LUdeS University

Tendons are vital components of the musculoskeletal system, facilitating movement and supporting mechanical loads. Emerging evidence suggests that vitamin D, beyond its well-established role in bone health, exerts significant effects on tendon physiology. The aim of this manuscript is to review the impact of vitamin D on tendons, focusing on its mechanisms of action, clinical implications, and therapeutic applications. A comprehensive search of scientific electronic databases was conducted to identify articles on the effects of vitamin D ontendon health. Fourteen studies were included in this review. Five studies were performed invitro, and nine studies were conducted invivo. Despite some conflicting results, the included studies showed that vitamin D regulates collagen synthesis, inflammation, and mineralization within tendons through its interaction with vitamin D receptors. Epidemiological studies link vitamin D deficiency with tendon disorders, including tendinopathy and impaired healing. Supplementation with vitamin D shows promise in improving tendon strength and function, particularly in at-risk populations such as athletes and the elderly. Future research should address optimal supplementation strategies and explore the interplay between vitamin D and other factors influencing tendon health. Integrating vitamin D optimization into clinical practice could enhance tendon integrity and reduce the burden of tendon-related pathologies.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common joint diseases, especially in individuals with obesity. Another condition within this population, and which presents frequently, is sarcopenic obesity (SO), defined as an increase in body fat and a decrease in muscle mass and strength. The current paper aims to describe recent nutritional strategies which can generally improve KOA clinical severity and, at the same time, ameliorate SO indices. Searches were carried out in the PubMed and Science Direct databases and data were summarized using a narrative approach. Certain key findings have been revealed. Firstly, the screening and identification of SO in patients with KOA is important, and to this end, simple physical performance tests and anthropometric measures are available in the literature. Secondly, adherence to a Mediterranean diet and the achievement of significant body weight loss by means of low-calorie diets (LCDs) remain the cornerstone nutritional treatment in this population. Thirdly, supplementation with certain micronutrients such as vitamin D, essential and non-essential amino acids, as well as whey protein, also appear to be beneficial. In conclusion, in the current review, we presented a detailed flowchart of three different nutritional tracks that can be adopted to improve both KOA and SO based on joint disease clinical severity.

An applied and hermeneutic "material ontology" proper to the humanities and social sciences was focused on in this paper, starting from the general philosophical definition of ontology as a general view of reality. The importance of ontologies is recognized in several fields of disciplinary research,

DiscoveRx e um jogo com proposito para divulgar o processo de Descoberta e Desenvolvimento de Fármacos. Por meio do uso da Retorica Procedural, ele explica a adolescentes e demais jovens as principais tarefas de cada etapa desse processo. O jogo está sendo lançado em 7 etapas, sendo que as 3 primeiras já estão disponíveis.

Ankle-brachial index and arterial stiffness are associated with leg function in the elderly and in patients with peripheral arterial disease. Little is known about the meaning of these parameters in young and trained subjects and how they are related to physical performance. The main objective was to evaluate the mediating role of arterial stiffness and ankle-brachial index in physical performance. In a cross-sectional, case-control study, 240 male athletes were consecutively enrolled from the Laboratory of Cardiology and Sports Medicine, “G. d’Annunzio” University (Italy). All the subjects underwent the examination protocol for the annual medical evaluation for sport participation. Soccer (football) players compared to runners showed a lower level of ankle-brachial index, higher arterial stiffness, and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In the treadmill stress test, soccer players compared to runners showed a greater maximal aerobic capacity. Differences in cardiovascular performance between soccer players and runners were mediated by better arterial stiffness and low level of ankle-brachial index; the estimated effect was 0.11 ± 0.05 and 0.24 ± 0.06, respectively. Vigorous strength training drops blood pressure and increases arterial stiffness. Taken together, our findings would seem to suggest that ABI and CAVI could be used as markers for athletes’ performance.

LINKED CONTENT This article is linked to Hwang et al and Hwang & Lee papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16131 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16158

Ochronotic degenerative arthropathy occurs in patients with alkaptonuria. Alkaptonuria disorder is an extremely rare disease characterized by black pigmentation of various tissues (e.g., cartilage and connective tissue). Ochronotic arthropathy is a disabling disease that primarily affects the large joints. Like other metabolic diseases that involve the musculoskeletal system, care must be taken with regard to the quality of the affected bones, tendons and ligaments, and therefore the stability and survival of joint prosthesis. The following is a report of a 66-year-old man affected by several musculoskeletal manifestations of alkaptonuria with severe joints disruption, who was successfully treated with total left hip and total right knee replacements. Surgical, anesthesiological and postoperative management of these patients may require more vigilance due to the associated comorbidities of this disorder.