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Acute Effects of Inspiratory Muscle Warm-Up on Performance and Cardiorespiratory Parameters of Scuba Divers—A Preliminary Study
Get PDFBackground/Objectives: The inspiratory muscles play a fundamental role in cardiorespiratory performance, especially in water sports. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of an inspiratory muscle warm-up (IMW) protocol on the performance and respiratory parameters of scuba divers prior to performing two diving tests, one static and the other dynamic. Methods: Eight young, active divers (six men and two women; 26.63 ± 4.67 years of age) volunteered for the study. In two sessions, one using an IMW protocol and the other without IMW, participants performed two underwater tests with a gas tank: a static immersion at the bottom of the pool for 5 min and a dynamic test consisting of swimming underwater for 12 min at 1 m/s. Some cardiorespiratory parameters such as gas expenditure, oxygen saturation (SO2), heart rate (HR), spirometry, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured before and after each of the tests. Results: Significant differences were observed in gas expenditure using IMW in both static and dynamic testing (p < 0.05) and in RPE in dynamic testing (p < 0.05). HR values were significantly higher in the pre-dynamic test with IMW and the post-static test with IMW. Finally, with the use of IMW, spirometry values were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in static tests after immersion, whereas in the dynamic test, they were significantly higher before the immersion (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, the use of the IMW prior to a dive would be recommended for better overall physical performance, oxygen expenditure, improved pulmonary function, and lower perceived exertion
Surfing the color map with Carbazole‐Appended Cyclometalated N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Pt Complexes and their application in green organic Light‐Emitting Devices
No full textThis paper describes the stage‐wise synthesis of the new carbazole‐appended platinum (II) cyclometalated N‐heterocyclic carbene complex, [Pt(Cbz‐C^C*bzim)Cl(NCCH3)] (A) (HC^C* = 1‐(4‐(9H‐carbazol‐9‐yl)phenyl)‐3‐methyl‐1H‐benzimidazol‐2‐ylidene) from 9‐(4‐bromo‐phenyl)‐9H‐carbazole, benzimidazole and [{Pt(μ‐Cl)(ƞ3‐2‐Me‐C3H4)}2]. Complex A, and the analogous imidazole derivative [Pt(Cbz‐C^C*im)Cl(NCCH3)] (B), are the precursors of the neutral complexes [Pt(Cbz‐C^C*bzim/im)(acac)] (1A/B, acac: acetylacetonate), [Pt(Cbz‐C^C*bzim/im)(P^O1)] (2A/B, P^O1: 2‐diphenylphosphinobenzoate) and [Pt(Cbz‐C^C*bzim/im)(P^O2)] (3A/B, P^O2: 2‐diphenylphosphinophenolate). At low doping concentration in poly(methylmethacrylate (PMMA) films (1% for 1A/B and 5% for 2A/B and 3A/B), they show a bright phosphorescent emission, peaking in the blue (1B‐3B) or blue–green (1A‐3A) spectral range. The planar structure of 1A and 1B enables intermolecular interactions, especially for 1A, with a more extended π–system, which changes the color from blue to yellowish–green at higher doping concentration. Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) using 1A and 1B as emitters in thick doped and in ultrathin non‐doped emitting layers show aggregate‐derived emission even at very low concentrations. The best performing devices in this work use 1A and 3A and show a turn‐on voltage of 2.99 and 2.55 V, a peak luminance of 39208 and 25837 cd m−2, and a peak current efficiency of 44.9 and 40.0 cd A−1 (12.8% and 13.4% EQE)
Prevalence rates of Babesia caballi and Theileria equi in the horse population of northern Spain: a serological and molecular study
No full textEquine piroplasmosis (EP), a tick-borne disease caused by Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, is of significant concern due to its impact on the international horse trade. According to standards established by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), horses imported from EP-endemic regions must have a certificate confirming negative serological and molecular test results. In EP-free countries, only seronegative horses are allowed to enter. This entails economic losses for endemic regions such as Spain. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence of B. caballi and T. equi in horses from northern Spain and to compare indirect fluorescent antibody tests (IFAT) with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) regarding diagnostic accuracy. In March 2019, blood samples were collected from 50 horses at a slaughterhouse in Zaragoza. The horses originated from meat farms in the Pyrenees and Cantabrian coastal regions, including northern Cantabria, the Basque Country, and Navarre. Serological results revealed a prevalence of 50% for B. caballi, 30% for T. equi, and 16% for mixed infections, with an overall EP prevalence of 64%. PCR results confirmed 22% positive for B. caballi, 42% for T. equi, and 16% for both parasites in one animal, showing an overall EP prevalence of 54%. Our study underscores the critical need for combining serological and molecular diagnostic tests to accurately identify carriers and active infections, with the goal of ensuring safe animal movement and controlling EP transmission
Creative and inclusive teaching practices in multigrade schools. An ethnographic study on the use of digital media
No full textThis article analyses how teachers in multigrade classrooms challenge the culture of homogenisation in teaching through inclusive and creative practices facilitated by digital media. Specifically, it presents the results of a multisite ethnographic study conducted in five rural multigrade schools, all participating in a broader project (PID2020–112880RB- I00) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. This project focuses on investigating creative and inclusive teaching practices in complex schools due to a high percentage of migrant population or because they are in remote environments across Spain. The study highlights practices that promote student participation and learning based on their needs and life experiences, reflecting teachers’ commitment to an inclusive teaching approach. Teachers acknowledge the need to address students’ lives, interests and abilities, while encouraging interactions with peers and the community to support learning in multigrade classrooms. However, these teachers also identify barriers to inclusion arising from an education system that homogenises groups of children through organizing schools by age related grade and prescribes specific curricula for each grade. These constraints seem to influence the reproduction of educational practices that overlook students’ lives
Linking cognitive reserve to neuropsychological outcomes and resting-state frequency bands in healthy aging
Get PDFIntroductionAs the proportion of older people has surged in the past 100 years, healthy aging has emerged as a crucial topic in neuroscience research. This study aimed to investigate the spectral power of EEG frequency bands during resting-state in older people with high and low cognitive reserve (CR).MethodsTo do so, 74 healthy older people (55–74 years old) were recruited and divided into two groups based on their level of CR: high CR (n = 41; 21 men and 20 women) and low CR (n = 33; 15 men and 18 women). Both groups participated in a cognitive assessment and 3 min of EEG recording under resting-state conditions with eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC). EEG power was analyzed across four frequency bands: delta (0.1– &lt; 4 Hz), theta (4– &lt; 8 Hz), alpha1 (8–10 Hz), alpha2 (10–12), and beta (14–30 Hz), focusing on five cortical regions of interest.ResultsNeuropsychological tests did not reveal significant differences between the two groups on most of the cognitive measures. However, the EEG analysis showed that individuals with high CR exhibited lower spectral power in the theta and delta frequency bands across different brain regions, compared to those with low CR.DiscussionThese findings suggest that individuals with high CR tend to function more efficiently, relying on fewer neural resources to sustain cognitive performance. In contrast, those with low CR may engage compensatory neural mechanisms, as indicated by increased spectral power while resting, conceivably reflecting the brain’s effort to preserve cognitive function
Symbol of an era?: The Guggenheim Bilbao as an epitome of new museum tendencies at the turn of the millennium
Get PDFThe Guggenheim Bilbao, inaugurated in 1997, soon became the most talked-about museum in the world, a global benchmark characteristically postmodern, for its architecture and its rupture with the introverted modernist canon, recovering all sort of connections with the city. Greater allure, spatial permeability and visual interrelations would be common features of new art museums, with ‘iconic’ artworks decorating their façades and surroundings. It was part of a formula of arts-led urban boosting replicated worldwide, looking for the so-called ‘Bilbao effect’.
This role-model has been broadly emulated but also contested. Perhaps it is about time for a reassessment of its critical reception and for a museological reconsideration of the ‘Bilbao era’, pointing out some controversial issues and idiosyncratic curatorial ‘effects’ in cultural districts. It is a legacy worth keeping, while other features are no longer seen as culturally desirable or politically palatable –to the point that some scholars have coined the term ‘post-Bilbao era’
Three-dimensional polarization states generated from random paraxial light
No full textWe investigate the polarimetric structure of three-dimensional (3D) light fields generated by an optical system from a random two-dimensional (paraxial) wave. In particular, we show that some central 3D polarimetric properties, e.g., the overall structure of the characteristic decomposition of the polarization matrix and whether the field is in a regular or nonregular polarization state, are determined by the geometry alone. The results are applied to tightly focused fields..
Perceptions of Students toward Learning-Oriented Assessment: The Potential of Peer Assessment
Get PDFThis study used a mixed approach to examine the implications and benefits of intergroup peer assessment in the context of cooperative work in higher education. The main objective was to analyze how this assessment strategy influenced learning, motivation, and the development of transversal competences of a sample of 305 students who were enrolled for a degree in primary education at the University of Zaragoza. An ad hoc questionnaire was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data on students’ perceptions of their engagement with the task, the relationship between peer assessment and their learning, and the improvement of their competences, such as active listening, constructive criticism, and critical judgment. Firstly, quantitative and descriptive analyses were carried out. A Cronbach’s alpha reliability analysis was also carried out. Secondly, in order to structure the qualitative information, a category tree was developed. The main results show that students value peer assessment positively because it facilitates their active learning, improves group cohesion, and fosters the development of key competences. In addition, the researchers observed an increase in motivation, ability to work in a team and critical reflection on the results and processes of students’ own work. These findings suggest that intergroup peer assessment not only supports knowledge acquisition, but also promotes cooperation between and engagement and critical thinking by students. In conclusion, intergroup peer assessment emerges as a powerful tool to enhance learning and competence development in higher education by proposing a more participatory and formative approach to assessment processes
Revisión sistemática sobre características y eficacia de los programas preventivos escolares en drogodependencias en España
Get PDFEl ámbito escolar adquiere una gran relevancia en la prevención del consumo de drogas en estudiantes, ya que es donde pasan una mayor parte del tiempo y, puesto que en España la enseñanza es obligatoria hasta los 16 años, las intervenciones en este ámbito pueden alcanzar a la mayoría de niños en esa etapa. El objetivo de esta revisión sistemática fue determinar qué nivel de eficacia presentan los programas preventivos escolares que se han implementado en España. Siguiendo las recomendaciones PRISMA, se llevó a cabo una búsqueda bibliográfica sistemática en las bases de datos Web of Science, PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus y Cochrane Library. La búsqueda arrojó 274 estudios, de los cuales fueron seleccionados 29 estudios. Se ha identificado que en España se han implementado 48 programas preventivos en drogodependencias en el contexto escolar, de los cuales tan solo 18 (37,5%) cuentan con evaluación de su eficacia siguiendo los criterios y estándares de una prevención eficaz. Por el contrario, los programas que no han sido evaluados distan en su diseño de estos estándares. Se concluye que en España conviven dos modelos de prevención escolar de las drogodependencias: un modelo que responde a esta denominación; y otro modelo calificado como “pseudo-prevención”, dado que su diseño no se ajusta a los estándares de la prevención eficaz ni su eficacia preventiva ha sido demostrada.
The school environment is of great relevance in the prevention of drug use in students because it is where they spend most of their time and, since education is compulsory until upper secondary school in Spain, interventions in this area can reach the majority of children up to that stage. The objective of this systematic review is to determine the level of efficacy of the school preventive programs that have been implemented in Spain. Following the PRISMA recommendations, a systematic literature search was carried out in the Web of Science, PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases. The search yielded 274 studies, of which 29 studies were selected. It was found that 48 drug addiction prevention programs have been implemented in Spanish school context, of which only 18 (37.5%) had an evaluation of their effectiveness following the criteria and standards of effective prevention. Conversely, the programs that were not evaluated are far from these standards in their design. It is concluded that there are two models of school prevention of drug addiction in Spain: a model that meets this description; and another model classified as “pseudo-prevention”, since its design does not meet the standards of effect prevention nor has its preventive efficacy been demonstrated
Cohort-Based Evaluation of the Risk of Low Back Pain After Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Long-Term Study
Get PDFLow back pain (LBP) is a potential complication after total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, some studies suggest that THA not only alleviates joint pain but also resolves LBP in up to 88.2% of patients. Most of these observations are limited to short-term follow-ups. This study investigates the long-term relationship between THA and LBP, challenging the notion that THA resolves LBP. A retrospective review was conducted on 236 patients who underwent THA (2010–2020). Multiple statistical models were applied, including unadjusted unmatched, adjusted unmatched, adjusted matched, and target trial emulation with 7887 subjects, to evaluate LBP incidence. Of the 236 patients, 119 developed postoperative LBP. The unadjusted unmatched analysis showed a relative risk (RR) of 2.23 (95%CI: 1.5–3.2). Adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and recruitment period reduced the RR to 1.64 (95%CI: 1.0–2.6). The adjusted matched analysis showed an RR of 1.09 (95%CI: 0.4–3.0), while the target trial emulation simulated an RR of 1.03 (95%CI: 0.7–1.8), indicating no significant differences. Despite an apparent initial association, adjusted analyses do not support a significant long-term relationship between THA and LBP. No reduction in postoperative LBP incidence was observed, suggesting THA is safe regarding LBP risk but lacks a curative effect. Rigorous confounding adjustment is essential in retrospective studies