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Biomedical subjects

J Bloomfield

Publications and source records attributed to J Bloomfield.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Analysis of age, stature, body mass, BMI and quality of elite soccer players from 4 European Leagues.

AIM: The aim was to identify which league (English Premier League, Spanish La Liga Division, Italian Serie A and German Bundesliga) contained the highest quality players and whether differences in age, stature, body mass and BMI existed between the different positions in different leagues. METHODS: Data were collected concerning 2,085 professional soccer players playing in these 4 leagues during the 2001-2002 season. Player quality was determined by the leagues' number of international players and their nations' FIFA World Ranking (FWR). RESULTS: The La Liga Division contained the highest quality players (mean FWR) (11.5+/-13.8), followed by the Serie A (13.3+/-21.3), the Premier League (30.6+/-27.3) and the Bundesliga (30.7+/-27.1), respectively. Also, differences were found between the age, stature, body mass and BMI of players in different positions and in the different leagues. Age had a significant influence on position with goalkeepers (years) (27.4+/-5.3) being older than midfielders (26.2+/-4.3) and forwards (25.8+/-4.2) and defenders (26.8+/-4.3) being older than forwards. Players from the Bundesliga had the greatest stature (m) (1.83+/-0.06), body mass (kg) (77.5+/-6.4) and BMI (kg x m(-2)) (23.2+/-1.1) of the 4 leagues. In reflection, La Liga's players had the shortest stature (1.80+/-0.06) and the Serie A players had the least body mass (74.3+/-5.4) and BMI (22.8+/-1.1). CONCLUSIONS: The differences discovered suggest either differences in playing style and physical demands of the different leagues, different physical conditioning methods or, alternatively, that there are desirable characteristics of players with teams in all 4 leagues seeking such players.

Age Factors↗

Environmental policy. Counting the cost of deforestation.

To halt the dramatic alteration in our climate, there must be a reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases. As Bonnie and colleagues discuss in their Perspective, conservation of forests will increase carbon sequestration and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. In this issue, a cost-benefit analysis by Kremen et al. demonstrates the benefits of forest conservation on a local and global scale.

Agriculture↗

Global biodiversity scenarios for the year 2100.

Scenarios of changes in biodiversity for the year 2100 can now be developed based on scenarios of changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide, climate, vegetation, and land use and the known sensitivity of biodiversity to these changes. This study identified a ranking of the importance of drivers of change, a ranking of the biomes with respect to expected changes, and the major sources of uncertainties. For terrestrial ecosystems, land-use change probably will have the largest effect, followed by climate change, nitrogen deposition, biotic exchange, and elevated carbon dioxide concentration. For freshwater ecosystems, biotic exchange is much more important. Mediterranean climate and grassland ecosystems likely will experience the greatest proportional change in biodiversity because of the substantial influence of all drivers of biodiversity change. Northern temperate ecosystems are estimated to experience the least biodiversity change because major land-use change has already occurred. Plausible changes in biodiversity in other biomes depend on interactions among the causes of biodiversity change. These interactions represent one of the largest uncertainties in projections of future biodiversity change.

Agriculture↗

Neonatal lupus syndrome: a case with chondrodysplasia punctata and other unusual manifestations.

We report a case of a newborn infant whose mother had systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosed before pregnancy. The child had clinical manifestations of neonatal lupus as well as chondrodysplasia punctata and other findings that resemble the congenital anomalies associated with the use of oral anticoagulants, with no history of exposure. We speculate that the combined action of the different maternal autoantibodies may produce the whole spectrum of manifestations.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Stability of human proportions through adolescent growth.

Male and female subjects (n = 125) were measured on a battery of anthropometric tests every six months for a period of five years. Using maturity status as the temporal component (pubescent assessment stages one through five), proportionality characteristics of subjects were monitored as they matured toward the adult form. Subjects were assigned to one of the Hi, Mid and Lo sub-groups based on their score at PA stage one for each of 15 proportionality characteristics. Subsequently, those in the Mid group were removed from the analysis, while male and female subjects were pooled for the final ANOVA model. The results showed that a number of variables remained stable from PA stages one through five. That is, differences between the Hi and Lo groups were maintained throughout maturation. Predominantly, these included the proportional body segment breadth measures. Proportionality characteristics of the upper limbs appeared to stabilise from mid-adolescence. However, those related to the lower limb were not stable. In other words, a significant difference for the lower limb variables at PA stage one was not maintained through stages four and five. The results raised some doubts as to the suitability of using lower limb proportions as selection criteria in talent identification programs.

Adolescent↗

[Perimeters of the arm and the thorax as indicators of low birth weight].

In a group of 317 newborns, measurements of the perimeter of the arm and the thorax were taken as an indicator of low birth weight. The perimeters of both the arm and the thorax had a high correlation with low birth weight (LBW) (0.88-0.80 respectively). In the sample group, the cut-off point to define low birth weight in the case of perimeter of the arm was 9 cm and was 29-30 cm for perimeter of the thorax. Applying these measurements facilitates early detection and treatment of low birth weight babies who are at risk for infant mortality in situations where it is not possible to weigh the baby at birth.

Arm↗

[Early puerperium rooming-in: an alternative of optimization of maternal-child care].

The observation that in Chilean Maternities, newborn infants are separated from their mothers during their first hours of life, originated this experience, destined to strengthen the early and permanent mother-infant bonding, where both of them were attended by the same assistant nurse, in a joined observation room. The influence of this method on the neonatal cardiorespiratory adaptation, as well as the initial moment of the lactation, was evaluated. In three groups of healthy newborn infants, full term newborn infants appropriate for gestational age (250), full term newborn infants small for gestational age (94) and preterm newborn infants (38), both vital signs and the initial moment of lactation were registered, during the first hours of life, period in which they remained with their mothers. Cardiac and respiratory frequency remained constant and temperature regulation was reached from the first hour of life. No significant constant differences were observed between groups in relation with the clinical parameters studied. The 77.7% of the children began their lactation in this period. Finally, the advantage of a whole nursing attendance and with a lesser demand of personal is emphasized.

Body Temperature Regulation↗

Genetic and physical mapping of a novel region close to the fragile X site on the human X chromosome.

We report the isolation and characterization of a novel DNA marker (1A1) in Xqter in the region of the fragile X. Genetic studies in families segregating for the fragile X syndrome suggest that 1A1 lies between the disease mutation and the distal locus, DXS52. Studies in normal and fragile X families show that 1A1 is tightly linked to DXS52 (Zmax = 17.20; theta max = 0.03) and F8 (Zmax = 7.01; theta max = 0.08). Multipoint mapping of families supports the order Xcen-DXS105-FRAXA-1A1-DXS52-(F8, DXS115)-Xqter. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) studies demonstrate that 1A1 defines a new region of at least 2 Mb of DNA not physically linked to DXS52 or F8, thus extending the physical map of Xq27-qter to over 4 Mb. Complex partial digestion PFGE patterns, probably due to differing degrees of methylation, are observed with 1A1 in unrelated normal and fragile-X-positive individuals, whereas other distal markers give uniform digestion profiles. Physical data suggest that 1A1 lies in a region less CpG rich than other distal markers in Xq27-qter.

Animals↗

Therapeutic potential of fish oil in the treatment of ulcerative colitis.

In a pilot study six patients with active ulcerative colitis and six healthy controls were given fish oil (MaxEPA) containing 3-4 g of eicosapentaenoic acid daily for a period of 12 weeks. There was a significant improvement in the patients' symptoms and histological appearance of the rectal mucosa by the end of the treatment period. There was significant fall in neutrophil chemiluminescence during treatment in patients, whereas no change was observed in the control group. Neutrophil leukotriene B4 levels fell significantly during treatment. Serum from patients receiving fish oil was significantly less chemotactic for neutrophils compared with control serum. Eicosapentaenoic acid inhibited neutrophil chemotaxis and chemiluminescence in vitro. The omega-3 fatty acids, which occur naturally in fish oils, may exert a beneficial effect by decreasing the production of inflammatory mediators.

Adult↗

An intronic region within the human factor VIII gene is duplicated within Xq28 and is homologous to the polymorphic locus DXS115 (767).

The genomic sequences recognized by the anonymous probe 767 (DXS115) are localized to two sites within Xq28. One site lies within intron 22 of the factor VIII gene (FBC). Physical mapping suggests that the second site lies within 1.2 megabases of the F8C gene. The RFLPs detected by 767 are located within the second site. Genetic data suggest that F8C and DXS115 are tightly linked (theta max = .04; Zmax = 8.30). Recombination events in meioses informative for DXS52 (St14), DXS115, and F8C suggest that DXS115 and F8C lie distal to DXS52.

Chromosome Deletion↗

Physical linkage of a GABAA receptor subunit gene to the DXS374 locus in human Xq28.

We report the physical linkage of the gene encoding one of the subunits of the GABAA receptor (GABRA3) to the polymorphic locus DXS374 on the human X chromosome at Xq28. X-linked manic depression and other psychiatric disorders have been mapped to this region, and thus GABRA3 is a potential candidate gene for these disorders. DXS374--and therefore GABRA3--lies distal to the fragile X locus at a recombination fraction of approximately .15.

DNA Probes↗

Inertial characteristics of adolescent male body segments.

In response to the presently limited information on body segment inertial characteristics of children and adolescents this investigation estimated the mass, centre of mass and principal moments of inertia of adolescent male body segments. Significant prediction equations based on anthropometric measurements were then sought. Thirteen subjects were measured at 6-monthly intervals for 2.5 yr to provide inertial characteristics for the leg, thigh, lower trunk and upper trunk segments. These characteristics were derived using an elliptical zone modelling technique. Following a correlation analysis, significant prediction equations of segment inertial parameters were derived from five, or fewer, anthropometric measurements. For all cases, more than 84% of the variance in the dependent variable was accounted for with a maximum R2 value of 94% being recorded for the prediction of thigh segment mass. The use of these prediction equations offered accurate and convenient estimates of body segment inertial characteristics within the limitations applicable to all modelling approaches. In contrast to recent studies, these equations accommodated the current morphological status of the subject.

Adolescent↗