Mental fatigue and padel:state-of-the-art and beyond

Padel is attracting increased research interest. Although the focus has been on the physical and technical-tactical demands of the game, recently more attention is being paid to its mental demands and, more specifically, the importance of mental fatigue. This literature review provides an overview of mental fatigue in padel. First, we consider the mentally fatiguing nature of padel. Padel players must make complex decisions under high-time pressure, maintain self-confidence, and communicate with their partners in an emotionally charged context. With these cognitive demands, it is not surprising that padel matches and tournaments are mentally fatiguing. Second, we review evidence confirming that mental fatigue is detrimental for padel players’ performance, in agreement with findings observed in other sports. Third, we evaluate strategies to tackle mental fatigue and its effects on padel performance. Until now, the only proven long-term countermeasure is Brain Endurance Training. Finally, we make a series of recommendations for coaches and players to deal with mental fa-tigue, that focus on the quantification and modulation of mental fatigue among padel players. We strongly recommend i. to include subjective ratings of mental fatigue (i.e., VAS scale) before and after training and competitive matches, ii. to reduce the cogni-tive load of training before competitions by, for example, use positive feedback or habitual training exercises, and iii. to use Brain Endurance Training during non-com-petitive moments of the season

Real Cyclic Load-Bearing Test of a Ceramic-Reinforced Slab

Ceramic-reinforced slabs were widely used in Spain during the second half of the 20th century, especially for industrial buildings. This solution was popular due to the lack of materials at that time, as it requires almost no concrete and low ratios of reinforcement. In this study, we present and discuss the results of a real load-bearing test of a real ceramic-reinforced slab, which was loaded and reloaded cyclically for a duration of one week in order to describe any damage under a high-demand loading series. Due to the design of these slabs, the structural response is based more on shear than on bending due to the low levels of concrete and the geometry and location of re-bars. The low ratio of concrete makes these slabs ideal for short-span structures, mainly combined with steel or RC frames. The slab which was analyzed in this study covers a span of 4.88 m between two steel I-beams (IPN400), and corresponds to a building from the mid-1960s in the city of Igualada (Barcelona, Spain). A load-bearing test was carried out up to 7.50 kN/m2 by using two-story sacks full of sand. The supporting steel beams were propped up in order to avoid any interference in the results of the test; without the shoring of the steel structure, deflections would come from the combination of the ceramic slab together with the steel profiles. A process of loading and unloading was repeated for a duration of six days in order to describe the cyclic response of the slab under high levels of loading. Finally, vibration analysis of the slab was also done; the higher the load applied, the higher the fundamental frequency of the cross section, which is more comfortable in terms of serviceability.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Tree rings and fire in an Iberian stand of Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii.

Detección de los efectos del fuego en el crecimiento de Pinus nigra Arnold

Circulating microRNA profiles predict the severity of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients

We aimed to examine the circulating microRNA (miRNA) profile of hospitalized COVID-19 patients and evaluate its potential as a source of biomarkers for the management of the disease. This was an observational and multicenter study that included 84 patients with a positive nasopharyngeal swab Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for SARS-CoV-2 recruited during the first pandemic wave in Spain (March-June 2020). Patients were stratified according to disease severity: hospitalized patients admitted to the clinical wards without requiring critical care and patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). An additional study was completed including ICU nonsurvivors and survivors. Plasma miRNA profiling was performed using reverse transcription polymerase quantitative chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Predictive models were constructed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression. Ten circulating miRNAs were dysregulated in ICU patients compared to ward patients. LASSO analysis identified a signature of three miRNAs (miR-148a-3p, miR-451a and miR-486-5p) that distinguishes between ICU and ward patients [AUC (95% CI) = 0.89 (0.81-0.97)]. Among critically ill patients, six miRNAs were downregulated between nonsurvivors and survivors. A signature based on two miRNAs (miR-192-5p and miR-323a-3p) differentiated ICU nonsurvivors from survivors [AUC (95% CI) = 0.80 (0.64–0.96)]. The discriminatory potential of the signature was higher than that observed for laboratory parameters such as leukocyte counts, C-reactive protein (CRP) or D-dimer [maximum AUC (95% CI) for these variables = 0.73 (0.55–0.92)]. miRNA levels were correlated with the duration of ICU stay. Specific circulating miRNA profiles are associated with the severity of COVID-19. Plasma miRNA signatures emerge as a novel tool to assist in the early prediction of vital status deterioration among ICU patients.Supported by ISCIII (CIBERESUCICOVID, COV20/00110), co-funded by ERDF, “Una manera de hacer Europa”. DdGC acknowledges receiving financial support from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Miguel Servet 2020 (CP20/00041), co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), “Investing in your future”. LP is the recipient of a predoctoral fellowship from the Ministry of Universities of Spain (FPU19/03526). This work partially supported by IRBLleida Biobank (B.0000682) and “Plataforma Biobancos PT17/0015/0027/”.Peer Reviewed"Article signat per 33 autors/es: David de Gonzalo-Calvo, Iván D. Benítez, Lucía Pinilla, Amara Carratalá, Anna Moncusí-Moix, Clara Gort-Paniello, Marta Molinero, Jessica González, Gerard Torres, María Bernal, Silvia Pico, Raquel Almansa, Noelia Jorge, Alicia Ortega, Elena Bustamante-Munguira, José Manuel Gómez, Milagros González-Rivera, Dariela Micheloud, Pablo Ryan, Amalia Martinez, Luis Tamayo, César Aldecoa, Ricard Ferrer, Adrián Ceccato, Laia Fernández-Barat, Ana Motos, Jordi Riera, Rosario Menéndez, Dario Garcia-Gasulla, Oscar Peñuelas, Antoni Torres, Jesús F. Bermejo-Martin, Ferran Barbé on behalf of the Ciberesucicovid Project (Cov20/00110, Isciii)"Postprint (author's final draft

Cloud Computing Service for Managing Large Medical Image Data-Sets Using Balanced Collaborative Agents

Managing large medical image collections is an increasingly demanding important issue in many hospitals and other medical settings. A huge amount of this information is daily generated, which requires robust and agile systems. In this paper we present a distributed multi-agent system capable of managing very large medical image datasets. In this approach, agents extract low-level information from images and store them in a data structure implemented in a relational database. The data structure can also store semantic information related to images and particular regions. A distinctive aspect of our work is that a single image can be divided so that the resultant sub-images can be stored and managed separately by different agents to improve performance in data accessing and processing. The system also offers the possibility of applying some region-based operations and filters on images, facilitating image classification. These operations can be performed directly on data structures in the database

One year overview and follow-up in a post-COVID consultation of critically ill patients

The long-term clinical management and evolution of a cohort of critical COVID-19 survivors have not been described in detail. We report a prospective observational study of COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU between March and August 2020. The follow-up in a post-COVID consultation comprised symptoms, pulmonary function tests, the 6-minute walking test (6MWT), and chest computed tomography (CT). Additionally, questionnaires to evaluate the prevalence of post-COVID-19 syndrome were administered at 1 year. A total of 181 patients were admitted to the ICU during the study period. They were middle-aged (median [IQR] of 61 [52;67]) and male (66.9%), with a median ICU stay of 9 (5–24.2) days. 20% died in the hospital, and 39 were not able to be included. A cohort of 105 patients initiated the follow-up. At 1 year, 32.2% persisted with respiratory alterations and needed to continue the follow-up. Ten percent still had moderate/severe lung diffusion (DLCO) involvement (<60%), and 53.7% had a fibrotic pattern on CT. Moreover, patients had a mean (SD) number of symptoms of 5.7 ± 4.6, and 61.3% met the criteria for post-COVID syndrome at 1 year. During the follow-up, 46 patients were discharged, and 16 were transferred to other consultations. Other conditions, such as emphysema (21.6%), COPD (8.2%), severe neurocognitive disorders (4.1%), and lung cancer (1%) were identified. A high use of health care resources is observed in the first year. In conclusion, one-third of critically ill COVID-19 patients need to continue follow-up beyond 1 year, due to abnormalities on DLCO, chest CT, or persistent symptoms.This study was supported in part by ISCIII (CIBERESUCICOVID, COV20/00110), co-funded by ERDF, “Una manera de hacer Europa,” donation program “Estar Preparados,” UNESPA, Madrid, Spain and Fundación Soria Melguizo (Madrid, Spain). DG-C had received financial support from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Miguel Servet 2020: CP20/00041), co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF)/“Investing in your future.” JB acknowledged receiving financial support from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII; Miguel Servet 2019: CP19/00108), co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), “Investing in your future.”Peer ReviewedArticle signat per 29 autors/es: Jessica González (1,2,3,4), María Zuil (1,2,3,4), Iván D. Benítez (2,3,4), David de Gonzalo-Calvo (2,3,4), María Aguilar (1,2), Sally Santisteve (1,2,3,4), Rafaela Vaca (1,2), Olga Minguez (1,2), Faty Seck (1,2), Gerard Torres (1,2,3,4), Jordi de Batlle (2,3,4), Silvia Gómez (1,2,3,4), Silvia Barril (1,2,3,4), Anna Moncusí-Moix (2,3,4), Aida Monge (1,2,3,4), Clara Gort-Paniello (2,3,4), Ricard Ferrer (4,5), Adrián Ceccato (4), Laia Fernández (4,6), Ana Motos (4,6), Jordi Riera (4,5), Rosario Menéndez (4,7), Darío Garcia-Gasulla (8), Oscar Peñuelas (4,9), Gonzalo Labarca (10,11), Jesús Caballero (12), Carme Barberà (13), Antoni Torres (4,6) and Ferran Barbé (1,2,3,4) * on behalf of the CIBERESUCICOVID Project (COV20/00110, ISCIII) // (1) Department of Pulmonary, Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova and Santa Maria, Lleida, Spain, (2) Translational Research in Respiratory Medicine Group, Lleida, Spain, (3) Lleida Biomedical Research Institute, Lleida, Spain, (4) Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) of Respiratory Diseases, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain, (5) Intensive Care Department, Vall d’Hebron Hospital Universitari, Shock, Organ Dysfunction and Resuscitation (SODIR) Research Group, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca, Barcelona, Spain, (6) Department of Pulmonary, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain, (7) Department of Pulmonary, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain, (8) Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Barcelona, Spain, (9) Hospital Universitario de Getafe, Madrid, Spain, (10) Faculty of Medicine, University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile, (11) Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Concepción, Chile, (12) Intensive Care Department, Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova de Lleida, Lleida, Spain, (13) Intensive Care Department, Hospital Universitari Santa Maria de Lleida, Lleida, SpainPostprint (published version

Textural and mineral-chemistry constraints on columbite group minerals in the Penouta deposit: evidence from magmatic and fluid-related processes.

The Penouta Sn-Ta deposit, in the northwest of Spain, is a greisenized granitic cupola where Ta minerals occur mainly as disseminations in a leucogranite body intruded in Precambrian-Lower Cambrian gneises and mica-schists. This leucogranite is a medium- to fine-grained inequigranular rock consisting mainly of quartz, albite, K-feldspar and muscovite. Accessory minerals are mainly of spessartine, zircon, cassiterite, Nb-Ta oxides, monazite, xenotime, native bismuth and pyrite. The alteration processes were mainly albitization, muscovitization and kaolinitization. This leucogranite is peraluminous and P-poor, with 0.03-0.07 wt.% P2O5, 900-1500 ppm Rb, 30-65 ppm Cs, 120-533 ppm Li, 80-140 ppm Ta, 51-81 ppm Nb and up to 569 ppm of Sn. Mineralogical characterization of Nb-Ta oxide minerals was determined by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis and mineral liberation analysis. Mn-rich members of the columbite-group minerals (CGM) are the most common Ta-bearing phases, but microlite, wodginite, tapiolite and Ta-rich cassiterite occur also. CGM crystals are commonly zoned concentrically, with a Nb-rich core surrounded by a Ta-rich rim, with a sharp boundary between them. Convoluted zoning occurs also. Dissolution textures resulting from the corrosion of columbite and tantalite rims, in particular, are common. TheMn/(Mn + Fe) ratio varies between 0.33 and 0.97 and the Ta/(Ta + Nb) ratio between 0.07 and 0.93. Wodginite and microlite formed as late replacements of CGM and occur associated with tantalite and cassiterite. Subhedral to anhedral cassiterite crystals, usually up to 200 μmacross, occur in two generations: the earlier one is Nb,Ta-poor whereas in the later generation, the Ta content can reach >9 wt.%of Ta2O5 and 1.7 wt.%of Nb. The presence of a fluid phase in the apical zone of the granite, probably related to the separation of a fluid/vapour of the melt, could explain the sponge-like textures, the Ta enrichment associated with these textures, the occurrence of Taenriched mineral phases (microlite and wodginite) and their common interstitial character

Parallel Tempering: Theory, Applications, and New Perspectives

We review the history of the parallel tempering simulation method. From its origins in data analysis, the parallel tempering method has become a standard workhorse of physiochemical simulations. We discuss the theory behind the method and its various generalizations. We mention a selected set of the many applications that have become possible with the introduction of parallel tempering and we suggest several promising avenues for future research.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure