Shaping Physiological Indices,Swimming Technique,and Their Influence on 200m Breaststroke Race in Young Swimmers

The aim of this study was to investigate somatic properties and physiological capacity, and analyze kinematic parameters in the 200 m breaststroke swimming race. Twenty-seven male swimmers participated in the study. They were 15.7±1.98 years old. Their average height was 1.80 ± 0.02 m and lean body mass (LBM) was 62.45 ± 8.29 kg. Physiological exercise capacity was measured in two separate 90 sec. all-out tests, one for the arms and second for legs. During the tests total work of arm cranking (TWAR) and cycling (TWLG) as well as peak of VO₂ for arm (VO_2peakAR) and leg (VO_2peakLG) were measured. The underwater swimmers body movements were recorded during the all-out swimming 200m breaststroke speed test using an underwater camera installed on a portable trolley. The swimming kinematic parameters and propulsive or non-propulsive movement phases of the arms and legs as well as average speed (V200), surface speed (V200surface) and swimming speed in turn zones (V200turns) were extracted. V200surface was significantly related to the percentage of leg propulsion and was shown to have large effect on VO_2peakLG in the Cohen analysis. V200turns depended significantly on the indicators of physiological performance and body structure: TWAR, VO_2peak LG and LBM, LBM, which in turn strongly determined the measured results of TWAR, TWLG, VO_2peakAR and VO_2peakLG. The V200turns and V200surface were strongly associated with V200, 0.92, p < 0.001 and 0.91, p < 0.001 respectively. In each lap of the 200m swimming there was an increased percentage of propulsion of limb movement observed simultaneously with a reduction in the gliding phase in the breaststroke cycles.

Key points

• This study investigated the influence of the selected indicators of somatic properties and physiological capacity as well kinematic and coordination parameters on breaststroke swimming.
• In this observations the body’s functional capacity have an important impact on achieving good breaststroke swimming results, the V₂₀₀ was moderately associated on VO₂peakLG, moreover, separate V₂₀₀turns depended with VO₂peakLG and on LBM and TWAR.
• The speed of surface breaststroke swimming - V₂₀₀surface similarly as V₂₀₀turns had a very strong influence on the end result of V_{200 ,} 0.91, p<0.001 and 0.92, p<0.001 respectively.
• The ability to swim fast on the surface (V₂₀₀surface) was positively and significantly associated with the percentage time of propulsion generation -LP in the breaststroke cycle.

Key words: Breaststroke swimming, physiological indices, lean body mass, kinematic indices     

Mitogenomic differences between the normal and tumor cells of colorectal cancer patients

So far, a reliable spectrum of mitochondrial DNA mutations in colorectal cancer cells is still unknown, and neither is their significance in carcinogenesis. Indeed, it remains debatable whether mtDNA mutations are “drivers” or “passengers” of colorectal carcinogenesis. Thus, we analyzed 200 mitogenomes from normal and cancer tissues of 100 colorectal cancer patients. Minority variant mutations were detected at the 1% level. We showed that somatic mutations frequently occur in colorectal cancer cells (75%) and are randomly distributed across the mitochondrial genome. Mutational signatures of somatic mitogenome mutations suggest that they might arise through nucleotide deamination due to oxidative stress. The majority of somatic mutations localized within the coding region (in positions not known from the human phylogeny) and was potentially pathogenic to cell metabolism. Further analysis suggested that the relaxation of negative selection in the mitogenomes of colorectal cancer cells may allow accumulation of somatic mutations. Thus, a shift in glucose metabolism from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis may create advantageous conditions for accumulation of mtDNA mutations. Considering the fact that the presence of somatic mtDNA mutations was not associated with any clinicopathological features, we suggested that mtDNA somatic mutations are “passengers” rather than the cause of colorectal carcinogenesis.     

The status of the Beck inventories (BDI,BAI) in psychology training and practice: A major shift in clinical acceptance

While the Beck Depression Inventory I and II (hereon BDI) have been a mainstay in mental health assessment for many decades, a cursory review of survey‐based “test use” studies in the 1990s finds that the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was not initially a highly ranked test in the assessment of anxiety or psychopathology. To date, a review of the extant literature on the popularity of the Beck inventories in professional psychology training or practice settings has not been systematically analyzed, although Piotrowski and Gallant (Journal of Instructional Psychology, 36, 2009, 84) found the BAI the most visible anxiety scale in the research literature between 2000 and 2005. Yet, quite evident, the field of clinical assessment remains highly competitive with a proliferation of mental health scales and measures introduced, perennially, in both the professional and research literature. In addition, since the mid‐1990s, regulatory restrictions (i.e., managed care directives) on the feasibility of providing multimethod assessment services has also been a potent headwind in professional practice. Thus, historically, the professional acceptance of the BDI and BAI remains somewhat opaque, in terms of degree of usage in both training and practice settings compared to other assessment instruments. Hence, the aim of the current study is to address this gap in the literature. To that end, the author identified, through an extensive literature review, survey‐based studies with regard to personality assessment that reported on graduate‐level training in psychological testing and test usage patterns from 1989–2017. This systematic search yielded 45 articles (including 1 dissertation study) which served as the data pool for the current review (Training settings, n = 10; Practice settings, n = 35). The analysis found that the BDI has been relied upon to at least a moderate degree in 21 of the 35 (60%) of the surveys of practice settings and in 7 of the 10 (70%) of the studies of academic/internship training. Although the BAI has not been as popular as the BDI historically, this review clearly indicated that since 2010, the BAI has made a pivotal shift toward professional acceptance in practice, generated much enthusiasm in internship training, and been embraced by clinical faculty. Reflecting this emergent popularity of the Beck inventories, the current review indicated that, overall, 10 of the 14 studies (71%) since 2010 reported that both the BDI/BAI have been: (a) recognized and relied upon to a high degree in both assessment training and practice, (b) a valuable clinical tool for mental health clinicians, and (c) considered the instruments of choice amongst the myriad of brief, self‐report measures in the assessment of mood disorders. Potential competing factors, such as other established and newly introduced measures of anxiety and depression (e.g., GAD‐7, PROMIS, PHQ, DASS‐21) that may impact future trends regarding usage of the Beck inventories, were discussed. Furthermore, research efforts should investigate the common factor of negative affectivity reflected in the Beck inventories when differentiating depression and anxiety states in monitoring treatment outcomes.     

Prevalence of selected organ-specific autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis and primary Sj?gren's syndrome patients

Objectives

The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of selected organ-specific autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and primary Sjögren''s syndrome (pSS) patients, and discuss their clinical significance.

Material and methods

The study included 121 RA and 30 pSS patients. Sera were tested for the presence of autoantibodies to thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO), thyroglobulin (anti-TG), TSH receptor (TRAbs), mitochondrial antigen M2 (AMA-M2-3E) and gliadin-analogous fusion peptides (anti-GAF(3X)) using the ELISA method. Non-organ-specific antibodies were determined: rheumatoid factor in IgM class, anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies and antinuclear antibodies. The occurrence of antibodies was also examined with regards to RA activity.

Results

The following autoantibodies were detected in RA patients: anti-TPO – 13 (10.7%), anti-TG – 6 (5%), AMA-M2-3E – 3 (2.5%), anti-GAF(3X) – 5 (4.1%). The respective levels of these autoantibodies in pSS patients were 3 (10%), 2 (6.7%), 4 (13.3%) and 2 (6.7%). Polyautoimmunity was confirmed in 34 RA patients (including 20 cases of autoimmune thyroid disease [AITD]) and in 6 pSS patients (6 cases of AITD). When RA patients were divided into anti-TPO positive and anti-TPO negative groups, we found a statistically significant relationship between groups regarding age and hemoglobin concentration. In pSS patients the anti-TPO positive group was less likely to use immunosuppressive drugs as compared with the anti-TPO negative group. Anti-TPO was significantly more frequently detected in RA + AITD vs. RA, RA + SS + AITD vs. RA and in pSS + AITD vs. pSS patients.

Conclusions

Organ-specific autoantibodies are relatively frequently observed in patients with RA and pSS. Their presence is connected with the clinical picture of the diseases.     

Phenolic Lipids Affect the Activity and Conformation of Acetylcholinesterase from Electrophorus electricus (Electric eel)

Phenolic lipids were isolated from rye grains, cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL) from Anacardium occidentale, and fruit bodies of Merrulius tremellosus, and their effects on the electric eel acetylcholinesterase activity and conformation were studied. The observed effect distinctly depended on the chemical structure of the phenolic lipids that were available for interaction with the enzyme. All of the tested compounds reduced the activity of acetylcholinesterase. The degree of inhibition varied, showing a correlation with changes in the conformation of the enzyme tested by the intrinsic fluorescence of the Trp residues of the protein.