Identification of biomotor structures as a precondition for programming kinesiologic education in children aged seven to nine years

A sample consisting of 487 children (249 male and 236 female) aged 7-9 years (+/- 2 months) underwent programmed kinesiologic transformation procedures for 18 months. The morphological and motor development was followed up by use of 14 morphological and 12 motor variables at 9-month intervals. Three taxonomic analyses for each measurement time point were calculated for either sex in order to determine the initial and transitive position for each individual study subject, and to identify most homogeneous groups within the sample as a whole. Three taxonomic variables were isolated on each measurement for either sex. Study results revealed female children to undergo faster development with earlier formation of the three morphological-motor structures ranked according to their predominance: mass, i.e. ectomesomorphy, motor, and endomorphy. Entity projections upon taxonomic variables at particular measurement points clearly identified the morphological-motor variables to be addressed by general and differentiated programs of kinesiologic education in order to achieve optimal effects during the development of the child's body as a whole.     

Right atrial pacemaker lead thrombosis incidentally detected by transesophageal echocardiography

In a 62-year-old man with permanent atrial fibrillation and recurrent stroke, a large right atrial thrombus attached to a permanent pacemaker lead was incidentally identified by transesophageal echocardiography. Surgical treatment, recommended because of the large dimensions of the mass, was refused by the patient, and thrombus was successfully dissolved by anticoagulant treatment. Pathogenesis of pacemaker lead thrombosis, clinical implications, diagnostic and therapeutic options are discussed.     

Integration of coordination into the morphological-motor system in male children aged 7-11 years

The study objective was to analyze the integration of psychomotor coordination into other dimensions evaluated. Four morphologic variables (stature, body mass, forearm circumference and triceps skinfold) and 7 motor variables (hand tapping, standing jump, sit-ups, forward bow, bent arm hang, 3-min run and polygon backward) were assessed in a sample of 2205 male children (subdivided into 4 groups) aged 7-11 years, elementary school first- to fourth-graders from the Primorje - Gorski Kotar County, Republic of Croatia. Relations between the set of morphologic-motor variables and the coordination variable (of backward polygon) as a criterion were analyzed Data were processed by use of regression analysis. Study results clearly indicated the values of the criterion variable (coordination) to rise and the criterion prediction using the set of variables to improve with age. Explosive strength, movement frequency and static strength were the best positive criterion predictors, whereas body weight at age 7-10, and skeletal longitudinality and subcutaneous adipose tissue at age 10-11 were the best negative criterion predictors. Also, developmental characteristics of coordination were found to be a major determinant on programming the work in kinesiologic education of elementary school children.     

Morphological, motor and situation-motor characteristics of elite female handball players according to playing performance and position

The aim of the study was to define biomotor characteristics that determine playing performance and position in female handball. A battery of 13 variables consisting of somatotype components (3 variables), basic motor abilities (5 variables) and specific motor abilities (5 variables) were applied in a sample of 52 elite female handball players. Differences in biomotor characteristics according to playing performance and position of female handball players were determined by use of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and discriminative analysis. Study results showed the high-quality female handball players to predominantly differ from the less successful ones in the specific factor of throw strength and basic dash factor, followed by the specific abilities of movement without and with ball, basic coordination/agility and specific ability of ball manipulation, and a more pronounced mesomorphic component. Results also revealed the wing players to be superior in the speed of movement frequency (psychomotor speed), run (explosive strength) and speed of movement with ball as compared with players at other playing positions. Also, endomorphic component was less pronounced in players at the wing and back player positions as compared with goalkeeper and pivot positions, where endomorphic component was considerably more pronounced.     

Motor abilities in dance structure performance in female students

The aim of the study was to analyze the relation between motor abilities and performance in folk dances originating from the island of Hvar and modern social dances. Two groups of variables were used in a sample of 78 female students of the Teacher Training College from Split: 7 motor variables as a battery of predictors, and performance evaluation of 4 dances (2 folk dances, i.e. ciciliona and pasavijen, and 2 social dances, i.e. cha-cha-cha and rock-'n'-roll) as criterion variables. Canonical correlation analysis between the groups of variables yielded two canonical correlations of 0.94 and 0.73, with a level of significance of p<0.001. The first canonical correlation was based on marked determination of coordination and ciciliona dance, and the second one on explosive strength of the running type with below-average coordination and the cha-cha-cha, rock-'n'-roll and pasavijen dances. Regression analysis indicated the battery of motor variables used to be a good predictor of performance in all study dances, with multiple correlation of 0.93 in ciciliona, 0.84 in pasavijen, 0.75 in rock-'n'-roll and 0.73 in cha-cha-cha. In ciciliona and pasavijen, the latent dance structure is predominantly explained by coordination, in rock-'n'-roll by explosive strength, and in cha-cha-cha by explosive strength and speed. Discriminative analysis revealed the general dance performance to mostly depend on coordination, then on explosive strength, and to a lesser extent on speed (movement frequency). Dance is an irreplaceable educational tool in kinesiologic education of female students, among others for its considerable contribution to the development and maintenance of basic motor abilities.     

Lipid phenotyping of lung epithelial lining fluid in healthy human volunteers

Background

Lung epithelial lining fluid (ELF)—sampled through sputum induction—is a medium rich in cells, proteins and lipids. However, despite its key role in maintaining lung function, homeostasis and defences, the composition and biology of ELF, especially in respect of lipids, remain incompletely understood.

Objectives

To characterise the induced sputum lipidome of healthy adult individuals, and to examine associations between different ELF lipid phenotypes and the demographic characteristics within the study cohort.

Methods

Induced sputum samples were obtained from 41 healthy non-smoking adults, and their lipid compositions analysed using a combination of untargeted shotgun and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry methods. Topological data analysis (TDA) was used to group subjects with comparable sputum lipidomes in order to identify distinct ELF phenotypes.

Results

The induced sputum lipidome was diverse, comprising a range of different molecular classes, including at least 75 glycerophospholipids, 13 sphingolipids, 5 sterol lipids and 12 neutral glycerolipids. TDA identified two distinct phenotypes differentiated by a higher total lipid content and specific enrichments of diacyl-glycerophosphocholines, -inositols and -glycerols in one group, with enrichments of sterols, glycolipids and sphingolipids in the other. Subjects presenting the lipid-rich ELF phenotype also had significantly higher BMI, but did not differ in respect of other demographic characteristics such as age or gender.

Conclusions

We provide the first evidence that the ELF lipidome varies significantly between healthy individuals and propose that such differences are related to weight status, highlighting the potential impact of (over)nutrition on lung lipid metabolism.

     

Shunt in the diagnosis of initial lung lesion in smokers

Cigarette smoking is an important risk factor for all respiratory tract diseases. Unfortunately, the symptoms develop slowly, thus patients feel the consequences of the slowly developing inflammation too late. The inflammation first develops in the area of respiratory bronchioles. In this stage, the disease is asymptomatic. The study included a sample of 31 smokers, mean age 36.38 years, with normal spirometry indices, acid-base status and arterial blood gases. The mean smoking index was 11.28 smoking/years. All subjects were healthy, without any subjective health problems or disease indicators. The aim was to define dead lung area (V/Q) as an early indicator of changes in smokers. Study results demonstrated the mean shunt value in smokers of 8.25%, which showed positive correlation with smoking. The shunt size yielded negative correlation with the forced expiratory volume in one second and midexpiratory flow in smokers. In conclusion, determination of lung shunt is a simple method that is sensitive enough in the diagnosis of initial lung lesion due to cigarette smoking.     

Effects of naturally occurring G103D point mutation of AQP5 on its water permeability, trafficking and cellular localization in the submandibular gland of rats

Background information. AQPs (aquaporins) are water channel proteins that are expressed in almost all living things. In mammalians, 13 members of AQPs (AQP0–12) have been identified so far. AQP5 is known to be expressed mostly in the exocrine cells, including the salivary gland acinar cells. A naturally occurring point mutation (G308A, Gly¹⁰³ > Asp¹⁰³) was earlier found in the rat AQP5 gene [Murdiastuti, Purwanti, Karabasil, Li, Yao, Akamatsu, Kanamori and Hosoi (2006) Am. J. Physiol. 291 , G1081–G1088]; in this mutant, the rate of initial saliva secretion under stimulated and unstimulated conditions is less than that for the wt (wild‐type) animals. Results. Here the mutant molecule was characterized in detail. Using the Xenopus oocyte system, we demonstrated the mutant AQP5 to have water permeability almost the same as that of the wt molecule. Mutant and wt AQP5s, tagged with GFP (green fluorescent protein; GFP‐AQP5s) and expressed in polarized MDCK‐II (Madin—Darby canine kidney II) cells, first appeared in the vesicular structure(s) in the cytoplasm, and were translocated to the upper plasma membrane or apical membrane during cultivation, with the mutant GFP‐AQP5 being translocated less efficiently. Thapsigargin and H‐89 both induced translocation in vitro of either molecule, whereas colchicine inhibited this activity; the fraction of cells showing apical localization of mutant GFP‐AQP5 was less than that showing that of the wt molecule under any of the experimental conditions used. In the mutant SMG (submandibular gland) tissue, localization of AQP5 in the apical membrane of acinar cells was extremely reduced. Vesicular structures positive for AQP5 and present in the cytoplasm of the acinar cells were co‐localized with LAMP2 (lysosome‐associated membrane protein 2) or cathepsin D in the mutant gland, whereas such co‐localizations were very rare in the wt gland, suggesting that the mutant molecules largely entered lysosomes for degradation. Conclusion. Replacement of highly conserved hydrophobic Gly¹⁰³ with strongly hydrophilic Asp¹⁰³ in rat AQP5, though it did not affect water permeability, may possibly have resulted in less efficient membrane trafficking and increased lysosomal degradation, leading to its lower expression in the apical membrane of the acinar cells in the SMG.