Judo Practice in Early Age Promotes High Level of Bone Mass Acquisition of Growing Boys' Skeleton

The current study aimed to exhibit effects of judo training for at least 2 yr on bone mass parameters in growing boys. Our population was composed of one hundred and thirty boys in tanner stage 1 and aged 10.52 ± 0.86 yr. Eleven judo players were therefore, excluded from the study because they do not have participate regularly to the judo training sessions during the last 2 yr. The resting sample was divided into two groups: 50 judo players (JU group) and 69 controls (C group). Bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), and bone area (BA) were evaluated by using dual-photon X-ray absorptiometry on weight-bearing sites: the whole body, lumbar spine (L2-L4), legs, femoral necks and hips and on the non-weight bearing sites: arms and radiuses. Our findings displayed that judo participation was markedly associated with greater values of bone mass parameters in young judo players than control group. Accordingly, the BMD and BA results exhibited significant differences in the whole body, legs, dominant total hip, arms and both whole radiuses in addition to the dominant femoral neck, the non-dominant total hip and except the non-dominant whole radius for the BMC parameter. Additionally, data of the subject within t test has shown significant differences of bone mass parameters only in the non weight-bearing sites in the judo players without any obvious variation in the controls. Differences of BMD observed on the dominant arm and whole radius in addition to the increased BMC values showed in the dominant whole radius compared with their contra-lateral sites in judo players without any marked variation of BA parameters in all sites in both groups. In growing boys, judo practice was obviously associated with osteogenic effects in specific sites.     

Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis in a Saudi Arabian family-genotyping and long-term follow-up

A Saudi Arabian family is described in which there were 2 siblings with typical features of cerebral xanthomatosis CTX including premature cataracts, xanthomata of the Achilles tendons, neuro-psychiatric disturbances, and atherosclerosis. The 2 patients were homozygous for a point mutation in the mitochondrial 27-hydroxylase gene CYP27A1, OMIM 606530 located in the splice site of intron 6, where G was exchanged for A IVS6+1G>A. Their parents were cousins, 5 siblings were healthy, 2 were heterozygous for the mutation, and one showed the wild-type genotype. The father was heterozygous for the mutation, while the other family members were not tested. The progress of the 2 CTX patients over 14 years is described; firstly when they were receiving treatment with chenodeoxycholic acid; when this medication was not available, and later when it was restored. A hereditary hyperlipidemia was also present in this family. It is suggested that when this occurs with CTX, a more serious illness results that merits more aggressive dual therapy.     

Sudden cardiac death of rhythmic origin in athletes: literature review

The sudden death in athletes is, in the vast majority of cases, related to ventricular fibrillation, often in a subject with unknown cardiovascular abnormality; this dramatic event has a significant impact on society and the medical profession. We conducted through a literature review an analysis of data on sudden cardiac death of rhythmic origin in athletes; sudden death may be cardiovascular in 95.3% of cases and related to ventricular arrhythmia in 88% cases. The main causes are: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, congenital anomalies of coronary arteries, and arhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia for athletes under 35 years, and atherosclerosis beyond 35 years. Prevention is based on three main areas: the medical assessment and screening for cardiovascular disease; the chain of survival; the education of the athlete and the public. All these measures should improve significantly the survival prognosis of patients suffering from these accidents.     

African League Against Rheumatism (AFLAR) preliminary recommendations on the management of rheumatic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives

To develop recommendations for the management of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method

A task force comprising of 25 rheumatologists from the 5 regions of the continent was formed and operated through a hub-and-spoke model with a central working committee (CWC) and 4 subgroups. The subgroups championed separate scopes of the clinical questions and formulated preliminary statements of recommendations which were processed centrally in the CWC. The CWC and each subgroup met by several virtual meetings, and two rounds of voting were conducted on the drafted statements of recommendations. Votes were online-delivered and recommendations were pruned down according to predefined criteria. Each statement was rated between 1 and 9 with 1–3, 4–6 and 7–9 representing disagreement, uncertainty and agreement, respectively. The levels of agreement on the statements were stratified as low, moderate or high according to the spread of votes. A statement was retired if it had a mean vote below 7 or a ‘low’ level of agreement.

Results

A total of 126 initial statements of recommendations were drafted, and these were reduced to 22 after the two rounds of voting.

Conclusions

The preliminary statements of recommendations will serve to guide the clinical practice of rheumatology across Africa amidst the changing practices and uncertainties in the current era of COVID-19. It is recognized that further updates to the recommendations will be needed as more evidence emerges.

Direct Chill Casting and Extrusion of AA6111 Aluminum Alloy Formulated from Taint Tabor Scrap

AA6111 aluminum automotive body-sheet alloy has been formulated from 100% Taint Tabor scrap aluminum. Direct chill casting with and without high shear melt conditioning (HSMC) was used to produce the AA6111 alloy billets. Both homogenized and non-homogenized billets were extruded into sheets. The optical micrographs of the melt conditioned direct chill (MC-DC) samples showed refined equiaxed grains in comparison to direct chill (DC) cast and direct chill grain refined (DC-GR) samples. Optical metallography showed extensive peripheral coarse grain (PCG) for the DC, DC-GR and MC-DC planks extruded from the homogenized standard AA6111 billets while planks extruded from modified AA6111 billets (with recrystallization inhibitors) showed thin PCG band. The co-addition of recrystallization inhibitors Mn, Zr, and Cr with elimination of the billet homogenization step had a favorable impact on the microstructure of the AA6111 alloy following the extrusion process where a fibrous grain structure was retained across the whole section of the planks. The mechanical properties of as-cast planks extruded from non-homogenized billets were similar to those extruded from homogenized billets. Eliminating the homogenization heat treatment step prior to extrusion has important ramifications in terms of processing cost reduction.