Comparasion between European elite senior and junior female table tennis players

The aim of the study was to compare elite junior and senior women table tennis players, using three parameters of the table tennis: rally length, serve and receive analysis. Twentyfive junior and twenty-five elite senior matches were analysed (total: 263 sets and 4958 points) between players ranked in Top 25 in ETTU rankings in the last two years. All the athletes used an offensive style of play. The results of non-parametric Mann-Whitney U Test, showed a significantly higher rally length in senior compared to junior category (4.46 vs. 3.93). Moreover, the results of Pearson’s Chi-square tests show an association between the age categories and selected parameters (laterality, technique and placement) for both serve and receive. Different behavior between the two categories was noted. The senior players used more the flip technique (22.2 % vs 14.7 %) and short push to return the services of the opponents (32.5 % vs 26.0 %). These results provide useful information to analyze junior players’ behavior compared to the senior players in order to plan specific training sessions. It can be also useful to identify some parameters as predictors of the future success for junior players

Anodic dissolution of metals in oxide-free cryolite melts

The anodic behavior of metals in molten cryolite-alumina melts has been investigated mostly for use as inert anodes for the Hall-Héroult process. In the present work, gold, platinum, palladium, copper, tungsten, nickel, cobalt and iron metal electrodes were anodically polarized in an oxide-free cryolite melt (11%wt. excess AlF3 ; 5%wt. CaF2) at 1273 K. The aim of the experiments was to characterize the oxidation reactions of the metals occurring without the effect of oxygen-containing dissolved species. The anodic dissolution of each metal was demonstrated, and electrochemical reactions were assigned using reversible potential calculation. The relative stability of metals as well as the possibility of generating pure fluorine is discussed

Factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in confined farrow-to-finish pig herds in western France: an exploratory study in 60 herds

Background: Infection by Toxoplasma gondii postnatally can occur after ingestion of contaminated meat or water (tissue cysts/oocysts). In Europe, percentage of meat borne infections is estimated between 30 and 63 %, out of which pork makes the most important source. The aim of this study was to (i) investigate the seroprevalence of T. gondii in intensive pig farms from western France; and (ii) identify the risk factors associated with seropositivity. Methods: Data were collected between November 2006 and February 2008 in 60 intensive farrow-to-finish farms, where sera were taken from 3595 fattening pigs, weaned and suckling piglets. Information about three classes of potential seropositivity risk factors were obtained through a questionnaire concerning: (i) breeding characteristics; (ii) farm management; and (iii) husbandry and hygiene. The modified agglutination test (MAT) was used for detection of specific anti T. gondii antibodies in pig sera, starting from 1/6 dilution. Results: The overall proportion of seropositive animals was 6.9 %, but the proportion of herds with at least one positive pig was 100 %. Multivariate logistic mixed model showed an increased seropositivity risk in weaned compared to suckling piglets, and a decreasing risk for mid-sized and large farms. The presence of a Danish entry facility, that clearly separates clean and dirty areas, had a protective effect on T. gondii seropositivity as well. Conclusions: The observed proportion of herds with at least one T. gondii seropositive animal provides further evidence that even in confined conditions of pig breeding, infection occurs, and is common. The highest risk for acquiring T. gondii is at the end of weaning period. Smaller confined pig farms demonstrate higher T. gondii seropositivity levels. This study also showed that Danish entry on farm buildings provides effective protection against T. gondii

Calcium electroporation and electrochemotherapy for cancer treatment:Importance of cell membrane composition investigated by lipidomics, calorimetry and in vitro efficacy

Abstract Calcium electroporation is a novel anti-cancer treatment investigated in clinical trials. We explored cell sensitivity to calcium electroporation and electroporation with bleomycin, using viability assays at different time and temperature points, as well as heat calorimetry, lipidomics, and flow cytometry. Three cell lines: HT29 (colon cancer), MDA-MB231 (breast cancer), and HDF-n (normal fibroblasts) were investigated for; (a) cell survival dependent on time of addition of drug relative to electroporation (1.2 kV/cm, 8 pulses, 99 µs, 1 Hz), at different temperatures (37 °C, 27 °C, 17 °C); (b) heat capacity profiles obtained by differential scanning calorimetry without added calcium; (c) lipid composition by mass spectrometry; (d) phosphatidylserine in the plasma membrane outer leaflet using flow cytometry. Temperature as well as time of drug administration affected treatment efficacy in HT29 and HDF-n cells, but not MDA-MB231 cells. Interestingly the HT29 cell line displayed a higher phase transition temperature (approximately 20 °C) versus 14 °C (HDF-n) and 15 °C (MDA-MB231). Furthermore the HT29 cell membranes had a higher ratio of ethers to esters, and a higher expression of phosphatidylserine in the outer leaflet. In conclusion, lipid composition and heat capacity of the membrane might influence permeabilisation of cells and thereby the effect of calcium electroporation and electrochemotherapy

Many analysts, one data set: making transparent how variations in analytic choices affect results

Twenty-nine teams involving 61 analysts used the same data set to address the same research question: whether soccer referees are more likely to give red cards to dark-skin-toned players than to light-skin-toned players. Analytic approaches varied widely across the teams, and the estimated effect sizes ranged from 0.89 to 2.93 (Mdn = 1.31) in odds-ratio units. Twenty teams (69%) found a statistically significant positive effect, and 9 teams (31%) did not observe a significant relationship. Overall, the 29 different analyses used 21 unique combinations of covariates. Neither analysts’ prior beliefs about the effect of interest nor their level of expertise readily explained the variation in the outcomes of the analyses. Peer ratings of the quality of the analyses also did not account for the variability. These findings suggest that significant variation in the results of analyses of complex data may be difficult to avoid, even by experts with honest intentions. Crowdsourcing data analysis, a strategy in which numerous research teams are recruited to simultaneously investigate the same research question, makes transparent how defensible, yet subjective, analytic choices influence research results

Sperm whale long-range echolocation sounds revealed by ANTARES, a deep-sea neutrino telescope

[EN] Despite dedicated research has been carried out to adequately map the distribution of the sperm whale in the Mediterranean Sea, unlike other regions of the world, the species population status is still presently uncertain. The analysis of two years of continuous acoustic data provided by the ANTARES neutrino telescope revealed the year-round presence of sperm whales in the Ligurian Sea, probably associated with the availability of cephalopods in the region. The presence of the Ligurian Sea sperm whales was demonstrated through the real-time analysis of audio data streamed from a cabled-to- shore deep-sea observatory that allowed the hourly tracking of their long-range echolocation behaviour on the Internet. Interestingly, the same acoustic analysis indicated that the occurrence of surface shipping noise would apparently not condition the foraging behaviour of the sperm whale in the area, since shipping noise was almost always present when sperm whales were acoustically detected. The continuous presence of the sperm whale in the region confirms the ecological value of the Ligurian sea and the importance of ANTARES to help monitoring its ecosystemsThe authors acknowledge the financial support of the funding agencies: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Commissariat a lenergie atomique et aux energies alternatives (CEA), la Commission Europeenne (FEDER fund and Marie Curie Program), Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), IdEx program and UnivEarthS Labex program at Sorbonne Paris Cite (ANR-10-LABX-0023 and ANR-11-IDEX-0005-02), Region Ile-de-France (DIM-ACAV), Region Alsace (contrat CPER), Region Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Departement du Var and Ville de La Seyne-sur-Mer, France; Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), Germany; Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Italy; Stichting voor Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie (FOM), Nederlandse organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO), the Netherlands; Council of the President of the Russian Federation for young scientists and leading scientific schools supporting grants, Russia; National Authority for Scientific Research (ANCS), Romania; Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO), Prometeo and Grisolia programs of Generalitat Valenciana and MultiDark, Spain; Agence de l'Oriental and CNRST, Morocco. We also acknowledge the technical support of Ifremer, AIM and Foselev Marine for the sea operation and the CC-IN2P3 for the computing facilitiesAndre, M.; Caballé, A.; Van Der Schaar, M.; Solsona, A.; Houégnigan, L.; Zaugg, S.; Sanchez, AM.... (2017). Sperm whale long-range echolocation sounds revealed by ANTARES, a deep-sea neutrino telescope. Scientific Reports. 7:1-12. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep45517S1127Aguilar, J. A. et al. ANTARES: the first undersea neutrino telescope. Nucl Inst and Met Phys Res A. 656, 11–38 (2011a).Aguilar, J. A. et al. AMADEUS - The Acoustic Neutrino Detection Test System of the ANTARES Deep-Sea Neutrino Telescope -. Nucl Inst and Met Phys Res A. 626–627, 128–143 (2011b).Ruhl, H. et al. Societal need for improved understanding of climate change, anthropogenic impacts, and geo-hazard warning drive development of ocean observatories in European Seas. Prog Oceanog. 91, 1–33 (2011).Tamburini, C. et al. 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II. 95, 160–181 (2013).Solé, M. et al. Ultrastructural damage of Loligo vulgaris and Illex coindetii statocysts after low frequency sound exposure. PLoS One 8(10), e78825. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078825 (2013).André, M. et al. Listening to the Deep: Live monitoring of ocean noise and cetacean acoustic signals. Mar Pollut Bull. 63, 18–26 (2011).Whitehead, H. Sperm whales: social evolution in the ocean(The University of Chicago Press, Chicaho, 2003).Mohl, B., Wahlberg, M., Madsen, P. T., Heerfordt, A. & Lund, A. The monopulsed nature of sperm whale clicks. J Acous Soc Am. 114, 1143–1154 (2003).André, M., Johansson, T., Delory, E. & van der Schaar, M. Foraging on squid: the sperm whale mid-range sonar. Jour Mar Biol Assoc. 87, 59–67 (2007).Madsen, P., Wahlberg, M. & Møhl, B. Male sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) acoustics in a high-latitude habitat: implications for echolocation and communication. 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Data from a pre-publication independent replication initiative examining ten moral judgement effects

We present the data from a crowdsourced project seeking to replicate findings in independent laboratories before (rather than after) they are published. In this Pre-Publication Independent Replication (PPIR) initiative, 25 research groups attempted to replicate 10 moral judgment effects from a single laboratory's research pipeline of unpublished findings. The 10 effects were investigated using online/lab surveys containing psychological manipulations (vignettes) followed by questionnaires. Results revealed a mix of reliable, unreliable, and culturally moderated findings. Unlike any previous replication project, this dataset includes the data from not only the replications but also from the original studies, creating a unique corpus that researchers can use to better understand reproducibility and irreproducibility in science

The pipeline project: Pre-publication independent replications of a single laboratory's research pipeline

This crowdsourced project introduces a collaborative approach to improving the reproducibility of scientific research, in which findings are replicated in qualified independent laboratories before (rather than after) they are published. Our goal is to establish a non-adversarial replication process with highly informative final results. To illustrate the Pre-Publication Independent Replication (PPIR) approach, 25 research groups conducted replications of all ten moral judgment effects which the last author and his collaborators had “in the pipeline” as of August 2014. Six findings replicated according to all replication criteria, one finding replicated but with a significantly smaller effect size than the original, one finding replicated consistently in the original culture but not outside of it, and two findings failed to find support. In total, 40% of the original findings failed at least one major replication criterion. Potential ways to implement and incentivize pre-publication independent replication on a large scale are discussed