Sex Differences in the Load-Velocity Profiles of Three Different Row Exercises.

This study examined the force-velocity profile differences between men and women in three variations of row exercises. Twenty-eight participants (14 men and 14 women) underwent maximum dynamic strength assessments in the free prone bench row (PBR), bent-over barbell row (BBOR), and Smith machine bent-over row (SMBOR) in a randomized order. Subjects performed a progressive loading test from 30 to 100% of 1-RM (repetition maximum), and the mean propulsive velocity was measured in all attempts. Linear regression analyses were conducted to establish the relationships between the different measures of bar velocity and % 1-RM. The ANOVAs applied to the mean velocity achieved in each % 1-RM tested revealed significantly higher velocity values for loads < 65% 1-RM in SMBOR compared to BBOR (p < 0.05) and higher velocities for loads < 90% 1-RM in SMBOR compared to PBR (p < 0.05) for both sexes. Furthermore, men provided significantly higher velocity values than women (PBR 55-100% 1-RM; BBOR and SMBOR < 85% 1-RM; p < 0.05) and significant differences were found between exercises and sex for 30-40% 1-RM. These results confirm that men have higher velocities at different relative loads (i.e., % 1-RM) compared to women during upper-body rowing exercises.

Development and Validation of an Observational Game Analysis Tool with Artificial Intelligence for Handball: Handball.ai.

Performance analysis based on artificial intelligence together with game-related statistical models aims to provide relevant information before, during and after a competition. Due to the evaluation of handball performance focusing mainly on the result and not on the analysis of the dynamics of the game pace through artificial intelligence, the aim of this study was to design and validate a specific handball instrument based on real-time observational methodology capable of identifying, quantifying, classifying and relating individual and collective tactical behaviours during the game. First, an instrument validation by an expert panel was performed. Ten experts answered a questionnaire regarding the relevance and appropriateness of each variable presented. Subsequently, data were validated by two observers (1.5 and 2 years of handball observational analysis experience) recruited to analyse a Champions League match. Instrument validity showed a high accordance degree among experts (Cohen's kappa index (k) = 0.889). For both automatic and manual variables, a very good intra- ((automatic: Cronbach's alpha (α) = 0.984; intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.970; k = 0.917) (manual: α = 0.959; ICC = 0.923; k = 0.858)) and inter-observer ((automatic: α = 0.976; ICC = 0.961; k = 0.874) (manual: α = 0.959; ICC = 0.923; k = 0.831) consistency and reliability was found. These results show a high degree of instrument validity, reliability and accuracy providing handball coaches, analysts, and researchers a novel tool to improve handball performance.

Musculoskeletal injury prevalence in professional padel players. A retrospective study of the 2021 season.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influence of the gender, ranking and playing position on the musculoskeletal injuries in professional padel players. DESIGN: An epidemiological, observational, descriptive, retrospective cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: 44 injuries were reported by 36 players (20 men/16 women) who participated in the World Padel Tour 2021. SETTING: Online questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Descriptive statistics and injury prevalence were calculated. Spearman/Pearson correlations between sample characteristics and injury variables were calculated. The chi-square test was used to analyse the association between injury and descriptive variables. A Mann-Whitney U test was performed to compare the group differences with regard to days of absence. RESULTS: The results showed different injury prevalence (x1000 matches) in male (10.50) and female players (15.10). A higher injury incidence in top-ranked players, both in male (44.40%) and female (58.33%) was identified, but the low-ranked players reported more severe injuries (>28 days) (p < 0.05). Top-ranked players suffered more muscle injuries (p < 0.01) and low-ranked players suffered more tendon injuries (p < 0.01). Gender, ranking and playing position did not influence the days of absence (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that gender and ranking position had an impact on the injury prevalence in professional padel players.

Influence of Strength Training Variables on Neuromuscular and Morphological Adaptations in Prepubertal Children: A Systematic Review.

Strength training in prepubertal children is one of the topics that has aroused the most interest and controversy among training professionals in recent years. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to analyze the available scientific evidence on the influence of strength training variables on morphological and/or neuromuscular adaptations in healthy prepubertal populations with no previous experience in this type of training according to the descriptive sample characteristics. According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis, 22 studies were selected after a systematic search and selection process using four electronic databases: Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and SPORT Discus. Furthermore, the internal validity of the studies included was assessed using the modified PEDro scale. The sample consisted of 604 prepubertal children (age, 10.02 ± 0.75 years), of whom 473 were boys and 131 were girls, with 104 strength training programs recorded. Strength training resulted in a significant increase in jumping (n = 29) and sprinting (n = 13) abilities. Moreover, muscle strength was increased in 100% of the cases. Morphologically, strength training resulted in a decrease in body fat percentage (n = 19) and an increase in lean body mass (n = 17). With regard to gender, increases in general sport skills and basic physical abilities were significant in males but not in females. Thus, the results are more heterogeneous in girls due to the small number of studies carried out. Therefore, this research provides practical applications for coaches to design and implement more effective training programs to maximize adaptations, enhance physical performance, and reduce injury risk.

Should We Use the Men Load-Velocity Profile for Women in Deadlift and Hip Thrust?

Injuries are common in team sports and can impact both team and individual performance. In particular, hamstring strain injuries are some of the most common injuries. Furthermore, hamstring injury ratios, in number of injuries and total absence days, have doubled in the last 21 seasons in professional soccer. Weakness in hip extensor strength has been identified as a risk factor in elite-level sprinters. In addition, strength imbalances of the hamstring muscle group seem to be a common cause of hamstring strain injuries. In this regard, velocity-based training has been proposed to analyze deficits in the force-velocity profile. Previous studies have shown differences between men and women, since there are biomechanical and neuromuscular differences in the lower limbs between sexes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the load-velocity profile between males and females during two of the most important hip extension exercises: the hip thrust and the deadlift. Sixteen men and sixteen women were measured in an incremental loading test following standard procedures for the hip thrust and deadlift exercises. Pearson's correlation (r) was used to measure the strength of the correlation between movement velocity and load (%1RM). The differences in the load-velocity relationship between the men and the women were assessed using a 2 (sex) × 15 (load) repeated-measures ANOVA. The main findings revealed that: (I) the load-velocity relationship was always strong and linear in both exercises (R2 range: 0.88-0.94), (II) men showed higher velocities for light loads (30-50%1RM; effect size: 0.9-0.96) than women for the deadlift, but no significant differences were found for the hip thrust. Based on the results of this study, the load-velocity equations seem to be sex-specific. Therefore, we suggest that using sex-specific equations to analyze deficits in the force-velocity profile would be more effective to control intensity in the deadlift exercise.

How Does Instability Affect Bench Press Performance? Acute Effect Analysis with Different Loads in Trained and Untrained Populations.

(I) The execution of different sports involves a significant number of throws, jumps, or direction changes, so the body must be as stable as possible while performing a specific action. However, there is no classification of unstable devices and their influence on performance variables. Furthermore, the effect on athletes' experience using instability is unknown. (II) The aim of this study was to analyze the power and speed parameters in bench press with different loads and unstable executions: (1) stable (SB), (2) with asymmetric load (AB), (3) with unstable load (UB), (4) on fitball (FB) and (5) on a Bosu® (BB). A total of 30 male participants (15 trained and 15 untrained) were evaluated for mean propulsive speed (MPS), maximum speed (MS), and power (PW) with different types of external load: a low load (40% of 1RM), medium load (60% of 1RM), and high load (80% of 1RM) in each condition. Variables were measured with an inertial dynamometer. (III) The best data were evidenced with SB, followed by AB (3-12%), UB (4-11%), FB (7-19%), and BB (14-23%). There were no differences between groups and loads (p > 0.05) except in the case of MS with 60% 1RM, where trained participants obtained 4% better data (p < 0.05). (IV) Executions with implements and equipment such as fitball and Bosu® do not seem to be the most recommended when the objective is to improve power or execution speed. However, situations where the load is unstable (AB and UB) seem to be a good alternative to improve stabilization work without high performance. Furthermore, experience does not seem to be a determining factor.

Physical Demands during Official Competitions in Elite Handball: A Systematic Review.

An understanding of physical demands during official competitions is essential to achieving the highest performance in handball. The aim of this systematic review was to summarise the available scientific evidence associated with physical demands during official competitions in elite handball according to playing positions, competition level and gender. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, 17 studies were selected after a systematic search and selection process of three digital databases: PubMed, Web of Science and Sport Discus. The quality of the selected studies was evaluated using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist; the average score was 18.47 points. The sample consisted of 1175 handball players, of whom 1042 were men (88.68%) and 133 were women (11.32%). The results show that an elite handball player covered on average 3664.4 ± 1121.6 m during a match. The average running pace was 84.8 ± 17.2 m∙min-1. The total distance covered was largely greater in national competitions (4506.7 ± 647.9 m) compared with international competitions (2190.3 ± 1950.5 m) (effect size (ES) = 1.2); however, the running pace did not present any significant difference between the international or national level (ES = 0.06). In regard to gender, the total distance covered was moderately greater in female competitions (4549.1 ± 758.6 m) compared with male competitions (3332.6 ± 1257.7 m) (ES = 0.9), and the running pace was largely greater in female competitions (110.5 ± 7.2 m∙min-1) compared with male competitions (78.4 ± 19.7 m∙min-1) (ES = 1.6). In relation to playing position, backs and wings covered a moderately greater total distance (ES = 0.7 and 0.6) and slightly more meters per minute (ES = 0.4 and 0.2) than pivots. Moreover, the technical activity profile differed between playing positions. Backs performed moderately more throws than pivots and wings (ES = 1.2 and 0.9), pivots exhibited largely more body contact than backs and wings, and wings performed moderately more fast breaks (6.7 ± 3.0) than backs (2.2 ± 2.3) (ES = 1.8). Therefore, this research study provides practical applications for handball coaches and strength and conditioning professionals with respect to designing and implementing more individualised training programmes to maximise performance and reduce injury risk.

Infection with SARS-CoV-2 as a potential achalasia trigger.

Idiopathic achalasia is a chronic oesophageal motility disorder caused by loss of inhibitory neurons at the esophageal myenteric plexus resulting in incomplete relaxation of the lower oesophageal sphincter and abnormal peristaltism.  Among the possible causes of this, an immune response secondary to infection by some viruses has been implicated. SARS-CoV-2 could be considered among them. The therapy option should be aimed at achieving the greatest clinical effectiveness according to each patient's health status.

Clostridium septicum endophthalmitis as the first manifestation of a colon adenocarcinoma: A case report.

Clostridium septicum endophthalmitis is an extremely rare infection with only a few cases reported in the literature. It has an endogenous origin and is associated with gastrointestinal and haematological malignancies. We present the case of a 62-year-old male who presented this infection as the first manifestation of a colon adenocarcinoma.

Comparison of different methods to estimate the uncertainty in composition measurement by chromatography.

Natural gas is a mixture that contains hydrocarbons and other compounds, such as CO2 and N2. Natural gas composition is commonly measured by gas chromatography, and this measurement is important for the calculation of some thermodynamic properties that determine its commercial value. The estimation of uncertainty in chromatographic measurement is essential for an adequate presentation of the results and a necessary tool for supporting decision making. Various approaches have been proposed for the uncertainty estimation in chromatographic measurement. The present work is an evaluation of three approaches of uncertainty estimation, where two of them (guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement method and prediction method) were compared with the Monte Carlo method, which has a wider scope of application. The aforementioned methods for uncertainty estimation were applied to gas chromatography assays of three different samples of natural gas. The results indicated that the prediction method and the guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement method (in the simple version used) are not adequate to calculate the uncertainty in chromatography measurement, because uncertainty estimations obtained by those approaches are in general lower than those given by the Monte Carlo method.

Comparison and analysis of objective functions in flux balance analysis.

Flux balance analysis (FBA) is currently one of the most important and used techniques for estimation of metabolic reaction rates (fluxes). This mathematical approach utilizes an optimization criterion in order to select a distribution of fluxes from the feasible space delimited by the metabolic reactions and some restrictions imposed over them, assuming that cellular metabolism is in steady state. Therefore, the obtained flux distribution depends on the specific objective function used. Multiple studies have been aimed to compare distinct objective functions at given conditions, in order to determine which of those functions produces values of fluxes closer to real data when used as objective in the FBA; in other words, what is the best objective function for modeling cell metabolism at a determined environmental condition. However, these comparative studies have been designed in very dissimilar ways, and in general, several factors that can change the ideal objective function in a cellular condition have not been adequately considered. Additionally, most of them have used only one dataset for representing one condition of cell growth, and different measuring techniques have been used. For these reasons, a rigorous study on the effect of factors such as the quantity of used data, the number and type of fluxes utilized as input data, and the selected classification of growth conditions, are required in order to obtain useful conclusions for these comparative studies, allowing limiting clearly the application range on any of those results.

Balance de Flujos Metabólicos en Saccharomyces cerevisiae basado en Compartimentalización Intracelular / Metabolic Flows Balance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae based on Intracellular Compartmentalization

Una de las técnicas más utilizadas para la predicción de producción de bioproductos y distribución intracelular de flujos de microorganismos es el Análisis de Balance de Flujos - FBA por sus siglas en inglés. El FBA requiere de una función objetivo que represente el objetivo biológico del microorganismo estudiado. En este trabajo se propone un nuevo tipo de funciones objetivo basada en la combinación de objetivos de compartimentos físicos presentes en el microorganismo estudiado. Este tipo de funciones objetivo son examinadas junto con un modelo estequiométrico extraído de la reconstrucción iMM904 del microorganismo S. cerevisiae. Su desempeño se compara con la función objetivo más usada en la literatura, la maximización de biomasa, en condiciones experimentales anaeróbicas en cultivos continuos y aeróbicas en cultivos tipo lote. La función objetivo propuesta en este trabajo mejora las predicciones de crecimiento en un 10% y las predicciones de producción de etanol en un 75% respecto a las obtenidas por la función objetivo de maximización de biomasa, en condiciones anaeróbicas. En condiciones aeróbicas tipo lote la función objetivo propuesta mejora en un 98% las predicciones de crecimiento y en un 70% las predicciones de etanol con respecto a la función objetivo de biomasa.

Flux Balance Analysis - FBA - is one of the most used techniques in prediction of microorganism bioproducts. It requires an objective function that represents biological objective of the studied microorganism. This paper presents a new kind of objective functions based on individual physical compartment objetives in the studied microorganism. These kind of functions was tested with a stoichiometric model extracted from iMM904 reconstruction of S. cerevisiae and its performance is compared with the most used objective function in literature, growth maximization, in anaerobic and aerobic batch conditions. The presented objective function outperform growth predictions in 10% and ethanol predictions in 75% compared with obtained by maximization of growth objective function, in anaerobic conditions. In aerobic batch conditions the presented objective function outperforms in 98% growth preditions and 70% ethanol predictions compared with growth maximization.

Análisis de riesgos de la calidad en un cambio de campaña. Etapa de limpieza / Quality risk analysis in a changeover. Stage of cleaning

Objetivo: identificar los riesgos generales en la etapa de limpieza de los cambios de campaña de una planta multipropósito para productos biológicos, así como proponer acciones de control para mitigarlos, garantizando enfocar la atención sobre los riesgos no aceptados identificados y sus escenarios.Métodos: se aplicó el análisis de riesgos de calidad, usando la herramienta análisis de modo y efectos de fallas, lo cual permitió la identificación de los riesgos asociados a la contaminación y sus escenarios, así como accionar de forma proactiva teniendo en cuenta los resultados del cálculo del número de prioridad de riesgo. Resultados: se demostró que los residuos de producto e higienizante comprometen la etapa de limpieza. Se propusieron acciones que deben ser documentadas en los procedimientos de limpieza de los equipos no dedicados. Conclusiones: se identificaron los riesgos generales y sus escenarios. Las acciones de control de riesgos implementadas mitigaron a más del 50 por ciento del número de prioridad de riesgo total para garantizar la efectividad de la operación de cambio de campaña como parte del cumplimiento de las Buenas Prácticas de Fabricación

Objective: to identify the general risks in the cleaning phase during changeover in a multiproduct plant for biological products and to put forward control actions to reduce them, guaranteeing to focus attention on the unacceptable identified risks and their scenarios. Methods: aquality risk analysis using the tool called Failure Mode and Effect Analysis was made, which allowed identifying pollution-associated risks and their settings, and working proactively according to the results of the risk priority number estimation. Results: it was proven that the product and the cleaning agent residues may compromise the cleaning phase. Several actions that should be documented in the cleaning procedures of non-dedicated equipment were then suggested. Conclusions: the general risks as well as their settings were identified. The implemented risk management actions reduced total risk priority number values by over 50 percent in order to assure the effectiveness of the changeover operation as part of the compliant requirements for Good Manufacturing Practices

Análisis de riesgos de la calidad en un cambio de campaña. Etapa de limpieza / Quality risk analysis in a changeover. Stage of cleaning

Objetivo: identificar los riesgos generales en la etapa de limpieza de los cambios de campaña de una planta multipropósito para productos biológicos, así como proponer acciones de control para mitigarlos, garantizando enfocar la atención sobre los riesgos no aceptados identificados y sus escenarios.Métodos: se aplicó el análisis de riesgos de calidad, usando la herramienta análisis de modo y efectos de fallas, lo cual permitió la identificación de los riesgos asociados a la contaminación y sus escenarios, así como accionar de forma proactiva teniendo en cuenta los resultados del cálculo del número de prioridad de riesgo. Resultados: se demostró que los residuos de producto e higienizante comprometen la etapa de limpieza. Se propusieron acciones que deben ser documentadas en los procedimientos de limpieza de los equipos no dedicados. Conclusiones: se identificaron los riesgos generales y sus escenarios. Las acciones de control de riesgos implementadas mitigaron a más del 50 por ciento del número de prioridad de riesgo total para garantizar la efectividad de la operación de cambio de campaña como parte del cumplimiento de las Buenas Prácticas de Fabricación(AU)

Objective: to identify the general risks in the cleaning phase during changeover in a multiproduct plant for biological products and to put forward control actions to reduce them, guaranteeing to focus attention on the unacceptable identified risks and their scenarios. Methods: aquality risk analysis using the tool called Failure Mode and Effect Analysis was made, which allowed identifying pollution-associated risks and their settings, and working proactively according to the results of the risk priority number estimation. Results: it was proven that the product and the cleaning agent residues may compromise the cleaning phase. Several actions that should be documented in the cleaning procedures of non-dedicated equipment were then suggested. Conclusions: the general risks as well as their settings were identified. The implemented risk management actions reduced total risk priority number values by over 50 percent in order to assure the effectiveness of the changeover operation as part of the compliant requirements for Good Manufacturing Practices(AU)

Implementation of a low-cost mobile devices to support medical diagnosis.

Medical imaging has become an absolutely essential diagnostic tool for clinical practices; at present, pathologies can be detected with an earliness never before known. Its use has not only been relegated to the field of radiology but also, increasingly, to computer-based imaging processes prior to surgery. Motion analysis, in particular, plays an important role in analyzing activities or behaviors of live objects in medicine. This short paper presents several low-cost hardware implementation approaches for the new generation of tablets and/or smartphones for estimating motion compensation and segmentation in medical images. These systems have been optimized for breast cancer diagnosis using magnetic resonance imaging technology with several advantages over traditional X-ray mammography, for example, obtaining patient information during a short period. This paper also addresses the challenge of offering a medical tool that runs on widespread portable devices, both on tablets and/or smartphones to aid in patient diagnostics.

Predictive potential of flux balance analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae using as optimization function combinations of cell compartmental objectives.

BACKGROUND: The main objective of flux balance analysis (FBA) is to obtain quantitative predictions of metabolic fluxes of an organism, and it is necessary to use an appropriate objective function to guarantee a good estimation of those fluxes. METHODOLOGY: In this study, the predictive performance of FBA was evaluated, using objective functions arising from the linear combination of different cellular objectives. This approach is most suitable for eukaryotic cells, owing to their multiplicity of cellular compartments. For this reason, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used as model organism, and its metabolic network was represented using the genome-scale metabolic model iMM904. As the objective was to evaluate the predictive performance from the FBA using the kind of objective function previously described, substrate uptake and oxygen consumption were the only input data used for the FBA. Experimental information about microbial growth and exchange of metabolites with the environment was used to assess the quality of the predictions. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of the predictions obtained with the FBA depends greatly on the knowledge of the oxygen uptake rate. For the most of studied classifications, the best predictions were obtained with "maximization of growth", and with some combinations that include this objective. However, in the case of exponential growth with unknown oxygen exchange flux, the objective function "maximization of growth, plus minimization of NADH production in cytosol, plus minimization of NAD(P)H consumption in mitochondrion" gave much more accurate estimations of fluxes than the obtained with any other objective function explored in this study.