High-intensity intermittent running and field hockey skill performance in the heat

Nine well-trained, unacclimatized female hockey players performed the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST) interspersed with three field hockey skill tests in hot (30°C, 38% relative humidity) and moderate (19°C, 51% relative humidity) environmental conditions. Field hockey skill performance declined in both the hot and moderate conditions following 30 and 60?min of the LIST compared with pre-LIST values (P <?0.01). This decrement in performance was compounded in the hot environment with a 6% poorer performance in the heat recorded for the second skill test at 30?min (P <?0.05, hot 101.7?±?3.6 vs moderate 95.7?±?2.9?s; mean ±?s _x). However, no difference was found in the decision-making element of the skill test. Fifteen-metre sprint times were slower in the hot condition (P <?0.01). In the hot environment, rectal temperature (P?<?0.01), perceived exertion (P?<?0.05), perceived thirst (P?<?0.01), blood glucose concentration (P?<?0.05) and serum aldosterone concentration (P?<?0.01) were higher. Estimated mean (?±?s _x) sweat rate was higher in the hot trial (1.27?±?0.10?l?·?h^?1) than in the moderate trial (1.05?±?0.12?l?·?h^?1) (P?<?0.05). Body mass was well maintained in both trials. No differences in serum cortisol, blood lactate, plasma volume or plasma ammonia concentrations were found. These results demonstrate that field hockey skill performance is decreased following intermittent high-intensity shuttle running and that this decrease is greater in hot environmental conditions. The exact mechanism for this decrement in performance remains to be elucidated, but is unlikely to be due to low glycogen concentration or dehydration.     

Foot loading characteristics during three fencing-specific movements

Abstract

Plantar pressure characteristics during fencing movements may provide more specific information about the influence of foot loading on overload injury patterns. Twenty-nine experienced fencers participated in the study. Three fencing-specific movements (lunge, advance, retreat) and normal running were performed with three different shoe models: Ballestra (Nike, USA), Adistar Fencing Lo (Adidas, Germany), and the fencers' own shoes. The Pedar system (Novel, Munich, Germany) was used to collect plantar pressures at 50 Hz. Peak pressures, force–time integrals and contact times for five foot regions were compared between four athletic tasks in the lunge leg and supporting leg. Plantar pressure analysis revealed characteristic pressure distribution patterns for the fencing movements. For the lunge leg, during the lunge and advance movements the heel is predominantly loaded; during retreat, it is the hallux. For the supporting leg, during the lunge and advance movements the forefoot is predominantly loaded; during retreat, it is the hallux. Fencing-specific movements load the plantar surface in a distinct way compared with running. An effective cushioning in the heel and hallux region would help to minimize foot loading during fencing-specific movements.     

Choosing a University: A conjoint analysis of the impact of higher fees on students applying for university in 2012

Tertiary Education and Management - In the light of the forthcoming policy shift to full-cost fees for English undergraduates, this study examines the impact of fee changes on how students weigh up...     

The performance of adverse effects search filters in MEDLINE and EMBASE

Background: Search filters can potentially improve the efficiency of searches involving electronic databases such as medline and embase . Although search filters have been developed for identifying records that contain adverse effects data, little is known about the sensitivity of such filters. Objectives: This study measured the sensitivity of using available adverse effects filters to retrieve papers with adverse effects data. Methods: A total of 233 included studies from 26 systematic reviews of adverse effects were used for analysis. Search filters from medline and embase were tested for their sensitivity in retrieving the records included in these reviews. In addition, the sensitivity of each individual search term used in at least one search filter was measured. Results: Subheadings proved the most useful search terms in both medline and embase . No indexing terms in medline achieved over 12% sensitivity. The sensitivity of published search filters varied in medline from 3% to 93% and in embase from 57% to 97%. Whether this level of sensitivity is acceptable will be dependent on the purpose of the search. Conclusions: Although no adverse effects search filter captured all the relevant records, high sensitivity could be achieved. Search filters may therefore be useful in retrieving adverse effects data.     

3D preserving xviii century barroque masterpiece: Challenges and results on the digital preservation of Aleijadinho's sculpture of the Prophet Joel

We present our recent efforts in the digital preservation of a set of baroque sculptures made by Antônio Francisco Lisboa, known as O. Aleijadinho, which is an important American baroque artist. The set was made in the beginning of the xix century and is composed of 12 near real sized sculptures, hand-carved in soapstone. These sculptures represent 12 of the 16 prophets from the Holy Bible and are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our group has been collaborating with UNESCO in a project that aims to preserve all these statues. We hereby present our initial efforts, consisting of the 3D digital preservation of the Prophet Joel sculpture. We developed a complete 3D digital preservation pipeline composed of four main stages: data acquisition, 3D reconstruction, texture generation and 3D model visualization. By evaluating our results in this first sculpture, we discuss the improvements we conceived before applying our pipeline in the remaining ones. Finally, we present the 3D model of the Prophet which registers the sculpture's current state and will be used in restoration, research and educational activities. We believe this contribution may be useful to guide further research on similar scenarios, showing how to avoid some practical mistakes and achieve good results.     

Sources of information on adverse effects: a systematic review

Background: Systematic reviews can provide accurate and timely information on adverse effects. An essential part of the systematic review process is a thorough search of the literature. This often requires searching many different sources. However, it is unclear which sources are most effective at providing information on adverse effects. Objective: To identify and summarise studies that have evaluated sources of information on adverse effects. Methods: Studies were located by searching in 10 databases as well as by reference checking, hand searching, citation searching and contacting experts. Results: A total of 6218 citations were retrieved yielding 19 studies which met the inclusion criteria. The included studies tended to focus on the adverse effects of drug interventions and compare the relative value of different sources using the number of relevant references retrieved from searches of each source. However, few studies were conducted recently with a large sample of references. Conclusions: This review suggests that embase , Derwent Drug File, medline and industry submissions may potentially provide the greatest number of relevant references for information on adverse effects of drugs. However, a systematic evaluation of the current value of different sources of information for adverse effects is urgently required.