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Objective and research design This study investigated whether the relationship between experiential avoidance and carer depression is mediated by cognitive fusion using path analysis and whether this model differs between family carers from Japan, Spain, and the UK using multi-group path analysis. Results The whole sample model (N = 745) showed a good fit to the data. The direct effect of experiential avoidance on carer depression (β =.10) and its indirect effect on carer depression through cognitive fusion (β =.15) were significant. Examined variables accounted for 45% of the variance of depression. Multi-group path analysis confirmed the same pattern of indirect path across 3 countries, while the direct path was no longer significant in Spanish and UK samples. Conclusion These findings suggest that targeting cognitive fusion may be particularly critical in culturally diverse carers and pre-emptive efforts to reduce experiential avoidance using psychological techniques may be beneficial among family carers prone to cognitive fusion regardless of cultural differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of adding an Upper Cervical Translatoric Mobilization (UCTM) or an Inhibitory Suboccipital Technique (IST) to a physiotherapy treatment in the symptomatology and function of mechanical chronic neck pain patients. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: Primary Care Center in Cornellà, Spain. Subjects: 78 patients (64 women), with mean age (SD) of 59.96 (13.30) years with mechanical chronic neck pain were divided in three groups: control, IST and UCTM groups. Interventions: All groups received 15 physiotherapy sessions for three weeks. The UCTM and IST groups added 5 minutes of the assigned technique during six sessions. Main measures: Neck disability index (NDI) and numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) for neck pain were measured baseline, three-weeks and 15-weeks follow-up. Results: NDI (SD) at baseline, three-weeks and 15-weeks were 11.62 (7.08), 9.65 (6.25), 7.58 (5.64) for the control group, 14.38 (6.92), 8.50 (6.11), 7.12 (4.98) for the IST group and 13.19(7.23), 5.35(6.10), 4.35(2.76) for the UCTM group. NPRS (SD) at baseline, three-weeks and 15-weeks were 58.69 (19.46), 45.19 (23.43), 44.58 (24.08) for the control group; 64.08 (19.26), 42.19 (19.69), 34 (21.14) for the IST group; and 67.65 (20.65), 36.23 (20.10), 39.85 (25.44) for the UCTM group. Conclusions: Compared with no treatment, both forms of mobilization were associated with reduced disability at three weeks, and UCTM remained better than control at 15 weeks; there were no significant differences between the two mobilization groups. Trial registration: This study was registered in Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02832232). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a comparative study for determining the effects of different types of training module based on 7 different sport-specific performance parameters that is aimed at enhancing the performance of professional water polo players. It includes dryland training, in-water training and polymetric training in combination with water polo training.

The article discusses research which investigated position specific anthropometry and throwing velocity in elite female water polo players. Researchers evaluated 46 players, including 21 offensive wing players, 17 centers and eight goalkeepers. They found that wings were significantly shorter and had smaller arm spans than goalkeepers, that center players and goalkeepers demonstrated longer forearm lengths than wing and center players and that trainers should focus on characteristics that contribute to throwing velocity.

The article reports on research which was conducted to investigate the effects an 18 week in season heavy-resistance and power training program had on key sports performance measures in elite male water polo players. Researchers evaluated 27 players who were assigned to in water training or resistance and power training. They found that the resistance and strength training program led to improvements in player performance qualities.

The article discusses research which was conducted to investigate the relationship between the characteristics of water polo players and efficacy indices. Researchers evaluated 11 elite trained male water polo players. They found that there were significant correlations between conditioning and performance variables with anthropometrical characteristics and several offensive tactical indices , including blocked shots received and shot precision.

An intercomparison exercise for passive integrating radon detectors has been carried out with the participation of 12 detection systems from 10 laboratories. The detection systems comprise three commonly used in radon integrating measurements, tracks, activated charcoal canisters and electrets. The exposures were carried out in the radon and thoron chambers at the Institute of Energy Techniques (INTE) of the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), which is considered to be the Spanish reference chamber. The detectors were exposed to three different temperatures (10, 20 and 30°C) and relative humidities (30, 45 and 80%). Furthermore, in three exposures radon concentration was drastically changed during the exposure period in order to study the efficiency of canister collection. The results indicated that only the charcoal canister response was found to be significantly influenced by external climatic conditions and radon fluctuations. Those track detectors, which are unable to measure thoron concentrations show thoron sensitivity and thus interfere with precise measurement of radon. Detectors for measuring thoron concentration show quite a different response, which could be related to their traceability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]