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Introduction: This study focused on comparing performance between the WNBA and the Euroleague Women, identifying key variables to optimize key strategies in women's basketball. Objective: To establish a comparison between the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the Euroleague Women (WEL) in different phases of the season (regular season and playoffs). In addition, to obtain the main differentiating variables between these competitions and the "best teams" (those qualified for the playoffs) of each league. Methodology: Data were collected from the 2018/2019 season in the WNBA and 2019 for the WEL, collected from official statistics. Using Discriminant Analysis, the most relevant variables related to victory during the regular season were obtained. Results: Differences in play were observed between the two competitions (in 12 of the 19 variables during the regular season; and in 10 in the playoff sample). The results showed differences between the number of possessions per team, blocks and points between the leagues. Discussion: The comparison between the best teams showed differences in points, total rebounds and defensive rebounds. Only the WNBA teams had a higher percentage of 3-point success. Conclusions: The results of this research could be considered valuable information for coaches in these leagues in order to develop appropriate game strategies considering the importance of each variable in achieving victory. Thus, this work could contribute with new information related to women's basketball to the study of performance, due to the lack of specific research in this area.

Maturity status and relative age are two of the determining factors in talent development. The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of biological maturity status and relative age on physical performance in young male and female handball players. The sample included 48 males (14.11±1.17 years) and 41 females (14.25±1.64 years) players from one Spanish professional handball academy. Anthropometric data (height, sitting height, body mass and self-reported biological parent heights) and physical performance data (CMJ, DJ, 20 m speed, T-test and throwing velocity) were collected. Biological maturity status was determined as the percentage of predicted adult height, while relative age was estimated in birth quartiles based on biennial age grouping (Q1–Q8). The results showed a positive correlation between maturity status and CMJ in male players ( p < 0.01). Differences in CMJ performance according to maturity status were identified ( p < 0.05), with higher jump heights being recorded especially in early maturing boys ( p < 0.01) and first lines and wings ( p < 0.05). The variance in CMJ test scores could be explained by the maturity status by 42.90% in U–15 ( p < 0.05) and 72.60% in U–16 male players ( p < 0.001). By contrast, no differences were found in girls ( p > 0.05). Moreover, no relationships were found between relative age and indices of physical performance ( p > 0.05). Overall, maturity status had greater impacts on the tests of physical performance than relative age. Stakeholders should monitor the maturity status of young handball players to avoid physical performance biases that do not allow them to develop their sporting potential.

Abstract Drought monitoring systems are real‐time information systems focused on drought severity data. They are useful for determining the drought onset and development and defining the spatial extent of drought at any time. Effective drought monitoring requires databases with high spatial and temporal resolution and large spatial and temporal coverage. Recent reanalysis datasets meet these requirements and offer an excellent alternative to observational data. In addition, reanalysis data allow better quantification of some variables that affect drought severity and are more seldom observed. This study presents a global drought dataset and a monitoring system based on the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and ERA5 reanalysis data. Computation of the atmospheric evaporative demand for the SPEI follows the FAO‐56 Penman‐Monteith equation. The system is updated weekly, providing near real‐time information at a 0.5° spatial resolution and global coverage. It also contains a historical dataset with the values of the SPEI at different time scales since January 1979. The drought monitoring system includes the assessment of drought severity for dominant crop‐growing areas. A comparison between SPEI computed from the ERA5 and CRU datasets shows generally good spatial and temporal agreement, albeit with some important differences originating mainly from the different spatial patterns of SPEI anomalies, as well as from employing long‐term climate trends for different regions worldwide. The results show that the ERA5 dataset offers robust results and supports its use for drought monitoring. The new system and dataset are publicly available at the link https://global‐drought‐crops.csic.es/.

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to do a systematic review and meta-analysis about the anthropometric, physiological, and physical performance that discriminate the physical talent in basketball.MethodsThe search was conducted using the most relevant databases as Web of Science, PubMed, SPORTDiscus and Scopus, according to the PRISMA (2020) guideline. Keywords such as “basketball”, “talented identification”, “anthropometric”, “physiology” and “physical performance” were used for the search, in English and following the “PICOS” question model. Eighteen articles' overall methodological quality was assessed using the Critical Review Forms.ResultsThe study found in basketball, height, body mass, Yo-Yo test, T-test, 20 m sprint, and jump performance had statistical significance between elite and non-elite groups, including different positions and levels.ConclusionsThe reviewed literature highlighted a complicated relationship between anthropometric, physiological, and physical performance. Based on the results of the study, it's possible that height, body mass, agility, speed, endurance capacity, and lower lamb power could affect the early development of basketball.

Although mangroves provide many beneficial ecosystem services, such as blue carbon storage and coastal protection, they are currently under threat due to changes in climate conditions, such as prolonged drought exposure. Under drought conditions, evaporation exceeds precipitation and high soil salinities can lead to stunted growth and die-back. To quantify this interplay, we developed a database for low-lying and uninhabited mangrove islands in the Caribbean under various evaporation and precipitation regimes. We extracted physical and biological information from each island using remote sensing techniques and coupled it with a process-based model. We used this database to develop a model that explains both the spatial variability in vegetated area across the Caribbean—as a function of rates of evaporation and precipitation—and porewater salinity concentration and dispersion from island edge towards the interior of mangrove islands. We then used this validated model to predict mangrove area loss associated with increases in evaporation to precipitation rates by 2100 for different Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP). Less wealthy Caribbean regions such as Belize, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela are disproportionally affected, with mangrove area losses ranging from 3%–7% for SSP 2.6 and 13%–21% for SSP 7.0. Furthermore, foregone carbon sequestration in lost biomass under SSP 4.5 and 7.0 scenarios could compromise the ability of low-lying Caribbean mangrove islands to vertically adjust to sea level rise.

Abstract Background The aims of the study were (1) to identify the physical fitness and basic anthropometric characteristics of Polish female basketball players aged 13–15 years, (2) to show the effect of maturity timing on the performance in motor tests and basic body composition parameters, (3) to identify the index that contributes most to the prediction of performance in the tests of speed, jumping ability, agility, and endurance. Methods The sample included 904 female Polish players (U13–15). In part 1, maturity timing category distribution were examined within across age-groups. Maturity timing was followed by grouping with respect to years before or after the observed peak high velocity (PHV): PHV0 (− 0.50 to 0.49), PHV1 (0.50 to 1.49), PHV2 (1.50 to 2.49) and PHV3 (2.50 to 3.49). In part 2, the relationship between the anthropometric variables, physical fitness performance was assessed based on maturity timing categories (ANCOVA analysis). In part 3, backward stepwise multiple regression analyse quantified the relationship between maturity timing (group of PHV) and physical performance. Results ANCOVA results (age, body height, and body mass as covariates) showed in the U13 female basketball players significantly higher sprinting (20 m), jumping ability and endurance tests results of the PHV1 group. Better results was observed in U14 female players in PHV1 compared to PHV2 and PHV3 in 20 m and jumping tests but opposite trend was observed for 5 m sprint and endurance test (distance covered and VO2max). U15 basketball players from the PHV3 group were characterized by better results of jumping abilities, endurance, 10 m and 20 m sprint and agility (total, S4) tests. Maturity timing (10 m), chronological age (5 m, 20 m, agility, SVJ, VJ, and VO2max tests), body height (10 m), body mass (10 m, 20 m, VJ, VO2max), and the interaction between body mass and height (SVJ) were significant (adjusted R 2 = 0.02–0.10; p

Barrier islands and their associated backbarrier environments protect mainland population centers and infrastructure from storm impacts, support biodiversity, and provide long-term carbon storage, among other ecosystem services. Despite their socio-economic and ecological importance, the response of coupled barrier-marsh-lagoon environments to sea-level rise is poorly understood. Undeveloped barrier-marsh-lagoon systems typically respond to sea-level rise through the process of landward migration, driven by storm overwash and landward mainland marsh expansion. Such response, however, can be affected by human development and engineering activities such as lagoon dredging and shoreline stabilization. To better understand the difference in the response between developed and undeveloped barrier-marsh-lagoon environments to sea-level rise, we perform a local morphologic analysis that describes the evolution of Long Beach Island (LBI), New Jersey, over the last 182 years. We find that between 1840 and 1934 the LBI system experienced landward migration of all five boundaries, including 171 meters of shoreline retreat. Between the 1920s and 1950s, however, there was a significant shift in system behavior that coincided with the onset of groin construction, which was enhanced by beach nourishment and lagoon dredging practices. From 1934 to 2022 the LBI system experienced ~22 meters of shoreline progradation and a rapid decline in marsh platform extent. Additionally, we extend a morphodynamic model to describe the evolution of the system in terms of five geomorphic boundaries: the ocean shoreline and backbarrier-marsh interface, the seaward and landward lagoon-marsh boundaries, and the landward limit of the inland marsh. We couple this numerical modeling effort with the map analysis during the undeveloped phase of LBI evolution, between 1840 and 1934. Despite its simplicity, the modeling framework can describe the average cross-shore evolution of the barrier-marsh-lagoon system during this period without accounting for human landscape modifications, supporting the premise that natural processes were the key drivers of morphological change. Overall, these results suggest that anthropogenic effects have played a major role in the evolution of LBI over the past century by altering overwash fluxes and marsh-lagoon geometry; this is likely the case for other barrier-marsh-lagoon environments around the world.

The handling of the ball is considered to be a determining factor in the precision and power of handball throws. To facilitate ball handling, the rules allow players to use an adhesive material called ‘resin’. The aim of the study was to analyse the influence of the resin on the throw velocity and accuracy, both in men and women in formative (U-18) and senior categories. The sample consisted of 46 players (31 men and 15 women) who performed a protocol of 6 distance throws with the intention of maximum velocity and accuracy. Randomly, each subject threw 3 times without resin and 3 times with resin. The results showed a higher velocity with the use of resin in the whole sample analysed. Throws with resin were 6.56% faster (p < 0,001). However, no significant differences in throwing accuracy were found (p > 0,05). Furthermore, no differences were found between the analysis subgroups (p > 0.05). The use of resin seems to be a determinant of throwing velocity. These results are highly applicable both in the field of sport training and for the evaluation of the importance of the throw in the offensive performance of a handball team. Keywords: Performance; Efficiency; Shooting; Competition; Team Sports

We propose an optimized Structure-from-Motion (SfM) Multi-View Stereopsis (MVS) workflow, based on minimizing different errors and inaccuracies of historical aerial photograph series (1945, 1979, 1984, and 2008 surveys), prior to generation of elevation-calibrated historical Digital Surface Models (hDSM) at 1 m resolution. We applied LiDAR techniques on Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) point clouds (Spanish PNOA LiDAR flights of 2014 and 2019) for comparison and validation purposes. Implementation of these products in multi-temporal analysis requires quality control due to the diversity of sources and technologies involved. To accomplish this, (i) we used the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) between GNSS-Validation Points and the elevations observed by DSM-ALS to evaluate the elevation accuracy of DSM-ALS generated with the LAScatalog processing engine; (ii) optimization of the SfM sparse clouds in the georeferencing step was evaluated by calculating the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) between the Check Points extracted from DSM-ALS and the predicted elevations per sparse cloud; (iii) the MVS clouds were evaluated by calculating the MAE between ALS-Validation Points and the predicted elevations per MVS cloud; iv) the accuracy of the resulting historical SfM-MVS DSMs were assessed using the MAE between ALS-Validation Points and the observed elevations per historical DSM; and (v) we implemented a calibration method based on a linear correction to reduce the elevation discrepancies between historical DSMs and the DSM-ALS 2019 reference elevations. This optimized workflow can generate high-resolution (1 m pixel size) hDSMs with reasonable accuracy: MAE in z ranges from 0.41 m (2008 DSM) to 5.21 m (1945 DSM). Overall, hDSMs generated using historical images have great potential for geo-environmental processes monitoring in different ecosystems and, in some cases (i.e., sufficient image overlapping and quality), being an acceptable replacement for LiDAR data when it is not available.

(I) The execution of different sports involves a significant number of throws, jumps, or direction changes, so the body must be as stable as possible while performing a specific action. However, there is no classification of unstable devices and their influence on performance variables. Furthermore, the effect on athletes’ experience using instability is unknown. (II) The aim of this study was to analyze the power and speed parameters in bench press with different loads and unstable executions: (1) stable (SB), (2) with asymmetric load (AB), (3) with unstable load (UB), (4) on fitball (FB) and (5) on a Bosu® (BB). A total of 30 male participants (15 trained and 15 untrained) were evaluated for mean propulsive speed (MPS), maximum speed (MS), and power (PW) with different types of external load: a low load (40% of 1RM), medium load (60% of 1RM), and high load (80% of 1RM) in each condition. Variables were measured with an inertial dynamometer. (III) The best data were evidenced with SB, followed by AB (3–12%), UB (4–11%), FB (7–19%), and BB (14–23%). There were no differences between groups and loads (p > 0.05) except in the case of MS with 60% 1RM, where trained participants obtained 4% better data (p < 0.05). (IV) Executions with implements and equipment such as fitball and Bosu® do not seem to be the most recommended when the objective is to improve power or execution speed. However, situations where the load is unstable (AB and UB) seem to be a good alternative to improve stabilization work without high performance. Furthermore, experience does not seem to be a determining factor.

Technical elements are related to shooting performance; however, the importance of each factor regarding performance, especially in elite-level pistol shooters, remains controversial. The objective of this study was to determine the technical factors that influence pistol performance. One elite-level shooter was analysed during the season before the Olympic classification European championship through a total of six competitions (n = 360 shots). Aiming point trajectories were measured with the SCATT optoelectronic system. Variables were classified into six categories: performance; aiming time; stability of hold; aiming accuracy; cleanness of triggering and shooting delta. Principal component analysis, multiple regressions, Pearson correlations and ANOVAs were used to analyse the data. The results showed that five components (aiming time, stability of hold, aiming accuracy, cleanness of triggering and shooting delta) determined a total of 79.68% of the shooting variance. Specifically, aiming accuracy and cleanness of triggering explained up to 25% of the shooting score, with cleanness of triggering serving as the determining factor. Correlations were found among the performance and stability of hold, aiming accuracy, cleanness of triggering and shooting delta. Last, significant differences were found among 8-score, 9-score and 10-score shots. We conclude that while aiming accuracy seems to be related to the performance, cleanness of triggering could be the most critical technical element; furthermore, while stability of hold does not seem to be a determining factor of the score, it could be a general prerequisite to achieve high levels of performance in elite-level air pistol shooters.

Sea‐level rise sits at the frontier of usable climate climate change research, because it involves natural and human systems with long lags, irreversible losses, and deep uncertainty. For example, many of the measures to adapt to sea‐level rise involve infrastructure and land‐use decisions, which can have multigenerational lifetimes and will further influence responses in both natural and human systems. Thus, sea‐level science has increasingly grappled with the implications of (1) deep uncertainty in future climate system projections, particularly of human emissions and ice sheet dynamics; (2) the overlay of slow trends and high‐frequency variability (e.g., tides and storms) that give rise to many of the most relevant impacts; (3) the effects of changing sea level on the physical exposure and vulnerability of ecological and socioeconomic systems; and (4) the challenges of engaging stakeholder communities with the scientific process in a way that genuinely increases the utility of the science for adaptation decision making. Much fundamental climate system research remains to be done, but many of the most critical issues sit at the intersection of natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, decision science, and political economy. Addressing these issues demands a better understanding of the coupled interactions of mean and extreme sea levels, coastal geomorphology, economics, and migration; decision‐first approaches that identify and focus research upon those scientific uncertainties most relevant to concrete adaptation choices; and a political economy that allows usable science to become used science.

Background: Competitive success is the ultimate objective of elite professional sport organisations. Relative age effects (RAE) impact athlete selection processes in the short and long-term performance. The aims of this study were: (i) examine the presence of RAE by gender, competitive level, and playing position, as well as evaluate the impact of RAE on individual (goals, percentage of effectiveness in shots, saves; percentage of effectiveness in saves, assists, turnovers, steals, blocked shots, penalties, minutes played, and minutes played per match) and collective competition performance (final team position); and (ii) analyse the impact of RAE on the evolutionary trends of individual performance in international competitions throughout 16 seasons in Spanish handball (2005–2020).Methods: The sample included 631 Spanish handball players (male: n = 359; female: n = 272). A Chi-square goodness-of-fit test was used to assess whether a skewed birthdate distribution occurred. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) of independent measures was used to examine the individual and collective statistical parameters by birth quartiles. A linear regression in a Hopkins sheet were performed to compare individual performance trends.Results: The results revealed RAE in the male formative categories (p < 0.001), as well as the male and female senior categories (p < 0.05). By position, RAE especially affected the “centre-back” in the male formative (p < 0.01) and senior categories (p < 0.05). No significant relationship between RAE and individual performance was found in male formative categories, while an impact of RAE on the “minutes played” was detected in the female senior category (p < 0.05). With regard to collective performance, a higher number of relatively older handball players was observed in the best ranked teams in the male formative categories and in the quarter-final teams in the female formative categories (p < 0.05). Among the male players, relatively older players spent more minutes on the court than relatively younger players, although this advantage dissipated over time and did not lead to better performance. Among the female players, relatively younger players were found to perform better as the level of competitive handball increased.Discussion: These findings are important for talent identification and development policies in sport federations and other elite sport institutions by demonstrating the many unintended consequences of selections to international competitions at the youth level.

Background The effects of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) on anaerobic and aerobic capacity are commonly acknowledged as unclear due to the contrasting evidence thus, the present study analyzes the contribution of NaHCO3 to energy metabolism during exercise. Methods Following a search through five databases, 17 studies were found to meet the inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses of standardized mean differences (SMDs) were performed using a random-effects model to determine the effects of NaHCO3 supplementation on energy metabolism. Subgroup meta-analyses were conducted for the anaerobic-based exercise (assessed by changes in pH, bicarbonate ion [HCO3 −], base excess [BE] and blood lactate [BLa]) vs. aerobic-based exercise (assessed by changes in oxygen uptake [VO2], carbon dioxide production [VCO2], partial pressure of oxygen [PO2] and partial pressure of carbon dioxide [PCO2]). Results The meta-analysis indicated that NaHCO3 ingestion improves pH (SMD = 1.38, 95% CI: 0.97 to 1.79, P

Background: The impact on athletes based on grouping methods according to the date of birth within the constituent year, known as the relative effect of age (RAE), is a factor that can influence the achievement of sports success. Many studies have examined the magnitude of this phenomenon in sport; however, the relationship between the RAE and performance in team sports competition has not been accurately evaluated so far. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review on the influence of the RAE on competition performance in team sports through analysis of published peer-reviewed articles from 2000 to 2019.Methods: According to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis systematic search guidelines, 19 studies were identified of the 2,093 that were found in the systematic searching process carried out in four databases: Sport Discus, PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and Scopus. The sample of the study was composed by 77,329 players, of which 92.08% were male and 7.92% were female, whereas the recorded performance measurements were 87,556. The relation between relative age effects and competition performance was registered according to constraints-based theoretical model: individual constraints (sample characteristics) and task constraints (sport context). Moreover, study quality analysis, Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology, was carried out.Results: The short-term individual (10.20%) and collective (18.09%) performance was influenced by the RAE, whereas the long-term individual performance (49.71%) was affected by the RAE reverse. However, in 16.99% of the measurements, no relationship was found between the RAE and competition performance. In the analysis by subcategory, the influence of the RAE was higher in men, in adulthood (senior category), in invasion games, and in national contexts.Discussion: The findings clearly demonstrated that the RAE has a great influence on the performance in team sport. Possible implications for policy and practice should be discussed in order to prevent unequal practice based on biased models that prioritize the athlete's current performance and therefore obviate their maturational development. The heterogeneity and variability of the identified results require a relativization of the findings of this study.

El presente trabajo forma parte de un estudio realizado para determinar la agresividad corrosiva de determinadas atmósferas sobre el acero al bajo carbono, donde prevalece la contaminación por compuestos de azufre y el aerosol marino. Se realizó el estudio de los productos de corrosión que se formaron a diferentes tiempos de exposición a la atmósfera, y para esto se emplearon diferentes técnicas analíticas tales como: difracción de rayos X de polvos cristalinos (DRX), espectrometría infrarroja (FTIR), microscopia electrónica de barrido (MEB) y espectroscopia de rayos X por dispersión de energía (EDX). Entre los productos de corrosión identificados por DRX y FTIR, se encontraron los óxidos y oxihidróxidos de hierro hidratados: goethita, lepidocrocita, magnetita y akaganeita, distribuidos en diferentes fases a lo largo de todo el período de exposición del metal y se determinó así mismo su relación con la velocidad de corrosión. Se identificaron además las morfologías correspondientes mediante el empleo de MEB y se destaca la presencia de los contaminantes: azufre, cloro y calcio, según el análisis de elementos obtenidos por EDX. Abstract The present research is part of a study carried out to determine the corrosive aggressiveness of certain atmospheres upon low carbon steel, where the contamination caused by sulfur compounds and the marine aerosol prevails. It was carried out the study of corrosion products that were formed at different times of exposure to the atmosphere. For this, different analytical techniques were employed, such as: crystalline powders X- ray Diffraction (XRD), Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray spectroscopy energy dispersive (EDX). As a result, it was possible to identify corrosive products like goethite, lepidocrocite, magnetite and akaganeite by means of the XRD and FTIR techniques, distributed in different stages throughout the whole period of exposure of the metal. Likewise, it was possible to establish their relationship with the corrosion rate. Among the corrosion products identified by XRD and FTIR, oxides and oxyhydroxides hydrated iron found: goethite, lepidocrocite, magnetite and akaganeite, distributed in different phases throughout the entire period of exposure to the metal and determined likewise his regarding corrosion rate. Besides, corresponding morphologies were also identified by using SEM. The presence of some contaminants stands out: sulfur, chlorine and calcium, according to the analysis of elements obtained by EDX. Keywords: atmospheric corrosion, corrosion products, infrared spectrometry, X ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy.

La bahía de Santiago de Cuba es un ecosistema complejo que posee como uno de sus principales problemas el vertido de residuales líquidos semitratados de origen industrial y urbano. La deposición de los mismos puede originar una contaminación permanente de los fondos de la bahía que inducen alteraciones en las cadenas tróficas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar la contaminación por metales (Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, Cd y Pb) en los sedimentos superficiales de la bahía de Santiago de Cuba a través de la determinación de los contenidos totales, su comparación directa con las concentraciones de referencia establecidas en guías internacionales de calidad de sedimentos y el empleo de índices de enriquecimiento y riesgo ecológico. De los elementos analizados, el Cu presenta las mayores concentraciones y la máxima variabilidad, mientras que Ni, Zn y Pb tienen distribuciones más homogéneas. La evaluación del contenido de metales en los sedimentos mostró que el orden de abundancia de los elementos analizados fue: Cu > Zn > Ni > Pb > Co ~ Cd. De acuerdo al criterio del índice de geoacumulación, los sedimentos se encuentran fuertemente contaminados con Cu, moderadamente contaminados con Zn y tres de las estaciones presentan una contaminación de moderada a fuerte con Ni. Según criterios ecotoxicológicos, los sedimentos de tres de las estaciones se encuentran moderadamente contaminados, mientras que el resto presentan una contaminación ligera.

This study examines the relative age effect (RAE) and its impact on the performance of elite male (n = 3,358) and female (n = 3,273) handball players in the U-19 (n = 2,188), U-21 (n = 2,031), and senior (n = 2,412) categories of the 2013/2014, 2015/2016 and 2017/2018 World Handball Championships organised by the International Handball Federation (IHF). The distribution of the players´ birth dates (by quartile: Q, and semester: S) by categories, handball playing positions, and membership of continental federations, were analysed for each of the three two-year periods in which the World Handball Championships took place. Differences between the observed and expected birth dates were tested using a chi-square goodness of fit test, and subsequent calculations were tested using odds ratios. The Spearman's correlation coefficient was applied to test the correlation between the relative age of the athletes and (their) performance parameters. The results revealed a prevalence of the RAE on both male and female in the U-19 and U-21 categories (p0.05). All playing positions were impacted by the RAE (p0.05). The RAE also affected athlete performance: the oldest athletes played more minutes and achieved better performances. The RAE was associated with the final placement of the teams in each championship category, except in the male youth category. The findings clearly demonstrated that the RAE has a significant impact on the selection of male and female athletes to international competitions and the performance of both men and women in international handball. The potential implications of these findings for policy and practice are discussed.

Submerged barrier deposits preserved on continental shelf seabeds provide a record of paleocoastal environmental change from the last glacial maximum through the Holocene. The formation of these offshore deposits is often attributed to intermittent periods of rapidly rising sea levels, especially glacial meltwater pulses, which are expected to lead to partial or complete drowning – overstepping – of migrating barrier islands. However, recent cross-shore modeling and field evidence suggests that even for constant sea-level rise and shelf slope, the internal dynamics of migrating barriers could plausibly drive periodic retreat accompanied by autogenic partial overstepping and deposition of barrier sediment. We hypothesize that the interaction of periodic retreat with changes in external (allogenic) forcing from sea-level rise may create novel retreat responses and corresponding relict barrier deposits. Specifically, we posit that autogenic deposits can be amplified by an increased rate of relative sea-level rise, while in other cases internal dynamics can disrupt or mask the production of allogenic deposits. Here, we model barriers through a range of autogenic–allogenic interactions, exploring how barriers with different inherent autogenic periods respond to discrete, centennial-scale sea-level-rise pulses of variable magnitude and timing within the autogenic transgressive barrier cycle. Our results demonstrate a diversity of depositional signals, where production of relict sands is amplified or suppressed depending on both the barrier’s internal dynamic state and the pulse magnitude. We also show that millennial-scale autogenic periodicity renders barriers vulnerable to complete drowning for relatively low pulse rates of rise (

The aim of the present study was to analyze the changes of game-related statistics in expert players across their whole sports careers. From an initial sample including 252 professional basketball players competing in Spanish first division basketball league (ACB) in the 2017–2018 season, 22 met the inclusion criteria. The following game-related statistics were studied: average points, assist, rebounds (all normalized by minute played), 3-point field goals percentage, 2-point field goals percentage, and free throws percentage per season. Each variable was individually investigated with a customized excel spreadsheet assessing individual variations and career trends were calculated. The results showed a positive trend in most of the investigated players in assists (91% of cases) and free throw percentages (73% of cases). Similar percentages of positive and negative trends were observed for all the other game-related statistics (range: 41–59% for negative and positive, respectively). In conclusion, an increase in assist and free throw performance was shown in the investigated players across their playing career. This information is essential for basketball coaches suggesting the use of most experienced players in the final moments of the game.

For many years, it has been understood that the process of sport talent identification as a close to magic process (although it is understood in many cases as well), in which the coach was able, by some tests and test batteries, able to predict the future of athletes, and discern among them, who are the graceful people that would be World Champions. What ideas and arguments can lead to think that this is possible? Similarly, under the idea of talent development, it is also thought that, knowing how these athletes who have achieved the highest possible performance, it would also be possible to design a perfect process that allowed younger, if they met perfectly with the path set, reach or even exceed that performance. Do we really think this is possible?Far from accepting such ideas (and that support mainly), we must consider that there are many people who have the potential to produce high yields, in our case in sports. And far from thinking that you are just a graceful by grace of fate or the genetic lottery, we must understand that if we are able to monitor and facilitate the development process of a person, will be closer to being able to achieve the desired levels of performance. What is it that allows or causes an athlete to achieve the expected results when others do not? What factors favor the development of the athlete? How to design the development process of the athlete? We aim in this article summarize the main ideas and arguments with which the detection process and developing talent is addressed, and give the reader some ideas to help improve the learning process of any athlete who may fall into their hands.

The importance of the goalkeeper for the team performance is critical, however, publications on specific preparation are few in number, with no clear lines of work. The present study aims to analyze the different methodologies used in the specific training handball goalkeeper, by setting what the different training models as well as deepen the potential applications of each. For this purpose, it was conducted an extensive literature review, categorizing each document based on the performance factor on which prioritizes: physical-technical, perceptual and tactical. The analysis of results found that there were no other models than those categorized, being more numerous publications falling under physical and technical training, followed by the perceptive and very few exist on tactical training. In light of the results seems essential to conduct a specific training program for goalkeeper, taking into account the most relevant variables for optimal performance. No single factor seems more relevant to any stage of training, it being necessary to deepen it. Keywords: specific training, perception, decision making, tactical

El objetivo del presente artículo es conocer el proceso formativo utilizado, así como los medios utilizados por los entrenadores expertos en baloncesto para desarrollar su conocimiento y pericia. Para ello, se ha realizado una investigación cualitativa desde una perspectiva biográfica analizando el itinerario vital de los entrenadores expertos a través de una entrevista semiestructurada. Las conclusiones nos indican que la enseñanza informal, las experiencias prácticas, el mentoring, el intercambio de información, la reflexión sobre la práctica y un entorno adecuado, son los métodos más significativos de aprendizaje. Estas conclusiones deberían ser observadas a la hora del diseño curricular en la formación de los entrenadores noveles.

Feeding on phyto- and zooplankton by juvenile (< 1 year old) and adult sardines (Sardina pilchardus) was inferred from analyses of natural abundance of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in samples from the northwestern Iberian Peninsula (Spain) collected at the beginning of the upwelling season and peak spawning period of sardine. Plankton samples were fractionated through nets of 20, 200, 500, 1000 and 2000 ?m mesh-size and the muscle protein of individual sardines was isolated before isotopic determinations. Up to six planktonic components and two sardine feeding types were identified from the modes in the frequency distributions of isotope abundance values. Also, the most probable pathways for carbon and nitrogen flows between compartments were analysed. The resulting food web revealed a relatively large degree of omnivory, both in plankton and sardine components, which confirms that complex trophic interactions could also occur in pelagic upwelling ecosystems. Young sardines had isotope abundance values clustered around a single mode in the frequency distribution, while adult sardines displayed two main modes. These modes are interpreted as representative of two extreme feeding types: one related to the individual capture of zooplankton prey and the other to unselective filter-feeding. Although both types of feeding could include micro- (20-200 ?m) and mesozooplankton (200-2000 ?m) prey, phytoplankton appears to be ingested mainly by filter-feeding. However, even adult sardines must be mainly zoophagous to achieve the observed isotopic abundance values, taking into account current assumptions on stable isotope enrichment through trophic levels. From the differences in the resulting pathways using either carbon or nitrogen isotopes, we interpreted that sardines acquire most of the protein nitrogen from zooplankton while a substantial fraction of their carbon would derive from phytoplankton. These interpretations agree with the information available for this species on the gut contents and the anatomy of the filtering apparatus.

Bacterial abundance, biomass and heterotrophic activity, along with hydrographic and phytoplankton variables, were measured from February 1998 to September 1999 at two coastal stations off A Coruña (Galicia, NW Spain). Bacterial abundance varied from 0.1 to 1.8 x 106 cells ml-1 and water-column integrated bacterial production ranged from 34 to 1132 mg C m-2 d-1. Two annual maxima of bacterial abundance and production were observed, in spring and summer, although relatively high abundance values remained until autumn. In autumn and winter production values were low with the exception of the results obtained in November 1998, when the highest values of bacterial production of the whole study were observed at both stations. Bacterial biomass constituted a significant, but low, fraction of particulate organic carbon (4-21 %) and was always lower than phytoplankton biomass (up to 40% of phytoplankton carbon). Also, bacterial production was generally < 30% of primary production, but in some situations (as in early spring or in autumn) bacterial production exceeded primary production, suggesting a delayed response of bacterial activity after a phytoplankton bloom.

We use high quality climate data from ground meteorological stations in the Iberian Peninsula (IP) and robust drought indices to confirm that drought severity has increased in the past five decades, as a consequence of greater atmospheric evaporative demand resulting from temperature rise. Increased drought severity is independent of the model used to quantify the reference evapotranspiration. We have also focused on drought impacts to drought-sensitive systems, such as river discharge, by analyzing streamflow data for 287 rivers in the IP, and found that hydrological drought frequency and severity have also increased in the past five decades in natural, regulated and highly regulated basins. Recent positive trend in the atmospheric water demand has had a direct influence on the temporal evolution of streamflows, clearly identified during the warm season, in which higher evapotranspiration rates are recorded. This pattern of increase in evaporative demand and greater drought severity is probably applicable to other semiarid regions of the world, including other Mediterranean areas, the Sahel, southern Australia and South Africa, and can be expected to increasingly compromise water supplies and cause political, social and economic tensions among regions in the near future.

Abstract Dementia with Parkinson's disease represents a controversial issue in the complex group of alpha-synucleinopathies. The author acknowledges the concept of a "continuum" between Parkinson disease's (PD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), and dementia in Parkinson's disease (PDD). However, the practicing neurologist needs to identify the phenotypic signs of each dementia. The treatment and prognosis are different in spite of the overlaps between them. The main aim of this review was to characterize the clinical diagnoses of dementia associated with Parkinson's disease (PDD). Secondarily, the review discussed some epidemiological and neuropsychological issues. Selection of articles was not systematic and reflects the author's opinion, where the main text selected was the recommendations from the Movement Disorder Society Task Force for PDD diagnosis. The Pub Med, OVID, and Proquest data bases were used for the search.

Background: The aims of the study were (1) to identify the physical fitness and basic anthropometric characteristics of Polish female basketball players aged 13–15 years, (2) to show the effect of maturity timing on the performance in motor tests and basic body composition parameters, (3) to identify the index that contributes most to the prediction of performance in the tests of speed, jumping ability, agility, and endurance. Methods: The sample included 904 female Polish players (U13–15). In part 1, maturity timing category distribution were examined within across age-groups. Maturity timing was followed by grouping with respect to years before or after the observed peak high velocity (PHV): PHV0 (− 0.50 to 0.49), PHV1 (0.50 to 1.49), PHV2 (1.50 to 2.49) and PHV3 (2.50 to 3.49). In part 2, the relationship between the anthropometric variables, physical fitness performance was assessed based on maturity timing categories (ANCOVA analysis). In part 3, backward stepwise multiple regression analyse quantified the relationship between maturity timing (group of PHV) and physical performance. Results: ANCOVA results (age, body height, and body mass as covariates) showed in the U13 female basketball players significantly higher sprinting (20 m), jumping ability and endurance tests results of the PHV1 group. Better results was observed in U14 female players in PHV1 compared to PHV2 and PHV3 in 20 m and jumping tests but opposite trend was observed for 5 m sprint and endurance test (distance covered and VO2max). U15 basketball players from the PHV3 group were characterized by better results of jumping abilities, endurance, 10 m and 20 m sprint and agility (total, S4) tests. Maturity timing (10 m), chronological age (5 m, 20 m, agility, SVJ, VJ, and VO2max tests), body height (10 m), body mass (10 m, 20 m, VJ, VO2max), and the interaction between body mass and height (SVJ) were significant (adjusted R2 = 0.02–0.10; p < 0.001) predictors of motor skills. Conclusion: Trainng content of female basketball players aged 13–15 years old should be adjusted to biological requirements especially in jumping, endurance and 20 m sprint test. The time from peak height velocity (PHV) was a significant predictor only in the 10 m sprint test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effects of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) on anaerobic and aerobic capacity are commonly acknowledged as unclear due to the contrasting evidence thus, the present study analyzes the contribution of NaHCO3 to energy metabolism during exercise. Methods: Following a search through five databases, 17 studies were found to meet the inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses of standardized mean differences (SMDs) were performed using a random-effects model to determine the effects of NaHCO3 supplementation on energy metabolism. Subgroup meta-analyses were conducted for the anaerobic-based exercise (assessed by changes in pH, bicarbonate ion [HCO3−], base excess [BE] and blood lactate [BLa]) vs. aerobic-based exercise (assessed by changes in oxygen uptake [VO2], carbon dioxide production [VCO2], partial pressure of oxygen [PO2] and partial pressure of carbon dioxide [PCO2]). Results: The meta-analysis indicated that NaHCO3 ingestion improves pH (SMD = 1.38, 95% CI: 0.97 to 1.79, P < 0.001; I2 = 69%), HCO3− (SMD = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.10 to 2.17, P < 0.001; I2 = 80%), BE (SMD = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.16 to 2.19, P < 0.001, I2 = 77%), BLa (SMD = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.34 to 1.11, P < 0.001, I2 = 68%) and PCO2 (SMD = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.13 to 0.90, P = 0.009, I2 = 0%) but there were no differences between VO2, VCO2 and PO2 compared with the placebo condition. Conclusions: This meta-analysis has found that the anaerobic metabolism system (AnMS), especially the glycolytic but not the oxidative system during exercise is affected by ingestion of NaHCO3. The ideal way is to ingest it is in a gelatin capsule in the acute mode and to use a dose of 0.3 g•kg− 1 body mass of NaHCO3 90 min before the exercise in which energy is supplied by the glycolytic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]