A Global Positioning System Used to Monitor the Physical Performance of Elite Beach Handball Referees in a Spanish Championship

Beach handball is a fully developed sporting discipline on all five continents which has attracted the attention of researchers in the last decade, resulting in a proliferation of different studies focusing on players but not on referees. The main objective of this cross-sectional research was to determine the physical demands on elite male beach handball referees in four different competitions: U18 male; U18 female; senior male; and senior female. Twelve elite federated male referees (age: 30.86 ± 8 years; body height: 175.72 ± 4.51 cm; body weight: 80.18 ± 17.99 kg; fat percentage: 20.1 ± 4.41%; national or international experience) belonging to the Technical Committee of the Royal Spanish Handball Federation were recruited for this the study. The physical demands required of referees in official matches were measured by installing a GPS device. The sampling frequency used to record their speed and distance was 15 Hz. A triaxial accelerometer (100 Hz) was used to determine their acceleration. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) between competitions with post hoc comparisons using the Bonferroni adjustment was used to compare among categories. A higher distance covered in zone 1 and speeds of 0 to 6 km-h−1 were recorded. Most accelerations and decelerations occurred in zones 0 and 1 (zone 0: 0 to 1 m·s−2; zone 1: 1 to 2 m·s−2). The lack of differences (p > 0.05) between most analysed variables suggest quite similar physical demands of the four analysed competitions. These results provide relevant information to design optimal training plans oriented to the real physical demands on referees in an official competition

¿Qué periodización es mejor (tradicional versus ondulada) para inducir cambios en la composición corporal y la fuerza de adultos jóvenes sanos?

The present study intends to investigate which type of programming is most effective for improving strength andbody composition in untrained young men. A total of 41 men participated (22.5 ± 2.8 years old, 75.6 ± 5.5 kg, 175.3 ± 8.4cm, 24.6 ± 1.8 kg · m-2) which were divided into two groups; Traditional periodization and Undulating periodization. Aprogram of eight weeks of training including back and chest exercises were applied twice a week for the two groups. Bothfat mass and fat-free mass were measured by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, as well as the maximum repetition(RM) of the bench press and row by measuring the speed of execution with a linear encoder and the resting heart ratebefore and after the program. Data were analyzed using magnitude-based inference. Changes in athletes’ scores were assessed by using effect sizes and 90% confidence intervals. The differences within the group in pre-training and post-training were evaluated using the standardized effect size. Improvements in 1RM row, resting heart rate and fat-free mass were observed not possible to determine which training periodization produces greater adaptations in both groups with a possible and probable inference.El presente estudio pretende investigar qué tipo de programación es más efectiva para mejorar la fuerza y la composición corporal en hombres jóvenes. Participaron 41 hombres (22.5 ± 2.8 años, 7.,6 ± 5.5 kg, 175.3 ± 8.4 cm, 24.6 ± 1.8 kg · m-2) divididos en dos grupos; Periodización tradicional y Periodización ondulatoria. Se aplicó para los dos grupos un programa de ocho semanas de entrenamiento que incluía ejercicios de espalda y pecho, dos veces por semana. Se midió la masa grasa y la masa libre de grasa mediante el DEXA, el RM del press de banca y remo a través de la velocidad de ejecución, y la frecuencia cardiaca en reposo antes y después del programa. Los datos se analizaron mediante inferencia basada en la magnitud. Los cambios en las puntuaciones de los atletas se evaluaron utilizando tamaños del efecto e intervalos de confianza del 90%. Las diferencias dentro del grupo en pre-entrenamiento y post-entrenamiento se evaluaron utilizando el tamaño del efecto estandarizado. Se observaron mejoras en 1RM en remo, frecuencia cardiaca en reposo y masa libre de grasa. Los resultados muestran una posible y probable inferencia, no siendo posible determinar qué periodización del entrenamiento produce mayores adaptaciones

Anthropometric Dimensions and Bone Quality in International Male Beach Handball Players: Junior vs. Senior Comparison

Background: Beach handball is a recent team sport characterized by defensive and offensive actions on a sand surface. Scientific evidence has shown that body composition is fundamental in sports performance. The main objective of this study was to know the body composition, anthropometric characteristics, and bone mineral density of elite beach handball players. Furthermore, another purpose was to analyze the differences between categories (junior and senior) and playing position. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study of 36 male players (18 juniors and 18 seniors) of the Spanish National Beach Handball Team was conducted. Full profile anthropometry and calcaneal ultrasound measurements were used. Results: Significant differences between categories (p < 0.05) were found in: height, body mass, arm span, BMI, muscle mass, fat mass, bone mass, skinfolds, and body perimeters. The somatotype changes depending on the playing position. Bone mineral density of the players was adequate. No significant differences were found by playing position. Conclusions: Senior players had a better body composition due to the presence of less fat mass than junior players. This study provides reference values of elite junior and senior beach handball players and by playing positions. This data is useful for the identification of talents and players who should be trained to improve their body composition

Global Positioning System Analysis of Physical Demands in Elite Women’s Beach Handball Players in an Official Spanish Championship

This cross-sectional study aims to analyze the physical demands of elite beach handball players during an official competition. Nine elite female (mean age: 24.6 ± 4.0 years; body weight: 62.4 ± 4.6 kg; body height: 1.68 ± 0.059 m; training experience: 5 years; training: 6 h/week) beach handball players of the Spanish National Team were recruited for this study. A Global Positioning System was incorporated on each player’s back to analyze their movement patterns. Speed and distance were recorded at a sampling frequency of 15 Hz, whereas acceleration was recorded at 100 Hz by means of a built-in triaxial accelerometer. The main finding of the study is that 53% of the distance travelled is done at speeds between 1.5 and 5 km/h and 30% of the distance is between 9 and 13 km/h (83% of the total distance covered), which shows the intermittent efforts that beach handball involves at high intensity, as reflected in the analysis of the internal load with 62.82 ± 14.73% of the game time above 80% of the maximum heart rate. These data help to orientate training objectives to the physical demands required by the competition in order to optimize the players’ performance

Lavado de manos: prevención de infecciones nosocomiales en una clínica de podología

The transfer of microorganisms via the hands of medical staff has been identified as the most important factor in the transmission of infections in hospitals or Health Clinics. Health ministers, technical experts and the World Health Organization (WHO) suggest some measures to combat hospital - acquired infections, also known as nosocomial infections. One of the main measures to avoid these infections is hand washing. For the importance of this topic an inquiry was conducted in a university clinic of podiatry, to identify knowledge of the people working there, or doing practices on prevention of these infections, and to determine the frequency with which they perform hand washing and if they performed correctlyLa transferencia de microorganismos a través de las manos del personal sanitario ha sido identificada como el factor más importante en la transmisión de infecciones en medios hospitalarios. Ministros de salud y funcionarios superiores, expertos técnicos y la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) sugieren una serie de medidas fundamentales para luchar contra las infecciones asociadas a la atención sanitaria, también conocidas como infecciones nosocomiales, que ponen en peligro los avances obtenidos con grandes esfuerzos en los ámbitos de la salud y la esperanza de vida. Una de las medidas primordiales para evitar estas infecciones, es el lavado de manos. Debido a su repercusión y la importancia de este tema se realiza una encuesta en una Clínica Universitaria de Podología, para identificar los conocimientos del personal que trabaja o hace practicas en esta clínica sobre la prevención de este tipo de infecciones, así como para conocer la frecuencia con la que realizan el lavado de manos y si se realiza de manera correcta

Transporte marítimo de corta distancia entre España e Italia: perfil de las empresas usuarias

El Transporte Marítimo de Corta Distancia (TMCD) ha sido catalogado por la Comisión Europea como el único modo de transporte que ofrece posibilidades reales de lograr un transvase de carga desde la carretera, mejorando además la competitividad y reduciendo los costes ambientales. En los últimos años se han llevado a cabo diversos estudios donde se han tratado de identificar líneas de TMCD con un potencial de futuro importante. Sin embargo, no se han abordado trabajos donde se evalúe el perfil de las empresas de transporte internacional por carretera que hacen uso de esta modalidad de transporte. Con el propósito de cubrir este déficit, en el presente trabajo se procede, sobre una muestra de 81 empresas de transporte internacional por carretera (41 españolas, 3 portuguesas y 37 italianas) que hacen uso de las líneas de TMCD entre España e Italia, a delimitar el perfil de dichas empresas, a la vez que a analizar ciertos elementos inherentes a la relación que mantienen con las navieras con las que trabaja

Entrepreneurship innovation using social robots in tourism: a social listening study

The tourism sector has been one of the most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to restrictions on mobility and fear of social contact. In this context, business innovation through digital transformation is presented as a great opportunity for the tourism industry and the inclusion of social robots in service tasks is an example. This transformation requires new methodologies, skills and talent that must be promoted to improve the innovative tourism ecosystem. With this research, we try to determine how the inclusion of social or service robots in hotels can improve the image and perception held by clients or guests. For that, we frst analyse the degree of knowledge and sentiment generated by social robots through a social listening study in social networks. In addition, we determine whether these perceptions on the subject are in tune with other more formal felds, such as scientifc research, or with the strategies followed at a national or international level by companies, agencies and organisations related to the technology and innovation of social robotics. For both objectives, we use the Simbiu social listening tool, a software-based program on Talkwalker, and we obtain interesting results. Basically, people on Twitter have a neutral or positive feeling about the use of social robots, and people who write in English have a more positive attitude towards social robots than Spanish speakers. After COVID-19, are necessary changes in strategic decisions of the hospitality and it is essential to continue investigating the role of social robots in this new context.Funding for open access charge: CRUE-Universitat Jaume

Biological activity studies on marine natural products as therapeutic strategies in in vitro models of inflammation and colon cancer

Motivation: The inflammatory response is a highly regulated process, and its dysregulation can lead to the establishment of chronic inflammation and, in some cases, it is the cause of several diseases, including cancer. Marine invertebrates are exceptional sources of new natural products, such as terpenoids, which are secondary metabolites that can exhibit anti-inflammatory and anticancerogenic activities. Colon cancer is a disease with a high genetic factor in which inflammation, and therefore its mediators, play an important role.This study focuses on the analysis of the biological activity of various natural terpenoids isolated from marine corals.Methods:HT-29 cells (human adenocarcinoma colon cell line) were grown in McCoy´s 5A and THP-1 cells (human monocytic leukemia cell line) in RPMI1640, both supplemented with 10% FBS and Strep/Pen (37ºC in 5% CO2 atmosphere). Cytotoxic activity was evaluated with the sulforhodamine (SRB) assay. The anti-inflammatory activity was tested on THP-1 through quantification of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-8, IL-1B and IL-10 by ELISA and COX-2 and iNOS levels by western-blot. Adherent macrophages were treated with terpenoids (10, 20 and 50 µM) for 1h, followed by stimulation of 1μg/mL LPS for 24h in both assays. Antioxidant activity was measured by ABTS assay.Results: Terpenes showed a moderate cytotoxic activity in both HT-29 and THP-1 macrophages after 48 and 72h. Pre-treatment with these compounds significantly reduced LPS-stimulated cytokines production in THP-1 cells as well as attenuated LPS-induced COX-2 and iNOS protein expression after 24 h. In addition, ABTS assay showed a low antioxidant activity.Conclusions: The five terpenes present a moderate antioxidant and cytotoxic activity as well as a potent anti-inflammatory effect in vitro. This kind of marine natural products may represent an interesting alternative for the treatment of inflammation-related diseases or cancer

Effect of Natural Turf, Artificial Turf, and Sand Surfaces on Sprint Performance. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of natural turf, artificial turf, and sand on sprint performance in different sports and to determine how the sport surface affects sprint performance. A systematic search was conducted in Pubmed, Web of Sciences, and SPORTDiscus databases. Out of 5644 studies, 11 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The studies were very heterogeneous, as they examined different structural characteristics or quality parameters. The studies on natural turf and sand showed significant improvements on sprint speed during training. On the other hand, the analysis of fatigue did not reveal significant differences in the deterioration of sprint speed on both natural and artificial turf. Significance was set at p < 0.05. In conclusion, although lower performance in sprint was reported on sand, further studies are needed to explain the differences in sprint on natural and artificial turf

Joining metrics enhancement when combining FSW and ball-burnishing in a 2050 aluminium alloy

This report describes the effect of the ball-burnishing process on the mechanical properties of 2050 aluminium alloy that was previously friction stir welded. This process is a fast, environmentally-friendly and cost-effective surface treatment based on the plastic deformation of the surface irregularities. Consequently, residual stress, material hardening and micro-structural alterations are investigated to improve fatigue strength and wear resistance. The results show that the ball-burnishing treatment enhances the surface properties by increasing the material hardness about 37.5% and by decreasing the average surface roughness from 2.23¿µm to 0.06¿µm when a high pressure and a perpendicular burnishing is deployed. Additionally, in-depth compressive residual stresses are generated from -315¿MPa to -700¿MPa depending on the burnishing configuration. Finally, a numerical simulation of the material elastoplastic response is performed to analyze the residual stress continuity in the cross sectional area when using two radial feeds and burnishing pressures. In short, the present study helps to reduce time consumption by selecting the larger radial feed combined with a proper burnishing pressure to ensure the desired quality and compressive residual stress at the surface, which are indices of enhancing the fatigue strength at the nugget zone of the welded area.Postprint (author's final draft