The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on emotional state among older adults in Latin America

In Latin America, the volume of care of infected patients, higher presence of comorbidities among older adults, and restricted access to clinical controls have become this age group into one with the highest risk (Dubey etal., 2020). Under confinement circumstances, older people can experience feelings of helplessness and uncertainty about the future, difficulties to stay focused, anxiety, stress, agitation, withdrawal, and depression (Armitage and Nellums, 2020; Wang etal., 2020). Accordingly, a Consortium of universities, research centers, and clinical centers have joined forces to carry out research which seeks to know the emotional state of Latin American older adults during confinement by Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The study included the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. Between April and May, we carry out the piloting of the evaluation protocol, making cultural and linguistic adaptations. Later, between June and October, more than 7000 older adults were evaluated by telephone by an expert professional through filling out an online form. The protocol we used includes a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, information on confinement, lifestyles, and the abbreviated version of the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale (Martínez de la Iglesia etal., 2020). Sociodemographic characteristics of the final sample (n = 5245) show that 34% are men and 66% are women, with an average age of 69.61 years (SD = 7.28). Average schooling was 10.99 years (SD = 5.85) depending on the country, and 16.7% were illiterate. The major racial pattern of the population is Latin American mestizo (55.1%) followed by white (39.4%), South American indigenous (1.5%), and African American subjects (1.2%). Seventy-seven percentage of the participants have a monthly income, from retirement (45.9%) or independent work (26.4%), and 85% live with their spouses or relatives. Regarding quarantine, 86.7% of the respondents stated that they complied with the confinement measures, with an average of 123.15 days (SD = 42.43) of quarantine, which varies by country. Our data analysis has revealed that 30.27% of the older adults exhibit emotional disturbances. In Mexico and Peru, we have observed the highest levels of geriatric depression (38.9% and 38.1%, respectively) and in Venezuela the lowest (21.35%). Regression analysis shows that more years of schooling (OR = 0.943; IC95%: 0.93–0.95), having an economic income (OR = 0.764; IC95%: 0.64–0.90) and being a Latin American mestizo (OR = 0.832, IC95%: 0.71–0.98) are associated with reduced risk of geriatric depression. On the other hand, being widowed (OR = 1.428; IC95%: 1.10–1.85) or separated (OR = 1.352; IC95%: 1.01–1.82), lived in Bolivia (OR = 1.805; IC95%: 1.31–2.48), Mexico (OR = 2.320; IC95%: 1.70–3.16), and Peru (OR = 2.008; IC95%: 1.45–2.78) are associated with highest risk. This first multicenter study found that emotional status of older adults during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Latin America varies depending on the country where they live and sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors. It is necessary for follow-up studies to validate diagnosis and analyze the greater risk of deterioration in the coming months

Subjective quality assessment of multichannel audio accompanied with video in representative broadcasting genres

Immersive broadcasting applications have received a lot of attention in the last years. In this context, the development of advanced HDTV and 3DTV formats is being successfully adopted by the consumer market, having a strong impact in the way that traditional broadcasting contents are displayed to final users. Together with the above advances in video technology, multichannel spatial audio has also experienced a considerable impulse within the audiovisual industry. However, the need for specific production tools and loudspeaker setups corresponding to multiple competing audio formats seems to be an important factor affecting their adoption by the consumer community. Moreover, it is well-known that the perceived audio quality is highly influenced by the reproduction context, where the existing multimodal interaction between audio and video plays a very important role. This paper presents a formal evaluation of the perceived sound quality provided by several spatial audio formats accompanied with video in the context of television broadcasting. Stereo, advanced surround formats and 3D Binaural sound are evaluated considering a set of representative broadcasting contents (sports, movies, music and animation) to assess their impact on the perceptual attributes contemplated within the international recommendations.The Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and FEDER supported this work under the projects TEC2012-37945- 1091 C02- 01/02.Cobos Serrano, M.; López Monfort, JJ.; Navarro Ruiz, JM.; Ramos Peinado, G. (2015). Subjective quality assessment of multichannel audio accompanied with video in representative broadcasting genres. Multimedia Systems. 21(4):363-379. doi:10.1007/s00530-013-0340-2S363379214Apostolopoulos, J., Chou, P., Culbertson, B., Kalker, T., Trott, M., Wee, S.: The road to immersive communication. Proc. IEEE 100(4), 974–990 (2012). doi: 10.1109/JPROC.2011.2182069Huang, Y., Chen, J., Benesty, J.: Immersive audio schemes. IEEE Signal Process. Mag. 28(1), 20–32 (2011). doi: 10.1109/MSP.2010.938754Huynh-Thu, Q., Barkowsky, M., Le Callet, P.: The importance of visual attention in improving the 3D-TV viewing experience: overview and new perspectives. IEEE Trans. Broadcast. 57(2), 421–431 (2011). doi: 10.1109/TBC.2011.2128250Wang, K., Barkowsky, M., Brunnstrom, K., Sjostrom, M., Cousseau, R., Le Callet, P.: Perceived 3D TV transmission quality assessment: multi-laboratory results using absolute category rating on quality of experience scale. IEEE Trans. Broadcast. PP(99), 1 (2012). doi: 10.1109/TBC.2012.2191031Zhang, L., Vazquez, C., Knorr, S.: 3D-TV content creation: automatic 2D-to-3D video conversion. IEEE Trans. Broadcast. 57(2), 372–383 (2011). doi: 10.1109/TBC.2011.2122930Kyriakakis, C., Tsakalides, P., Holman, T.: Surrounded by sound. IEEE Signal Process. Mag. 16(1), 55–66 (1999). doi: 10.1109/79.743868Rumsey, F.: Spatial Audio. Focal Press, Waltham (2001)Eargle, J.M. (eds): AES Anthology: Stereophonic Techniques. Publications of the Audio Engineering Society, New York (1986)Holman, T.: 5.1 Surround Sound: Up and Running, 2nd edn. Focal Press, Waltham (2007)Steinke, G.: High definition surround sound with accompanying HD picture. In: Proceedings of the International Tonmeister Symposium. Vabaria (2005)Breebaart, J., Faller, C.: Spatial Audio Processing: MPEG Surround and Other Applications. Wiley, Chichester (2007)Holman, T.: Sound for Film and Television, 3rd edn. Focal Press, Waltham (2010)Theile, G.: HDTV sound systems: how many channels? In: Proceedings of the AES 9th International Conference. Detroit, Michigan (1991)Strohmeier, D., Jumisko-Pyykkö S.: How does my 3D video sound like?—impact of loudspeaker set-ups on audiovisual quality on mid-sized autostereoscopic display. In: Proceedings of the 3DTV Conference (3DTV-CON’08). Istanbul, Turkey (2008)Zielinski, S., Rumsey, F., Bech, S.: Subjective audio quality trade-offs in consumer multichannel audio-visual delivery systems. Part I: Effects of high frequency limitation. In: Proceedings of the AES 112th Convention. Munich, Germany (2002)Bech, S., Zacharov, N.: Perceptual audio evaluation—theory, method and application. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester (2006)Brotherton, M.D., Huynh-Thu, Q., Hands, D.S., Brunnstrom, K.: Subjective multimedia quality assessment. IEICE Trans. Fundam. Electron. Commun. Comput. Sci. E89-A(11), 2920–2932 (2006)Jumisko-Pyykkö, S., Hakkinen, J., Nyman, G.: Experienced quality factors—qualitative evaluation approach to audiovisual quality. In: Proceedings of 19th SPIE Annual Symposium on Electronic Imaging. San Jose, California, USA (2007)Recommendation ITU-R BS.775-1: Multichannel Stereophonic Sound System With and Without Accompanying Picture. International Telecommunications Union, Geneva (1994)Recommendation ITU-T P.911: Subjective Audiovisual Quality Assessment Methods for Multimedia Applications. International Telecommunications Union, Geneva (1998)EBU Tech 3276-E: Supplement 1—Listening Conditions for the Assessment of Sound Programme Material: Multichannel Sound. International Telecommunications Union, Geneva (2004)Theile, G.: On the naturalness of two-channel stereo sound. J. Audio Eng. Soc. 39, 761–767 (1991)Dolby 7.1 home theater speaker guide. http://www.dolby.com/ . Accessed 05 July 2012Silzle, A., George, S., Habets, E.A.P., Bachmann, T.: Investigation on the quality of 3D sound reproduction. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Spatial Audio (ICSA 2011). Detmold, Germany (2011)Hamasaki, K., Hiyama, K., Okumura, R.: The 22.2 multichannel sound system and its application. In: Proceedings of the 118th AES Convention. Barcelona, Spain (2005)Theile, G., Wittek, H.: Principles in surround recordings with height. In: Proceedings of the 130th AES Convention. London, UK (2011)Dolby ProLogic IIz. http://www.dolby.com/ . Accessed 05 July 2012Kim, S., Lee, Y.W., Pulkki, V.: New 10.2-channel vertical surround system (10.2-VSS); comparison study of perceived audio quality in various multichannel sound systems with height loudspeakers. In: Proceedings of the 129th AES Convention. San Francisco, USA (2010)Algazi, V.R., Duda, R.Q.: Headphone-based spatial sound. IEEE Signal Process. Mag. 28(1), 33–42 (2011)Moller, H., Sorensen, M.F., Jensen, C.B., Hammershoi, D.: Binaural technique: do we need individual recordings? J. Audio Eng. Soc. 44, 451–468 (1996)Jumisko-Pyykkö, S., Weitzel, M., Strohmeier, D.: Designing for user experience: what to expect from mobile 3D TV and video? In: Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Designing Interactive User Experiences for TV and Video (UXTV ’08). Mountain View, CA, USA (2008)Goldstein, E.B.: Sensation and Perception. Wadsworth Publishing, Belmont (2002)Jumisko-Pyykkö, S.: User-Centered Quality of Experience and its Evaluation Methods for Mobile Television. Ph.D. thesis, Tampere University of Technology (2011)Hollier, M.P., Rimell, A.N., Hands, D.S., Voelcker, R.M.: Multi-modal perception. BT Technol. J. 17(1), 35–46 (1999)Hands, D.S.: A basic multimedia quality model. IEEE Trans. Multimed. 6(6), 806–816 (2004)Beerends, J.G., de Caluwe, F.E.: The influence of video quality on perceived audio quality and vice versa. J. Audio Eng. Soc. 47(5), 355–362 (1999)You, J., Reiter, U., Hannuksela, M.M., Gabbouj, M., Perkins, A.: Perceptual-based quality assessment for audio-visual services: a survey. Signal Process. Image Commun. 25, 482–501 (2010)Jones, C., Atkinson, D.J.: Development of opinion-based audiovisual quality models for desktop video-teleconferencing. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Workshop on Quality of Services (IWQoS 98). Napa Valley, CA (1998)Jumisko-Pyykkö, S., Strohmeier, D.: Cognitive styles and visual quality. In: Proceedings of SPIE 8667, Multimedia Content and Mobile Devices (2013)Nixon, N.F., Spitz, L.: The diction of auditory visual desynchrony. Perception 9, 719–721 (1980)Belmudez, B., Moeller, S., Lewcio, B., Raake, A., Mehmood, A.: Audio and video channel impact on perceived audio-visual quality in different interactive contexts. In: IEEE International Workshop on Multimedia Signal Processing, 2009. (MMSP ’09) (2009)Reiter, U.: Subjective assessment of the optimum number of loudspeaker channels in audio-visual applications using large screens. In: Proceedings of the 28th AES International Conference (2006)Steinke, G.: Surround-sound: Relations of listening and viewing configurations. In: Proceedings of the 116th AES Convention. Berlin, Germany. Paper 6019 (2004)Recommendation ITU-R BS.1116-1: Methods for Subjective Assessment of Small Impairments in Audio Systems Including Multichannel Sound Systems (1994)Recommendation ITU-R: 710-4: Subjective Assessment Methods for Image Quality in High-Definition Television. International Telecommunications Union, Geneva (1998)Recommendation ITU-R 500: Methodology for the Subjective Assessment of the Quality of Television Pictures. International Telecommunications Union, Geneva (2002)Recommendation ITU-R BS.1284-1: General Methods for the Subjective Assessment of Sound Quality. International Telecommunications Union, Geneva (2003)Recommendation ITU-R BT.1128-2: Subjective Assessment of Conventional Television Systems. International Telecommunications Union, Geneva (1997)Drewery, J.O., Salmon, R.A.: Tests of Visual Acuity to Determine the Resolution Required of a Television Transmission System. BBC R& D White Paper. WHP, 092 (2004)Recommendation ITU-R BS.1283: Subjective Assessment of Sound Quality—A Guide to Existing Recommendations. International Telecommunications Union, Geneva (1997)Recommendation ITU-R BS.1285: Pre-Selection Methods for the Subjective Assessment of Small Impairments in Audio Systems. International Telecommunications Union, Geneva (1997)Recommendation ITU-R BS.1286: Methods for the Subjective Assessment of Audio Systems with Accompanying Picture. International Telecommunications Union, Geneva (1998)Hershey, J., Movellan, J.: Audio-vision: using audio-visual synchrony to locate sounds. In: Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems, pp. 813–819. MIT Press, Cambridge (1999)Thurston, L.L.: A law of comparative judgment. Psychol. Rev. 101(2), 266–270 (1994)One TV Year in the World (2011 issue). Tech. rep., Mediametrie (2011)Neuraltm Upmix by DTS User Guide. DTS Document Number 9302J70400B (2010)Nuendo 3: Operation Manual. Steinberg Media Technologies, GmbH (2005)Pulkki, V.: Virtual sound source positioning using vector base amplitude panning. J. Audio Eng. Soc. 45(6), 456–566 (1997)Dolby headphone webpage. http://www.dolby.com/us/en/consumer/technology/home-theater/dolby-headphone.html (2012). Accessed 07 May 2012H3D Binaural Spatializer Manual. Longcat Audio Technologies SARL (2011)Blauert, J.: Spatial hearing. In: The Psychophysics of Human Sound Localization. MIT Press, Cambridge (1996)Kramer, C.Y.: Extension of multiple range tests to group means with unequal numbers of replications. Biometrics 12, 307–310 (1956)Mosteller, F.: Remarks on the method of paired comparisons: the least squares solution assuming equal standard deviations and equal correlations. Psychometrika 16(1), 3–9 (1951)Tsukida, K., Gupta, M.R.: How to Analyze Paired Comparison Data. Tech. rep., Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington (2011

Student leadership at the university : an explanatory model

The exercise of leadership in the educational area and its diverse forms of being reflected in practice continue to arouse interest at the time of designing and developing research that reveals the characteristics that a leader must have in order to be considered a competent university leader, that is, a college student who carries out activities and a leadership position on his or her campus. In this sense, the present work aims to analyze the profile of the student leader to generate an explanatory model, being answered by means of a series of questions. Next, a cross-sectional study of university students at the University of Santo Tomás is carried out, obtaining statistical-descriptive data that indicate the mean scores in relation to each of the dimensions of the sociodemographic factors of this research. In addition, gender and age are identified as study factors that coincide with other research, as well as the qualities, expectations and formation of the student leader. In the present study, female gender is significant in relation to leadership practice, and age does not show significant differences between the groups. Finally, it is concluded by determining as key the role of students who exercise leadership in the University. In addition, it should be noted that the present research is derived from the Doctoral Thesis entitled: “Student leadership at the University Santo Tomás de Bucaramanga: Pedagogical proposal”, defended at the University of Granada, Spain. Funded by Proyecto de investigación, Colombia. Code: 2008/12058.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Eurydice read the draft white paper about the role of no university teaching function (MECD II): Continuous teacher training, teacher evaluation, working conditions and supplements and incentives

En este segundo artículo la Unidad Española de Eurydice analiza la formación continua del profesorado en los siguientes aspectos: las necesidades expresadas por los profesores y la respuesta dada en los distintos sistemas educativos europeos, la participación de los docentes y su relación con las necesidades expresadas, y las motivaciones e impedimentos para dicha participación. También se analiza la evaluación que hacen los profesores, apreciando diferencias y similitudes en los enfoques, modelos, fuentes de información y resultados. A continuación se detallan las condiciones laborales del profesorado partiendo de las modalidades de ingreso y de contratación; los salarios oficiales y reales y su relación con el PIB per cápita, con la antigüedad en la carrera docente o con las condiciones de jubilación disponibles y con otros aspectos vinculados más directamente al desempeño diario: horarios laborales y lectivos, ratios de alumnos o disponibilidad de profesionales de apoyo en los centros. Para terminar, se informa sobre la existencia de complementos e incentivos tanto económicos como de ascenso profesional, de formación y desarrollo profesional continuosIn this second article the Spanish Unit of Eurydice analyses the continuous training of the teachers in the following aspects: the needs expressed by the teachers and the response offered by the different European education systems, the teachers´ commitment and their relation to the expressed needs and the motivations and obstacles of this commitment. The evaluation done by the teachers is also analysed, assessing the differences and similarities in the approaches, models, information sources and results. Then the working conditions of the teachers are described starting with the entry and recruitment procedures; the official and real salaries and their relation with the GDP per capita and the length of service or the available retirement conditions and other aspects related with the daily work: the work schedules and the lecture timetables, students´ ratio or the availability of support assistants in the education centres. It finishes informing about the income supplements and the economic and career development incentives, with continuous training and professional improvemen

Biodeterioration patterns found in dammar resin used as art material

Since the middle of the XIX century, when dammar became popular in Occident, this natural resin is one of the most used in art painting techniques as final protective coating (varnish) as well as a component of pictorial media. The present work is the first approach to the study of the microbiological biodeterioration of this artistic material, which can seriously affect the appearance and integrity of works of art when bad conservation conditions -especially high humidity levels- take place. 12 microorganisms, fungi and bacteria, came from collection and from oil paintings affected by biodeterioration patterns, were inoculated on test specimens prepared with varnish dammar. These were incubated and analyzed by GC-MS to determine both the microbiological capacity of growth and chemical alteration on the resin. Some of the studied microorganisms have shown patterns of deterioration similar to those found in works dedicated to natural or accelerated photochemical ageing of triterpenoid varnishes.This study was supported by the National Spanish Project “I+D+I MCYT” CTQ2005-09339-C03-03

Anthropometric Profile Assessed by Bioimpedance and Anthropometry Measures of Male and Female Rugby Players Competing in the Spanish National League

Different rugby positions make different demands on players. It therefore follows that optimum body composition may vary according to the position played. Using anthropometry and bioimpedance analysis (BIA) to assess body composition, the present study aimed to compare the effect of sex and position on body composition variables using anthropometry and BIA methods. A total of 100 competitive rugby players (35 women and 65 men) competing in the First Spanish National League were recruited voluntarily and for convenience for this study. In the laboratory, body composition was assessed by anthropometry, following the recommendations established by the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK), and by direct segmental multi-frequency BIA, following the guidelines established by the Spanish Group of Kinanthropometry (GREC) of the Spanish Federation of Sports Medicine (FEMEDE). We found sex-related differences in height, weight, body mass index and body fat (%) by anthropometry and in body lean mass (%) by DSM-BIA, in 4 of the 6 skinfolds assessed (p < 0.05). We also observed position-related differences in all the variables assessed (p < 0.05) except for lean body mass, as measured by both methods of determining body composition, and front thigh skinfold. Body composition and ∑6skinfolds differs according to sex and playing position, backs (16.6 ± 3.8% and 92.3 ± 33.9 mm,) vs. forwards (20.0 ± 6.7 and 115.3 ± 37.6 mm), and the muscle-adipose (meso-endomorphic somatotype) development predominated in both sexes. Thus, forwards of both sexes are taller, heavier and fatter, possibly due to the specific demands of this position. In addition, body composition measurements vary according to the method used (DSM-BIA vs. anthropometry), indicating that anthropometry is probably the best body composition assessment method

Feasibility Study of a Proton Irradiation Facility for Radiobiological Measurements at an 18 MeV Cyclotron

A feasibility study of an experimental setup for the irradiation of biological samples at the cyclotron facility installed at the National Centre of Accelerators (Seville, Spain) is presented. This cyclotron, which counts on an external beam line for interdisciplinary research purposes, produces an 18 MeV proton beam, which is suitable for the irradiation of mono-layer cultures for the measurement of proton cell damages and Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE) at energies below the beam nominal value. Measurements of this kind are of interest for proton therapy, since the variation of proton RBE at the distal edge of the Bragg curve may have implications in clinical proton therapy treatments. In the following, the characteristics of the beam line and the solutions implemented for the irradiation of biological samples are described. When dealing with the irradiation of cell cultures, low beam intensities and broad homogeneous irradiation fields are required, in order to assure that all the cells receive the same dose with a suitable dose rate. At the cyclotron, these constraints have been achieved by completely defocusing the beam, intercepting the beam path with tungsten scattering foils and varying the exit-window-to-sample distance. The properties of the proton beam thus obtained have been analysed and compared with Monte Carlo simulations. The results of this comparison, as well as the experimental measurement of the lateral dose profiles expected at the position of samples are presented. Meaningful dose rates of about 2–3 Gy/min have been obtained. Homogeneous lateral dose profiles, with maximum deviations of 5%, have been measured at a distance of approximately 50 cm in air from the exit window, placing a tungsten scattering foil of 200 μm in the beam path

Capacitive platform for real-time wireless monitoring of liquid wicking in a paper strip

Understanding the phenomenon of liquid wicking in porous media is crucial for various applications, including the transportation of fluids in soils, the absorption of liquids in textiles and paper, and the development of new and efficient microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs). Hence, accurate and real-time monitoring of the liquid wicking process is essential to enable precise flow transport and control in microfluidic devices, thus enhancing their performance and usefulness. However, most existing flow monitoring strategies require external instrumentation, are generally bulky and unsuitable for portable systems. In this work, we present a portable, compact, and cost-effective electronic platform for real-time and wireless flow monitoring of liquid wicking in paper strips. The developed microcontroller-based system enables flow and flow rate monitoring based on the capacitance measurement of a pair of electrodes patterned beneath the paper strip along the liquid path, with an accuracy of 4 fF and a full-scale range of 8 pF. Additionally to the wired transmission of the monitored data to a computer via USB, the liquid wicking process can be followed in real-time via Bluetooth using a custom-developed smartphone application. The performance of the capacitive monitoring platform was evaluated for different aqueous solutions (purified water and 1 M NaCl solution), various paper strip geometries, and several custom-made chemical valves for flow retention (chitosan-, wax-, and sucrose-based barriers). The experimental validation delivered a full-scale relative error of 0.25%, resulting in an absolute capacitance error of ±10 fF. In terms of reproducibility, the maximum uncertainty was below 10 nl s−1 for flow rate determination in this study. Furthermore, the experimental data was compared and validated with numerical analysis through electrical and flow dynamics simulations in porous media, providing crucial information on the wicking process, its physical parameters, and liquid flow dynamics

Association of the Gut Microbiota with the Host's Health through an Analysis of Biochemical Markers, Dietary Estimation, and Microbial Composition

This research was funded by Centro Tecnológico para el Desarrollo Industrial (CDTI) through the program Consorcio de Investigación Empresarial Nacional (Programa CIEN, BIOFOOD Project) and by CIBERobn (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de la Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CB12/03/30002).This study aims to analyze the relationship between gut microbiota composition and health parameters through specific biochemical markers and food consumption patterns in the Spanish population. This research includes 60 Spanish adults aged 47.3 ± 11.2 years old. Biochemical and anthropometric measurements, and a self-referred dietary survey (food frequency questionnaire), were analyzed and compared with the participant's gut microbiota composition analyzed by 16s rDNA sequencing. Several bacterial strains differed significantly with the biochemical markers analyzed, suggesting an involvement in the participant's metabolic health. Lower levels of Lactobacillaceae and Oscillospiraceae and an increase in Pasteurellaceae, Phascolarctobacterium, and Haemophilus were observed in individuals with higher AST levels. Higher levels of the Christensenellaceae and a decrease in Peptococcaceae were associated with higher levels of HDL-c. High levels of Phascolarctobacterium and Peptococcus and low levels of Butyricicoccus were found in individuals with higher insulin levels. This study also identified associations between bacteria and specific food groups, such as an increase in lactic acid bacteria with the consumption of fermented dairy products or an increase in Verrucomicrobiaceae with the consumption of olive oil. In conclusion, this study reinforces the idea that specific food groups can favorably modulate gut microbiota composition and have an impact on host's health

A Survey on Dietary Supplement Consumption in Amateur and Professional Rugby Players

Purpose: the aim of the present study was to analyse the pattern of dietary supplements (DS) consumption on federated rugby players, including the analysis of differences based on the sex and competitive level (professional vs. amateurs). Material and methods: 144 rugby players (83 male and 61 female), of whom 69 were professionals and 75 amateurs, were recruited for the study. All the participants filled out a specific questionnaire about DS consumption including questions related to the consumption of DS and their effects on sport performance and health status. Results: 65.3% of participants declared consuming at least one DS, with a higher prevalence in males than females (77.1% vs. 49.2%) and in professionals thanin amateur players (79.7% vs. 52.0%). The main reason for consumption was to enhance sport performance (62.3%) with differences only based on sex (74.3% males vs. 43.2% females). The most common purchase sites were the Internet (45.6%) and specialised stores (39.8%). As to the moment of ingestion, professionals did this most frequently during competition and training (56.4% vs. 28.2%), whereas amateur players did so only during competition (20.5% vs. 3.6%). Moreover, professional player intake most frequently in post-exercise (65.5% vs. 35.9%), whereas amateur during pre-exercise (30.8% vs. 5.5%). The DS most consumed included whey protein (44%), caffeine (42%), sports drinks (38%), energy bars (34%) and creatine monohydrate (31%), with a higher prevalence in male and professional players of whey protein and creatine monohydrate. Conclusions: The main reason for DS consumption is for enhancing sports performance). Professional players more frequently purchase them on the Internet and consume DS during training and competition period and in the post-exercise, whereas amateur players consume during competition and pre-exercise. Related to the main form of DS consumption, it is observed that a moderate consumption of DS could be considered ergogenic, such as whey protein, sport bar and creatine, while an absence of other DS could be considered ergogenic