Bone Mineral Density in Field Hockey Players: A Systematic Review.

The aim of this study was to carry out a systematic review to compare and analyse the bone mineral density of field hockey players of both sexes and of different ages, with other sports and with a sedentary population. The search process was carried out using the PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science and Scopus databases. The search ended on 18 March 2024. We selected articles in which a comparison was made of bone mineral density of the whole body, lumbar spine, femoral neck, arms and legs, among field hockey players, and/or with other sports and/or with a sedentary population. The systematic review followed the guidelines described in the 2020 PRISMA statement. The initial search identified 220 articles. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the search was narrowed down to seven articles in total. It was observed that the field hockey group had better bone mineral density values than sedentary population and the low-impact sports population. Basketball players had better whole body and leg bone mineral density values than field hockey players. Causality could not be established due to the cross-sectional nature of the included studies. The better bone mineral density values in field hockey players compared to the sedentary population may be because people who participate in impact sports have a better bone mineral density. The differences in bone mineral density between field hockey and low-impact sports could be related to a lower impact during their practice in these disciplines.

Physical fitness in young top level table tennis players: differences between sex, age and playing style.

Understanding the physical fitness of table tennis (TT) players could be interesting in improving the training process and evaluating talent. This study aimed to assess the physical fitness of U14 TT players and differentiate between sex, age and playing style. A total of 352 players (203 males and 149 females) aged between 9 and 13 years participated in the present study. Furthermore, the sample was divided according to playing style: offensive (OFF) and mixed + defensive (M + D). A battery of tests was carried out to assess cardiorespiratory capacity, speed, strength, flexibility and power. Both sexes reported significant differences in cardiorespiratory capacity and speed (p < 0.05). Concerning age, there were substantial differences in cardiorespiratory capacity, speed, strength and power, with older players obtaining better results (p < 0.05). Finally, concerning playing style, differences were reported in cardiorespiratory capacity, higher in OFF style group, and flexibility, higher in the M + D style group. Finally, there were relationships between playing style and cardiorespiratory fitness and flexibility. Physical fitness evolves with increasing age as a function of sex. This is the first study to assess fitness in a large sample of TT players as a function of playing style.

Analysis of Technical-Tactical Actions in High-Level Table Tennis Players: Differences between Sexes.

Table tennis is a sport played at a high speed; therefore, the technical-tactical variables are very important. The objective of the research is to analyze the technical and tactical characteristics of high-level TT players according to sex. A total of 48 high-level players (24 women and 24 men) participated in the present study. The investigation was carried out during two championships. The matches were recorded and subsequently analyzed by notational analysis. The results indicate that women stroke the ball more times during the rallies. In the men's competition, the forehand technique predominates over the backhand technique. The flip was the most used in the male sex (p < 0.05). At the tactical level, more winning actions were performed in the men's competition than in the women's, both with the forehand and backhand game. Men performed more losing technical actions when using the forehand and backhand flips. The pivot footwork tactical action was higher in the men's competition. The analysis of the technical-tactical actions highlighted important differences between the sexes. The predominant losing techniques among players are forehand and backhand flip. Female players use more defensive strokes, while male players use more offensive strokes, in particular the flip technique. The potential biomechanical progress of the male player characterized by a larger wingspan biotype could facilitate a better technical-tactical performance. The results obtained are of interest to improve the performance of the players as they must train at a technical-tactical level differently depending on the sex and style of play.

Deep Learning Application to Detect Glaucoma with a Mixed Training Approach: Public Database and Expert-Labeled Glaucoma Population.

INTRODUCTION: Artificial intelligence has real potential for early identification of ocular diseases such as glaucoma. An important challenge is the requirement for large databases properly selected, which are not easily obtained. We used a relatively original strategy: a glaucoma recognition algorithm trained with fundus images from public databases and then tested and retrained with a carefully selected patient database. METHODS: The study's supervised deep learning method was an adapted version of the ResNet-50 architecture previously trained from 10,658 optic head images (glaucomatous or non-glaucomatous) from seven public databases. A total of 1,158 new images labeled by experts from 616 patients were added. The images were categorized after clinical examination including visual fields in 304 (26%) control images or those with ocular hypertension and 347 (30%) images with early, 290 (25%) with moderate, and 217 (19%) with advanced glaucoma. The initial algorithm was tested using 30% of the selected glaucoma database and then re-trained with 70% of this database and tested again. RESULTS: The results in the initial sample showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 76% for all images, and 66% for early, 82% for moderate, and 84% for advanced glaucoma. After retraining the algorithm, the respective AUC results were 82%, 72%, 89%, and 91%. CONCLUSION: Using combined data from public databases and data selected and labeled by experts facilitated improvement of the system's precision and identified interesting possibilities for obtaining tools for automatic screening of glaucomatous eyes more affordably.

Erdheim-Chester Disease Due to a Novel Internal Duplication of NRAS: Response to Targeted Therapy with Cobimetinib.

Histiocytoses encompass a group of exceptionally rare disorders characterized by the abnormal infiltration of tissues by histocytes. Among these, Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) stands out as a multisystem histiocytosis that typically affects bones and various other tissues. Historically, the treatment of ECD has been challenging. However, recent breakthroughs in our understanding, particularly the discovery of somatic mutations in the RAS-MAPK pathway, have opened new opportunities for targeted therapy in a significant subset of patients with ECD and other histiocytoses. In this report, we present the case of a patient with ECD harboring a previously unidentified microduplication in the NRAS gene in a small fraction of skin cells. This discovery played a pivotal role in tailoring an effective therapeutic approach involving kinase inhibitors downstream of NRAS. This case underscores the crucial role of deep sequencing of tissue samples in ECD, enabling the delivery of personalized targeted therapy to patients.

Physiological demands of racket sports: a systematic review.

The practice of racket sports has had an exponential growth in the last decade, along with it, the scientific interest in researching the different disciplines: badminton, padel, table tennis, tennis, and squash. However, most research has focused on the technical and tactical field. Therefore, the aim of this review is to analyze and compare the indicators of the internal load of each sport: heart rate (HR), maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), oxygen consumption (VO2), and lactate (LA) in order to reset physiological references to adjust the training of the players and also use these references to propose the practice of these sports for healthy purposes to the general population. PRISMA Guidelines for Systematic Review were used to search for articles that met the inclusion criteria in three databases: Web of Science, Pubmed, and Sportdiscus. The search was performed between January 2010, and September 2022. Finally, a total 27 records were included for analysis in this study. The main findings were related to the differences in the intensity rates between sports. The highest lactate concentrations and heart values were found in badminton in the intensity of effort values (whose highest values were found in badminton) 10.11 (±4.99) mmol/L and 182.6 (±2.7) bpm respectively, whereas table tennis showed the lowest ones 1.2 (± 0.4) mmol/L, and 103.99 (±15.09) bpm, respectively. The highest mean VO2 was found in table tennis with a value of 36.8 (±13.2) ml/kg/min and the lowest in tennis with a value of 26.6 (±2.7) ml/kg/min. The highest VO2max was found in tennis players 58.0 (±4.6) ml/kg/min, and the lowest value was in table tennis with a value of 42.9 (±4.2) ml/kg/min. Since most of the studies were carried out on elite men players, future research should focus on amateur and women level players.

The CB1 cannabinoid receptor regulates autophagy in the tibialis anterior skeletal muscle in mice.

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) regulates energy metabolism, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases and exerts its actions mainly through the type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1). Likewise, autophagy is involved in several cellular processes. It is required for the normal development of muscle mass and metabolism, and its deregulation is associated with diseases. It is known that the CB1 regulates signaling pathways that control autophagy, however, it is currently unknown whether the ECS could regulate autophagy in the skeletal muscle of obese mice. This study aimed to investigate the role of the CB1 in regulating autophagy in skeletal muscle. We found concomitant deregulation in the ECS and autophagy markers in high-fat diet-induced obesity. In obese CB1-KO mice, the autophagy-associated protein LC3 II does not accumulate when mTOR and AMPK phosphorylation levels do not change. Acute inhibition of the CB1 with JD-5037 decreased LC3 II protein accumulation and autophagic flux. Our results suggest that the CB1 regulates autophagy in the tibialis anterior skeletal muscle in both lean and obese mice.

Plyometric Training's Effects on Young Male Karatekas' Jump, Change of Direction, and Inter-Limb Asymmetry.

This study analysed the effects of performing a plyometric training programme on different types of jumping and specific changes of direction, and their respective asymmetries in karatekas. Twenty male karatekas (age 19 ± 4 years) were distributed in two groups, the control group (CG) and the experimental group (EG). The EG group (n = 10) performed a 6-week intervention of unilateral plyometric training, performing countermovement jumps (CMJ), drop jumps (DJ), and long jumps (SH). The tests performed at the beginning and at the end of the intervention were a unilateral and bilateral countermovement jump test (CMJ), single-leg hop test (SH), single-leg side-hop test (SSH), triple hop test (TH), and change of direction in a karate position test (MKUKS). The EG group obtained improvements in the CMJ with the stronger (p = 0.01; ES = 0.39) and weaker leg (p = 0.01; ES = 0.59), in the SH with the weaker leg (p = 0.01; ES = 0.45), in the SSH with the weaker leg (p = 0.03; ES = 0.33), in the MKUKS (p = 0.00; ES = 0.98), and improved the asymmetries obtained in the TH (p = 0.02; ES = -0.85). The GC group obtained significant differences in the CMJ with the stronger (p = 0.03; ES = 0.46) and weaker leg (p = 0.00; ES = 0.69), in the bilateral CMJ (p = 0.02; ES = 0.24), in the SH with the weaker leg (p = 0.00; ES = 0.34), in the TH with the stronger (p = 0.00; ES = -0.15) and weaker leg (p = 0.01; ES = 0.09), and in the MKUKS test (p = 0.04; ES = -0.94). A between-group analysis showed improvements of the EG over the GC in the TH with the stronger leg (p = 0.02; ES = 1.05). Performing plyometric training provides improvements in jumping, mainly in horizontal jumps, reducing inter-limb asymmetries in repetitive jumps.

The CB1 cannabinoid receptor regulates autophagy in the tibialis anterior skeletal muscle in mice

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) regulates energy metabolism, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases and exerts its actions mainly through the type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1). Likewise, autophagy is involved in several cellular processes. It is required for the normal development of muscle mass and metabolism, and its deregulation is associated with diseases. It is known that the CB1 regulates signaling pathways that control autophagy, however, it is currently unknown whether the ECS could regulate autophagy in the skeletal muscle of obese mice. This study aimed to investigate the role of the CB1 in regulating autophagy in skeletal muscle. We found concomitant deregulation in the ECS and autophagy markers in high-fat diet-induced obesity. In obese CB1-KO mice, the autophagy-associated protein LC3 II does not accumulate when mTOR and AMPK phosphorylation levels do not change. Acute inhibition of the CB1 with JD-5037 decreased LC3 II protein accumulation and autophagic flux. Our results suggest that the CB1 regulates autophagy in the tibialis anterior skeletal muscle in both lean and obese mice.

A potential role of autophagy-mediated vascular senescence in the pathophysiology of HFpEF.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is one of the most complex and most prevalent cardiometabolic diseases in aging population. Age, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are the main comorbidities of HFpEF. Microvascular dysfunction and vascular remodeling play a major role in its development. Among the many mechanisms involved in this process, vascular stiffening has been described as one the most prevalent during HFpEF, leading to ventricular-vascular uncoupling and mismatches in aged HFpEF patients. Aged blood vessels display an increased number of senescent endothelial cells (ECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). This is consistent with the fact that EC and cardiomyocyte cell senescence has been reported during HFpEF. Autophagy plays a major role in VSMCs physiology, regulating phenotypic switch between contractile and synthetic phenotypes. It has also been described that autophagy can regulate arterial stiffening and EC and VSMC senescence. Many studies now support the notion that targeting autophagy would help with the treatment of many cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms involved in autophagy-mediated vascular senescence and whether this could be a driver in the development and progression of HFpEF.

Sucralose consumption ameliorates high-fat diet-induced glucose intolerance and liver weight gain in mice.

Sucralose is one of the most widely used artificial sweeteners used by the food industry to reduce the calorie density of their products. Although broadly regarded as innocuous, studies show contrasting results depending on whether the research subjects are lean or overweight. In this study, we studied the effect of sucralose consumption on glucose homeostasis in a model of obesity. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed ad libitum with control or a high-fat diet (HFD) and drank either water or sucralose (0.1 mg/mL) for 8 weeks. To characterize the ensuing metabolic changes, we evaluated weight gain, glucose and pyruvate tolerance, and physical performance. Also, we assessed markers of steatosis and mitochondrial mass and function in the liver. Our results show that sucralose reduced weight gain, glucose, and pyruvate intolerance, and prevented the decrease in physical performance of HFD-fed mice. In the liver, sucralose also had a positive effect, preventing the decrease in mitochondrial mass exerted by HFD. Altogether, our results indicate that in the context of an obesogenic diet, sucralose has a beneficial effect at the organismal and hepatic levels.

Exercise regulation of hepatic lipid droplet metabolism.

Lipid droplets (LD) are not just lipid stores. They are now recognized as highly dynamic organelles, having a life cycle that includes biogenesis, growth, steady-state, transport, and catabolism. Importantly, LD exhibit different features in terms of size, number, lipid composition, proteins, and interaction with other organelles, and all these features exert an impact on cellular homeostasis. The imbalance of LD function causes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Studies show that exercise attenuates NAFLD by decreasing LD content; however, reports show metabolic benefits without changes in LD amount (intrahepatic triglyceride levels) in NAFLD. Due to the multiple effects of exercise in LD features, we think that these metabolic benefits occur through changes in LD features in NAFLD, rather than only the reduction in content. Exercise increases energy mobilization and utilization from storages such as LD, and is one of the non-pharmacological treatments against NAFLD. Therefore, exercise modification of LD could be a target for NAFLD treatment. Here, we review the most up-to-date literature on this topic, and focus on recent findings showing that LD features could play an important role in the severity of NAFLD.

Performance Outcome Measures in Padel: A Scoping Review.

Padel is a modern doubles racket sport which has become popular around the world in the last decades. There has been an increase in the quantity of scientific research about this sport in the last years. Therefore, the main objective of this scoping review is to provide an updated contextualization of research regarding padel. PRISMA ScR was used in order to search for articles fulfilling the inclusion criteria in five fields of interest: the anthropometric profile, physiology and physical performance, biomechanics, the epidemiology of injuries, and match analyses Seventy-seven records were included in the study. Padel is an emerging sport both in sport and research terms. This scoping review provides coaches and researchers with all the knowledge available in the five fields of interest. Furthermore, this study enables them to make a map of the current state of the research about padel, and it opens up doors to future investigations.

Moderate Aerobic Exercise Training Prevents the Augmented Hepatic Glucocorticoid Response Induced by High-Fat Diet in Mice.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are critical regulators of energy balance. Their deregulation is associated with the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome. However, it is not understood if obesity alters the tissue glucocorticoid receptor (GR) response, and moreover whether a moderate aerobic exercise prevents the alteration in GR response induced by obesity. METHODS: To evaluate the GR response in obese mice, we fed C57BL6J mice with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. Before mice were sacrificed, we injected them with dexamethasone. To assess the exercise role in GR response, we fed mice an HFD and subjected them to moderate aerobic exercise three times a week. RESULTS: We found that mice fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks developed hepatic GC hypersensitivity without changes in the gastrocnemius or epididymal fat GR response. Therefore, moderate aerobic exercise improved glucose tolerance, increased the corticosterone plasma levels, and prevented hepatic GR hypersensitivity with an increase in epididymal fat GR response. CONCLUSION: Collectively, our results suggest that mice with HFD-induced obesity develop hepatic GR sensitivity, which could enhance the metabolic effects of HFD in the liver. Moreover, exercise was found to be a feasible non-pharmacological strategy to prevent the deregulation of GR response in obesity.

EPA/DHA Concentrate by Urea Complexation Decreases Hyperinsulinemia and Increases Plin5 in the Liver of Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet.

Dietary intake of eicosapentaenoic/docosahexaenoic acid (EPA/DHA) reduces insulin resistance and hepatic manifestations through the regulation of metabolism in the liver. Obese mice present insulin resistance and lipid accumulation in intracellular lipid droplets (LDs). LD-associated proteins perilipin (Plin) have an essential role in both adipogenesis and lipolysis; Plin5 regulates lipolysis and thus contributes to fat oxidation. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of deodorized refined salmon oil (DSO) and its polyunsaturated fatty acids concentrate (CPUFA) containing EPA and DHA, obtained by complexing with urea, on obesity-induced metabolic alteration. CPUFA maximum content was determined using the Box-Behnken experimental design based on Surface Response Methodology. The optimized CPUFA was administered to high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice (200 mg/kg/day of EPA + DHA) for 8 weeks. No significant differences (p > 0.05) in cholesterol, glycemia, LDs or transaminase content were found. Fasting insulin and hepatic Plin5 protein level increased in the group supplemented with the EPA + DHA optimized product (38.35 g/100 g total fatty acids) compared to obese mice without fish oil supplementation. The results suggest that processing salmon oil by urea concentration can generate an EPA+DHA dose useful to prevent the increase of fasting insulin and the decrease of Plin5 in the liver of insulin-resistant mice.

Lipid droplets are both highly oxidized and Plin2-covered in hepatocytes of diet-induced obese mice.

Chronic high-fat diet feeding is associated with obesity and accumulation of fat in the liver, leading to the development of insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This condition is characterized by the presence of a high number of intrahepatic lipid droplets (LDs), with changes in the perilipin pattern covering them. This work aimed to describe the distribution of perilipin (Plin) 2, an LD-associated protein involved in neutral lipid storage, and Plin5, which favors lipid oxidation in LD, and to evaluate lipid peroxidation through live-cell visualization using the lipophilic fluorescent probe C11-BODIPY581/591 in fresh hepatocytes isolated from mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Male C57BL/6J adult mice were divided into control and HFD groups and fed with a control diet (10% fat, 20% protein, and 70% carbohydrates) or an HFD (60% fat, 20% protein, and 20% carbohydrates) for 8 weeks. The animals fed the HFD showed a significant increase of Plin2 in LD of hepatocytes. LD from HFD-fed mice have a stronger lipid peroxidation level than control hepatocytes. These data provide evidence that obesity status is accompanied by a higher degree of lipid peroxidation in hepatocytes, both in the cytoplasm and in the fats stored inside the LD. Novelty Our study shows that lipid droplets from isolated hepatocytes in HFD-fed mice have a stronger lipid peroxidation level than control hepatocytes. C11-BODIPY581/591 is a useful tool to measure the initial level of intracellular lipid peroxidation in single isolated hepatocytes. Perilipins pattern changes with HFD feeding, showing an increase of Plin2 covering lipid droplets.

Internal Hemipelvectomy and Reconstruction Assisted by 3D Printing Technology Using Premade Intraoperative Cutting and Placement Guides in a Patient With Pelvic Sarcoma: A Case Report.

CASE: We describe the case of a 75-year-old patient diagnosed with high-grade epithelioid hemangioendothelioma in the left hemipelvis. She underwent an internal hemipelvectomy, followed by reconstruction with a tumor prosthesis with iliac anchorage using 3D-printed cutting and placement guides. Eighteen months postoperatively, she is pain-free and walks without appliances. CONCLUSIONS: Using 3D-printed guides could be an appropriate alternative for patients with aggressive bone tumors in the pelvic area that require hemipelvectomy and reconstruction using a prosthesis with iliac anchorage. 3D-printed cutting guides allow precise resection with appropriate margins, could reduce the risk of injuring critical structures, and facilitate proper prosthetic component positioning.

May Young Elite Cyclists Have Less Efficient Bone Metabolism?

The purpose of this work was to describe changes in metabolic activity in the bones of young male competitive cyclists (CYC) as compared with age-matched controls (CON) over a one-year period of study. Eight adolescent male cyclists aged between fourteen and twenty, and eight age-matched controls participated in this longitudinal study. Serum osteocalcin (OC), amino-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP), beta-isomerized C-telopeptides (ß-CTx) and plasma 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], were investigated by an electrogenerated chemiluminescence immunoassay. Analysis of variance revealed no significant differences in formation and resorption markers between cyclists and controls. Within the groups, both CYC and CON showed decreased OC at -30% and -24%, respectively, and PINP where the figures were -28% and -30% respectively (all p < 0.05). However, only the CYC group showed a decrease in [25(OH)D], lower by 11% (p < 0.05). The similarity in the concentrations of markers in cyclists and controls seems to indicate that cycling does not modify the process of bone remodeling. The decrease in vitamin D in cyclists might be detrimental to their future bone health.

Effects of Cardiorespiratory Exercise on Cognition in Older Women Exposed to Air Pollution.

The aim was to analyze the effects of cardiorespiratory exercise and air pollution on cognition and cardiovascular markers in four groups of older women: the active/clean air group (AC), the active/polluted air group (AP), the sedentary/clean air group (SC), and the sedentary/polluted air group (SP). Active groups performed a training task based on progressive walking. Prior to and after the experiment, the following parameters were assessed: cognition, by Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE); maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max), estimated by the Six-Minute Walk Test (6mWT); heart rate (HR); and oxygen saturation (SpO2). There were significant differences (p < 0.05) between the AC and the SP in all the MMSE dimensions except "Registration", and in all the physiological variables (VO2max, SpO2, HR). Aerobic exercise may be a protective factor against the effects that pollution have on cognition and on the mechanisms of oxygen transport.

Effect of positive carbon-11-choline PET/CT results in the therapeutic management of prostate cancer biochemical relapse.

OBJECTIVE: Carbon-11-(C)-choline PET/computed tomography (CT) has shown good results in re-staging of prostate cancer (PCa) with raised serum levels of prostate-specific antigen. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of positive C-choline PET/CT results in the therapeutic management of patients with PCa with biochemical relapse (BR) after curative intention treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 112 patients with PCa BR and positive C-choline PET/CT were retrospectively evaluated. PET/CT was acquired 20 min after intravenous administration of 555-740 MBq of C-choline. The therapeutic management after C-choline PET/CT was obtained from the clinical records. The minimum follow-up time was 18 months. RESULTS: In 80 (71.4%) of 112 patients, C-choline PET/CT showed local recurrence of PCa; in 17 (15.2%) patients, distant recurrence; and in 15 (13.4%) patients, local plus distant recurrence. A second malignancy was detected in five (4.5%) patients. The planned therapeutic management was changed as per positive C-choline PET/CT result in 74 (66.1%) patients and were treated as follows: 31 (27.7%) patients with HT, combined with other treatments in eight (7.1%), 17 (15.2%) with BT, 13 (11.6%) with external beam radiotherapy, one (0.9%) with RP, and four (3.6%) with chemotherapy. Treatment approach was not modified in 37 (33%) patients. No data was available from one (0.9%) patient. CONCLUSION: Positive C-choline PET/CT result had an important effect in the therapeutic management of patients with PCa and BR, leading to a change in the planned approach in two (66.1%) out of three patients. In addition, in 4.5% of the patients, the C-choline PET/CT allowed the detection of a second malignancy.