Test-retest reliability for hitting accuracy tennis test

Strecker, E, Foster, EB, and Pascoe, DD. Test-retest reliability for hitting accuracy tennis test. J Strength Cond Res 25(12): 3501-3505, 2011-The purpose of this investigation was to assess a test-retest reliability of the hitting accuracy tennis test (HATT). Twelve National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) division I tennis players (4 men and 8 women) volunteered to participate in this investigation. Skill tests consisted of 15 consecutive ground strokes in all 4 directions (forehand [FH] and backhand [BH]; crosscourt and up the line) with not >1 minute between directions. The court was divided into 12 areas, and each area was assigned a value according to a grid system based on offensive, defensive, and neutral shots ranging from 1 point to 6 points. Total score, unforced errors, and shot index (total number of shots that landed on optimal performance areas 5 and 6 minus total number of unforced errors) were used for statistical analysis. The order of shot direction was randomized between participants and trials. The analysis of variance with repeated measures (p value ≤ 0.05) of this investigation showed no statistical difference between trials on any of the measurements. The results also suggest that division I level tennis players have the ability to hit accurately specific targets on a tennis court using either FH or BH with minimal daily variation. Therefore, we conclude that the HATT for trained tennis athletes is a simple, reliable, and accurate assessment tool to measure tennis skill performance based on accuracy. The HATT is also an easy, inexpensive training device that coaches can use to monitor players development.     

Antibodies to citrullinated proteins and differences in clinical progression of rheumatoid arthritis

Antibodies to citrullinated proteins (anti-cyclic-citrullinated peptide [anti-CCP] antibodies) are highly specific for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and precede the onset of disease symptoms, indicating a pathogenetic role for these antibodies in RA. We recently showed that distinct genetic risk factors are associated with either anti-CCP-positive disease or anti-CCP-negative disease. These data are important as they indicate that distinct pathogenic mechanisms are underlying anti-CCP-positive disease or anti-CCP-negative disease. Likewise, these observations raise the question of whether anti-CCP-positive RA and anti-CCP-negative RA are clinically different disease entities. We therefore investigated whether RA patients with anti-CCP antibodies have a different clinical presentation and disease course compared with patients without these autoantibodies. In a cohort of 454 incident patients with RA, 228 patients were anti-CCP-positive and 226 patients were anti-CCP-negative. The early symptoms, tender and swollen joint count, and C-reactive protein level at inclusion, as well as the swollen joint count and radiological destruction during 4 years of follow-up, were compared for the two groups. There were no differences in morning stiffness, type, location and distribution of early symptoms, patients' rated disease activity and C-reactive protein at inclusion between RA patients with and without anti-CCP antibodies. The mean tender and swollen joint count for the different joints at inclusion was similar. At follow-up, patients with anti-CCP antibodies had more swollen joints and more severe radiological destruction. Nevertheless, the distribution of affected joints, for swelling, bone erosions and joint space narrowing, was similar. In conclusion, the phenotype of RA patients with or without anti-CCP antibodies is similar with respect to clinical presentation but differs with respect to disease course.     

Observations of terrestrial locomotion in wild Polypterus senegalus from Lake Albert,Uganda

Polypterids, the most basal actinopterygians, are a group of fish long-considered living fossils and holding a key position for understanding fish and tetrapod evolution. Knowledge of the natural history of Polypterus is limited, their having been studied in little detail since the early 1900s. The locomotory habits of wild Polypterus senegalus from Lake Albert, Uganda, were investigated in 2014. High-speed videography demonstrated the capability of large Polypterus to move overland successfully. Contrary to previous evidence, field observations found that terrestrial locomotion in Polypterus is not inherently restricted by body size. Evidence that Polypterus exhibit this behaviour as part of their natural life history can be found in the existence of environmental challenges and the presence of adaptations for amphibious life.     

Structure and regulation of the anthranilate synthase genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: II. Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli

The genes for the large and small subunits of anthranilate synthase (trpE and trpG, respectively) have been cloned from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAC174 into E. coli by R-prime formation with the broad-host- range plasmid R68.44. Sequential subcloning into plasmid vectors reduced the active Pseudomonas DNA fragment to a length of 3.1 kb. We obtained evidence that this region contains the promoter for its own expression and retains a vestigial regulatory response to tryptophan scarcity or excess.