Association of Physical and Emotional Parameters with Performance of Firefighters: A Systematic Review.

Firefighting requires a high level of physical fitness and causes substantial psychological stress, engendering musculoskeletal, mental, and cardiac issues. Consequently, it is necessary to measure the preparation of the firefighters daily through the Firefighting Physical Ability Tests (FPATs). According to the literature, some variables are more important for performance in the FPAT.

Prenatal androgenization (2D:4D) predictions of tennis match-play success in junior players: A search for physiological explanations.

Aim: This study aims to investigate the possible association between digit ratio (2D:4D) and match-play success (MPS) in junior tennis players. In addition, we consider the possible explanatory pathways of these associations in relation to psychological, strength, power, and hormonal parameters.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study, with a sample comprised of 64 male junior tennis players (11-18 years old).

Anthropometrics, Performance, and Psychological Outcomes in Mixed Martial Arts Athletes.

The digit ratio (2D:4D) is related to prenatal testosterone (T) and sports performance. Few investigations have explored 2D:4D in determining the potential performance of individuals in power-based sports, specifically combat sports. This study compared 2D:4D between mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes and non-athletes and investigated the association between (1) handgrip strength (HGS) and lean body mass (LBM) with 2D:4D in MMA athletes and (2) psychometric variables and 2D:4D in MMA athletes and non-athletes.

Electrical and Optical Properties of Silicone Oil/Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposites.

The present work describes the preparation and the investigation of the room temperature electrical and optical properties of a series of liquid nanocomposites (lnC) prepared with different concentrations of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) in a variety of liquid matrices: glycerin, Vaseline, glucose, propylene glycol and silicone oil (SIO). Special attention is deserved to the SIO matrix, owing to its convenient electrical properties for our purposes. We verified that a small percent fraction of MWCNT dispersed along the SIO matrix is capable of improving the electrical conductivity of the matrix by orders of magnitude, indicating that the MWCNT strongly participates in the electrical conduction mechanism.

Optical Investigation of Essential Oils Using Absorbance and Photoluminescence.

Essential oils are complex mixtures of organic substances with large commercial importance in the pharmaceutical, food, fragrance, and cosmetic industries due to their organoleptic and biological properties. Also, these materials are also luminescent what has taken several studies about its potential uses for the detection and quality control of essential oils, imaging, and for the investigation of the synergies of their constituents. Concerning this, the present work is dedicated to studying the optical properties of selected essential oils: citronella (), Japanese mint (), clove bud (), and bergamot ().

Digit ratio (2D:4D), testosterone, cortisol, aggression, personality and hand-grip strength: Evidence for prenatal effects on strength.

Background: Digit ratio (2D:4D) is a putative marker for prenatal testosterone and is correlated with performance in many sports. Low 2D:4D has been linked to strength but the evidence is mixed and strength is also influenced by mass, testosterone, and behavioural factors. It has been hypothesised that the 2D:4D-strength correlation may be strongest in challenge conditions when short-term changes occur in steroid hormones.

Wettability effect of graphene-based surfaces on silicon carbide and their influence on hydrophobicity of nanocrystalline cerium oxide films.

We investigate the water-repellent ability of graphene-based surfaces stabilized on silicon carbide (SiC) and the nanocrystalline cerium oxide (CeO2) films electrodeposited on them. Water contact angle is revealed strongly dependent on the number of graphene monolayers on SiC, indicating partial permeability of graphene on SiC. Fluctuations in the roughness of textured surfaces as well as variations of oxygen vacancy content in CeO2 electrodeposits are determinant for the hydrophobicity of the interaction between water droplets and nanocrystalline CeO2 electrodeposits on monolayers graphene on SiC.