Integration of aerobic power into the morphological-motor system in children aged 7-11 years

The aim of the study was to analyze integration of aerobic power into other dimensions evaluated. For this purpose, predictor relations of the morphological-motor variables were analyzed with a 3-minute run as a criterion (according to school grade and sex). Four morphological and 6 motor variables covering the morphological-motor system were used in a sample of 4,440 children of both sexes aged 7-11 years, elementary school first- to four-graders from the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Republic of Croatia, divided into 8 groups. Data were processed by use of regression analysis. Study results clearly showed the values of the criterion variable to rise and criterion prediction using the set of predictor variables to improve with age. Also, the number of predictors included in power run prediction was observed to significantly increase with age. Strength factors with a predominance of explosive strength and repetitive strength in boys and girls, respectively, were the best criterion predictors. It is emphasized that development of the morphological-motor system and thus functioning of the body as a whole are influenced by aerobic power upgrading. Appropriate systematic kinesiologic activities accelerate the process of aerobic power integration in the morphological-motor system. As indicated by study results, this integration occurred at a faster rate and was more intensive in girls than in boys.     

A cytosolic splice variant of Cab45 interacts with Munc18b and impacts on amylase secretion by pancreatic acini

We identified in a yeast two-hybrid screen the EF-hand Ca(2+)-binding protein Cab45 as an interaction partner of Munc18b. Although the full-length Cab45 resides in Golgi lumen, we characterize a cytosolic splice variant, Cab45b, expressed in pancreatic acini. Cab45b is shown to bind (45)Ca(2+), and, of its three EF-hand motifs, EF-hand 2 is demonstrated to be crucial for the ion binding. Cab45b is shown to interact with Munc18b in an in vitro assay, and this interaction is enhanced in the presence of Ca(2+). In this assay, Cab45b also binds the Munc18a isoform in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. The endogenous Cab45b in rat acini coimmunoprecipitates with Munc18b, syntaxin 2, and syntaxin 3, soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors with key roles in the Ca(2+)-triggered zymogen secretion. Furthermore, we show that Munc18b bound to syntaxin 3 recruits Cab45b onto the plasma membrane. Importantly, antibodies against Cab45b are shown to inhibit in a specific and dose-dependent manner the Ca(2+)-induced amylase release from streptolysin-O-permeabilized acini. The present study identifies Cab45b as a novel protein factor involved in the exocytosis of zymogens by pancreatic acini.     

Pharmacological profile of a novel H2S-releasing aspirin

The pharmacological profile of a new, safe, and effective hydrogen sulfide (H₂S)-releasing derivative of aspirin (ACS14) is described. We report the synthesis of ACS14, and of its deacetylated metabolite (ACS21), the preliminary pharmacokinetics, and its in vivo metabolism, with the H₂S plasma levels after intravenous administration in the rat. ACS14 maintains the thromboxane-suppressing activity of the parent compound, but seems to spare the gastric mucosa, by affecting redox imbalance through increased H₂S/glutathione formation, heme oxygenase-1 promoter activity, and isoprostane suppression.     

A new model of selection in women's handball

The aim of the study was to assess the basic motor abilities that determine top performance in women's handball, and to identify test panel for primary selection at handball school. The study included 155 female attendants of the Split Handball School, mean age 12.5 years. Differences in the basic motor abilities between the subjects that developed into elite handball players after 7-year training process and those that abandoned handball for being unable to meet the competition criteria were evaluated by use of discriminative analysis. The former were found to have also been superior initially in all variables analyzed, and in arm coordination, overall body coordination, throw and jump explosive strength, arm movement frequency and repetitive trunk strength in particular. Motor superiority based on the abilities of coordination, explosive strength and speed determines performance in women's handball, qualifying these abilities as reliable selection criteria. Based on this study results, a new model of selection in women's handball, with fine arm coordination as the major limiting factor of performance, has been proposed.     

Biomotor structures in elite female handball players

In order to identify biomotor structures in elite female handball players, factor structures of morphological characteristics and basic motor abilities of elite female handball players (N = 53) were determined first, followed by determination of relations between the morphological-motor space factors obtained and the set of criterion variables evaluating situation motor abilities in handball. Factor analysis of 14 morphological measures produced three morphological factors, i.e. factor of absolute voluminosity (mesoendomorph), factor of longitudinal skeleton dimensionality, and factor of transverse hand dimensionality. Factor analysis of 15 motor variables yielded five basic motor dimensions, i.e. factor of agility, factor of jumping explosive strength, factor of throwing explosive strength, factor of movement frequency rate, and factor of running explosive strength (sprint). Four significant canonic correlations, i.e. linear combinations, explained the correlation between the set of eight latent variables of the morphological and basic motor space and five variables of situation motoricity. First canonic linear combination is based on the positive effect of the factors of agility/coordination on the ability of fast movement without ball. Second linear combination is based on the effect of jumping explosive strength and transverse hand dimensionality on ball manipulation, throw precision, and speed of movement with ball. Third linear combination is based on the running explosive strength determination by the speed of movement with ball, whereas fourth combination is determined by throwing and jumping explosive strength, and agility on ball pass. The results obtained were consistent with the model of selection in female handball proposed (Srhoj et al., 2006), showing the speed of movement without ball and the ability of ball manipulation to be the predominant specific abilities, as indicated by the first and second linear combination.     

Explaining ecological shifts: the roles of temperature and primary production in the long‐term dynamics of benthic faunal composition

Predicting the ecological consequences of environmental change requires that we can identify the drivers of long‐term ecological variation. Biological assemblages can exhibit abrupt deviations from temporal trends, potentially resulting in irreversible shifts in species composition over short periods of time. Such dynamics are hypothesised to occur as gradual forcing eventually causes biological thresholds to be crossed, but could also be explained by biota simply tracking abrupt changes to their environment. Here, we modelled temporal variation in a North Sea benthic faunal assemblage over a 40‐year period (1972–2012) to test for changes to temporal trends of biota and determine whether they could be explained by underlying patterns in sea temperature and primary production. These extrinsic factors were postulated to influence community dynamics through their roles in determining and sustaining the metabolic demands of organisms, respectively. A subset of mainly large and long‐lived taxa (those loaded on the first principal component of taxa densities) exhibited two significant changes to their temporal trends, which culminated in a shift in assemblage composition. These changes were explained by an increase in pelagic primary production, and hence detrital food input to the seabed, but were unrelated to variation in sea temperature. A second subset of mainly small and short‐lived taxa (those loaded on the second principal component) did not experience any significant changes to their temporal trends, as enhanced pelagic primary production appeared to mitigate the impact of warming on these organisms. Our results suggest that abrupt ecological shifts can occur as biota track underlying variation in extrinsic factors, in this case primary production. Changes to the structure of ecosystems may therefore be predictable based on environmental change projections.     

Short term citrus flavonoid supplementation of type II diabetic women: no effect on lipoprotein oxidation tendencies

Flavonoids, which are dietary components and have possible drug uses, inhibit lipoprotein oxidation in vitro. The present study considered whether flavonoid supplementation in humans could influence lipoprotein vulnerability to oxidation. Citrus flavonoid supplementation (about 1 g/day, 3 weeks), or placebo, was given to 40 Type II diabetic women, a population prone to oxidative stress. Absorbance spectra of plasma from 4 subjects revealed that some flavonoid absorption occurred. When tested in vitro, a supplement extract, with spectrum peak height similar to that of plasma samples, completely inhibited copper-induced oxidation of very low plus low density lipoproteins. In contrast, neither flavonoid supplementation nor placebo influenced lipoprotein susceptibility to copper-stimulated oxidation in vitro (lag time or propagation rate). Thus, this study demonstrated that increased flavonoid consumption by humans does not necessarily alter lipoprotein susceptibility to oxidation assessed in vitro.     

Some anthropologic factors of performance in rhythmic gymnastics novices

The aim of the study was to determine motor and morphological factors, and to assess their impact on specific motor skill performance in rhythmic gymnastics (RG). Experimental training process aimed at learning and improving basic movement structures of rhythmic gymnastics was performed for nine months in a sample of 50 female rhythmic gymnastics novices (mean age 7.1 +/- 0.3 years). Seven dimensions in total were isolated by factorial analysis of 13 motor, 11 morphological, and 20 specific rhythmic gymnastics tests. The factors of flexibility (Beta = 0.26; p < 0.05), explosive strength (Beta = 0.25; p < 0.05) and adipose voluminosity (Beta = -0.42; p < 0.001) explains 41% of the success in performing RG basic body elements--jumps, rotations, balance and flexibility (R = 0.64), while the frequency of movement (Beta = 0.44; p < 0.001) and non-adipose voluminosity (Beta = 0.26; p < 0.05) explains 26% of RG-specific manipulations with the apparatus--club, ribbon and ball wrist manipulation (R = 0.52; p < 0.01). According to study results, the RG-training process intended for rhythmic gymnastics novices should be programmed, with preset objectives for the development of flexibility and explosive strength, speed and peripheral joint strength and adipose tissue reduction.     

Broad TCR usage in functional HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cell expansions driven by vaccination during highly active antiretroviral therapy

During chronic HIV-1 infection, continuing viral replication is associated with impaired proliferative capacity of virus-specific CD8+ T cells and with the expansion and persistence of oligoclonal T cell populations. TCR usage may significantly influence CD8+ T cell-mediated control of AIDS viruses; however, the potential to modulate the repertoire of functional virus-specific T cells by immunotherapy has not been explored. To investigate this, we analyzed the TCR Vbeta usage of CD8+ T cells populations which were expanded following vaccination with modified vaccinia virus Ankara expressing a HIV-1 gag/multiepitope immunogen (MVA.HIVA) in HIV-1-infected patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy. Vaccinations induced the re-expansion of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells and these showed broad TCR Vbeta usage which was maintained for at least 1 year in some individuals. By contrast, virus-specific CD8+ T cell populations in the same donors which failed to expand after vaccination and in unvaccinated controls were oligoclonal. Simultaneously, we observed that CD8+ T cells recognizing vaccine-derived HIV-1 epitopes displayed enhanced capacity to proliferate and to inhibit HIV-1 replication in vitro, following MVA.HIVA immunizations. Taken together, these data indicate that an attenuated viral-vectored vaccine can modulate adaptive CD8+ T cell responses to HIV-1 and improve their antiviral functional capacity. The potential therapeutic benefit of this vaccination approach warrants further investigation.