Relative age, biological maturation and anaerobic characteristics in elite youth soccer players

Being relatively older and having an advanced biological maturation status have been associated with increased likelihood of selection in young elite soccer players. The aims of the study were to investigate the presence of a relative age effect (RAE) and the influence of birth quarter on anthropometry, biological maturity and anaerobic parameters in 374 elite Belgian youth soccer players. The sample was divided into 3 age groups, each subdivided into 4 birth quarters (BQ). Players had their APHV estimated and height, weight, SBJ, CMJ, sprint 5 and 30 m were assessed. Overall, more players were born in BQ1 (42.3%) compared with players born in BQ4 (13.7%). Further, MANCOVA revealed no differences in all parameters between the 4 BQ's, controlled for age and APHV. These results suggest that relatively youngest players can offset the RAE if they enter puberty earlier. Furthermore, the results demonstrated possible differences between BQ1 and BQ4, suggesting that caution is necessary when estimating differences between players because of large discrepancies between statistical and practical significance. These findings also show that coaches should develop realistic expectations of the physical abilities of younger players and these expectations should be made in the context of biological characteristics rather than chronological age-based standards. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart. New York

Grip Force Reveals the Context Sensitivity of Language-Induced Motor Activity during “Action Words

Studies demonstrating the involvement of motor brain structures in language processing typically focus on \ud time windows beyond the latencies of lexical-semantic access. Consequently, such studies remain inconclusive regarding whether motor brain structures are recruited directly in language processing or through post-linguistic conceptual imagery. In the present study, we introduce a grip-force sensor that allows online measurements of language-induced motor activity during sentence listening. We use this tool to investigate whether language-induced motor activity remains constant or is modulated in negative, as opposed to affirmative, linguistic contexts. Our findings demonstrate that this simple experimental paradigm can be used to study the online crosstalk between language and the motor systems in an ecological and economical manner. Our data further confirm that the motor brain structures that can be called upon during action word processing are not mandatorily involved; the crosstalk is asymmetrically\ud governed by the linguistic context and not vice versa

Epidermolysa bullosa in Danish Hereford calves is caused by a deletion in LAMC2 gene

BACKGROUND Heritable forms of epidermolysis bullosa (EB) constitute a heterogeneous group of skin disorders of genetic aetiology that are characterised by skin and mucous membrane blistering and ulceration in response to even minor trauma. Here we report the occurrence of EB in three Danish Hereford cattle from one herd. RESULTS Two of the animals were necropsied and showed oral mucosal blistering, skin ulcerations and partly loss of horn on the claws. Lesions were histologically characterized by subepidermal blisters and ulcers. Analysis of the family tree indicated that inbreeding and the transmission of a single recessive mutation from a common ancestor could be causative. We performed whole genome sequencing of one affected calf and searched all coding DNA variants. Thereby, we detected a homozygous 2.4 kb deletion encompassing the first exon of the LAMC2 gene, encoding for laminin gamma 2 protein. This loss of function mutation completely removes the start codon of this gene and is therefore predicted to be completely disruptive. The deletion co-segregates with the EB phenotype in the family and absent in normal cattle of various breeds. Verifying the homozygous private variants present in candidate genes allowed us to quickly identify the causative mutation and contribute to the final diagnosis of junctional EB in Hereford cattle. CONCLUSIONS Our investigation confirms the known role of laminin gamma 2 in EB aetiology and shows the importance of whole genome sequencing in the analysis of rare diseases in livestock

Field Measurements of Terrestrial and Martian Dust Devils

Surface-based measurements of terrestrial and martian dust devils/convective vortices provided from mobile and stationary platforms are discussed. Imaging of terrestrial dust devils has quantified their rotational and vertical wind speeds, translation speeds, dimensions, dust load, and frequency of occurrence. Imaging of martian dust devils has provided translation speeds and constraints on dimensions, but only limited constraints on vertical motion within a vortex. The longer mission durations on Mars afforded by long operating robotic landers and rovers have provided statistical quantification of vortex occurrence (time-of-sol, and recently seasonal) that has until recently not been a primary outcome of more temporally limited terrestrial dust devil measurement campaigns. Terrestrial measurement campaigns have included a more extensive range of measured vortex parameters (pressure, wind, morphology, etc.) than have martian opportunities, with electric field and direct measure of dust abundance not yet obtained on Mars. No martian robotic mission has yet provided contemporaneous high frequency wind and pressure measurements. Comparison of measured terrestrial and martian dust devil characteristics suggests that martian dust devils are larger and possess faster maximum rotational wind speeds, that the absolute magnitude of the pressure deficit within a terrestrial dust devil is an order of magnitude greater than a martian dust devil, and that the time-of-day variation in vortex frequency is similar. Recent terrestrial investigations have demonstrated the presence of diagnostic dust devil signals within seismic and infrasound measurements; an upcoming Mars robotic mission will obtain similar measurement types

The role of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system polymorphisms in phenotypic expression of MYBPC3-related hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

The phenotypic variability of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in patients with identical pathogenic mutations suggests additional modifiers. In view of the regulatory role in cardiac function, blood pressure, and electrolyte homeostasis, polymorphisms in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) are candidates for modifying phenotypic expression. In order to investigate whether RAAS polymorphisms modulate HCM phenotype, we selected a large cohort of carriers of one of the three functionally equivalent truncating mutations in the MYBPC3 gene. Family-based association analysis was performed to analyze the effects of five candidate RAAS polymorphisms (ACE, rs4646994; AGTR1, rs5186; CMA, rs1800875; AGT, rs699; CYP11B2, rs1799998) in 368 subjects carrying one of the three mutations in the MYBPC3 gene. Interventricular septum (IVS) thickness and Wigle score were assessed by 2D-echocardiography. SNPs in the RAAS system were analyzed separately and combined as a pro-left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) score for effects on the HCM phenotype. Analyzing the five polymorphisms separately for effects on IVS thickness and Wigle score detected two modest associations. Carriers of the CC genotype in the AGT gene had less pronounced IVS thickness compared with CT and TT genotype carriers. The DD polymorphism in the ACE gene was associated with a high Wigle score (P=0.01). No association was detected between the pro-LVH score and IVS thickness or Wigle score. In conclusion, in contrast to previous studies, in our large study population of HCM patients with functionally equivalent mutations in the MYBPC3 gene we did not find major effects of genetic variation within the genes of the RAAS system on phenotypic expression of HCM

Screening the medicines for Malaria Venture "Malaria Box" against the Plasmodium falciparum aminopeptidases, M1, M17 and M18

Malaria is a parasitic disease that remains a global health burden. The ability of the parasite to rapidly develop resistance to therapeutics drives an urgent need for the delivery of new drugs. The Medicines for Malaria Venture have compounds known for their antimalarial ac- tivity, but not necessarily the molecular targets. In this study, we assess the ability of the “MMV 400” compounds to inhibit the activity of three metalloaminopeptidases from Plasmo- dium falciparum, PfA-M1, PfA-M17 and PfM18 AAP. We have developed a multiplex assay system to allow rapid primary screening of compounds against all three metalloaminopepti- dases, followed by detailed analysis of promising compounds. Our results show that there were no PfM18AAP inhibitors, whereas two moderate inhibitors of the neutral aminopepti- dases PfA-M1 and PfA-M17 were identified. Further investigation through structure-activity relationship studies and molecular docking suggest that these compounds are competitive inhibitors with novel binding mechanisms, acting through either non-classical zinc coordina- tion or independently of zinc binding altogether. Although it is unlikely that inhibition of PfA- M1 and/or PfA-M17 is the primary mechanism responsible for the antiplasmodial activity re- ported for these compounds, their detailed characterization, as presented in this work, pave the way for their further optimization as a novel class of dual PfA-M1/PfA-M17 inhibitors uti- lising non-classical zinc binding groups

Prediction of Red Clover Content in Mixed Swards by Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy

Because of the legume fixation capacity, their high protein content, digestibility and intake characteristics, more and more attention is paid to grassland clover content. In field experiments, clover content must often be determined, for example to quantify nitrogen flux or the best practices to manage such species (Stilmant et al., 2004). However hand sorting of clover and grass, even if accurate, is time-consuming and has a high labour cost. In comparison, accuracy of visual estimation of clover content, directly in the field, varies according to training and experience. Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) has been proposed as a method for the rapid determination of sward botanical (Petersen et al., 1987; Pitman et al., 1991) and morphological composition (Leconte et al., 1999; Stilmant et al., 2005). This paper describes the performance of a NIRS calibration developed to characterise red clover (Trifolium pratense) content when associated to different grass species and this at different phenological stages

The Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 is reliable in young high-level soccer players

The aim of the study was to investigate test reliability of the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (YYIR1) in 36 high-level youth soccer players, aged between 13 and 18 years. Players were divided into three age groups (U15, U17 and U19) and completed three YYIR1 in three consecutive weeks. Pairwise comparisons were used to investigate test reliability (for distances and heart rate responses) using technical error (TE), coefficient of variation (CV), intra-class correlation (ICC) and limits of agreement (LOA) with Bland-Altman plots. The mean YYIR1 distances for the U15, U17 and U19 groups were 2024 ± 470 m, 2404 ± 347 m and 2547 ± 337 m, respectively. The results revealed that the TEs varied between 74 and 172 m, CVs between 3.0 and 7.5%, and ICCs between 0.87 and 0.95 across all age groups for the YYIR1 distance. For heart rate responses, the TEs varied between 1 and 6 bpm, CVs between 0.7 and 4.8%, and ICCs between 0.73 and 0.97. The small ratio LOA revealed that any two YYIR1 performances in one week will not differ by more than 9 to 28% due to measurement error. In summary, the YYIR1 performance and the physiological responses have proven to be highly reliable in a sample of Belgian high-level youth soccer players, aged between 13 and 18 years. The demonstrated high level of intermittent endurance capacity in all age groups may be used for comparison of other prospective young soccer players