The role of motion analysis in elite soccer

The optimal physical preparation of elite soccer (association football) players has become an indispensable part of the professional game especially due to the increased physical demands of match-play. The monitoring of players’ work-rate profiles during competition is now feasible through computer-aided motion analysis. Traditional methods of motion analysis were extremely labour intensive and were largely restricted to university- based research projects. Recent technological developments have meant that sophisticated systems, capable of quickly recording and processing the data of all players’ physical contributions throughout an entire match, are now being used in elite club environments. In recognition of the important role motion analysis now plays as a tool for measuring the physical performance of soccer players, this review critically appraises various motion analysis methods currently employed in elite soccer and explores research conducted using these methods. This review therefore aims to increase the awareness of both practitioners and researchers of the various motion analysis systems available, identify practical implications of the established body of knowledge, while highlighting areas that require further exploration

Kv7/M-type potassium channels in rat skin keratinocytes.

Skin keratinocytes fulfil important signalling and protective functions. Immunocytochemical experiments revealed the unexpected presence of immunoreactivity for the M-type potassium channel subunit Kv7.2 in the keratinocyte layer of intact rat paw skin and in keratinocytes isolated from the skin of 1-day-old rats and cultured in vitro for 3-10 days. Application of the M-channel enhancer retigabine (3-10 μM) to isolated cultured rat keratinocytes: (a) increased outward membrane currents recorded under voltage clamp, (b) produced ~3 mV hyperpolarization at rest, (c) enhanced ~3-fold the release of ATP induced by the TRPV3 agonist carvacrol (1 mM) and (d) increased the amplitude of the carvacrol-induced intracellular Ca(2+) transient measured with Fura-2. The effect of retigabine on ATP release was prevented by the M-channel blocking agent XE991. We conclude that rat skin keratinocytes possess M-channels that, when activated, can modify their physiological properties, with potential significance for their sensory and other biological functions

Anthropometric and Performance Characteristics of Elite Hurling Players

The purpose of the present study was to examine variations in the anthropometric and performance characteristics of elite hurling players in relation to playing position. Forty-one male, elite intercounty hurlers (25 ± 4 years), 4 goalkeepers, 8 full-backs, 8 halfback, 6 midfielders, 8 half-forwards and 7 full-forwards underwent measurements of standard anthropometric (stature, body mass, sum of five skinfolds and adipose tissue percentage estimates (%AT)) and performance characteristics (counter-movement jump (CMJ), CMJ peak power, CMJ relative peak power, 5-, 10-, 20-m sprint times and estimated V•O2max) during the later stages of the competitive season. A clear hierarchical anthropometric profile is evident with goalkeepers being the taller (184.3 ± 3.7 m), possessing the highest body mass (88.7 ± 5.7 kg) and adiposity (13.2 ± 3.1 %AT) than their outfield colleagues. Half-backs (47.4 ± 2.4 cm) and half-forwards (50.7 ± 5.9 cm) produced the highest CMJ scores; a similar profile was evident for sprint times. Midfielders (60.1 ± 1.4 mL.kg-1.min-1) exhibited a significantly (p<0.05) greater maximal oxygen uptake than all other playing positions. Differences in the anthropometric and performance characteristics of other playing positions whilst evident were non-significant. This study provides novel data, as it is the first report to present normative anthropometric and performance data for elite hurling players which to date has not been present in the literature. The enhanced maximal oxygen uptake in midfield players is likely due to different performance, technical and tactical demands associated with this position

Methods for Evaluating Social Vulnerability to Drought

Social vulnerability to drought is complex and it is reflected by society’s capacity to anticipate, cope with and respond. Here we estimate these aspects of social vulnerability, evaluating the natural resource structure, the economic capacity, the human and civic resources, and aspects of agricultural innovation. These factors are components of a vulnerability index and they can be weighted appropriately in computing the final value of the index. In this chapter we present the results of the index under two valuation scenarios. For Scenario 1 all components are valued equally. For Scenario 2 the human resources component is given 50% of the weight, the economic and natural resource components are given 20% of the weight each, and the agricultural technology is given 10% of the weight. This reflects the assumption that a society with institutional capacity and coordination and mechanisms for public participation is less vulnerable to drought and that agriculture is only one of the sectors affected by drought. The vulnerability index establishes robust conclusions since the range of values across countries does not change with the assumptions under the two scenarios

Are bisphosphonates effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis pain? A meta-analysis and systematic review.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis worldwide. Pain and reduced function are the main symptoms in this prevalent disease. There are currently no treatments for OA that modify disease progression; therefore analgesic drugs and joint replacement for larger joints are the standard of care. In light of several recent studies reporting the use of bisphosphonates for OA treatment, our work aimed to evaluate published literature to assess the effectiveness of bisphosphonates in OA treatment

Universal quantum control of two-electron spin quantum bits using dynamic nuclear polarization

One fundamental requirement for quantum computation is to perform universal manipulations of quantum bits at rates much faster than the qubit's rate of decoherence. Recently, fast gate operations have been demonstrated in logical spin qubits composed of two electron spins where the rapid exchange of the two electrons permits electrically controllable rotations around one axis of the qubit. However, universal control of the qubit requires arbitrary rotations around at least two axes. Here we show that by subjecting each electron spin to a magnetic field of different magnitude we achieve full quantum control of the two-electron logical spin qubit with nanosecond operation times. Using a single device, a magnetic field gradient of several hundred milliTesla is generated and sustained using dynamic nuclear polarization of the underlying Ga and As nuclei. Universal control of the two-electron qubit is then demonstrated using quantum state tomography. The presented technique provides the basis for single and potentially multiple qubit operations with gate times that approach the threshold required for quantum error correction.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures. Supplementary Material included as ancillary fil

The in vitro effects of resistin on the innate immune signaling pathway in isolated human subcutaneous adipocytes

Context: Obesity-associated inflammation is a contributory factor in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); the mechanisms underlying the progression to T2DM are unclear. The adipokine resistin has demonstrated pro-inflammatory properties in relation to obesity and T2DM. Objective: To characterize resistin expression in human obesity and address the role of resistin in the innate immune pathway. Furthermore, examine the influence of lipopolysaccharide, recombinant human resistin (rhResistin), insulin and rosiglitazone in human adipocytes. Finally, analyze the effect of rhResistin on the expression of components of the NF-κB pathway and insulin signaling cascade. Methods: Abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue was obtained from patients undergoing elective liposuction surgery (n = 35, aged: 36-49 yr; BMI: 26.5 ± 5.9 kg/m2). Isolated adipocytes were cultured with rhResistin (10-50 ng/ml). The level of cytokine secretion from isolated adipocytes was examined by ELISA. The effect of rhResistin on protein expression of components of the innate immune pathway was examined by Western blot. Results: In-vitro studies demonstrated that antigenic stimuli increase resistin secretion (P < 0.001) from isolated adipocytes. Pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were increased in response to rhResistin (P < 0.001); this was attenuated by rosiglitazone (P < 0.01). When examining components of the innate immune pathway, rhResistin stimulated Toll-like receptor-2 protein expression. Similarly, mediators of the insulin signaling pathway, phosphospecific JNK1 and JNK2, were upregulated in response to rhResistin. Conclusion: Resistin may participate in more than one mechanism to influence pro-inflammatory cytokine release from human adipocytes; potentially via the integration of NF-κB and JNK signaling pathways

Temperature Dependence of Spin-Split Peaks in Transverse Electron Focusing

We present experimental results of transverse electron-focusing measurements performed using n-type GaAs. In the presence of a small transverse magnetic field (B⊥), electrons are focused from the injector to detector leading to focusing peaks periodic in B⊥. We show that the odd-focusing peaks exhibit a split, where each sub-peak represents a population of a particular spin branch emanating from the injector. The temperature dependence reveals that the peak splitting is well defined at low temperature whereas it smears out at high temperature indicating the exchange-driven spin polarisation in the injector is dominant at low temperatures

As redes sociais na internet e suas apropriações por jovens brasileiros e portugueses em idade escolar

O fenômeno das redes sociais on-line é marcante na atual fase da internet 2.0, tendo crescido vertiginosamente, a partir do ano 2005, com a adesão majoritária de jovens, que as acessam por computadores fixos e móveis, em plataformas dos mais variados tipos. Por meio delas, trocam mensagens e compartilham conteúdos os mais diversos. Diante desse cenário, com base em duas pesquisas convergentes, pretende-se discutir os usos e as apropriações das redes sociais on-line por jovens alunos do ensino fundamental e médio e destacar os pontos mais pertinentes da atual fase da internet nos contextos pessoal, familiar e escolar. Foram aplicados questionários, inspirados em modelo de pesquisa elaborado na Itália, a 404 alunos brasileiros de oito escolas no Rio de Janeiro e a 549 alunos portugueses de 11 escolas na região portuguesa de Castelo Branco. Com essa rica empiria, verificou-se em que pontos os jovens se aproximam dos ideais de uma nova subjetividade (o leitor imerso nas novas mídias) e de um jovem naturalmente afeito aos suportes digitais (o nativo digital).The phenomenon of online social networks has been remarkable in the current phase of internet 2.0 and has grown rapidly from the year 2005, with the majority membership of young people, who access the social networks from desktops and mobile platforms of all kinds. Using these platforms, they exchange messages and share various contents. Given this scenario, based on two converging researches, this paper discusses the uses and appropriations of online social networks by students of elementary school and high school. Also, it highlights the most relevant points in the current phase of the internet in relation to personal, family and school contexts. Inspired by a research model developed in Italy, 404 questionnaires were applied to Brazilian students from eight schools in Rio de Janeiro and 549 Portuguese students from 11 schools in the Portuguese region of Castelo Branco. With this comprehensive database, we could verify at which points the youth approaches the ideals of a new subjectivity (the reader immersed in new medias) and a youngster naturally used to digital media (the digital native).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A new rhynchocephalian from the late jurassic of Germany with a dentition that is unique amongst tetrapods.

Rhynchocephalians, the sister group of squamates (lizards and snakes), are only represented by the single genus Sphenodon today. This taxon is often considered to represent a very conservative lineage. However, rhynchocephalians were common during the late Triassic to latest Jurassic periods, but rapidly declined afterwards, which is generally attributed to their supposedly adaptive inferiority to squamates and/or Mesozoic mammals, which radiated at that time. New finds of Mesozoic rhynchocephalians can thus provide important new information on the evolutionary history of the group. A new fossil relative of Sphenodon from the latest Jurassic of southern Germany, Oenosaurus muehlheimensis gen. et sp. nov., presents a dentition that is unique amongst tetrapods. The dentition of this taxon consists of massive, continuously growing tooth plates, probably indicating a crushing dentition, thus representing a previously unknown trophic adaptation in rhynchocephalians. The evolution of the extraordinary dentition of Oenosaurus from the already highly specialized Zahnanlage generally present in derived rhynchocephalians demonstrates an unexpected evolutionary plasticity of these animals. Together with other lines of evidence, this seriously casts doubts on the assumption that rhynchocephalians are a conservative and adaptively inferior lineage. Furthermore, the new taxon underlines the high morphological and ecological diversity of rhynchocephalians in the latest Jurassic of Europe, just before the decline of this lineage on this continent. Thus, selection pressure by radiating squamates or Mesozoic mammals alone might not be sufficient to explain the demise of the clade in the Late Mesozoic, and climate change in the course of the fragmentation of the supercontinent of Pangaea might have played a major role