bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Core temperature and hydration status during an Ironman triathlon
Authors: Laursen P B , Suriano R , Quod M J , Lee H , Abbiss C R , Nosaka K , Martin D T , Bishop D 
Published: March 2006

Background:Numerous laboratory based studies have documented that aggressive hydration strategies (∼1–2 litres/h) are required to minimise a rise in core temperature and minimise the deleterious effects of hyperthermia on performance. However, field data on the relations between hydration level, core body temperature, and performance are rare.Objective:To measure core temperature (Tcore) in triathletes during a 226 km Ironman triathlon, and to compare Tcorewith markers of hydration status after the event.Method:Before and immediately after the 2004 Ironman Western Australia event (mean (SD) ambient temperature 23.3 (1.9)°C (range 19–26°C) and 60 (14)% relative humidity (44–87%)) body mass, plasma concentrations of sodium ([Na+]), potassium ([K+]), and chloride ([Cl−]), and urine specific gravity were measured in 10 well trained triathletes. Tcorewas measured intermittently during the event using an ingestible pill telemetry system, and heart rate was measured throughout.Results:Mean (SD) performance time in the Ironman triathlon was 611 (49) minutes; heart rate was 143 (9) beats/min (83 (6)% of maximum) and Tcorewas 38.1 (0.3)°C. Body mass significantly declined during the race by 2.3 (1.2) kg (−3.0 (1.5)%; p<0.05), whereas urine specific gravity significantly increased (1.011 (0.005) to 1.0170 (0.008) g/ml; p<0.05) and plasma [Na+], [K+], and [Cl−] did not change. Changes in body mass were not related to finishing Tcore(r =  −0.16), plasma [Na+] (r =  0.31), or urine specific gravity (r =  −0.37).Conclusion:In contrast with previous laboratory based studies examining the influence of hypohydration on performance, a body mass loss of up to 3% was found to be tolerated by well trained triathletes during an Ironman competition in warm conditions without any evidence of thermoregulatory failure.
Effects of the new karate rules on the incidence and distribution of injuries
Authors: Macan J , Bundalo-Vrbanac D , Romić G 
Published: March 2006

Objectives:To evaluate the incidence and distribution of injuries in karate before and after the implementation of new rules established by the World Karate Federation in 2000.Methods:Injury incidence was followed up during the official karate competition seasons of 1997 and 2002 in Croatia. A questionnaire was used to collect data on the age and sex of the competitor and localisation and severity of injury. Data were analysed separately for female and male competitors and age categories <18 and ⩾18 years.Results:A total of 2023.5 and 2584 minutes of active fighting (exposure time) was assessed for 1997 and 2002 respectively. The overall injury incidence rate (IR) was similar in 1997 and 2002 (10.28 and 9.82/100 exposure minutes respectively). The relative risk (RR) of injury was significantly higher in 1997 than in 2002 for competitors younger than 18 years (RR 1.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11 to 2.16). The overall RR of head injury was significantly higher in 1997 than in 2002 (RR 1.96, 95% CI 1.54 to 2.49), but the RR of leg injury was significantly lower in 1997 than in 2002 (RR 0.16, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.28). Most injuries (>98%) were categorised as mild (grade 1) in both periods studied.Conclusions:The results of this study confirm the importance of the new competition rules in the distribution and prevention of injuries in martial arts. Strict judging and heavy penalties for uncontrolled blows, particularly for the youngest competitors, can significantly decrease the risk of injury.
Left ventricular chamber size predicts the race time of Japanese participants in a 100 km ultramarathon
Authors: Nagashima J , Musha H , Takada H , Murayama M 
Published: March 2006

Objective:As a subanalysis of an echocardiographic study performed on 291 Japanese participants in a 100 km ultramarathon, to estimate predictors of race time.Methods:A total of 247 male participants in a 100 km ultramarathon (age 20–73 years) were examined by echocardiography. Correlations between age, body surface area, monthly running distance, or echocardiographic variables and the race time were examined.Results:According to simple regression analysis, age (r =  0.299, p<0.0001), monthly running distance (r =  −0.388, p<0.0001), left ventricular end diastolic diameter (r =  −0.300, p<0.0001), and left ventricular end systolic diameter (r =  −0.325, p<0.0001) correlated significantly with the race time. When multiple regression analysis was performed, age (f  =  2.364), monthly running distance (f  =  −0.113), and left ventricular end systolic diameter (f  =  −2.361) remained significant predictors of the race time.Conclusion:Left ventricular diameter predicts the race time for a 100 km ultramarathon, in addition to age and amount of training.
Sports injuries: population based representative data on incidence, diagnosis, sequelae, and high risk groups
Authors: Schneider S , Seither B , Tönges S , Schmitt H 
Published: March 2006

Objective:To generate national representative data on the incidence, diagnosis, severity, and nature of medically treated sports injuries and to identify high risk groups.Methods:The first national health survey for the Federal Republic of Germany, conducted in the format of a standardised, written, cross sectional survey in the period October 1997 to March 1999, gathered data on the incidence of accident and injury and information on social demographics, injury related disability/time off work, and injury location/setting. The net sample comprised 7124 people aged 18–79.Results:3.1% of adult Germans said they sustained a sports injury during the previous year, corresponding to an annual injury rate of 5.6% among those engaging in regular recreational physical activity and ranking sports injuries as the second most common type of accident. About 62% of all sports injuries result in time taken off work. The period of occupational disability is 14 days or less in around two thirds of these cases. The occupational disability rate after occupational and traffic accidents is much higher by comparison. Dislocations, distortions, and/or torn ligaments make up 60% of all sports injuries, followed by fractures (18%), contusions, surface wounds, or open wounds (12%). Three out of four sports injury casualties are male. The incidence declines noticeably in higher age groups.Conclusions:Future injury prevention measures should focus on the high risk group of young male recreational athletes. The data indicate that the fear of damage to health and injury, believed to be significant internal psychological barriers to participation in sports, is largely unwarranted for the female population and/or older age groups. Sporting injuries are a marginal phenomenon among the female population and mobile seniors actively engaged in sports.
Development of the interval endurance capacity in elite and sub-elite youth field hockey players
Authors: Elferink-Gemser M T , Visscher C , van Duijn M A J , Lemmink K A P M 
Published: March 2006

Objectives:To gain more insight into the mechanisms that underlie the development of interval endurance capacity in talented youth field hockey players in the 12–19 age band.Methods:A total of 377 measurements were taken over three years. A longitudinal model for interval endurance capacity was developed using the multilevel modelling program MLwiN. With the model, scores on the interval shuttle run test can be predicted for elite and sub-elite male and female field hockey players aged 12–19 years.Results:A polynomial model of order 2 adequately represents development of the test scores over time. The fixed part of the model contains a different intercept and linear age term for boys and girls, and a common quadratic term; the random part of the model has a common level 2 variance and sex specific level 1 variances. The model was significantly improved by including differential effects of performance level for age and sex. A negative effect was found for percentage body fat, and positive effects for additional training and motivation.Conclusions:During adolescence, both male and female elite hockey players show a more promising development pattern of interval endurance capacity than sub-elite youth players. Percentage body fat, additional training hours, and motivation influence this development. However, differences between the individual players are still considerable.
Angiogenic effect of intramuscular administration of basic fibroblast growth factor in atrophied muscles: an experimental study in the rat
Authors: Efthimiadou A , Nikolettos N K , Lambropoulou M , Papadopoulos N , Kontoleon E 
Published: March 2006

Background:Although angiogenic therapy using recombinant growth factors holds much hope for the treatment of ischaemic diseases, there are still many unanswered questions, including its effectiveness on atrophic muscles.Objective:To evaluate the angiogenic effects of intramuscularly administered basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF) on normal gastrocnemius muscles of rats and atrophic gastrocnemius muscles after tenotomy.Methods:Forty rats were divided into groups as follows: group A, controls; group B, injected with 1 μg b-FGF; group C, tenotomy performed on the right gastrocnemius muscle; group D, tenotomy and 1 μg b-FGF. Mouse anti-rat CD31 antibody was used to evaluate the number of blood vessels present in histological preparations.Results:There was a significant (p<0.01) decrease in the number of blood vessels compared with the controls in the atrophic muscles of group C. This was similar to the decrease in muscle weight in this group. However, there was a significant (p<0.01) increase in the number of blood vessels compared with the controls in groups B and D. Similarly, there was a significant (p<0.01) increase in the number of blood vessels in group D compared with the atrophic muscles in group C.Conclusion:Intramuscular administration of b-FGF increases angiogenesis in both normal and atrophic rat gastrocnemius muscles at the injection area.
Proton pump inhibition prevents gastrointestinal bleeding in ultramarathon runners: a randomised, double blinded, placebo controlled study
Authors: Thalmann M , Sodeck G H , Kavouras S , Matalas A , Skenderi K , Yannikouris N , Domanovits H 
Published: March 2006

Background:Ultra-endurance running is emerging as a popular sport in Western industrialised countries. Gastrointestinal bleeding has been reported to be an adverse effect in these runners.Objective:To see if the oral administration of a proton pump inhibitor would reduce the incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding in an ultramarathon.Methods:In a randomised, double blinded, placebo controlled study, a prophylactic regimen of three days of an oral proton pump inhibitor (pantoprazole 20 mg) was tested in healthy athletes participating in the Spartathlon ultramarathon. The incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding was assessed by a stool guaiac test.Results:Results were obtained for 70 healthy volunteers. The data for 20 of 35 runners in the intervention group and 17 of 35 runners in the placebo group were entered into the final analysis. At the end of the ultramarathon, two subjects in the intervention group and 12 in the placebo group had positive stool guaiac tests (risk difference 0.86; 95% confidence interval 0.45 to 0.96; p  =  0.001).Conclusion:A short prophylactic regimen of oral proton pump inhibition can successfully decrease the incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding in participants in an ultramarathon.
Use of β2agonists in sport: are the present criteria right?
Authors: Naranjo Orellana J , Centeno Prada R A , Carranza Márquez M D 
Published: March 2006

Background:The regulations for doping control prohibit the use of β2agonist bronchodilators (salbutamol, salmeterol, formoterol, and terbutaline) unless the subject follows the procedure known as abbreviated therapeutic use exemption (ATUE).Objective:To highlight how the interest in discovering possible cheats may result in damage to athletes who really need bronchodilator treatment.Methods:Thirty one high level athletes (18 men and 13 women) with a previous diagnosis of asthma were examined in our laboratory in order to obtain an ATUE for β2agonists. All the subjects underwent spirometry at rest. If the results were normal, the subjects underwent an effort test and, if negative, a methacholine test inhaling progressive doses of methacholine until a fall of 20% in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was achieved. The international anti-doping regulations require that the fall in FEV1occurs with a concentration of methacholine (PC20) lower than 2 mg/ml (4 mg/ml for Torino 2006). In clinical practice, a test is positive if the response occurs with a PC20 lower than 8 mg/ml.Results:Only one subject met the criterion for the bronchodilation test at rest. The remaining 30 athletes underwent an effort test, which was positive in nine of them. In 21 cases (13 men and 8 women) the effort test was negative so a methacholine test was carried out. Seven (33%) were negative for ATUE with a PC20 higher than 8 mg/ml, seven (33%) were positive for ATUE with a PC20 less than 2 mg/ml, in four (19%) the PC20 was 2–4 mg/ml, and in three (14%) it was 4–8 mg/ml.Conclusions:Strict vigilance of fair play should be pursued, but excessive control can lead to situations of inequality for asthmatic athletes such that a third of athletes cannot be treated with β2agonists. Therefore under current regulations, asthmatic athletes are often denied the most effective therapeutic option.
Validation of short term recall of mobile phone use for the Interphone study
Authors: Vrijheid M , Cardis E , Armstrong B K , Auvinen A , Berg G , Blaasaas K G , Brown J , Carroll M , Chetrit A , Christensen H C , Deltour I , Feychting M , Giles G G , Hepworth S J , Hours M , Iavarone I , Johansen C , Klæboe L , Kurttio P , Lagorio S , Lönn S , McKinney P A , Montestrucq L , Parslow R C , Richardson L , Sadetzki S , Salminen T , Schüz J , Tynes T , Woodward A 
Published: March 2006

Aim:To validate short term recall of mobile phone use within Interphone, an international collaborative case control study of tumours of the brain, acoustic nerve, and salivary glands related to mobile telephone use.Methods:Mobile phone use of 672 volunteers in 11 countries was recorded by operators or through the use of software modified phones, and compared to use recalled six months later using the Interphone study questionnaire. Agreement between recalled and actual phone use was analysed using both categorical and continuous measures of number and duration of phone calls.Results:Correlations between recalled and actual phone use were moderate to high (ranging from 0.5 to 0.8 across countries) and of the same order for number and duration of calls. The kappa statistic demonstrated fair to moderate agreement for both number and duration of calls (weighted kappa ranging from 0.20 to 0.60 across countries). On average, subjects underestimated the number of calls per month (geometric mean ratio of recalled to actual = 0.92, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.99), whereas duration of calls was overestimated (geometric mean ratio = 1.42, 95% CI 1.29 to 1.56). The ratio of recalled to actual use increased with level of use, showing underestimation in light users and overestimation in heavy users. There was substantial heterogeneity in this ratio between countries. Inter-individual variation was also large, and increased with level of use.Conclusions:Volunteer subjects recalled their recent phone use with moderate systematic error and substantial random error. This large random error can be expected to reduce the power of the Interphone study to detect an increase in risk of brain, acoustic nerve, and parotid gland tumours with increasing mobile phone use, if one exists.
DNA damage in outdoor workers occupationally exposed to environmental air pollutants
Authors: Tovalin H , Valverde M , Morandi M T , Blanco S , Whitehead L , Rojas E 
Published: March 2006

Background:Health concerns about the exposure to genotoxic and carcinogenic agents in the air are particularly significant for outdoor workers in less developed countries.Aims:To investigate the association between personal exposure to a group of air pollutants and severity of DNA damage in outdoor workers from two Mexican cities.Methods:DNA damage (Comet assay) and personal exposure to volatile organic compounds, PM2.5, and ozone were investigated in 55 outdoor and indoor workers from México City and Puebla.Results:In México City, outdoor workers had greater DNA damage, reflected by a longer tail length, than indoor workers (median 46.8v30.1 μm), and a greater percentage of highly damaged cells (cells with tail length ⩾41 μm); in Puebla, outdoor and indoor workers had similar DNA damage. There were more alkali labile sites in outdoor than indoor workers. The DNA damage magnitude was positively correlated with PM2.5and ozone exposure. Outdoor and indoor workers with ⩾60% of highly damaged cells (highly damaged workers) had significantly higher exposures to PM2.5, ozone, and some volatile organic compounds. The main factors associated with the highly damaged workers were ozone, PM2.5, and 1-ethyl-2-methyl benzene exposure.Conclusions:With this approach, the effects of some air pollutants could be correlated with biological endpoints from the Comet assay. It is suggested that the use of personal exposure assessment and biological endpoints evaluation could be an important tool to generate a more precise assessment of the associated potential health risks.
Assigning exposure to pesticides and solvents from self-reports collected by a computer assisted personal interview and expert assessment of job codes: the UK Adult Brain Tumour Study
Authors: Hepworth S J , Bolton A , Parslow R C , van Tongeren M , Muir K R , McKinney P A 
Published: March 2006

Objectives:To compare assignment of occupational pesticide and solvent exposure using self-reported data collected by a computer assisted personal interview (CAPI) with exposure based on expert assessment of job codes. To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a CAPI to collect individual occupational exposure data.Methods:Between 2001 and 2004, 1495 participants were interviewed using a CAPI for a case-control study of adult brain tumours and acoustic neuromas. Two types of occupational data were collected: (1) a full history, including job title from which a job code was assigned from the Standard Occupational Classification; and (2) specific details on pesticide and solvent exposure reported by participants. Study members’ experiences of using the CAPI were recorded and advantages and disadvantages summarised.Results:Of 7192 jobs recorded, the prevalence of self-reported exposure was 1.3% for pesticides and 11.5% for solvents. Comparing this with exposure expertly assessed from job titles showed 53.6% and 45.8% concordance for pesticides and solvents respectively. Advantages of the CAPI include no data entry stage, automatic input validation, and a reduction in interviewer bias. Disadvantages include an adverse effect on study implementation as a consequence of resources required for programming and difficulties encountered with data management prior to analysis.Conclusions:Different methods of exposure assessment derive different exposure levels for pesticide and solvent exposure at work. Agreement between self-reported and expert assessment of exposure was greater for pesticides compared to solvents. The advantages of using a CAPI for the collection of complex data outweigh the disadvantages for interviewers and data quality but using such a method requires extra resources at the study outset.
Medical downgrading, self-perception of health, and psychological symptoms in the British Armed Forces
Authors: Rona R J , Hooper R , Greenberg N , Jones M , Wessely S 
Published: March 2006

Objective:To investigate the contribution of psychological symptoms to limited employability for medical reasons in the British Armed Forces.Methods:A sample of 4500 military personnel was randomly selected to receive either a full or an abridged questionnaire. The questionnaires asked whether the participant was medically downgraded and if yes, the reason for it. The full questionnaire included the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) checklist, 15 symptoms to assess somatisation, and selected items of the quality of life SF-36 questionnaire. The abridged questionnaire included the GHQ-4, a 14 item PTSD checklist, five symptoms, and the item on self-perception of health from the SF-36. Subjects above a threshold score for GHQ, PTSD, and symptoms were considered to have psychological symptoms.Results:12.4% of the participants were medically downgraded. The majority (70.4%) had social or work limitations. Medically downgraded personnel had higher odds ratios in comparison to non-downgraded personnel for psychological distress 1.84 (95% CI 1.43 to 2.37), PTSD 3.06 (95% CI 1.82 to 5.15), and number of symptoms 2.37 (95% CI 2.37 1.62 to 3.47). GHQ, PTSD, and symptoms scores were mainly, but not exclusively, related to chronic physical injury.Conclusions:Psychological symptoms are common among medically downgraded personnel. Although the mechanisms involved are unclear, tackling issues of psychological symptoms among these subjects could contribute to faster restitution to full employability in the Armed Forces.
Building health: an epidemiological study of “sick building syndrome” in the Whitehall II study
Authors: Marmot A F , Eley J , Stafford M , Stansfeld S A , Warwick E , Marmot M G 
Published: March 2006

Objectives:Sick building syndrome (SBS) is described as a group of symptoms attributed to the physical environment of specific buildings. Isolating particular environmental features responsible for the symptoms has proved difficult. This study explores the role and significance of the physical and psychosocial work environment in explaining SBS.Methods:Cross sectional data on the physical environment of a selection of buildings were added to individual data from the Whitehall II study—an ongoing health survey of office based civil servants. A self-report questionnaire was used to capture 10 symptoms of the SBS and psychosocial work stress. In total, 4052 participants aged 42–62 years working in 44 buildings were included in this study.Results:No significant relation was found between most aspects of the physical work environment and symptom prevalence, adjusted for age, sex, and employment grade. Positive (non-significant) relations were found only with airborne bacteria, inhalable dust, dry bulb temperature, relative humidity, and having some control over the local physical environment. Greater effects were found with features of the psychosocial work environment including high job demands and low support. Only psychosocial work characteristics and control over the physical environment were independently associated with symptoms in the multivariate analysis.Conclusions:The physical environment of office buildings appears to be less important than features of the psychosocial work environment in explaining differences in the prevalence of symptoms.