The management of lifeguards in natural acuatic spaces (beaches)

Este estudio nace con la necesidad de establecer criterios básicos y descripción de recomendaciones para mejorar el nivel de atención de los socorristas acuáticos profesionales en los espacios acuáticos naturales, concretamente en el trabajo realizado en las playas, con el objetivo de aumentar la seguridad de estas zonas de baño. El estudio se ha desarrollado en la Comunidad Autónoma de Cataluña, concretamente en tres playas de varios municipios de la provincia de Barcelona. Se puede afirmar que tras esta investigación la mayor parte de los socorristas acuáticos que han participado en el estudio valoraron positivamente las medidas y criterios propuestos, asumiendo que con los mismos se puede desempeñar mejor su trabajoThis study arises from the need to establish basic criteria and the description of recommendations to improve the level of responsiveness of lifeguards in natural aquatic areas, specifically in the work done on the beaches, in order to increase the safety of these bathing areas. The study was developed Cataluña, in three beaches of different municipalities in the province of Barcelona. We can aver after this research that most of the lifeguards who participated in the study value positively the proposed measures and criteria, through the assumption that these features help improve their wor

Injury prevention, drowning prevention habits and resuscitation knowledge of Portuguese surfing instructors. A cross-sectional study

Surfing instructors can play an important role both in preventing sport related injuries and as first responders in water emergencies events. Even though Portugal is a predominantly oceanic country, with many people enrolling in water sports activities, we still don’t have a clear insight of the knowledge and educational practices of surfing instructors concerning both injury prevention and first response actions. This study aimed to analyze the educational practices on prevention of surf-related injuries of Portuguese surfing instructors and their knowledge and experience acting as first responders in the sea. A cross-sectional study was designed, using an online survey distributed by all surfing schools registered at Portuguese Surfing Federation to their instructors. The survey included a brief demographic characterization, questions regarding teaching practices about prevention of surfing-related injuries and knowledge/experience acting as first responders at the sea. Data was collected anonymously using Google Forms. A total of 102 instructors participated in the study. The analysis of the survey responses showed that 93.2% of surfing instructors are aware of the importance of prevention habits for teaching but skip some major preventive measures when teaching novice surfers. Nevertheless, the instructors with more than 15 years of experience provide more feedback on prevention habits during classes than instructors with less experience (p=0.019). When looking at self-perceptions of own competence to act in a drowning event, the instructors who have attended a basic life support course asserted to be more competent than those who never attended a course (p<0.05). These findings suggest that it would be very positive that all surfing schools followed the same protocol, giving due importance to prevention measures. Moreover, surfing instructors can play an important role in first response to drowning events but might have some training flaws that should be considered as part of a Water Safety National Strategy. © JPES

Coastal police of Vigo; A quasi-experimental pilot study about rescue and CPR

El ahogamiento es una de las principales causas de muerte en el mundo y en España. Los socorristas ejercen una labor de prevención y vigilancia pero su labor es estacional y temporal. En muchos lugares, la primera respuesta a la emergencia, cuando los socorristas no están de servicio, depende de la policía, a la que se le requiere habilidades de rescate y reanimación cardiopulmonar (RCP). El objetivo de este estudio es determinar la capacidad de rescate y efecto de la fatiga sobre la calidad de la RCP de un grupo de diez policías costeros cuya área de influencia es el litoral de Vigo. El diseño fue cuasi-experimental con dos factores (pretest basal/postest rescate). Los policías pudieron realizar el rescate acuático rápido y seguro 417 ± 54,5 seg, a nivel de lactacidema se registró 12,27 ± 2,36 mmol. La fatiga inducida por el rescate afectó negativamente a la calidad de la compresiones en la RCP (p = 0,002)Drowning is a leading cause of death worldwide and in Spain. Lifeguards exert vigilance and prevention efforts but their work is seasonal and temporary. In many places the first emergency response when lifeguards are not on duty, depends on the police, which are required rescue skills and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The objective of this study is to determine the ability of lifesaving and effect of fatigue on the quality of CPR of a group of ten coastal police whose area of influence is the coast of Vigo. The design was quasiexperimental with two factors (basal pretest / posttest rescue). Cops with basic training could perform fast and safe water rescue 417 ± 54.5 seconds, lactate level was recorded 12.27 ± 2.36 mmol. Induced fatigue during resuce effort had a nevative effect on the quality of compressions in CPR (p = 0.002

Influence of a physical education plan on psychomotor development profiles of preschool children

This study aimed to investigate the influence of structured physical education on the psychomotor development of 3 to 5 year-old preschool children. The sample consisted of 324 students of both sexes (3 to 5 year-old) from 9 public kindergarten classes in Porto, Portugal. A battery of psychomotor tests (pre-test) was used to assess the students’ psychomotor development profiles. The sample was divided in 2 groups: an experimental group (162 students) and a control group (162 students). Physical Education (PE) teachers used a structured 24-week PE plan in the experimental group. After the plan completion, the same battery of tests (post-test) was run on both groups. The outcome was that both groups grew their psychomotor profiles; however this growth was always statistically higher in the experimental group (at all ages and in all variables analysed p 0.05). Structured physical education is important for preschool children’s psychomotor development. Physical activity impact on children’s interaction with the outside world was proved, through their overall development motivated by the structured physical education lessons

Identification of Mirafiori lettuce big-vein virus and Lettuce big-vein associated virus infecting Lactuca sativa with symptoms of lettuce big-vein disease in Argentina

Lettuce big-vein disease (BVD) affects all major lettuce-producing areas of the world. The causal agent is Mirafiori lettuce big-vein virus (MLBVV), an ophiovirus transmitted by the soil-borne fungus Olpidium brassicae (Lot et al., 2002). MLBVV has been detected in many different areas of the world but never in Argentina. La Plata has about 700 ha of lettuce with a production of about 13 000 tonnes, and with about 70% of the total production from Buenos Aires Province. BVD has been detected in different areas in the north and west of the La Plata horticultural green belt. Many of the plants with BVD symptoms had leaf distortions of moderate severity, which affected their commercial value.Facultad de Ciencias ExactasFacultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Life history baseline of unexploited populations: The case of Beryx splendens from the Sierra Leone Rise

This study examines for the first time the biology of alfonsino (Beryx splendens) from three small seamounts of the Sierra Leone Rise (SLR), an unexploited and fragile ecosystem in the Atlantic, using data from an experimental survey carried out in 2001 by Spanish longliners. In general, the lack of rigorous baseline data limits the implementation of efficient management and conservation plans in fisheries strategies. Therefore, the main aim of present study was to provide baseline information on basic biological parameters of the alfonsino population associated with an unexploited ecosystem. A total of 17296 individuals of alfonsino were sampled from SLR. Alfonsino is gonochoric and presented an unbalanced sex ratio, there were significantly more females than males. Taking into account the results in stage of maturity of alfonsino and the gonadosomatic index values during studied period, we can conclude that at least one reproductive period in these seamounts was in the late spring and early summer. The spawning stage was attained at a minimum fork length of 23 and 25 cm for males and females, respectively. The size at which 50% of the population attains sexual maturity was approximately 28 and 27 cm for males and females, respectively. The stock structure of alfonsino showed a segregation of the size with the depth, as they increase in size they move into the deeper water.Versión del edito

Identification of Mirafiori lettuce big-vein virus and Lettuce big-vein associated virus infecting Lactuca sativa with symptoms of lettuce big-vein disease in Argentina

Lettuce big-vein disease (BVD) affects all major lettuce-producing areas of the world. The causal agent is Mirafiori lettuce big-vein virus (MLBVV), an ophiovirus transmitted by the soil-borne fungus Olpidium brassicae (Lot et al., 2002). MLBVV has been detected in many different areas of the world but never in Argentina. La Plata has about 700 ha of lettuce with a production of about 13 000 tonnes, and with about 70% of the total production from Buenos Aires Province. BVD has been detected in different areas in the north and west of the La Plata horticultural green belt. Many of the plants with BVD symptoms had leaf distortions of moderate severity, which affected their commercial value.Facultad de Ciencias ExactasFacultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Stereoselective Synthesis of 1-Hydroxymethyl-4-phenylsulfonylbutadienes

Reactividad de sulfonas para la obtención de sistemas dienicos.[ES]Reactividad de sulfonas para la obtención de sistemas dienicos.CICYT, Junta Castilla y Leon (SA 44-96) y Ministerio de Educación y Cienci

The Application of Rapid Prototyping in the Design of an UAV.

Design and building of UAVs (for civil and military missions) is a field of actuation where the most important Universities, research Centers and Aeronautical designers have dedicated a lot of human effort. In recent years, a team of students and professors (at the Escuela Universitaria de Ingeniería Técnica Aeronáutica, EUITA) have been working on the design and building of an UAV for civil observation. This paper presents the highlights of this project, focussing on the role of rapid prototyping. Furthermore, this paper will present all the features and stages of this engineering project. Also, the current state of technology applied to the process will be presented together with a description of the main difficulties the project has undergone, as a global experience in engineering design and development

Trends in adult asthma hospitalization: gender-age effect

BACKGROUND: Hospital admissions due to asthma are a reliable source of information on the morbidity of the disease which, after the increase observed in the last quarter of the last century, shows a declining trend in the last few years. The aim of this study was to look at hospital admission trends due to asthma in our community and analyze some of its associated factors. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of all hospital admissions involving adults aged 15 years and older with asthma as the primary or secondary diagnosis (if the first diagnosis was respiratory failure or respiratory infection) in Public Health Service hospitals in the Galician region of Spain between the years 1995-2009 (total 24,766 admissions). RESULTS: The majority of patients admitted were female (71%), over 60 years of age (64%), and admission occurred predominantly in the winter months. The hospitalization rate due to asthma tripled over the period studied, this being mainly accounted for by women aged over 60 years. Mean hospital stay was 9.2 days, longer in older patients or those admitted over the weekend. CONCLUSIONS: A significant increase in hospital admissions due to asthma over the last few years has been observed in our community, mainly involving older women. The mean stay seems long, increasing with patients' age and admission over the weekend