The ball in play demands of international rugby union

Objectives: Rugby union is a high intensity intermittent sport, typically analysed via set time periods or rolling average methods. This study reports the demands of international rugby union via global positioning system (GPS) metrics expressed as mean ball in play (BiP), maximum BiP (max BiP), and whole match outputs. Design: Single cohort cross sectional study involving 22 international players, categorised as forwards and backs. Methods: A total of 88 GPS files from eight international test matches were collected during 2016. An Opta sportscode timeline was integrated into the GPS software to split the data into BiP periods. Metres per min (m.min-1), high metabolic load per min (HML), accelerations per min (Acc), high speed running per min (HSR), and collisions per min (Coll) were expressed relative to BiP periods and over the whole match (>60min). Results: Whole match metrics were significantly lower than all BiP metrics (p < 0.001). Mean and max BiP HML, (p < 0.01) and HSR (p < 0.05) were significantly higher for backs versus forwards, whereas Coll were significantly higher for forwards (p < 0.001). In plays lasting 61s or greater, max BiP m.min-1 were higher for backs. Max BiP m.min-1, HML, HSR and Coll were all time dependant (p < 0.05) showing that both movement metrics and collision demands differ as length of play continues. Conclusions: This study uses a novel method of accurately assessing the BiP demands of rugby union. It also reports typical and maximal demands of international rugby union that can be used by practitioners and scientists to target training of worst-case scenario's equivalent to international intensity. Backs covered greater distances at higher speeds and demonstrated higher HML, in general play as well as 'worst case scenarios'; conversely forwards perform a higher number of collisions

Nintedanib for non-IPF progressive pulmonary fibrosis: 12-month outcome data from a real-world multicentre observational study

Background: Nintedanib slows lung function decline for patients with non-IPF progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) in clinical trials, but the real-world safety and efficacy are not known. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, standardised data was collected across 8 UK centres from patients in whom nintedanib was initiated for PPF between 2019 and 2020 through an early access programme. Rate of lung function change in the 12 months pre- and post-nintedanib initiation was the primary analysis. Symptoms, drug safety, tolerability, and stratification by interstitial lung disease (ILD) subtype and CT pattern were secondary analyses. Results: 126 patients were included; 67(53%) females, mean age 60(±13) years. At initiation of nintedanib, mean FVC was 1.87 L (58%) and DLco 32.7% predicted. 68% of patients were prescribed prednisolone (median dose 10 mg) and 69% prescribed a steroid sparing agent. In the 12 months after nintedanib initiation, lung function decline was significantly lower than in the preceding 12 months; FVC −88.8 ml versus −239.9 ml respectively, (p=0.004) and absolute decline in DLco −2.1% versus −6.1% respectively; (p=0.004). Response to nintedanib was consistent in sensitivity and secondary analyses. 89/126 (71%) of patients reported side effects but 86 of the surviving 108 patients (80%) were still taking nintedanib at 12 months with patients reporting a reduced perception of symptom decline. There were no serious adverse events. Conclusion: In PPF, the real-world efficacy of nintedanib replicated that of clinical trials, significantly attenuating lung function decline. Despite the severity of disease, nintedanib was safe and well tolerated in this real-world multicentre stud

Context Is Everything Sociality and Privacy in Online Social Network Sites

International audienceSocial Network Sites (SNSs) pose many privacy issues. Apart from the fact that privacy in an online social network site may sound like an oxymoron, significant privacy issues are caused by the way social structures are currently handled in SNSs. Conceptually different social groups are generally conflated into the singular notion of 'friend'. This chapter argues that attention should be paid to the social dynamics of SNSs and the way people handle social contexts. It shows that SNS technology can be designed to support audience segregation, which should mitigate at least some of the privacy issues in Social Network Sites

Public understanding of plant biology: Voices from the bottom of the garden

Many household gardeners accumulate considerable knowledge of plant biology through a range of informal learning sources. This knowledge seldom relates to school biology and is driven by interest, keen motivation and what is termed here ‘vital relevance’. A small opportunity sample of 12 gardeners (6 M, 6 F) is interviewed in terms of their knowledge of plant biology and their motives for learning. They are largely self-educated, their knowledge is quite specific though piecemeal and their motivation has a strong affective dimension

Hydro-ionothermal synthesis of lanthanide-organic frameworks with 1,4-phenylenebis(methylene)diphosphonate

A synthetic approach combining hydrothermal and ionothermal (eutectic mixture of choline chloride and malonic acid) procedures is proposed that allowed the isolation of the first lanthanide-organic frameworks with residues of 1,4-phenylenebis(methylene)- diphosphonic acid (H4pmd), [Ln(Hpmd)(H2O)] (where Ln3+ ) Ce3+ and Pr3+), exhibiting an unprecedented trinodal topology with 3- and 8-connected nodes. The structural details were unveiled from single-crystal X-ray diffraction and the materials were characterized using standard techniques.FCT - POCI-PPCDT/QUI/58377/2004FEDER - POCIGrant - SFRH/BPD/9309/200