Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The specificity of training prescription and physiological assessment: A review

Abstract The aims in this review are: (1) to identify physiological determinants of performance; (2) to consider training specificity by examining aerobic, team and racket sports, strength and power activities, and cross-training and concurrent training methods; and (3) to evaluate the role of specificity in the physiological assessment of performance determinants. Assessment of the physiological determinants of performance is an integral part of sports science support for elite athletes. Laboratory and field-based physiological assessments are fundamental elements in profiling athletes, assessing training adaptations, and interrogating programme efficacy. The relatively small and highly specific adaptations associated with high-performance training call for valid, reliable, and sensitive methods of assessment. Recent advances in the physiological assessment of athletes have led to the development of a plethora of laboratory and field-based procedures. In the assessment of the athlete, there is a tension between the high reliability and low ecological validity of laboratory assessments and the low reliability and high validity of field-based methods. In an attempt to enhance ecological validity of training and physiological assessment, various sports-specific ergometers have been designed. This development has helped to match fitness assessment procedures to the demands of the sport concerned.
The impact of 100 hours of exercise and sleep deprivation on cognitive function and physical capacities

Abstract In this study, we examined the effect of 96–125 h of competitive exercise on cognitive and physical performance. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Stroop test (n = 9) before, during, and after the 2003 Southern Traverse adventure race. Strength (MVC) and strength endurance (time to failure at 70% current MVC) of the knee extensor and elbow flexor muscles were assessed before and after racing. Changes in vertical jump (n = 24) and 30-s Wingate performance (n = 27) were assessed in a different group of athletes. Complex response times were affected by the race (16% slower), although not significantly so (P = 0.18), and were dependent on exercise intensity (less so at 50% peak power output after racing). Reduction of strength (P < 0.05) of the legs (17%) and arms (11%) was equivalent (P = 0.17). Reductions in strength endurance were inconsistent (legs 18%, P = 0.09; arms 13%, P = 0.40), but were equivalent between limbs (P = 0.80). Similar reductions were observed in jump height (−8 ± 9%, P < 0.01) and Wingate peak power (−7 ± 15%, P = 0.04), mean power (−7 ± 11%, P < 0.01), and end power (−10 ± 11%, P < 0.01). We concluded that: moderate-intensity exercise may help complex decision making during sustained stress; functional performance was modestly impacted, and the upper and lower limbs were affected similarly despite being used disproportionately.
The effect of induced alkalosis and submaximal cycling on neuromuscular response during sustained isometric contraction

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine if inducing metabolic alkalosis would alter neuromuscular control after 50 min of standardized submaximal cycling. Eight trained male cyclists (mean age 32 years, s = 7; [Vdot]O2max 62 ml · kg−1 · min−1, s = 8) ingested capsules containing either CaCO3 (placebo) or NaHCO3 (0.3 g · kg−1 body mass) in eight doses over 2 h on two separate occasions, commencing 3 h before exercise. Participants performed three maximal isometric voluntary contractions (MVC) of the knee extensors while determining the central activation ratio by superimposing electrical stimulation both pre-ingestion and post-exercise, followed by a 50-s sustained maximal contraction in which force, EMG amplitude, and muscle fibre conduction velocity were assessed. Plasma pH, blood base excess, and plasma HCO3 were higher (P < 0.01) during the NaHCO3 trial. After cycling, muscle fibre conduction velocity was higher (P < 0.05) during the 50-s sustained maximal contraction with NaHCO3 than with placebo (5.1 m · s−1, s = 0.4 vs. 4.2 m · s−1, s = 0.4) while the EMG amplitude remained the same. Force decline rate was less (P < 0.05) during alkalosis-sustained maximal contraction and no differences were shown in central activation ratio. These data indicate that induced metabolic alkalosis can increase muscle fibre conduction velocity following prolonged submaximal cycling.
The effects of achievement goals on performance, enjoyment, and practice of a novel motor task

Abstract We examined the effects of trichotomous achievement goals on performance, enjoyment, and practice of a golf-putting task. Male (n = 39) and female (n = 63) undergraduate students participated in the experiment in exchange for course credit. Participants were assigned to a mastery, performance-approach, or performance-avoidance goal condition and completed seven blocks of 10 trials (one for baseline, four for the experimental phase, and two for the transfer phase) of a golf-putting task. Distance from the target was measured and performance measures of accuracy and consistency were calculated. Self-reported enjoyment during the baseline and experimental phases and practice during a 5-min period before and following the experimental task were also assessed. Performance accuracy and consistency improved similarly among the three groups. Individuals in all three conditions reported enjoying the task to the same extent. Mastery participants practiced for longer than performance-approach participants during the practice period. Performance-avoidance participants did not differ significantly from the other two groups. The three goals were equally effective in promoting performance and enjoyment of the golf-putting task. The differential practice results for the two performance goals suggest that they should be considered separately.
CyberKnife Radiosurgery for Malignant Spinal Tumors: Characterization of Well-Suited Patients

Study Design. A prospective interventional case-series study. Objective. To provide clinical results of CyberKnife fiducial-free spinal radiosurgery. The study focused on patients with no more than 2 malignant spinal tumors. Summary of Background Data. Progress in frameless radiosurgical technology has enabled the application of radiosurgery to the spine. The CyberKnife System has been used extensively for spine radiosurgery. Until recently, the system required metallic fiducial implants for precise target tracking. Fiducial-free spinal radiosurgery with the CyberKnife has recently become possible, but until now clinical results obtained with this method had been limited. Methods. From August 2005 until October 2007, a consecutive series of 102 patients with a total of 134 malignant spinal tumors were selected for single-fraction, fiducial-free CyberKnife radiosurgery (CKRS). The study was limited to patients with a maximum of 2 tumors. Malignant primaries included breast cancer in 23 (22.6%) patients, renal cancer in 20 (19.6%) patients, gastro-intestinal cancers in 12 (11.8%) patients, prostate cancer each in 12 (11.8%) patients, lung cancer in 9 (8.9%) patients, sarcomas in 7 (6.9%) patients. A variety of other malignant tumors were found in 19 (18.6%) patients. Patients with spinal cord compression or evidence of myelopathy were excluded. The sequential neurologic status was recorded. Tumor-associated spinal pain was prospectively scored according to the visual analogue scale (VAS). Results. Of 102 individuals, 22 (21.6%) died due to progression of their systemic disease. Mean survival after CKRS was 1.4 years (CI: 1.2–1.6). Karnofsky performance score was the only independent predictor of survival after radiosurgery on log-rank test (P < 0.0001), and on Cox regression analysis (hazard ratio, 0.864, P < 0.0001, CI: 0.809–0.922). Median survival after initial tumor diagnosis was 18.4 years (CI: 15.1–23.4). Two (2%) patients suffered complications after radiosurgery; a tumor hemorrhage occurred in one, and another developed spinal instability. These and 2 other patients were stabilized by kyphoplasty. Neurotoxicity or myelopathy was not observed. Local tumor control 15 months after CKRS was 98% (95% CI: 89–99%). Tumor-associated pain was observed in 52 (51%) patients. In these patients the median pretreatment pain score of VAS = 7 (95% CI: 6–7) was significantly reduced to VAS = 1 (95% CI: 4–6) (P < 0.001) within 1 week after CKRS. Analysis of variance identified the initial pain score as the only significant variable to predict pain reduction after CKRS (P < 0.03). Pain recurrence in correlation with tumor recurrence was observed for 3 (6%) patients. Conclusion. Spinal radiosurgery with the CyberKnife technology is a nonivasive, safe, and effective treatment method for patients with 1 or 2 small spinal malignant tumors. The best benefit of the treatment can be expected in patients with good to excellent clinical condition and patients with severe tumor associated pain.
Effect of playing tactics on goal scoring in Norwegian professional soccer

Abstract Methods that include an assessment of opponent interactions are thought to provide a more valid analysis of team match performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of playing tactics on goal scoring by assessing opponent interactions in Norwegian elite soccer. The sample included 203 team possessions leading to goals (cases) and 1688 random team possessions (control group) from 163 of 182 (90%) matches played in the men's professional league during the 2004 season. Multidimensional qualitative data using ten ordered categorical variables were obtained to characterize each team possession. The proportion of goals scored during counterattacks (52%) was higher than during elaborate attacks (48%), while for the control group the proportion using elaborate attacks (59%) was higher than when using counterattacks (41%) (P = 0.002). Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that, for the main variable “team possession type”, counterattacks were more effective than elaborate attacks when playing against an imbalanced defence (OR = 1.64; 95% confidence interval: 1.03 to 2.61; P = 0.038). Assessment of opponent interactions is critical to evaluate the effectiveness of offensive playing tactics on the probability of scoring goals, and improves the validity of team match-performance analysis in soccer.
Space–time coordination dynamics in basketball: Part 2. The interaction between the two teams

Abstract In this article, we examine the space–time coordination dynamics of two basketball teams during competition. We identified six game sequences at random, from which the movement data of each player were obtained for analysis of team behaviours in both the longitudinal (basket-to-basket) and lateral (side-to-side) directions. The central position of a team was measured using its spatial (geometric) centre and dispersion using a stretch index, obtained from the mean distance of team members from the spatial centre. Relative-phase analysis of the spatial centres demonstrated in-phase stabilities in both the longitudinal and lateral directions, with more stability in the longitudinal than lateral direction. As anticipated, this finding is consistent with the results of an analysis of individual playing dyads (see companion article, this issue), as well as the more general principle of complex systems conforming to similar descriptions at different levels of analysis. Phase relations for the stretch index demonstrated in-phase attraction in the longitudinal direction and no attraction to any values in the lateral direction. Finally, the difference between the two stretch indexes at any instant showed phase transitions between two stable patterns when the difference was represented in binary form. This result is attributed to the reciprocity between teams in their amounts of expansion and contraction when possession of the ball is won and lost.
Enhancement of MR Images Using Registration for Signal Averaging

Purpose: With the advent of noninvasive neuroimaging, a plethora of digital human neuroanatomical atlases has been developed. The accuracy of these atlases is constrained by the resolution and signal-gathering powers of available imaging equipment. In an attempt to circumvent these limitations and to produce a high resolution in vivo human neuroanatomy, we investigated the usefulness of intrasubject registration for post hoc MR signal averaging. Method: Twenty-seven high resolution (7 x 0.78 and 20 x 1.0 mm 3 ) Tl-weighted volumes were acquired from a single subject. along with 12 double echo T2/proton density-weighted volumes. These volumes were automatically registered to a common stereotaxic space in which they were subsampled and intensity averaged. The resulting images were examined for anatomical quality and usefulness for other analytical techniques. Results: The quality of the resulting image from the combination of as few as five Tl volumes was visibly enhanced. The signal-to-noise ratio was expected to increase as the root of the number of contributing scans to 5.2, n = 27. The improvement in the n = 27 average was great enough that fine anatomical details, such as thalamic subnuclei and the gray bridges between the caudate and putamen, became crisply defined. The gray/white matter boundaries were also enhanced. as was the visibility of any finer structure that was surrounded by tissue of varying Tl intensity. The T2 and proton density average images were also of higher quality than single scans, but the improvement was not as dramatic as that of the Tl volumes. Conclusion: Overall, the enhanced signal in the averaged images resulted in higher quality anatomical images, and the data lent themselves to several postprocessing techniques. The high quality of the enhanced images permits novel uses of the data and extends the possibilities for in vivo human neuroanatomy.
Development of dribbling in talented youth soccer players aged 12–19 years: A longitudinal study

Abstract The aims of the current study were to assess the development and determine the underlying mechanisms of sprinting and dribbling needed to compete at the highest level in youth soccer. Talented soccer players aged 12–19 years (n = 267) were measured on a yearly basis in a longitudinal study over 7 years, resulting in 519 measurements. Two field tests, the Shuttle Sprint and Dribble Test and the Slalom Sprint and Dribble Test, were assessed. Anthropometric characteristics, years of soccer experience, and duration of practice were recorded. The longitudinal data were analysed with multi-level modelling. Comparing the two tests at baseline, low correlations were observed (sprinting: r = 0.49; dribbling: r = 0.22), indicating that each test measures distinct qualities (acceleration vs. agility). Low-to-moderate correlations were found between dribbling and sprinting within each test (Shuttle Sprint and Dribble Test: r = 0.54; Slalom Sprint and Dribble Test: r = 0.38). Both dribbling and sprinting improved with age, especially from ages 12 to 14, but the tempo of development was different. From ages 14 to 16, sprinting improved rapidly in contrast to dribbling; this was especially evident on the Slalom Sprint and Dribble Test. In contrast, after age 16 dribbling improved considerably but sprinting hardly improved. Besides age, the factors that contribute to dribbling performance are lean body mass, hours of practice, and playing position.
Value of indocyanine green clearance of the future liver remnant in predicting outcome after resection for biliary cancer

It is difficult to predict hepatic functional reserve accurately before major hepatectomy. The aim of this study was to analyse the usefulness of the future liver remnant plasma clearance rate of indocyanine green (ICGK‐F, calculated as plasma clearance rate of indocyanine green (ICGK) × proportion of the future liver remnant) in predicting death after major hepatectomy.
Immediate effect of visual and auditory feedback to control the running mechanics of well-trained athletes

Abstract The correlation between mechanical factors of running and running economy as measured by metabolic cost is a subject of much interest in the study of locomotion. However, no change in running technique has been shown to result in an immediate improvement in running economy on an intra-individual basis. To evaluate the effect of a modified running technique, it is probably necessary that the individual trains with the new technique for a longer period using a feedback system to control the new kinematics. In this study, we examine the feasibility of using visual and auditory feedback to adapt running technique according to a simplistic model of the mechanical cost of running. The model considers only the mechanical work against gravity, which is the product of the magnitude of the vertical displacement of the runner's centre of mass and the step-frequency. In the experiments reported here, 18 trained runners, running at 16 km · h−1 on a treadmill, were given feedback on these parameters together with indicated target levels. In almost all cases, the runners were able to adjust their technique accordingly.
THE USE OF NICOTINIC ACID IN THE TREATMENT OF PELLAGRA

It is now commonly believed1that pellagra in human beings and blacktongue in dogs are either analogous or closely related diseases. All food substances which have been curative and preventive for one have been for the other also. The observations of Elvehjem, Madden, Strong and Wooley2regarding the cure of canine blacktongue by the use of nicotinic acid suggested that this substance might be useful in the treatment of human pellagra. Since we could find no reports on the effect of nicotinic acid on human beings, a preliminary study was made to determine a safe range of dosage. Thirteen persons, three members of the staff and ten nonpellagrous patients, were given an aqueous solution of nicotinic acid (Eastman) orally each day. The dose varied in amount and was usually begun at a few milligrams daily and in some instances was increased until 200 mg. was being given daily.
Abstract 3214: Definition of biosimilars: Energy Resolved Oxonium Ion Monitoring (Erexim) technology grasps detailed N-glycan microheterogeneity on therapeutic antibodies.

The patent expiry of innovative antibody drugs has provoked a great deal of concern over generic drugs. Reduction of medical costs by generics is undoubtedly beneficial to all countries, however, major issues about bioequivalence and immunogenicity remain incompletely addressed. The first draft guidance on the evaluation of biosimilarity was published by FDA in Feb 2012, in which emphasis was placed on the importance of evaluating minor structural differences that can significantly affect the potency and safety of biopharmaceuticals, with specific reference to glycosylation patterns on antibody drugs. We propose here a new method for validating the microheterogeneity of N-glycans on therapeutic antibodies. The continuous collision energy scanning of oligosaccharide-derived fragment ions (oxonium ions) illustrated both comprehensive structural information of glycans on glycopeptides and their quantitative abundance ratio simultaneously in a single analysis of a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. We showed that oxonium ion m/z 138 could be a specific reporter ion for sensitive quantification of glycopeptides, regardless of glycan structures. Indeed the quantitation limit of glycopeptide was 30 attomole and, importantly, even very rare structural isomers were quantifiable, which existed only 0.1% of all glycoforms. We named this technology Energy Resolved Oxonium Ion Monitoring (Erexim) and utilized for the evaluation of lot-to-lot glycoform variations of monoclonal therapeutic antibodies trastuzumab and bevacizumab. The quantitative profiles of 4 lots (n = 4 each) revealed that N-glycans on both drugs showed gradually shortened tendency with time. Surprisingly some abundant glycoforms on both antibody drugs exhibited 10% changes between two continuous lots. We further applied Erexim technology to in-depth analysis of cetuximab glycosylation pattern, previously known to induce severe anaphylaxis. Our method successfully provided a comprehensive structural view of Fab- and Fc-glycans simultaneously in 30 minutes analysis, which uncovered lots of critical non-human type antigens only on the Fab region of cetuximab, such as Gal(α1-3)Gal or Neu5Gc structures. Hence in the process of future biosimilar approval, the Erexim technology we demonstrated herein has potential to define “how similar it is”. Citation Format: Koji Ueda, Atsuhiko Toyama, Taka-Aki Sato, Yusuke Nakamura, Hidewaki Nakagawa. Definition of biosimilars: Energy Resolved Oxonium Ion Monitoring (Erexim) technology grasps detailed N-glycan microheterogeneity on therapeutic antibodies. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3214. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3214 Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 because the presenter was unable to attend.
Metastatic adenocarcinoma of mammary‐like glands of the vulva successfully treated with surgery and hormonal therapy

Vulvar cancer is a rare malignancy; most tumors are squamous cell type while adenocarcinomas are rare. Primary adenocarcinomas of the vulva predominantly include extramammary Paget's disease and sweat gland carcinomas. Greene first described a rare form of adenocarcinoma in 1936, which was called adenocarcinoma of mammary‐like glands of the vulva because of its morphologic and immunohistochemical resemblance to breast adenocarcinomas. In the management of this entity, varying combinations of surgery, radiation therapy, systemic chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy may be used, as in patients with orthotopic breast carcinoma. However, hormonal therapy leads the way in patients with positive hormonal receptors, where other therapies cannot be used due to comorbidities or advanced age. We present the first reported case of an elderly patient with metastatic vulvar adenocarcinoma arising from mammary‐like glands, successfully treated with a combination of surgery and hormonal therapy.
Pre-cooling with ice slurry ingestion leads to similar run times to exhaustion in the heat as cold water immersion

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of pre-exercise ice slurry ingestion and cold water immersion on submaximal running time in the heat. On three separate occasions, eight males ran to exhaustion at their first ventilatory threshold in the heat (34.0 ± 0.1°C, 52 ± 3% relative humidity) following one of three 30 min pre-exercise manoeuvres: (1) ice slurry ingestion; (2) cold water immersion; or (3) warm fluid ingestion (control). Running time was longer following cold water immersion (56.8 ± 5.6 min; P = 0.008) and ice slurry ingestion (52.7 ± 8.4 min; P = 0.005) compared with control (46.7 ± 7.2 min), but not significantly different between cold water immersion and ice slurry ingestion (P = 0.335). During exercise, rectal temperature was lower with cold water immersion from 15 and 20 min into exercise compared with control and ice slurry ingestion, respectively, and remained lower until 40 min (P = 0.001). At exhaustion rectal temperature was significantly higher following ice slurry ingestion (39.76 ± 0.36°C) compared with control (39.48 ± 0.36°C; P = 0.042) and tended to be higher than cold water immersion (39.48 ± 0.34°C; P = 0.065). As run times were similar between conditions, ice slurry ingestion may be a comparable form of pre-cooling to cold water immersion.