Special Olympics swimming: positive effects on young people with Down syndrome

Purpose

The positive effects of sport and physical activity on health and well-being are worldwide recognized, while people with intellectual disabilities are often physically inactive. The aim of this study was to examine the perception of well-being, social integration, and emotional problems of Down syndrome (DS) subjects, who participated in Special Olympic (SO) training and competitions, and to investigate whether parents and their Down children have the same opinion on the problems caused by DS.

Methods

Ninety-three participants with DS were recruited for this study: 58 swimmers (aged 16.31 ± 1.55), 35 DS sedentary subjects (aged 16.06 ± 1.39), and their parents (n = 93). Two versions of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ) were individually administered: the Self-reported version (SDQ-SR), completed by the DS participants, and the Parental version (SDQ-P), completed by their parents.

Results

Results showed significant differences between sportive vs. non-sportive groups in the overall domain scores (p < 0.01), with better results for the sportive group. Parents of DS non-sportive participants underestimated their children problems in 6 of the 8 domains (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Participation in SO competition can be recommended to improve general well-being perception and social skills in young individuals with DS.

     

The type 5 phosphodiesterase inhibitor tadalafil influences salivary cortisol, testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate responses to maximal exercise in healthy men

Context: Physical exercise-related stress activates hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis; nitric oxide is one of the mediators of the HPA axis response to stress, and phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors influences nitric oxide-linked biological activities. Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate whether a single oral long half-life phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (tadalafil) administration influences the HPA axis response to exercise-related stress. Design: This was a double-blind, cross-over trial. Participants: Participants included nine healthy male athletes. Interventions: All subjects performed a maximal exercise test in normoxia, after which they received a single oral administration of tadalafil or placebo. Then after a 2-wk washout period, they were crossed over and repeated the exercise test. Each subject was his own control. Salivary collections, for steroid evaluations [cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), testosterone] and respective ratio calculation (DHEAS to cortisol, testosterone to cortisol, testosterone to DHEAS), were performed before each exercise (Pre-Ex), immediately after (Post-Ex), and at 30 min during recovery. Results: As expected, mean salivary cortisol concentration increased immediately after exercise after both tadalafil and placebo (P = 0.014 and P =0.036 vs. Pre-Ex, respectively); however, the cortisol increase was significantly higher after tadalafil administration (P = 0.034 vs. placebo). Furthermore, an increased salivary testosterone after exercise was observed only after tadalafil administration (P = 0.029 vs. Pre-Ex). No effects of either exercise and/or tadalafil administration on salivary DHEAS concentrations were observed. DHEAS to cortisol and testosterone to cortisol ratios significantly decreased after exercise after tadalafil administration (P = 0.037, and P = 0.02 vs. placebo, respectively). Conclusion: Tadalafil administration amplified the salivary cortisol and testosterone responses to a maximal exercise-related stress in healthy trained humans.     

Correction to: The ultrasonographic study of the nail reveals differences in patients affected by inflammatory and degenerative conditions

Clinical Rheumatology - The original published version of this article contained the incorrect Table 2 and are now presented correctly in this article     

Interactions between fascicles and tendinous tissues in gastrocnemius medialis and vastus lateralis during drop landing

Animal tendons have been shown to act as shock absorbers to protect muscle fascicles from exercise‐induced damage during landing tasks. Meanwhile, the contribution of tendinous tissues to damping activities such as landing has been less explored in humans. The aim of this study was to analyze in vivo fascicle‐tendon interactions during drop landing to better understand their role in energy dissipation. Ultrafast ultrasound images of the gastrocnemius medialis (GM) and vastus lateralis (VL), lower limb electromyographic activity, 2‐D kinematics, and ground reaction forces were collected from twelve participants during single‐ and double‐leg drop landings from various heights. For both muscles, length changes were higher in tendinous tissues than in fascicles, demonstrating their key role in protecting fascicles from rapid active lengthening. Increasing landing height increased lengthening and peak lengthening velocity of VL fascicle and GM architectural gear ratio, whereas GM fascicle displayed similar length and velocity patterns. Single‐leg landing lengthens the tendinous tissues of GM and, to a greater degree, VL muscles, without affecting the fascicles. These findings demonstrate the adjustment in fascicle‐tendon interactions to withstand mechanical demand through the tendon buffer action and fascicle rotation. The higher VL fascicle contribution to negative work as the drop height increases would suggest muscle‐specific damping responses during drop landing. This can originate from the distal‐to‐proximal sequence of joint kinetics, from differences in muscle and tendon functions (one‐ and two‐joint muscles), architectural and morphological properties (eg, tendon stiffness), as well as from the muscle activity of the GM and VL muscles.     

Fibrin glue displays promising in vitro characteristics as a potential carrier of adipose progenitor cells for tissue regeneration

Adipose‐derived multipotent stem/progenitor cells (ASPCs) were shown to be ideal candidates for cell‐based regenerative therapies. Yet, despite their huge potential, successful clinical applications are still rare. It was suggested that the efficacy of ASPCs at the recipient site depends on the vehicle of cell delivery. In this study, for preparation of a murine critical‐size nerve defect model, we assessed the commercially available fibrin gel (ARTISS) as a potential cell carrier. In a thorough in vitro analysis, we investigated cell–fibrin interactions and analyzed the distribution and the long‐term behavior of ASPCs cultivated in fibrin gel under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. ASPCs attached to the surface of a thin fibrin layer (two‐dimensional condition) and spread with the abundant formation of actin stress fibers. Cells cultured within a fibrin matrix (three‐dimensional condition) displayed a uniform distribution and formed interconnected networks while exhibiting strong cell–matrix interactions. Using time‐lapse analysis, cells were found to migrate out of the gel and subsequently proliferated robustly both under hypoxic and normoxic conditions. During 14 days of culture in fibrin gel, ASPCs showed high viability, metabolic, and remodeling activities. At the end of the culture period, the fibrin matrix was degraded entirely accompanied by an upregulation of matrix metalloproteinases. In conclusion, fibrin gel stands out as a valuable biomaterial for delivering vital and active cells to damaged tissues. As a direct proof, ASPCs carried in a fibrin matrix will be evaluated in a murine critically sized peripheral nerve repair model.