Adult males of Platypus rugulosus Chapuis and adult females of Xyleborus ferrugineus (Fabr.) were found in the trunks of stem bleeding diseased coconut palms (Cocos nucifera L.) at Dorado Beach, ...Puerto Rico. The stem bleeding disease organism, Ceratocystis paradoxa, was recovered from the tissues of affected palms. The role of P. rugulosus, common on the island, and of the very rare X. ferrugineus in the decline of palms is obscure. Bud rot caused Phytophthora palmivora as well as water logged soil were also found to be affecting palms of various ages at the same location.
Changes in the physiologic state of the patient may affect indices of valvular aortic stenosis. We determined the effects of supine exercise on the Gorlin valve area, Cannon valve area, aortic valve ...resistance, and a modified stroke work loss index in 80 patients with aortic stenosis. Exercise caused a significant increase in the Gorlin and Cannon valve area, while work loss and valve resistance decreased significantly. The average percent change in work loss, 12.2%, was lower than the other indices (P less than 0.02), i.e., 15.3% for valve resistance, 18.6% for the Gorlin area, and 19.3% for the Cannon area. The correlation between the rest and exercise measurements was highest for work loss (r = 0.94), compared to 0.93, 0.88, and 0.89 for the other 3 indices, respectively. In patients with a Gorlin area below 1 cm2, exercise caused a significant decrease in work loss, but not Cannon area or valve resistance. However, the percent change was significantly lower and the correlation was better with the work loss index. We conclude that the work loss index is less affected by supine exercise than other indices of aortic stenosis.
A rapidly emerging area of interest in high-pressure environments is that of pupillometry, where handheld quantitative infrared pupillometers (HQIPs) are able to track psycho-physiological fatigue in ...a fast, objective, valid, reliable, and non-invasive manner. However, the application of HQIPs in the context of athlete monitoring is yet to be determined. Therefore, the main aim of this pilot study was to examine the potential usefulness of a HQIP to monitor game-induced fatigue inside a professional female basketball setting by determining its (1) test-retest repeatability, (2) relationship with other biomarkers of game-induced fatigue, and (3) time-course from rested to fatigued states. A non-ophthalmologic practitioner performed a standardized Pupil Light Reflex (PLR) test using a medically graded HQIP among 9 professional female basketball players (2020-2021 Euro Cup) at baseline, 24-h pre-game (GD-1), 24-h post-game (GD+1) and 48-h post-game (GD+2). This was repeated over four subsequent games, equalling a total of 351 observations per eye. Two out of seven pupillometrics displayed good ICCs (0.95-0.99) (MinD and MaxD). Strong significant relationships were found between MaxD, MinD, and all registered biomarkers of game-induced fatigue (r = 0.69-0.82, p < 0.05), as well as between CV, MCV, and cognitive, lower-extremity muscle, and physiological fatigue markers (r = 0.74-0.76, p < 0.05). Three pupillometrics were able to detect a significant difference between rested and fatigued states. In particular, PC (right) (F = 5.173,
= 0.115 p = 0.028) and MCV (right) (F = 3.976,
= 0.090 p = 0.049) significantly decreased from baseline to GD+2, and LAT (left) (F = 4.023,
= 0.109 p = 0.009) significantly increased from GD-1 to GD+2. HQIPs have opened a new window of opportunity for monitoring game-induced fatigue in professional female basketball players. However, future research initiatives across larger and heterogenous samples, and longer investigation periods, are required to expand upon these preliminary findings.
This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the global implementation of flywheel training (FT) by basketball strength and conditioning (S&C) coaches in various contexts, encompassing daily ...practice, games, and sessions.
Survey data were collected from 117 basketball S&C coaches who participated in a 24-question online survey. The survey was structured into 6 key areas, including country and competition, S&C coach context, training methodology, flywheel and competition, postactivation performance enhancement, and recovery.
Notably, all respondents emphasized the necessity of a familiarization period with flywheel technology, with a substantial 96% indicating that FT yielded improved player performance on the court. The predominant mention was the conical pulley system. During the season, the prevalent approach involved integrating FT into training twice a week, allocating <15 minutes per session, often in conjunction with traditional strength training. A diverse array of lower-body closed kinetic chain exercises were reported, encompassing squats, decelerations, and backward lunges. Intriguingly, FT implementation on match days was unlikely (77%), with the primary aims cited as injury prevention (34%) and enhancing players' strength levels during various phases of the regular season (27%).
Recognizing its inherent limitations, this descriptive study provides valuable contextual insights and practical applications for professional basketball practitioners grappling with the utilization of FT.
Recognizing the high stakes associated with winning and losing in the National Basketball Association (NBA), a deep understanding of the underlying mechanisms of NBA game-play performance would ...provide substantial benefit to all stakeholders involved with preparing NBA players and teams for competitive success. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this systematic review presents the first attempt to systematically amalgamate and appraise the scientific literature published in the XXI Century, following a constraints-led approach (CLA). In particular, two underpinning factors of NBA game-play performance were investigated: (1) NBA player constraints (internal variables) and (2) NBA contextual constraints (external variables).
Databases included PubMed (MEDLINE), Web of Science (WOS), ResearchGate, SPORTDiscus, SCOPUS, Google Scholar, and the World Association of Basketball Coaches' database (WABC). This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) model and the Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcomes (PICOS) guidelines.
Ultimately, 43 articles met the inclusion criteria (n = 43). Promisingly, the vast majority of studies were published in recent years (>2016; n = 28; 65.1%). Topics related to 'contextual constraints' (n = 25; 58.1%) received more attention than topics related to 'player constraints' (n = 18; 41.9%). Even though the importance of longitudinal-interventional approaches to applied sports science is well-documented, descriptive-observational research emerged as the most popular method of choice (n = 27; 62.8%); interventional studies were absent; and near all researchers merely utilized secondary data sources (n = 37; 86.0%).
Taking into account the total body of evidence (2001-2020), NBA practitioners may use this systematic review as a baseline reference to enrich their current knowledge about the nature, demands, and dynamics of the modern-day NBA ecosystem. Finally, adoption of an 'Applied Science Research Framework' is encouraged, fostering clearly outlined project incentives; standardizing taxonomies; sequencing follow-up studies; embracing holistic and cross-disciplinary viewpoints; and integrating longitudinal-interventional projects to increase the reproducibility of their findings.
Lagging behind rapid changes to state laws, societal views, and medical practice is the scientific investigation of cannabis’s impact on the human brain. While several brain imaging studies have ...contributed important insight into neurobiological alterations linked with cannabis use, our understanding remains limited. Here, we sought to delineate those brain regions that consistently demonstrate functional alterations among cannabis users versus non-users across neuroimaging studies using the activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis framework. In ancillary analyses, we characterized task-related brain networks that co-activate with cannabis-affected regions using data archived in a large neuroimaging repository, and then determined which psychological processes may be disrupted via functional decoding techniques. When considering convergent alterations among users, decreased activation was observed in the anterior cingulate cortex, which co-activated with frontal, parietal, and limbic areas and was linked with cognitive control processes. Similarly, decreased activation was observed in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which co-activated with frontal and occipital areas and linked with attention-related processes. Conversely, increased activation among users was observed in the striatum, which co-activated with frontal, parietal, and other limbic areas and linked with reward processing. These meta-analytic outcomes indicate that cannabis use is linked with differential, region-specific effects across the brain.
The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) has been implicated in a host of cognitive and behavioral processes in addition to serving as a central hub in the default mode network (DMN). Moreover, the PCC ...has been shown to be involved in a range of psychiatric and neurological disorders. However, very little is known about the specific activated/deactivated functional profiles of the PCC. Here, we employed a dual analytic approach using robust quantitative meta-analytical connectivity modeling (MACM) and ultra-high field, high resolution resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to identify state-specific functional activity patterns of the human PCC. The MACM results provided evidence for regions of convergence for PCC co-activation and co-deactivation (i.e., left medial frontal gyrus, left amygdala, and left anterior cingulate) as well as regions of divergence specific to either PCC activation (i.e., bilateral inferior frontal gyri) or PCC deactivation (i.e., left parahippocampal gyrus). In addition, exploratory MACMs on dorsal and ventral subregions of the PCC revealed differential functional activity patterns such as greater co-activation of the right PCC and left inferior parietal lobule with the dorsal PCC and greater co-activation of right precuneus with the ventral PCC. Resting state connectivity analyses showed widespread connectivity similar to that of the PCC co-activation-based MACM, but also demonstrated additional regions of activity, including bilateral superior parietal regions and right superior temporal regions. These analyses highlight the diverse neurofunctional repertoire of the human PCC, provide additional insight into its dynamic functional activity patterns as it switches between activated and deactivated states, and elucidates the cognitive processes that may be implicated in clinical populations.
Background: Sleep is considered an essential component related to physiological and psychological recovery in athletes and particularly in basketball, given the impact of condensed travel and game ...schedules on player health and performance. Objective: The aim of this systematic review is to examine studies published to date on sleep and basketball performance. Methodology: All scientific articles that reported a relationship between sleep and its possible impact on performance in basketball are included. The research processes followed the PRISMA criteria, and the relevant articles were extracted (PubMed, WOS, Scopus) as of December 31, 2021. Results: Twenty-eight articles were selected for inclusion and data extraction, with 27 demonstrating that sleep is a vital component in the recovery of basketball players and their corresponding on-court performance. Three central themes that we identified: (1) the quality and extension of sleep (the better quality and more extension of sleep, better performance and lower probability of injury); (2) influence of the players circadian rhythm (travel and game scheduling do not currently facilitate or take this into account); and (3) higher training loads and/or increased stress may jeopardize a subsequent good night’s sleep, which should be taken into account when scheduling practices and workouts. Conclusion: The current systematic review regarding sleep and basketball performance and highlights that there is a strong relationship between both variables. Collectively, the evidence supports the critical influence of sleep on player recovery and basketball performance and risk for injury.
PDF
