170 research outputs found
Intermittent training: The benefits in football
No full textThe aim of this study is to verify the effectiveness of an intermittent training methodology in groups of boys belonging to the "Giovanissimi" category of 9-a-side football. The sample is made up of 10 athletes aged 14-15. The sporting season was divided following phases, that is, starting from a preparatory phase and then arriving at the competitive phase, the agonistic one. For the evaluation of the qualitative and quantitative data, each athlete was subjected to anthropometric tests (height, weight, BMI) and spinal flexibility tests both at entry and exit; for the evaluation of endurance, strength, speed, speed and agility the following tests were used: yo-yo Test, Sargent test, T-Test Agility, M test (20m adapted), Speed test 5m, 10m and 20mThrough the statistical model of the t-test for dependent samples, the effectiveness of the method used is evident. The data reveals significant increases for yo-yo Test, Sargent test, M (20m) test, T-Test agility. For the other tests carried out at the exit, there are no significant increases, because they are short-distance tests that show little increase, as the rapidity and speed, in this period of the developmental age, do not produce improvements for the morpho-functional adaptations specific. It has been shown how young boys, sedentary or moderately trained, can obtain benefits thanks to the proposed training, following an adequate programming and planning of training sessions according to their needs
Some remarks on the coincidence set for the Signorini problem
No full textWe study some properties of the coincidence set for the boundary Signorini problem, improving some results from previous works by the second author and collaborators. Among other new results, we show here that the convexity assumption on the domain made previously in the literature on the location of the coincidence set can be avoided under suitable alternative conditions on the data
Sul S. Pantaleo 8 della Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma: una miscellanea dantesca di metà Trecento
No full textThe article discusses the MS S. Pantaleo 8, a remarkable collection of Dante’s works now
kept at the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale in Rome. By investigating how the manuscript
was prepared, and on the basis of the eight different writings of the scribes who copied
the texts, as well as of the work of the three illuminators involved in the decoration of the
book, the author suggests that the manuscript might have been copied around the mid-14th
century either in eastern Tuscany or in Umbria
Short and Long-Term Heart-Rate Parameters in Newborns with Different Post-menstrual Ages and Sleep Position
No full textThe paper aims at quantifying, through heart rate variability (HRV) analysis, cardiorespiratory control mechanisms in newborns and one-month old infants, as a function of sleep position and Post-Menstrual Age (PMA). Position and age both affect Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) functioning whose mechanisms control HRV. Position and age have been also related to the occurrence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Term and premature (PMA ≤ 37 weeks) infants have been analyzed when sleeping in supine and prone position. The dataset includes 308 subjects (mean PMA 38.8 ± 1.49 weeks). RR-intervals series 180 s long have been obtained by detecting R peaks in the ElectroCardioGram (ECG). Ectopic beats were removed before processing.
HRV parameters included standard variability parameters in the time domain: standard deviation NN intervals, distance between normal beats, (SDNN), HRV triangular index (HRVTI) and mean NN. In addition, parameters from fetal HRV analysis have been considered: Short-Term Variability (STV) and Long-Term Irregularity (LTI). The autoregressive spectral estimation provided frequency domain parameters by estimating Power Spectral density (PSD). Parameters show differences in sleep position comparison. SDNN, mean NN, STV and LTI always reported higher values when infants are supine. Moreover, STV and LTI succeeded in comparing one-month old and newborn groups. PSD components in High-Frequency range (HF) were significant for both comparisons. These results quantitatively show that maturation of the parasympathetic nervous system one month after birth is still in progress, later with respect to the sympathetic one. Understanding this complex control is a key point in the deeper investigation of the cardiovascular control in newborns
Circuit training during physical education classes to prepare cadets for military academies tests: analysis of an educational project
No full textBackground: The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of an eight-week physical education program based on circuit training to better improve the overall physical and military-specific performance compared to a conventional physical education program in military high school students.
Methods: Sixty-four students were enrolled in this study and randomly assigned to an experimental (EG, circuit training) or a control group (CG, traditional physical education program). Immediately before and after the eight-week training period, participants were tested on strength and endurance performance, circuit training tests, and military tests. Moreover, the acquisition of the educational objectives and the pleasantness of the experimental intervention were tested using a qualitative approach.
Results: Despite the higher workload in EG than CG during the training period, the effect of the experimental intervention compared to the control was only possibly to likely positive for a few strength and endurance performances and circuit training tests, respectively. A trivial effect was shown in the military tests. On the contrary, the high percentage of motivation (76%), understanding (78%) and collaboration (86%) showed by the students suggests the achievement of acquisition of the educational objectives and a fair pleasantness of the lessons.
Conclusions: A lack of clear and marked effect of the experimental intervention could be ascribed to an insufficient exposure time to the training and a high subjective overall workload encountered in military high school students
High-performance Raman-based distributed fiber-optic sensing under a loop scheme using anti-stokes light only
No full textA distributed fiber-optic temperature sensor technique inherently allowing for system calibration, compensating time-dependent variations of the fiber losses as well as local external perturbations, is proposed using a loop-scheme together with Raman anti-Stokes-only measurement. A temperature resolution enhancement with respect to a standard loop configuration is shown by experiments, providing a robust and reliable high-performance sensing technique for long sensing ranges. © 2006 IEEE
Andrea Mantegna e Luciano di Samosata (a proposito di Rodolfo Signorini, Opus hoc tenue)
No full textISSN: 1124-378
Enhancing motivation and psychological wellbeing in the workplace through conscious physical activity: Suggestions from a qualitative study examining workers' experience
No full textIntroduction: After COVID-19 restrictions, hybrid solutions were established that combined smart working and work in presence. Workplace conditions significantly impact employees' lives, particularly in terms of meeting their needs and promoting their wellbeing. Based on a socio-ecological and multilevel methodology, the UP150 concept (Proactive Office 150) represents a possible innovative solution to meet employees' needs and valorize flexible work. It encourages physical exercise and active breaks during the typical workday by using particular architectural modifications, a dedicated App, and physical activity professionals as wellness coaches. The present study is the last step of the preliminary actions planned to check the benefits of the UP150 concept and aims to explore the workers' perceptions after experiencing this project. Methods: The qualitative analysis of a preliminary survey (concerning information about the company structure and workers' habits) performed before conducting a randomized controlled trial intervention study and the analysis of the semi-structured interviews after 8 weeks of a UP150 experience served as datasets for this study and have been examined and discussed. Results: In the preliminary survey, the young (under 40) and generally active (57% of the workers) reported being motivated to exercise but inhibited by a lack of time and a heavy workload. After 8 weeks at a modified workplace designed in accordance with the motive behind the UP150, the workers displayed noticeable positive perceptions and appreciation. Discussion: The qualitative analysis confirmed and supported the effectiveness of the UP150 concept that previous research had already found in quantitative parameters related to employees' motor efficiency, psychophysical status, and amount of physical activity. Participants reported beneficial perceived effects on their wellness and psychophysical status following a UP150 experience. Moreover, the concept improved social relationships and increased motivation. In conclusion, the UP150 concept efficiently fostered a positive perception of physical exercise and directed the employees toward the assumption of healthy behaviors fitting the physical literacy paradigm
Efficient NMPC strategies for thermal stress control of steam turbines
No full textThis paper proposes an advanced control strategy for steam turbines characterized by frequent load variations based on a nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) algorithm. In this specific scenario, turbines are subject to frequent variations in operating conditions and repeated start-ups that cause significant thermal stress. The main purpose of the developed NMPCs is to effectively regulate the generated electric power while limiting the rotor thermal stress. Collocation methods are adopted to improve the computation time required to solve the optimal control problem and then compared with a standard multiple-shooting approach. The proposed formulation includes time-varying constraints and nonlinear disturbances that vary within the prediction horizon of the dynamic module of the controller
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