Field-based tests for the assessment of physical fitness in children and adolescents practicing sport: A systematic review within the ESA program

High levels of physical fitness (PF) can positively affect both health and cognitive function, thus monitoring its levels in youth can help increase health and quality of life in adult populations later on. This systematic review aims to identify PF field-based tests used in young European populations practicing sport to find tools that are adequate for the considered target involving a new battery within the Enriched Sport Activities (ESA) project. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was followed. In the 83 identified articles, the main tests used were: vertical/horizontal jumps (for muscular strength/power); push-ups, running at maximum effort, sit-ups (for muscular strength/endurance); multistage non-intermittent and intermittent tests (for aerobic endurance); sit and reach (for flexibility); sprinting and agility T-tests (for speed and agility, respectively); 10 x 5 m shuttle run (SR) (for both speed and agility). Few studies assessed coordination, reaction time, power, and balance. Although the selected tests are widely used and validated, they do not determine all PF aspects and do not reflect sport-specific features. A final decision was made for the inclusion of the following tests: standing broad jump, seated medicine ball throw, 20 m SR test, 30 m sprint, Illinois test, and a new test, i.e., the crunning test, to assess different skill-related components at once. The use of this combination of tests allows for the assessment of all PF components and can help planning eective training programs and cultivate sporting talent

Cognitive and motivational monitoring during enriched sport activities in a sample of children living in Europe. The ESA program

Enriched Sport Activities (ESA) Program is an Evidence-based Practice Exercise Program cofounded by the Erasmus + Programme of the European Union (Key action: Sport-579661-EPP-1-2016-2-IT-SPO-SCP). It aims to enhance social inclusion, equal opportunities and psycho-physical wellbeing in children with typical development and special needs. This aim will be pursued through two ways: (1) Children and preadolescents’ participation in Enriched Sport Activities (ESA) Program; (2) Parents’ involvement and education on cognitive, motivational and social benefits of Physical Activities (PA) in their children. Recent research showed that high-level cognitive processes, such as inhibition, shifting, working memory and planning, can be improved by aerobic exercise programs following both single bouts of exercise and longer trainings from moderate to vigorous intensity [1]. Nevertheless, in the developmental age, structured sport activities, such as martial arts, basketball, soccer, rowing and dancing, act by delivering both physical and psychological benefits. The former involve physical fitness such as cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and motor skills such as coordination, whilst the latter concern enjoyment, self-confidence and self-esteem, a sense of belonging and social support [2–4]. The effectiveness of PMA (Programma Motorio Arricchito), a structured motor program on coordination and executive functioning in kindergarten children, has been demonstrated [5]

The chemistry and structure of lanthanide phosphates

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Solid-state synthesis and X-ray diffraction studies of Na2S

Na2S was synthesized by a new solid-gas reaction of Na2CO3 with a sulfidizing gas mixture and a solid-solid reaction of carbon with Na2SO4. The reaction products were analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction and IR methods. Two new crystal modifications of Na2S were identified in addition to the previously reported antifluorite structure. They were designated as cubic Form II and orthorhombic Form III. The approximate unit cell dimensions were found to be a = 11.29 Å for the cubic form and a = 15.94, b = 16.00, and c = 16.18 Å for the orthorhombic form

SOLID-STATE SYNTHESIS, STRUCTURE, AND VIBRATIONAL-SPECTRA OF NAGDP2O7

NaGdP2O7 was synthesized by the solid-state reaction of Gd2O3 with Na2CO3 and 4(NH4)2HPO4 at 650°C. The X-ray powder diffraction data of NaGdP2O7 was indexed in the orthorhombic system with the approximate unit cell dimensions of a = 12.44 , b = 15.00, and c = 15.87 Å and the space group is Pmm2. Analysis of the vibrations of the P2O4-7 ion according to C2v symmetry and approximate band assignments for IR spectra are also reported in this work. The P-O-P band was found to be nonlinear, and some coincidences in the infrared and Raman spectra suggest that the most probable space group is noncentrosymmetric

Characterization of a New Calcium Ultraphosphate, Ca₃(P₅O₁₄)₂

Ca-3(P5O14)(2) was prepared by the solid-state reaction of CaBPO5 and (NH4)(2)HPO4 as small single crystals. The cell dimensions were calculated in the monoclinic system using its powder diffraction pattern and were found to be a=8.695(5), b=8.999(6), c=12.940(1) Angstrom, beta=91.89(5)degrees, and the space group is probably P2(1)/m (No. 11) or P2(1) (No. 4) with Z=4. The compound was characterized by SEM, IR spectroscopy, and EDX analysis of the single crystals. (C) 1997 Academic Press