for proper sports nutrition (body mass should be reduced with simultaneous increase in the muscular mass component)

Examination of the polyphenol content and bioactivities of Prunus spinosa L. fruit extracts

We investigated the total phenolic and flavonoid contents and the anthocyanin profiles in aqueous, ethanol and acetone extracts of Prunus spinosa (Rosaceae) fruit, and their antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic and antitumor properties. The contribution of polyphenol contents to the bioactivity of the extracts was calculated and observed through Pearson’s coefficient of correlation. The acetone extract was the richest in phenols and anthocyanins and the ethanol extract in flavonoids. Cyanidin was the most abundant anthocyanin compound in all examined extracts. The ethanol extract showed the most promising antioxidant activity in DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays. Tested bacteria were more affected by the ethanol than by the aqueous extract. Both the ethanol and aqueous extracts exhibited potential antidiabetic effects, observed as inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, enzymes linked with diabetes mellitus type II. The ethanol extract was a potent α-glucosidase-inhibitor with a significantly lower IC50 value than the positive control, glucobay, used to treat diabetes mellitus type II. Neither the ethanol nor the aqueous extracts had any effects on tested human malignant cell lines. Our results indicate that the ethanol extract showed the most pronounced in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, and a potential antidiabetic activity, which can be ascribed to its high flavonoid content. Our results indicate that research of compounds, particularly of flavonoids present in the ethanol extract and their anti-diabetic properties should be examined further

Allergenic potency of kiwi fruit during fruit development

Food allergies, including kiwi fruit allergy, have been the subject of extensive research in the last few years. The aim of this study was to examine a possible relationship between the developmental stage of kiwi fruit and its allergenic potency. The protein and allergen patterns of kiwi fruit extracts in September, October, November and December fruit in the period from 2000-2002 were analysed. One of the factors that may contribute to the difficulties in proposing well-defined and standardized fruit extracts should also be the time of fruit harvesting. In this particular case, when the kiwi fruit was edible throughout November and December, we showed discrepancies in allergen content and potencies both in qualitative and quantitative terms. Two major allergens of kiwi fruit, Act c 1 and Act c 2, mainly accounted for the highest allergenic potential of November kiwi extract in vivo and in vitro. Not only the content of major allergens, but also the ratio of different proteins and even isoforms of the same allergen (Act c 2) change with fruit ripening. These findings should be taken into account during preparation of extracts for allergy diagnosis

Izolovanje i karakterizacija 68 kD alergena iz ekstrakta kućnih grinja

House dust mites (HDM) represent a major source of allergens, contributing to the increasing incidence of type I hypersensitivity disease worldwide. Over 30 different IgE-binding proteins from the HDM extract were detected. Although group 1 and 2 have been identified as major allergens, due to the safety and efficacy of allergy diagnosis and immunotherapy, there is a need to carefully evaluate the clinical relevance of other allergens present in the HDM extract. In regard to this, a high molecular mass allergen of about 68 kD was purified from the HDM extract using a combination of gel permeation chromatography and reversed-phase chromatography. The IgG and IgE reactivity of the purified protein were preserved during the purification process, as confirmed by Western blot analysis with polyclonal rabbit antibodies and dot blot analysis with a pool of sera from subjects with house dust mite allergy, respectively. In addition, the IgE reactivity was confirmed using ELISA testing with nine patient sera. The biological potency of the 68 kD allergen was confirmed by skin prick testing in five allergic subjects, suggesting that the high molecular mass allergen is a good candidate for component-resolved diagnosis of house dust mite allergy and eventual therapeutic treatment.Grinje iz kućne prašine predstavljaju jedan od glavnih izvora alergena koji su u značajnoj meri doprineli porastu prvog tipa preosetljivosti. Preko 30 IgE-vezujućih proteina iz kućne prašine je detektovano do danas. Alergeni grupe 1 i 2 označeni su kao glavni alergeni kućne prašine. Međutim, da bi se poboljšala sigurnost i efikasnost dijagnoze i terapije alergijskih oboljenja izazvanih grinjama iz kućne prašine, neophodno je odrediti klinički značaj svih alergena iz ovog alergenskog izvora. U ovom radu izolovan je alergen visoke molekulske mase od 68 kD iz ekstrakta kućne prašine kombinovanjem gel-permeacione hromatografije i reversno-fazne hromatografije. IgG i IgE reaktivnost prečišćenog proteina je proverena u 'Western blot'-u i 'dot blot'-u sa poliklonskim zečijim antitelima na ekstrakt kućne prašine i 'pool'-om seruma osoba alergičnih na kućnu prašinu, redom. 64 % pacijenata je pokazalo IgE reaktivnost na prečišćeni protein u ELISA testu. Biološka reaktivnost prečišćenog alergena je potvrđena u kožnim probama na pet pacijenata, ukazujući da je prečišćen alergen dobar kandidat za dijagnozu alergije na kućnu prašinu pojedinačnim komponentama i eventualni terapeutski tretman

Digestomics of Cow's Milk: Short Digestion-Resistant Peptides of Casein Form Functional Complexes by Aggregation

The aim of this study was to identify short digestion-resistant peptides (SDRPs) released by pepsin digestion of the whole cow's milk and examine their IgE reactivity and allergenicity. Raw milk was subjected to simulated gastric digestion. SDRPs were fractionated from the digests and identified by MS. Milk SDRPs were evaluated for aggregability, propensity to compete for IgE binding with individual milk allergens, and ability to bind IgG4 from allergic and milk-tolerant individuals. The majority of milk SDRPs originated from caseins (97% of peptides) and overlapped with the known IgE epitopes of cow's milk allergens. SDRPs competed with milk proteins for binding to human IgE and readily formed aggregates. The average peptide length was 10.6 +/- 3.5 amino acids. The ability to provoke allergenic in vivo responses was confirmed by skin-prick testing (SPT) in five milk-allergic subjects. This was attributed to the peptide ability to aggregate into non-covalent complexes. SDRPs are able to induce response in SPT, but only in 50% of the sera SDRPs were able to inhibit IgG4 binding to caseins. Hence, SDRPs corresponding to the mainly continuous epitopes of milk proteins induce allergenic in vivo responses in milk-allergic subjects due to aggregation

Optimization of extraction conditions of tropomyosin from Mediterranean mussel and its quantification by developed ELISA

Tropomyosin (TPM) is a major allergen among different shellfish species. Developing sensitive, specific, and reliable methods for quantifying TPM in food products is crucial for persons allergic to shellfish. Commonly used extraction buffers often show shortcomings in their extraction efficiency, which is why sometimes the presence of some allergens can be overlooked in the biological material. Therefore, this work aimed to optimize Mediterranean mussel TPM extraction conditions and develop a sandwich ELISA method for TPM quantification. Several extraction buffers were tested for their efficiency in recovering proteins from fresh frozen and cooked mussels during 2 and 24 hours of extraction. The protein content was quantified using the Bradford protein assay. Protein components of soluble extracts were profiled using SDS-PAGE. TPM presence in soluble extracts was confirmed by Western blot using both monoclonal and polyclonal anti-TPM antibodies. Sandwich ELISA was developed and used to quantify TPM content. None of the extraction buffers showed a significant difference in total protein content between 2 and 24 hours of extraction, indicating that 2 hours is sufficient for protein recovery in both raw and cooked mussels. Significantly fewer proteins were extracted from cooked mussels compared to raw mussels. Densitometrically estimated TPM concentrations indicate that PBS containing 1M NaCl (PBSN) extracts around 40% more TPM than PBS. Carbonate buffers extract even three times higher amounts of TPM than traditionally used extraction buffer PBS. Developed sandwich ELISA has shown not to be reliable for quantifying TPM from mussels, significantly underestimating its concentration, as concluded by comparing TPM concentrations obtained by ELISA with those obtained densitometrically. Therefore, Western blot has been used as an alternative method for mussel TPM quantification. The linear range for TPM quantification using Western blot was between 1.25 and 10 µg/ml. TPM concentrations in mussel extracts estimated using Western blot correlated well with those calculated by densitometric gel analysis. Further work will be aimed at improving the sensitivity of the presented methods and developing new methods for TPM quantification

Rana alergijska reakcija na metilprednizolon sa tolerancijom drugih kortikosteroida

Introduction. In spite of the wide usage of corticosteroids for the treatment of a plethora of diseases, sometimes they can induce immediate hypersensitivity reactions, which are however uncommon. Case Outline. We report a case of immediate allergic reaction induced by intravenous methylprednisolone given before operation for surgical repair of an arm contracture as a sequel of burns, which the child had tolerated a month before. Six weeks later the patient repeated the anaphylactic reaction during skin testing to methylprednisolone. In addition, basophile activation test with methylprednisolone (BAT) was positive. Conclusion. This case report describes a patient who experienced intraoperative anaphylaxis and anaphylactic reaction induced by skin testing. This is the first report on induction of both anaphylactic reactions by methylprednisolone in the same child. Clinical findings, positive BAT and positive skin tests with methylprednisolone imply that the child developed type-I hypersensitivity. The lack of cross-reactivity with other corticosteroids emphasizes that the reactions were caused by the steroid molecule.Uvod. Uprkos širokoj primeni kortikosteroida u lečenju od različitih bolesti, oni ponekad mogu izazvati ranu alergijsku reakciju. Prikaz bolesnika. Kod dvanaestogodišnjeg dečaka došlo je do rane alergijske reakcije izazvane intravenskom primenom metilprednizolona neposredno pre hirurške intervencije, tačnije, korekcije kontrakture šake koja se javila kao komplikacija opekotine. Mesec dana pre pojave alergijske reakcije dete je primalo metilprednizolon i dobro ga podnosilo. Šest nedelja posle operacije ponovo se javila anafilaktička reakcija tokom kožnog testiranja metilprednizolonom. Primenjen je i test aktivacije bazofila (BAT) ovim lekom, čiji je nalaz bio pozitivan. Zaključak. Ovo je prvi prikaz dve vrste anafilaktičke reakcije izazvane metilprednizolonom kod iste osobe. Klinička slika, pozitivni nalaz BAT i pozitivne kožne probe na metilprednizolon pokazuju da se kod deteta razvio prvi tip hipersenzitivne reakcije. Nedostatak unakrsne reaktivnosti s ostalim kortikosteroidima ukazuje na to da je alergijska reakcija izazvana steroidnim molekulom

Izolovanje i karakterizacija 68 kD alergena iz ekstrakta kućnih grinja

House dust mites (HDM) represent a major source of allergens, contributing to the increasing incidence of type I hypersensitivity disease worldwide. Over 30 different IgE-binding proteins from the HDM extract were detected. Although group 1 and 2 have been identified as major allergens, due to the safety and efficacy of allergy diagnosis and immunotherapy, there is a need to carefully evaluate the clinical relevance of other allergens present in the HDM extract. In regard to this, a high molecular mass allergen of about 68 kD was purified from the HDM extract using a combination of gel permeation chromatography and reversed-phase chromatography. The IgG and IgE reactivity of the purified protein were preserved during the purification process, as confirmed by Western blot analysis with polyclonal rabbit antibodies and dot blot analysis with a pool of sera from subjects with house dust mite allergy, respectively. In addition, the IgE reactivity was confirmed using ELISA testing with nine patient sera. The biological potency of the 68 kD allergen was confirmed by skin prick testing in five allergic subjects, suggesting that the high molecular mass allergen is a good candidate for component-resolved diagnosis of house dust mite allergy and eventual therapeutic treatment.Grinje iz kućne prašine predstavljaju jedan od glavnih izvora alergena koji su u značajnoj meri doprineli porastu prvog tipa preosetljivosti. Preko 30 IgE-vezujućih proteina iz kućne prašine je detektovano do danas. Alergeni grupe 1 i 2 označeni su kao glavni alergeni kućne prašine. Međutim, da bi se poboljšala sigurnost i efikasnost dijagnoze i terapije alergijskih oboljenja izazvanih grinjama iz kućne prašine, neophodno je odrediti klinički značaj svih alergena iz ovog alergenskog izvora. U ovom radu izolovan je alergen visoke molekulske mase od 68 kD iz ekstrakta kućne prašine kombinovanjem gel-permeacione hromatografije i reversno-fazne hromatografije. IgG i IgE reaktivnost prečišćenog proteina je proverena u 'Western blot'-u i 'dot blot'-u sa poliklonskim zečijim antitelima na ekstrakt kućne prašine i 'pool'-om seruma osoba alergičnih na kućnu prašinu, redom. 64 % pacijenata je pokazalo IgE reaktivnost na prečišćeni protein u ELISA testu. Biološka reaktivnost prečišćenog alergena je potvrđena u kožnim probama na pet pacijenata, ukazujući da je prečišćen alergen dobar kandidat za dijagnozu alergije na kućnu prašinu pojedinačnim komponentama i eventualni terapeutski tretman