TRAINING EFFECTS ON BODY COMPOSITION AND STRENGTH OF JUNIOR HANDBALL PLAYERS

Introduction: Coaches and fitness trainers strive through various testing methods to identify appropriate short-term training techniques to achieve the greatest improvements in athletic performance in the shortest possible time. Therefore, studies are needed to evaluate the effects of handball-specific training on selected physical fitness (speed, agility, explosive power, and explosive arm strength) and physiological variables (body fat, body mass, capacity, maximal heart rate, anaerobic endurance) of handball players. The main aim of this study was to develop a complementary strength training program for the development of physical training of professional handball players at junior level, as well as the selection of a test methods to assess fitness. Materials and methods: The research was conducted over a period of 12 months, and during this time a complementary strength training program was applied on an experimental group. The experimental group was represented by 16 junior I athletes from the SCM Politehnica Timișoara handball club, and the control group consisted of 16 junior I athletes from the CSM Resita handball club. The tests aimed the evaluation of the following parameters: body composition and strength before and after training for both groups. Results and discussions: The results obtained show a slight progress of the experimental group in front of the control group in terms of body composition, but an important progress in terms of strength. Conclusions: The study validated that through the modern means of training applied, substantial contributions are made to the increase of sports performance. Received 2022 June 16; Revised 2022 June 30; Accepted 2022 July 8; Available online 2022 June 30; Available print 2022 August 30. REZUMAT. Efectele antrenamentului asupra compoziției corporale și puterii la jucătorii juniori de handbal. Introducere: Antrenorii și preparatorii fizici se străduiesc prin diverse procese de încercare, să identifice tehnici de antrenament adecvate de scurtă durată pentru a obține cele mai mari îmbunătățiri ale per¬formanței sportive într-un timp cât mai scurt. Prin urmare, este nevoie de studii care să evalueze efectele antrenamentului specific handbalului asupra aptitudi¬nilor fizice selectate (viteză, agilitate, putere explozivă, forța explozivă a brațu¬lui) și variabilelor fiziologice (țesutul adipos, masa corporală, capacitatea, ritmul cardiac maxim, anduranța anaerobă) a jucătorilor de handbal masculin. Principalul scop al acestui studiu a fost de a elabora un program de antrenament de forță complementar pentru dezvoltarea pregătirii fizice a handbaliștilor profesioniști la nivel de juniori, precum și selectarea unei baterii de teste pentru evaluarea pregătirii fizice. Materiale și metode: Cercetarea s-a desfășurat pe o perioadă de 12 luni de zile, perioadă în care au fost aplicate mijloacele de antrenament pentru grupa experimentală. Grupa experimentală a fost reprezentată din 16 sportivi juniori I din cadrul clubului de handbal SCM Politehnica Timișoara, iar grupa de control a fost formată din 16 sportivi juniori I din cadrul clubului de handbal CSM Reșița. Prin intermediul testelor s-a urmărit evaluarea următorilor parametrii: compoziția corporală și forța înainte și după antrenament pentru ambele grupuri. Rezultate și discuții: Rezultatele obținute au arătat un ușor progres al grupului experimental comparativ cu grupul de control în ceea ce privește compoziția corporală, dar un progres important în ceea ce privește forța. Studiul a validat că prin mijloacele și moderne de antrenament aplicate, se aduc contribuții substanțiale la creșterea performanțelor sportive. Cuvinte cheie: jucători de handbal juniori, compoziție corporală, antrenament, forț

Carbon Nanotubes and Carbon Nanotube Structures Used for Temperature Measurement

Accurate measurement of temperatures with low power consumption with the highest sensitivity and smallest possible elements is still a challenge. The thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have suggested that their use as a very sensitive sensing element will allow the creation of different sensors, far superior to other devices of similar size. In this paper, we present a short review of different constructive designs of CNTs based resistive sensors used for temperature measurement, available in literature, assembled using different processes, such as self-assembly, drop-casting from a solution, thin films obtained by gluing, printing, spraying, or filtration over a special membrane. As particular cases, temperature sensors obtained from CNT-polymer nanocomposite structures, CNTs filled with uniformly dispersed Fe3O4 nanoparticles or with gallium, and carbon nanotube wires (CNWs) hybrids are presented. Using these preparation procedures, mixtures of CNTs with different dimensions and chirality, as well as with a variable level of impurities and structural defects, can be produced. The sensors’ performance charts are presented, highlighting a number of aspects regarding the applicability of CNT structures for temperature measurement ranging from cryogenic temperatures to high temperatures, the limitations they have, their characteristics and advantages, as well as the special situations that may arise given the particular structure of these new types of materials, together with basic relationships and parameters for CNTs characterization. Further research will be required to develop the techniques of manipulating and depositing individual CNTs on supports and electrodes for the development of temperature sensors

A Room Temperature Gas Sensor Based on Sulfonated SWCNTs for the Detection of NO and NO2

The electrical response of sulfonated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to NO and NO2, for gas sensing applications, at room temperature, is reported in this work. A specific configuration based on SWCNT deposition between double pair configuration gold electrodes, supported on a substrate, was considered for the sensing device; employed characterization technique where FTIR and SEM. The experimental results showed a p-type response of the sulfonated SWCNTs, with decrease in resistance, under exposure to NO gas (40–200 ppb) and NO2 (40–200 ppb). Also, the sensor responses to successive exposures at NO2 800 ppb together with investigation of long term stability, at 485 ppb for NO, are reported. The reaction mechanism in case of NO and NO2 detection with sulfonated SWCNTs is presented

Carbon Nanotubes and Carbon Nanotube Structures Used for Temperature Measurement

Accurate measurement of temperatures with low power consumption with the highest sensitivity and smallest possible elements is still a challenge. The thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have suggested that their use as a very sensitive sensing element will allow the creation of different sensors, far superior to other devices of similar size. In this paper, we present a short review of different constructive designs of CNTs based resistive sensors used for temperature measurement, available in literature, assembled using different processes, such as self-assembly, drop-casting from a solution, thin films obtained by gluing, printing, spraying, or filtration over a special membrane. As particular cases, temperature sensors obtained from CNT-polymer nanocomposite structures, CNTs filled with uniformly dispersed Fe3O4 nanoparticles or with gallium, and carbon nanotube wires (CNWs) hybrids are presented. Using these preparation procedures, mixtures of CNTs with different dimensions and chirality, as well as with a variable level of impurities and structural defects, can be produced. The sensors’ performance charts are presented, highlighting a number of aspects regarding the applicability of CNT structures for temperature measurement ranging from cryogenic temperatures to high temperatures, the limitations they have, their characteristics and advantages, as well as the special situations that may arise given the particular structure of these new types of materials, together with basic relationships and parameters for CNTs characterization. Further research will be required to develop the techniques of manipulating and depositing individual CNTs on supports and electrodes for the development of temperature sensors

Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes Based Cryogenic Temperature Sensor Platforms

We present an investigation consisting of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) based cryogenic temperature sensors, capable of measuring temperatures in the range of 2–77 K. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) due to their extremely small size, superior thermal and electrical properties have suggested that it is possible to create devices that will meet necessary requirements for miniaturization and better performance, by comparison to temperature sensors currently available on the market. Starting from SWCNTs, as starting material, a resistive structure was designed. Employing dropcast method, the carbon nanotubes were deposited over pairs of gold electrodes and in between the structure electrodes from a solution. The procedure was followed by an alignment process between the electrodes using a dielectrophoretic method. Two sensor structures were tested in cryogenic field down to 2 K, and the resistance was measured using a standard four-point method. The measurement results suggest that, at temperatures below 20 K, the temperature coefficient of resistance average for sensor 1 is 1.473%/K and for sensor 2 is 0.365%/K. From the experimental data, it can be concluded that the dependence of electrical resistance versus temperature can be approximated by an exponential equation and, correspondingly, a set of coefficients are calculated. It is further concluded that the proposed approach described here offers several advantages, which can be employed in the fabrication of a microsensors for cryogenic applications

Mortality after surgery in Europe: a 7 day cohort study

Background: Clinical outcomes after major surgery are poorly described at the national level. Evidence of heterogeneity between hospitals and health-care systems suggests potential to improve care for patients but this potential remains unconfirmed. The European Surgical Outcomes Study was an international study designed to assess outcomes after non-cardiac surgery in Europe.Methods: We did this 7 day cohort study between April 4 and April 11, 2011. We collected data describing consecutive patients aged 16 years and older undergoing inpatient non-cardiac surgery in 498 hospitals across 28 European nations. Patients were followed up for a maximum of 60 days. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcome measures were duration of hospital stay and admission to critical care. We used χ² and Fisher’s exact tests to compare categorical variables and the t test or the Mann-Whitney U test to compare continuous variables. Significance was set at p<0·05. We constructed multilevel logistic regression models to adjust for the differences in mortality rates between countries.Findings: We included 46 539 patients, of whom 1855 (4%) died before hospital discharge. 3599 (8%) patients were admitted to critical care after surgery with a median length of stay of 1·2 days (IQR 0·9–3·6). 1358 (73%) patients who died were not admitted to critical care at any stage after surgery. Crude mortality rates varied widely between countries (from 1·2% [95% CI 0·0–3·0] for Iceland to 21·5% [16·9–26·2] for Latvia). After adjustment for confounding variables, important differences remained between countries when compared with the UK, the country with the largest dataset (OR range from 0·44 [95% CI 0·19 1·05; p=0·06] for Finland to 6·92 [2·37–20·27; p=0·0004] for Poland).Interpretation: The mortality rate for patients undergoing inpatient non-cardiac surgery was higher than anticipated. Variations in mortality between countries suggest the need for national and international strategies to improve care for this group of patients.Funding: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine, European Society of Anaesthesiology