This study considers relationships among motor coordination (MC), physical fitness (PF) and physical activity (PA) in children followed longitudinally from 6 to 10 years. It is hypothesized that MC ...is a significant and primary predictor of PA in children. Subjects were 142 girls and 143 boys. Height, weight and skinfolds; PA (Godin–Shephard questionnaire); MC (Körperkoordination Test für Kinder); and PF (five fitness items) were measured. Hierarchical linear modeling with MC and PF as predictors of PA was used. The retained model indicated that PA at baseline differed significantly between boys (48.3 MET/week) and girls (40.0 MET/week). The interaction of MC and 1 mile run/walk had a positive influence on level of PA. The general trend for a decrease in PA level across years was attenuated or amplified depending on initial level of MC. The estimated rate of decline in PA was negligible for children with higher levels of MC at 6 years, but was augmented by 2.58 and 2.47 units each year, respectively, for children with low and average levels of initial MC. In conclusion MC is an important predictor of PA in children 6–10 years of age.
Anthropometric characteristics, physical fitness and technical skills of under-19 (U19) soccer players were compared by competitive level (elite, n=95; non-elite, n=85) and playing position ...(goalkeeper, central defender, fullback, midfield, forward). Fitness tests included 5- and 30-m sprints, agility, squat jump (SJ) and countermovement jump (CMJ), strength and Yo-Yo intermittent endurance test level 2 (Yo-Yo IE2). Soccer-specific skills included ball control and dribbling. Independent of position, elite players presented more hours of training per year than non-elite players (d>1.2). Stature and body mass discriminated elite from non-elite players among goalkeepers and central defenders (d>0.6). Major differences were noted between elite and non-elite goalkeepers for SJ, CMJ, Yo-Yo IE2, and ball control (d>1.2). Elite central defenders performed better than their non-elite counterparts in SJ and ball control tests (d>1.2). Elite players presented better agility and Yo-Yo IE2 performances than non-elite players within all positional roles (d>0.6). In conclusion, U19 players differed in anthropometric characteristics, physical fitness and technical skills by competitive level within field positions.
Adolescence is often viewed as a critical period for selection in youth soccer. The present study compared the characteristics of regionally selected and non-selected under-14 players (U-14) as a ...group and by position. Players were classified as local (n=69) and regional (n=45). Weight, height, skinfolds, functional capacities, soccer skills and goal orientation were measured and skeletal age was assessed with the Fels method. Factorial ANOVA was used to test the effect of selection, position and respective interaction terms, while discriminant analysis was used to identify the variables that contributed to selection. Selected players had an advanced maturity status (F=24.97, p<0.01), were heavier (F=30.67, p<0.01) and taller (F=35.07, p<0.01); performed better in explosive power (F=21.25, p<0.01), repeated sprints (F=20.04, p<0.01) and ball control (F=3.69, p<0.05); and were more ego oriented (F=13.29, p<0.01). The 2 competitive groups did not differ in agility, aerobic endurance, dribbling, shooting, passing, and task orientation. Position-related variation was negligible. The percentage of players who were correctly classified in the original groups was slightly lower when the analysis was performed for the total sample (86%) than by position (86-90%). Future research on talent identification and selection should adopt a multidimensional approach including variables related to the physiological, perceptual, cognitive and tactical demands.
Marine algae are promising third-generation feedstocks for bioethanol production as they are fast growing, require minimal inputs, and do not compete for land. However, marine algae have complex cell ...walls which necessitate pretreatment prior to fermentation, and this represents a major component of the cost of bioethanol production. Standard pretreatment processes using acids are costly and generate hazardous waste streams. This study aims to develop an economic and environmentally friendly pretreatment process using ozonolysis for the marine algae
Kappaphycus alvarezii
and
Gelidium amansii.
Acid and ozone pretreatments were compared across the pretreatment, enzyme hydrolysis, and fermentation stages of bioethanol production. Acid pretreatment outperformed ozonolysis over the pretreatment and enzyme hydrolysis stages. However, it also generated as by-products the compounds 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF) and levulinic acid (LA), which inhibited ethanol fermentation and reduced the efficiency of the process overall. Ozone pretreatment did not produce these inhibitory compounds, and as such outperformed acid pretreatment across the process as a whole. These results indicate the potential of ozonolysis as an economic and environmentally friendly pretreatment for the production of bioethanol from marine algae.
Organic municipal solid waste (OMSW) as a feedstock for energy recovery and material recycling offers the potential to reduce environmental impacts from energy production while displacing ...emission-intensive waste management strategies such as landfills. This paper quantifies the environmental impact of anaerobic digestion of local, residual biomass. A life-cycle assessment was jointly performed for two scenarios for the biological treatment of local organic municipal solid waste and pig manure in the Netherlands. Scenario 1 was a separate treatment using anaerobic digestion, and Scenario 2 was a bio-refinery system that integrates anaerobic digestion of organic, municipal solid waste, and co-digestion of pig manure and other organic co-substrates∖. For both scenarios, electricity and heat are generated using a combined heat and power engine. The bio-refinery system (Scenario 2) contribution to climate change resulted in 0.16 Mt CO2 eq./yr, which is lower than the 0.17 Mt CO2 eq./yr of Scenario 1. Both scenarios are found to be beneficial with regard to resource depletion and human toxicity. The integration of organic waste and manure anaerobic digestion has no effect on acidification and terrestrial eutrophication impact categories, resulting in 43.59 AE eq. and 86.33 AE eq. for Scenario 1 and 43.58 AE eq. and 86.30 AE eq. for Scenario 2. Moreover, Scenario 2 yields 18% lower emissions than those from natural gas derived electricity in the Netherlands. The biorefinery system represents an opportunity to improve organic waste-management strategies, at the same time as reducing the environmental impact from energy production and the costs for surplus manure disposal by producing high-quality commodities that can be traded on the market.
•A life-cycle assessment of organic feedstock anaerobic digestion was performed.•A bio-refinery was compared to a mono-dimensional technology set.•The bio-refinery performed better for climate change and human toxicity.•Environmental benefits with regard to resource depletion were achieved in both scenarios.
Objectives: To determine the relationships between physical and performance characteristics and level of skill in youth soccer players aged 12–16 years. Methods: Anthropometry, maturity status, ...functional and sport-specific parameters were assessed in elite, sub-elite, and non-elite youth players in four age groups: U13 (n = 117), U14 (n = 136), U15 (n = 138) and U16 (n = 99). Results: Multivariate analyses of covariance by age group with maturity status as the covariate showed that elite players scored better than the non-elite players on strength, flexibility, speed, aerobic endurance, anaerobic capacity and several technical skills (p<0.05). Stepwise discriminant analyses showed that running speed and technical skills were the most important characteristics in U13 and U14 players, while cardiorespiratory endurance was more important in U15 and U16 players. The results suggest that discriminating characteristics change with competitive age levels. Conclusions: Characteristics that discriminate youth soccer players vary by age group. Talent identification models should thus be dynamic and provide opportunities for changing parameters in a long-term developmental context.
Predictors of functional capacities and skills in 143 soccer players aged 11–14 years from five clubs in Portugal were investigated. Data for players aged 11–12 (n=75) and 13–14 (n=68) years included ...chronological age, skeletal age, stage of pubic hair (PH), anthropometry, four functional capacities, four soccer skills and experience; composite functional and skill scores were derived. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the independent effects of age, maturity, body size and proportions, adiposity and experience on individual functional capacities and skills and composite scores. Explained variances differed among functional capacities (22–48%) and skills (<25%), and were greater for composite functional (younger 37%, older 58%) than skill (younger 26%, older 18%) scores. Skeletal maturity was a predictor of the counter‐movement jump in both groups and of composite functional and skill scores in older players. Age and adiposity were primary predictors in players aged 11–12 years, while experience and a proportionally longer trunk (conversely, relatively shorter lower extremities) appeared among predictors in players aged 13–14 years. PH was not among predictors. Except for the counter‐movement jump, predictors of functional capacities and soccer skills differed between age groups.
Low intensity, transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is a re-emerging brain stimulation technique with the unique capability of reaching deep brain structures non-invasively.
We sought to ...demonstrate that tFUS can selectively and accurately target and modulate deep brain structures in humans important for emotional functioning as well as learning and memory. We hypothesized that tFUS would result in significant longitudinal changes in perfusion in the targeted brain region as well as selective modulation of BOLD activity and BOLD-based functional connectivity of the target region.
In this study, we collected MRI before, simultaneously during, and after tFUS of two deep brain structures on different days in sixteen healthy adults each serving as their own control. Using longitudinal arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI and simultaneous blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional MRI, we found changes in cerebral perfusion, regional brain activity and functional connectivity specific to the targeted regions of the amygdala and entorhinal cortex (ErC).
tFUS selectively increased perfusion in the targeted brain region and not in the contralateral homolog or either bilateral control region. Additionally, tFUS directly affected BOLD activity in a target specific fashion without engaging auditory cortex in any analysis. Finally, tFUS resulted in selective modulation of the targeted functional network connectivity.
We demonstrate that tFUS can selectively modulate perfusion, neural activity and connectivity in deep brain structures and connected networks. Lack of auditory cortex findings suggests that the mechanism of tFUS action is not due to auditory or acoustic startle response but rather a direct neuromodulatory process. Our findings suggest that tFUS has the potential for future application as a novel therapy in a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders associated with subcortical pathology.
The COVID-19 disease is a major problem affecting human health all over the world. Consequently, researchers have been trying to find solutions to treat this pandemic-scale disease. Even if there are ...vaccines and approved drugs that could decrease the spread of this pandemic, multidisciplinary approaches are still needed to identify new small molecules as alternatives to combat COVID-19, especially those from nature. In this study, we employed computational approaches by screening 17 natural compounds from the tropical brown seaweed
known to have anti-viral properties that benefit human health. This study assessed some seaweed natural products that are bound to the PLpro of SARS-CoV-2. By employing pharmacophore and molecular docking, these natural compounds from
showed remarkable scores for protein targets with competitive scores compared to X-ray crystallography ligands and well-known antiviral compounds. This study provides insightful information for advanced study and further in vitro examination and clinical investigation for drug development prospects of abundant yet underexploited tropical seaweeds.
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