Biomechanical Analysis of the Cross, Hook, and Uppercut in Junior vs. Elite Boxers: Implications for Training and Talent Identification

Punching in boxing requires a combination of force and velocity of the acting arm, originating from an optimal synchronization of the different body segments. However, it is not well-understood what kinematic parameters of the punching execution influence boxing performance the most. This study aimed to investigate the differences in punching execution between 15 potential Olympic medalist boxers (Elite group) and 8 younger well trained boxers (Junior group). Each athlete was equipped with an instrumented suit composed of 17 inertial measurement units (IMU) and were asked to perform several series of 3 standardized punch types (cross, hook, and uppercut) with maximal force. Linear velocity, stability, and punch forces were computed from the different sensors. Our findings show that Elite boxers systematically produced more force and at a higher velocity for the three punch types compared to Juniors. Further analysis revealed differences in joint contributions between Elite and Juniors, Juniors presenting a higher contribution of the shoulder for the three punch types. Finally ground reaction force imbalance between the front and rear foot was revealed in the cross only, in all boxers (60.6 ± 24.9 vs. 39.4 ± 24.9% and 54.1 ± 7.1 vs. 45.9 ± 7.1%, p ≤ 0.05, for the front vs. rear foot in Elite and Juniors, respectively) but not different between groups. These results have important implications for practitioners involved in the talent identification process, longitudinal follow-up, and training of boxers.

Personality and temperament of Olympic taekwondo competitors and their level of advancement and sports performance

Background: ‪The goal of the presented study was to identify personality and temperament traits of Olympic taekwondo competitors at a varied level of advancement in relation to their sports performance. Material and methods: ‪There were 127 Olympic taekwondo competitors in a junior category (n = 63) and a senior one (n = 64) who were divided into two research groups, i.e. competitors who won medals and competitors who did not win medals in the Polish championship of Olympic taekwondo. Results: H‪aving analysed the data, it turned out that the two researched groups (juniors and seniors) were similar regarding a low level of anxiety and neuroticism, a high level of extroversion and an average level of agreeableness. The only variable significantly differentiating competitors in junior and senior groups was neuroticism. Conclusions: ‪In the junior group, it was extroversion that differentiated the competitors with or without medals, in the senior one – agreeableness.

Effectiveness of an Early Ultrasound Training Curriculum for General Surgery Residents

Ultrasound (US) is fast becoming an extension of the physical examination in most surgical settings. Unfortunately, few residency programs offer a formal US training curriculum to their general surgical residents. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a formal US training module for general surgery residents. We studied the degree of improvement observed between junior and senior residents. A training-based study was conducted to evaluate baseline knowledge and skills. Subsequently, a formal didactic and practical training program for our surgery residents was instituted. Residents were then scored in various categories. A total of 18 surgical residents comprising 10 junior and 8 senior residents completed our US training module. There was no significant improvement in the scores of the senior resident group. In the junior group, the written test, image detection, optimization, and interpretation categories improved significantly after completion of the training module. Comparison of improvement in scores between junior and senior residents revealed a significantly better improvement in the junior group than in the senior group. Early training of surgical residents can significantly improve US performance in junior residents. This early training has the benefit of increased utilization of bedside US for diagnostic and procedural purposes. Interestingly, even without formal training, skill acquisition of senior residents is noted to occur during modern surgical training.

Psychological characteristics of champion orienteers: Should they be considered in talent identification and development?

A range of cognitive skills that support the development of sport potential have been suggested to be important for athletes and coaches. This study explored performers’ psychological characteristics within orienteers. The psychological skills of World Elite orienteers and athletes in the National Junior Squads of both Great Britain and Switzerland were assessed using the six-factor Psychological Characteristics of Excellence Questionnaire. Data suggested that, as juniors, elite orienteers reported less support for long-term success than the Swiss juniors, perhaps because of the earlier adoption of self-coaching, but were not significantly different from either junior group on all other factors. British juniors were not significantly different from the other two groups on any factor. Follow-up qualitative approaches explored possible reasons for the World Elites’ early reliance on “self” rather than “other”, the role of the coach and the self-coaching phenomenon. The role of orienteering in developing these skills is also discussed along with unique psychological challenges faced by high performing orienteers.

Does clinical experience affect the reproducibility of cervical vertebrae maturation method?

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess interobserver and intraobserver reproducibility of the cervical vertebrae maturation method (CVMM) among three panels of judges with different levels of orthodontic experience (OE). Materials and Methods: Fifty individual lateral cephalograms of good quality with complete visualization of cervical vertebrae 1 to 4 were selected. Thirty clinicians, divided according to their OE into three groups (junior group, JU, OE ≤ 1 year; postgraduate group, PG, 2 ≤ OE ≤ 4 years; specialist group, SP, OE ≥ 7 years), evaluated the cephalograms in two sessions (T1 and T2) at 3 weeks apart. Kendall's W and weighted Cohen's kappa (κ) coefficients were performed to assess interobserver and intraobserver agreement. The level of significance was set as P < .05. For both the interobserver and the intraobserver datasets, the percentage of perfect agreement (PPA) and the number of stages apart for each disagreement were calculated. Results: Kendall's W at T1 was SP = 0.61, PG = 0.70, and JU = 0.87; at T2 it was SP = 0.78, PG = 0.85, and JU = 0.86. The percentage of total interobserver perfect agreement (Inter-PPA) was 42.3% at T1 and 46.3% at T2. The JU group had the highest Cohen's κ coefficient at 0.78, while the PG and SP had coefficients of 0.64 each. The percentage of total intraobserver perfect agreement (Intra-PPA) was 54.2%. Conclusions: The reproducibility of the method was not improved by the level of orthodontic experience. The group with the lowest level of orthodontic experience had the best performance.

Development of a Comprehensive Performance-Testing Protocol for Competitive Surfers

Purpose:Appropriate and valid testing protocols for evaluating the physical performances of surfing athletes are not well refined. The purpose of this project was to develop, refine, and evaluate a testing protocol for use with elite surfers, including measures of anthropometry, strength and power, and endurance.Methods:After pilot testing and consultation with athletes, coaches, and sport scientists, a specific suite of tests was developed. Forty-four competitive junior surfers (16.2 ± 1.3 y, 166.3 ± 7.3 cm, 57.9 ± 8.5 kg) participated in this study involving a within-day repeated-measures analysis, using an elite junior group of 22 international competitors (EJG), to establish reliability of the measures. To reflect validity of the testing measures, a comparison of performance results was then undertaken between the EJG and an age-matched competitive junior group of 22 nationally competitive surfers (CJG).Results:Percent typical error of measurement (%TEM) for primary variables gained from the assessments ranged from 1.1% to 3.0%, with intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from .96 to .99. One-way analysis of variance revealed that the EJG had lower skinfolds (P = .005, d = 0.9) than the CJG, despite no difference in stature (P = .102) or body mass (P = .827). The EJG were faster in 15-m sprint-paddle velocity (P < .001, d = 1.3) and had higher lower-body isometric peak force (P = .04, d = 0.7) and superior endurance-paddling velocity (P = .008, d = 0.9).Conclusions:The relatively low %TEM of these tests in this population allows for high sensitivity to detect change. The results of this study suggest that competitively superior junior surfers are leaner and possess superior strength, paddling power, and paddling endurance.

The Reduced Intensity Cvd Regimen: A Good Option with Well Balanced Efficacy/Toxicity Ratio for Elderly Patients with Poor Status Performance

Background: Bortezomib (Velcade) based regimens became a part of standard treatment in multiple myeloma (MM). Further optimization, focused on the favourable efficacy/toxicity ratio, is essential mainly for elderly patients (pts) and pts with poor performance status. These pts usually do not tolerate full dose of bortezomib and neuropathy in combination with severe fatigue are the most pronounced toxicities resulting in premature interruption of the treatment. As final consequence, these patients cannot fully benefit from the strong anti-myeloma potential of bortezomib. In this trial, we have evaluated the potential of combinative regimen CVD (cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, dexamethasone) reduced intensity (CVD senior; 50% reduction) in elderly pts and/or pts with poor status performance with relapsed MM. The results were compared with CVD junior regimen outcome used at the same time in pts aged <65 years and good status performance. Patients and Methods: A total of 40 consecutive pts (21x CVD senior vs 19x CVD junior) were evaluated in period from February 2007 until June 2008. Treatment regimen CVD senior: bortezomib (1.3mg/m2, day 1,15); cyclophosphamide (50mg p.o. daily) and dexamethasone 20mg (day 1–4, 15–18). Treatment regimen CVD junior: bortezomib (1.3mg/m2, day 1,4,8,15); cyclophosphamide (500mg/m2 i.v., day 1,15) and dexamethasone 40mg (day 1–4, 15–18). Both regimens were received in 28 days interval. All pts received at least 4 cycles of CVD regimen or the treatment was stopped for progression while received less than 4 cycles. The baseline characteristics of pts for CVD senior vs junior are as follows: median age 68.8 (range 50.2–80.6) vs 58.9 years (range 47.4–78.4), (p<0,001); clinical stage according to Durie and Salmon I-10.0% vs 5.2%/II-15.0% vs 15.8%/III-75.0% vs 79.0% (p=0,855); number of previous treatment lines 1–9.5% vs 36.8%/2–52.4% vs 57.9%/3 or more−38.1% vs 5.3% (p=0,011); median Karnofski status was 80% vs 90% (p=0,016); median follow-up from the start of therapy was 10.5 vs 8 months (p=0.192). In addition to significantly higher age, higher pretreatment and lower Karnofski index in CVD senior group, there was also a trend to a higher frequency of clinical stage 3 according to ISS (38.5% vs 29.4%). Results: The basic results for CVD senior vs junior are as follows: overall response (ORR=CR+PR) was 42.9% vs 61.1% including CR 4.8% vs 22.3%, VGPR 9.5% vs 11.1% and PR 28.6 vs 27.8% and progression 19.0% vs 11.1%. There was no difference (p=0,51) in overall response between groups but a higher total dose of bortezomib achieved by pts in each group resulted in a better response in both groups (p=0,009 for CVD senior; p=0,021 for CVD junior). Grade 3 or 4 AEs were more frequent in the CVD junior group (9.1% vs 28%; p=0.002), with an increase in haematologic event, fatigue and neuropathy. Grade 4 AEs were not observed in CVD senior group. Median number of cycles was 5 in both groups but dose of bortezomib was reduced in less frequency in CVD senior regimen [9.5% (2/21) vs 26.3% (5/19)]. In CVD senior group, medians for parameters of survival were as follows: TTP/PFS 6.6 months, DOR 6.6 and OS 9.0 months. Although medians of the same parameters were not achieved yet in CVD junior group, they did not achieved significant difference. Actual data will be presented. Conclusion: The reduced CVD senior regimen is tolerated better than CVD junior. Duration of treatment and number of cycles was similar in both regimens. There was no difference in overall response but the higher total dose of bortezomib achieved by pts in each group resulted in a better response in both groups. The reduced intensity CVD regimen seems to be a good option for elderly pts with poor status performance with well balanced efficacy/toxicity ratio.

Effects of Age and Task Complexity on EEG and Performance in Relation to Psychological States

The purpose of the present study is to analyse the effects of task complexity on the EEG spectral parameters and the extent to which age modulates this relationship. Subjects were divided into a junior and a senior group and engaged in a simple and a complex version of “Go/No go” tasks. Cognitive, subjective and electrophysiological data were combined. Our results indicated that there was an increase in alpha power over time only in the junior group in the simple task and the senior group in the complex one, suggesting that, depending on age, the increase in alpha band vary in a different way according with the degree of task complexity and could reflect some different phenomena. Cognitive performance were independent of age but for the main dimensions of motivation, seniors had higher scores, and they were less sleepy than juniors. Finally, this study showed correlations between cognitive performance, subjective evaluations and electrophysiological measures, and their value for understanding the subject’s engagement in a task.