Purpose: our aim was to analyze the characteristics of the off-the-wall smash in men´s and women´s padel, and to compare gender differences in the set-dependent frequency of these shots. Study ...sample: through systematic observation, we analyzed 441 off-the-wall smashes from the Final Master of the 2022 season of the World Padel Tour. Results: showed that the women performed twice as many off-the-wall smashes as the men. This shot was executed most frequently (90%) from the center and right side of the court and from the dominant side, usually providing volley continuity (73%) and sometimes resulting in point winners (21.5%). Furthermore, there were gender differences, depending on the defense zone from which the wall smashes were defended (p = .014) and on the final match result (p = .018). In men’s padel, the losing pair performed more off-the-wall smashes, while in women’s padel, the winning pair performed more of these smashes. Finally, between both genders, most off-the-wall smashes occurred in the first set and decreased in number in the third set, with the second set containing the fewest off-the wall smashes.
Numerous approaches have been proposed to generate well-balanced gaits in biped robots that show excellent performance in simulated environments. However, in general, the dynamic balance of the ...robots decreases dramatically when these methods are tested in physical platforms. Since humanoid robots are intended to collaborate with humans and operate in everyday environments, it is of paramount importance to test such approaches both in physical platforms and under severe conditions. In this work, the special characteristics of the Nao humanoid platform are analyzed and a control system that allows robust walking and disturbance rejection is proposed. This approach combines the zero moment point (ZMP) stability criterion with angular momentum suppression and step timing control. The proposed method is especially suitable for platforms with limited computational resources and sensory and sensory-motor capabilities.
The aim was to carry out a systematic review of the most recent research on performance analysis in padel. An electronic search was made in four sport science databases: Web of Science, Pubmed, ...Scopus and Google Scholar. Systematic review principles were used to identify and select studies following inclusion and exclusion criteria. From a total of 261 articles identified in the initial search, 27 articles were included for analysis, all dating from after 2018. The articles were classified according to four study variables: temporal aspects, game actions, on-court movements and match score studies, ordered in turn according to the year of publication. The results show differences in the four study variables according to the gender or level of the players, side or zone of play and the duration of the match. In conclusion, the results presented allow us to define the relevant aspects of the game with the aim of being used at a technical, tactical and physical level, as well as contributing to the development of scientific knowledge in padel, allowing future research to address less studied topics and to carry out more complete and specific studies and interventions for a greater understanding of the needs of padel.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is considered one of the pioneering technologies of the Internet of Things (IoT). It allows to bind physical environments to information processing systems, ...adding new capabilities like automatic inventorying, location, or sensing with batteryless tags. Indeed, many data flows of physical objects can be tracked using this technology, and it is common to find heterogeneous traffics present in the same facility, each managed by different sets of readers. For example, in a grocery store, typically we have two kinds of readers: those carrying out a continuous inventory, whose goal is knowing the contents of the shelves as accurately as possible; and a set of checking-out readers at exit gates for the billing process that has to minimize the waiting time of customers. Another example of multiclass traffic is a hospital, where new families of sensing tags allow staff to wirelessly monitor patients-which obviously must be done as a priority-and coexist with other readers aimed at precisely knowing the location of equipment or drugs. Even with the same goal, there could be readers requiring different setups, for example in the hospital case, readers located at doors for inventorying purposes have a short time available to identify passing-by objects or people, and thus they have to work with a higher priority than regular readers performing inventorying tasks. In this work, we investigate a modification of the standard listen-before-talk (LBT) protocol for RFID networks which can support this kind of multipriority environment, by offering different qualities of service to each traffic. Results demonstrate that by tuning the protocol setup, it is possible to establish a trade-off between the performance of each traffic. This is shown for the two cited examples, the grocery shop and the hospital, using a simulation tool allowing us to implement a full-scale RFID model. In addition, we present a greedy mechanism for online reader setup. Instead of selecting offline a hard priority level, this greedy algorithm is able to adapt the priority to achieve the required quality-of-service (QoS) level.
Information and communication technologies (ICT) are widely used in supply chain (SC) due to their effects on both economic performance and operational agility. This paper proposes a structural ...equation model integrating 17 items into four latent variables: ICT, SC agility, operating performance, and economic performance. Data analysed in the model were gathered through a questionnaire administered to 306 managers of Mexican maquiladoras. Likewise, we used statistical software WarpPLS 5.0®, which is based on partial least squares algorithms, to assess the six hypotheses established in the model. Such hypotheses were validated with a 95 % confidence level, and values were standardized to avoid problems regarding the measurement scale. Findings demonstrate that ICT have a positive direct impact on the other three analysed latent variables, which together account for 63 % of the variability of SC economic performance. Similarly, we found that ICT can explain up to 40 % of the variability of SC agility.
Tissue elasticity is a critical regulator of cell behavior in normal and diseased conditions like fibrosis and cancer. Since the extracellular matrix (ECM) is a major regulator of tissue elasticity ...and function, several ECM-based models have emerged in the last decades, including in vitro endogenous ECM, decellularized tissue ECM and ECM hydrogels. The development of such models has urged the need to quantify their elastic properties particularly at the nanometer scale, which is the relevant length scale for cell-ECM interactions. For this purpose, the versatility of atomic force microscopy (AFM) to quantify the nanomechanical properties of soft biomaterials like ECM models has emerged as a very suitable technique. In this chapter we provide a detailed protocol on how to assess the Young's elastic modulus of ECM models by AFM, discuss some of the critical issues, and provide troubleshooting guidelines as well as illustrative examples of AFM measurements, particularly in the context of cancer.
At present, there is a growing interest in finding new non-toxic anti-inflammatory drugs to treat inflammation, which is a key pathology in the development of several diseases with considerable ...mortality. Sulforaphane (SFN), a bioactive compound derived from
plants, was shown to be promising due to its anti-inflammatory properties and great potential, though its actual clinical use is limited due to its poor stability and bioavailability. In this sense, the use of nanocarriers could solve stability-related problems. In the current study, sulforaphane loaded into membrane vesicles derived from broccoli plants was studied to determine the anti-inflammatory potential in a human-macrophage-like in vitro cell model under both normal and inflammatory conditions. On the one hand, the release of SFN from membrane vesicles was modeled in vitro, and two release phases were stabilized, one faster and the other slower due to the interaction between SFN and membrane proteins, such as aquaporins. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory action of sulforaphane-loaded membrane vesicles was demonstrated, as a decrease in interleukins crucial for the development of inflammation, such as TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, was observed. Furthermore, these results also showed that membrane vesicles by themselves had anti-inflammatory properties, opening the possibility of new lines of research to study these vesicles, not only as carriers but also as active compounds.
To evaluate four sample treatments in a safe and straightforward procedure to detect SARS-CoV-2 in saliva.
Four sample treatments were evaluated in a 3-step procedure to detect SARS-CoV-2 in saliva: ...1) heating at 95 °C for 5 min for sample inactivation; 2) sample treatment; 3) analysis by reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). Saliva samples used were from infected individuals or were spiked with known quantities of viral particles.
Three treatments had a limit of detection (LOD) of 500.000 viral particles per ml of saliva and could be used to detect individuals with potential to transmit the disease. The treatment of phosphate buffer, dithiothreitol, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and proteinase K, with an additional 95 °C heating step, yielded a lower LOD of 95; its sensitivity ranged from 100% in patients with nasopharyngeal swab reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction cycle threshold values <20 to 47.8% for values >30.
This report highlights the importance of an adequate sample treatment for saliva to detect SARS-CoV-2 and describes a flexible procedure that can be adapted to point-of-care. Although its sensitivity when LAMP is used is lower than reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, this procedure can contribute to COVID-19 control by detecting individuals able to transmit the disease.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has triggered a serious global health crisis, resulting in millions of ...reported deaths since its initial identification in China in November 2019. The global disparities in immunization access emphasize the urgent need for ongoing research into therapeutic interventions. This study focuses on the potential use of molecular dihydrogen (H2) inhalation as an adjunctive treatment for COVID-19. H2 therapy shows promise in inhibiting intracellular signaling pathways associated with inflammation, particularly when administered early in conjunction with nasal oxygen therapy. This phase I study, characterized by an open-label, prospective, monocentric, and single ascending-dose design, seeks to assess the safety and tolerability of the procedure in individuals with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Employing a 3 + 3 design, the study includes three exposure durations (target durations): 1 day (D1), 3 days (D2), and 6 days (D3). We concluded that the maximum tolerated duration is at least 3 days. Every patient showed clinical improvement and excellent tolerance to H2 therapy. To the best of our knowledge, this phase I clinical trial is the first to establish the safety of inhaling a mixture of H2 (3.6%) and N2 (96.4%) in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The original device and method employed ensure the absence of explosion risk. The encouraging outcomes observed in the 12 patients included in the study justify further exploration through larger, controlled clinical trials.CLINICAL TRIALSThis study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT04633980.
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