The influence of maturity on recovery and perceived exertion, and its relationship with illnesses and non-contact injuries in young soccer players

A high training load could increase the risk of injury in soccer players. However, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding the effect on young athletes, in whom a different maturity status could lead to different physiological responses to training. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association of internal load markers and recovery status with risk of illnesses and non-contact injuries in young soccer players characterised by different maturity status. Twenty-three U14 soccer players were monitored during a full season and categorised according to years from peak height velocity (PHV). Based on the estimated values, athletes were divided into three different groups: Pre-PHV, Circa-PHV and Post-PHV players. The following internal load markers were monitored: rating of perceived exertion (RPE), session rating of perceived exertion (S-RPE), weekly load (WL), cumulative loads for 2, 3, and 4 weeks (WL2, WL3, WL4), acute to chronic workload ratio for 2, 3 and 4 weeks (A:C2, A:C3, A:C4) and week-to-week percentage variation (%WL). Recovery status was quantified using the total quality recovery (TQR) scale. Z-score transformation was adopted for TQR and RPE values and the difference between the parameters was calculated (Z-TQR-RPE). The Kruskal-Wallis test was adopted to evaluate differences in TQR and RPE with respect to maturity offset. A multinomial regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between internal load markers and risk of illness and non-contact injuries. The variables that showed a significant association were included in the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The results revealed that RPE was significantly higher (p < 0.01) and TQR significantly lower (p < 0.05) in Post-PHV compared to Pre- and Circa-PHV. Moreover, RPE, A:C4, TQR and Z-TQR-RPE showed a significant (p < 0.01) association with non-contact injuries. The internal load markers included in ROC curve analysis showed poor predictive ability (AUC ≤ 0.6). A rapid increase in training load together with a decrease in recovery status may produce higher susceptibility to illnesses and non-contact injuries. The contrasting physiological responses found in relation to maturity status could explain the different injury predisposition in young soccer players

Free-form ceramic vault system: taking ceramic additive manufacturing to real scale

The use of Additive Manufacturing (AM) for the production of architectural components has more and more examples attesting the possibilities and the advantages of its application. At the same time we seen a fast grow of the usage of ceramic materials to produce fully customised architectural components using Layer Deposition Modelling (LDM) techniques. However, the use of this material, as paste, leads to a series of constraints relative to its behaviour when in the viscous state, but also in the drying and firing stages. Thus, when ceramic dries, the retraction effects may be a barrier to the regular use of this material to build future architectural systems. In this sense, it is important to study the material behaviour and know how to control and use it as a primary construction material. To do that we present the challenges and outcomes of project Hexashade, a ceramic vault shading system prototype whose geometry and internal structure is defined according to the solar incidence. This paper explain how we expect to build a real scale self-supporting prototype.This work has the financial support of the Project Lab2PT - Landscapes, Heritage and Territory laboratory - AUR/04509 and FCT through national founds and when applicable of the FEDER cofinancing, in the aim of the new partnership agreement PT2020 and COMPETE2020 - POCI 01 0145FEDER 007528

Alginate-chitosan particulate delivery systems for mucosal immunization against tuberculosis

Although vaccination is still the most cost-effective strategy for tuberculosis control, there is an urgent need for an improved vaccine. Current BCG vaccine lacks efficacy in preventing adult pulmonary tuberculosis, the most prevalent form of the disease. Targeting nasal mucosa, Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection site, will allow a simpler, less prone to risk of infection and more effective immunization against disease. Due to its biodegradable, immunogenic and mucoadhesive properties, chitosan particulate delivery systems can act both as carrier and as adjuvant, improving the elicited immune response. In this study, BCG was encapsulated in alginate and chitosan microparticles, via a mild ionotropic gelation procedure with sodium tripolyphosphate as a counterion. The particulate system developed shows effective modulation of BCG surface physicochemical properties, suitable for mucosal immunization. Intracellular uptake was confirmed by effective transfection of human macrophage cell lines

Chitosan-alginate microparticulate delivery system for an alternative route of administration of BCG vaccine

Immunisation against M. tuberculosis with current available BCG vaccine lacks efficacy in preventing adult pulmonary tuberculosis. Targeting nasal mucosa is an attractive option for a more effective immunization. The delivery of BCG via the intranasal route involves overcoming barriers such as crossing the physical barrier imposed by the mucus layer and ciliar remotion, cellular uptake and intracellular trafficking by antigen presenting cells. Due to its biodegradable, immunogenic and mucoadhesive properties, chitosan particulate delivery systems can act both as vaccine carrier and adjuvant, improving the elicited immune response. In this study, different combinations of Chitosan/Alginate/TPP microparticles with BCG were produced as vaccine systems. The developed microparticle system successfully modulates BCG surface physicochemical properties and promotes effective intracellular uptake by human macrophage cell lines Preliminary immune responses were evaluated after s.c. and intranasal immunisation of BALB/c mice. BCG vaccination successfully stimulated the segregation of IgG2a and IgG1, where intranasal immunisation with chitosan/alginate particulate system efficiently elicited a more equilibrated cellular/humoral immune response

Editor’s Note

[EN] Under the auspices of IMACSS –International Martial Arts and Combat Sports Scientific Society..

Role of malnutrition and parasite infections in the spatial variation in children’s anaemia risk in Northern Angola

Anaemia has a significant impact on child development and mortality and is a severe public health problem in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Nutritional and infectious causes of anaemia are geographically variable and anaemia maps based on information on the major aetiologies of anaemia are important for identifying communities most in need and the relative contribution of major causes. We investigated the consistency between ecological and individual-level approaches to anaemia mapping, by building spatial anaemia models for children aged ≤15 years using different modeling approaches. We aimed to a) quantify the role of malnutrition, malaria, Schistosoma haematobium and soil-transmitted helminths (STH) for anaemia endemicity in children aged ≤15 years and b) develop a high resolution predictive risk map of anaemia for the municipality of Dande in Northern Angola. We used parasitological survey data on children aged ≤15 years to build Bayesian geostatistical models of malaria (PfPR≤15), S. haematobium, Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura and predict small-scale spatial variation in these infections. The predictions and their associated uncertainty were used as inputs for a model of anemia prevalence to predict small-scale spatial variation of anaemia. Stunting, PfPR≤15, and S. haematobium infections were significantly associated with anaemia risk. An estimated 12.5%, 15.6%, and 9.8%, of anaemia cases could be averted by treating malnutrition, malaria, S. haematobium, respectively. Spatial clusters of high risk of anaemia (>86%) were identified. Using an individual-level approach to anaemia mapping at a small spatial scale, we found that anaemia in children aged ≤15 years is highly heterogeneous and that malnutrition and parasitic infections are important contributors to the spatial variation in anemia risk. The results presented in this study can help inform the integration of the current provincial malaria control program with ancillary micronutrient supplementation and control of neglected tropical diseases, such as urogenital schistosomiasis and STH infection

Using artificial intelligence for pattern recognition in a sports context

Optimizing athlete’s performance is one of the most important and challenging aspects of coaching. Physiological and positional data, often acquired using wearable devices, have been useful to identify patterns, thus leading to a better understanding of the game and, consequently, providing the opportunity to improve the athletic performance. Even though there is a panoply of research in pattern recognition, there is a gap when it comes to non-controlled environments, as during sports training and competition. This research paper combines the use of physiological and positional data as sequential features of different artificial intelligence approaches for action recognition in a real match context, adopting futsal as its case study. The traditional artificial neural networks (ANN) is compared with a deep learning method, Long Short-Term Memory Network, and also with the Dynamic Bayesian Mixture Model, which is an ensemble classification method. The methods were used to process all data sequences, which allowed to determine, based on the balance between precision and recall, that Dynamic Bayesian Mixture Model presents a superior performance, with an F1 score of 80.54% against the 33.31% achieved by the Long Short-Term Memory Network and 14.74% achieved by ANN.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Toxicological in vivo studies of an oral insulin nanosystem

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TCR-4PKH640-7G/1/31df064ec957f50aa568d739cd5d741

Estudo experimental e numérico do escoamento de um jacto plano originado por um dispositivo de cortina de ar

Nos domínios comercial ou industrial, são muito utilizadas barreiras aerodinâmicas – designadas por cortinas de ar – para confinar ambientes específicos. Neste trabalho apresenta-se o estudo experimental do jacto originado por um equipamento de cortina de ar. Recorrendo à Mecânica de Fluidos Computacional (CFD, foi também realizado um estudo numérico - 3D. Os resultados obtidos por ambas as vias, experimental e numérica, permitiram a caracterização detalhada do escoamento do jacto, sendo coerentes com o esperado para o problema físico em estudo, e coerentes entre si. Um dos aspectos interessantes observados nos ensaios experimentais, foi que o nível de turbulência inicial do jacto se situou sempre abaixo dos 5%, para as diferentes velocidades impostas ao jacto, o que confirma um bom projecto do bocal de descargainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Registos geomorfológicos e sedimentares do Plio-Plistocénico de Peniche - Atouguia da Baleia Geomorfological and sedimentary records of the Plio-Pleistocene of Peniche - Atouguia da Baleia

A characterization and interpretation of the Pliocene and Pleistocene geomorphological and sedimentary records of Peniche - Atouguia da Baleia littoral are here presented. The methods comprised literature review but also geomorphology, lithostratigraphy and sedimentology. Several wave-cut surfaces were characterized and mapped, respectively, at: 33-36 m, poorly preserved and considered produced by the important marine incursion dated as 3.7 Ma; 24-28 m, very large, that could correlate with the MIS9e (ca. 340-300 ka) and covered by pebbly sands with an “old” Acheulian industry; 15-19 m, that could correlate with the MIS7 (245-185 ka), covered by pebbly sands with an Acheulian industry; and 4-7 m, with a marine conglomerate, clearly related with the MIS5 (high sea-level at ca. 130-80 ka and temperate climate). The succession of aeolian fine sands intercalated with levels rich in fossils and Mousterian artefacts correlates with the interval 80-12ka (MS4, MS3 and MSI2), coeval with a low sea-level and cold climate conditions