Play as practice? Comparative analysis of preparation period and match adjustments in a basketball team's performance.

In basketball, successful performance relies on the optimal use of top-down strategic guidance by coaches and bottom-up adjustments by players, requiring a preparation plan consistent with match demands. The aim of this study was to analyze the strategic-tactical tendencies between a basketball team's preparation and match performance phases for a U16 men's national team during a continental tournament. The team was composed by 12 players (aged 16 ± 0.

Hindlimb kinematics, kinetics and muscle dynamics during sit-to-stand and sit-to-walk transitions in emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae).

Terrestrial animals not only need to walk and run but also lie prone to rest and then stand up. Sit-to-stand (STS) and sit-to-walk (STW) transitions are vital behaviours little studied in species other than humans so far, but likely impose biomechanical constraints on limb design because they involve near-maximal excursions of limb joints that should require large length changes and force production from muscles. By integrating data from experiments into musculoskeletal simulations, we analysed joint motions, ground reaction forces, and muscle dynamics during STS and STW in a large terrestrial, bipedal and cursorial bird: the emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae; body mass ∼30 kg).

Shape and joint angle data for seven European horse breeds and their repeatability.

Conformation traits are important in the selection and distinction between horse breeds, but tend to be evaluated subjectively within a breed and cannot be compared between them. The horse shape space model, using a combination of 253 landmarks and semi-landmarks, provides objective information on the shape of a horse photographed from the side that can be compared between breeds. In this dataset, we are providing the full set of 253 landmarks for 1241 horses from seven breeds, including an R code file to extract joint angle information and transform the raw data into csv files for further analysis, such as breed comparisons, heritability or genome-wide association studies (single- or multibreed).

Inertial sensor data of horses from four breeds at walk and trot in hand on a straight line.

Horses have been used and bred for centuries for their movements. However, specific breeds are expected to have different movement capabilities. We have measured 425 horses from four different breeds at walk and trot on a straight line using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) system (EquiMoves®).

Long-term Eulerian Sea surface temperature records along the Portuguese Coast.

Monitoring ocean surface temperature is critical to infer the variability of the upper layers of the ocean, from short temporal scales to climatic change scales. Analysis of the climatological trends and anomalies is fundamental to comprehend the long-term effects of climate change on marine ecosystems and coastal regions. The original data for the dataset presented was collected by the Portuguese Hydrographic Institute () using seven Ondograph and Meteo-oceanography buoys anchored offshore along the Portuguese coast to acquire ocean surface temperatures.

Case report: Equine metacarpophalangeal joint partial and full thickness defects treated with allogenic equine synovial membrane mesenchymal stem/stromal cell combined with umbilical cord mesenchymal stem/stromal cell conditioned medium.

Here, we describe a case of a 5-year-old show-jumping stallion presented with severe lameness, swelling, and pain on palpation of the left metacarpophalangeal joint (MCj). Diagnostic imaging revealed full and partial-thickness articular defects over the lateral condyle of the third metacarpus (MC3) and the dorsolateral aspect of the first phalanx (P1). After the lesion's arthroscopic curettage, the patient was subjected to an innovative regenerative treatment consisting of two intra-articular injections of equine synovial membrane mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (eSM-MSCs) combined with umbilical cord mesenchymal stem/stromal cells conditioned medium (UC-MSC CM), 15 days apart.

Cocaine-related ischemic priapism. Systematic review and presentation of a single center series.

Introduction: Ischemic priapism is a medical emergency that, if not treated, could lead to permanent erectile dysfunction. The association between cocaine and priapism is well-known; however, data on patient characteristics, treatment, and outcomes is missing. This work aimed to answer the research question: What are the characteristics, management strategies, and erectile prognosis of patients consuming cocaine and presenting with priapism?

Methods: We conducted a systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines and described our case series.

Anti-caries Streptococcus spp.: A potential preventive tool for special needs patients.

Introduction: Probiotics are living microorganisms that act on the host-microbiome interface to restore the microbiota's physiological homeostasis. Numerous probiotics have been marketed with inhibitory activity against Streptococcus mutans and consequently with a potential anti-caries effect, mainly of the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, whose main disadvantage is their limited ability to settle in the oral cavity.

Methods: This narrative review describes the main Streptococcus spp.

40 years of changes in sea surface temperature along the Western Iberian Coast.

Climate change is causing mean sea surface temperatures (SST) to increase worldwide. However, this increase has not been temporally or spatially uniform, with variations observed depending both on the period considered and the geographic region. In this context, this paper aims to quantify relevant changes in SST along the Western Iberian Coast over the last four decades, through the calculation of trends and anomalies of long-term time series of in situ observations and satellite-derived data.

A Protocol for Prolonged Surgical Anaesthesia with Recovery in Fire Salamanders Using Tricaine Mesylate (MS-222): A Case Series.

The objective of this study was to describe prolonged surgical anaesthesia and recovery in fire salamanders () using tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222). A total of 14 salamanders were anaesthetised for electromyography wire implantation. Sodium bicarbonate buffered solutions (0.

Patterns of Limb and Epaxial Muscle Activity During Walking in the Fire Salamander, .

Salamanders and newts (urodeles) are often used as a model system to elucidate the evolution of tetrapod locomotion. Studies range from detailed descriptions of musculoskeletal anatomy and segment kinematics, to bone loading mechanics and inferring central pattern generators. A further area of interest has been muscle activity patterns, measured through electromyography (EMG).

Perioperative pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of meloxicam in emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae) of different age groups using nonlinear mixed effect modelling.

Meloxicam is a widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug in avian species. However, variability in pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) parameters in birds warrants species-specific studies for dose and dosing interval optimization. We performed a perioperative PK study of meloxicam (0.

Two steps for scoring a point: Creating and converting opportunities in invasion team sports.

In invasion team sports, scoring efficiency depends on the ability to create scoring opportunities and to convert them into goals or points. Scoring performance varies across sports and comparisons among them are little. In this paper we compare creation and conversion of scoring opportunities in different team sports and genders.

Blood lactate, pH, base excess and pCO as prognostic indicators in caesarean-born kids from goats with pregnancy toxaemia.

The objective of this study was to identify the prognostic value for survival of blood parameters in the immediate post-caesarean surgery period in kids born from pregnancy toxaemia (PT) goats. This study involved 10 PT goats, in which a caesarean surgery was performed. Twenty-five kids were born after caesarean surgery of which 16 survived.

Commonality of Multidrug-Resistant ST348 Isolates in Horses and Humans in Portugal.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) is considered a major global concern by the World Health Organization. Evidence is growing on the importance of circulation of MDR bacterial populations between animals and humans. Horses have been shown to carry commensal isolates of this bacterial species and can act as human MDR bacteria reservoirs.

Preliminary results on the association with feeding and recovery length in equine colic patients after laparotomy.

Colic is a serious disease for horses and the nutritional management of postoperative colic patients is an extremely important field. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyse the different factors, especially related to nutritional management, that may be associated with recovery length during hospitalization after a surgical intervention for colic, using a multivariate model. Data were collected from the records of horses presented to two hospitals and undergoing surgery for colic.

Relating neuromuscular control to functional anatomy of limb muscles in extant archosaurs.

Electromyography (EMG) is used to understand muscle activity patterns in animals. Understanding how much variation exists in muscle activity patterns in homologous muscles across animal clades during similar behaviours is important for evaluating the evolution of muscle functions and neuromuscular control. We compared muscle activity across a range of archosaurian species and appendicular muscles, including how these EMG patterns varied across ontogeny and phylogeny, to reconstruct the evolutionary history of archosaurian muscle activation during locomotion.

The influence of speed and size on avian terrestrial locomotor biomechanics: Predicting locomotion in extinct theropod dinosaurs.

How extinct, non-avian theropod dinosaurs moved is a subject of considerable interest and controversy. A better understanding of non-avian theropod locomotion can be achieved by better understanding terrestrial locomotor biomechanics in their modern descendants, birds. Despite much research on the subject, avian terrestrial locomotion remains little explored in regards to how kinematic and kinetic factors vary together with speed and body size.

Analytic method for evaluating players' decisions in team sports: Applications to the soccer goalkeeper.

The aim of this study was to define a method for evaluating a player's decisions during a game based on the success probability of his actions and for analyzing the player strategy inferred from game actions. There were developed formal definitions of i) the stochastic process of player decisions in game situations and ii) the inference process of player strategy based on his game decisions. The method was applied to the context of soccer goalkeepers.

Using step width to compare locomotor biomechanics between extinct, non-avian theropod dinosaurs and modern obligate bipeds.

How extinct, non-avian theropod dinosaurs locomoted is a subject of considerable interest, as is the manner in which it evolved on the line leading to birds. Fossil footprints provide the most direct evidence for answering these questions. In this study, step width-the mediolateral (transverse) distance between successive footfalls-was investigated with respect to speed (stride length) in non-avian theropod trackways of Late Triassic age.

Usefulness of clinical observations and blood chemistry values for predicting clinical outcomes in dairy goats with pregnancy toxaemia.

Background: Pregnancy toxaemia (PT) is a disease that affects pregnant goats during their last month of gestation and is characterized by a high case fatality rate. This study involved 32 does maintained on a commercial dairy goat farm that were diagnosed with PT. A physical examination was performed on and haematology parameters obtained from each doe, at the time of diagnosis.

Experimental tests of planar strain theory for predicting bone cross-sectional longitudinal and shear strains.

Understanding of the diversity of skeletal loading regimes in vertebrate long bones during locomotion has been significantly enhanced by the application of planar strain theory (PST) to in vivo bone strain data. PST is used to model the distribution of longitudinal strains normal to the bone's transverse cross-section and the location of the neutral axis of bending. To our knowledge, the application of this theory to skeletal biomechanics has not been experimentally validated.

Modeling the Offensive-Defensive Interaction and Resulting Outcomes in Basketball.

Purpose: We analyzed the interaction between offensive (i.e. space creation dynamics--SCDs) and defensive (i.

Different Resistance-Training Regimens Evoked a Similar Increase in Myostatin Inhibitors Expression.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of different resistance-training regimens (S or P) on the expression of genes related to the MSTN signaling pathway in physically-active men. 29 male subjects with at least 2 years of experience in strength training were assigned to either a strength-training group (S; n=11) or a power-training group (P; n=11). The control group (C; n=7) was composed of healthy physically-active males.

Ontogenetic scaling patterns and functional anatomy of the pelvic limb musculature in emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae).

Emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae) are exclusively terrestrial, bipedal and cursorial ratites with some similar biomechanical characteristics to humans. Their growth rates are impressive, as their body mass increases eighty-fold from hatching to adulthood whilst maintaining the same mode of locomotion throughout life. These ontogenetic characteristics stimulate biomechanical questions about the strategies that allow emus to cope with their rapid growth and locomotion, which can be partly addressed via scaling (allometric) analysis of morphology.