Is the date of birth an advantage/ally to excel in handball?

The Relative Age Effect (RAE) has been analyzed in a population of Spanish international handball players (n=161) divided into four different levels: Senior, Junior, Juvenile and Promising Talents. The variables registered were quarter, half year and year of birth using the initial information of their date of birth. The data were collected from the Royal Spanish Handball Federation on-line data base. The statistical method used was the χ2 and the minimum level of significance was set at p<0.05. The total results on distribution by quarter show a significant difference (χ2= 21.68; p<0.01) with a greater frequency of players born in the first quarter (40.37%) compared to those born in the second (22.36%), third (16.15%) and fourth quarter (21.12%). The total results on the distribution of birth date by half year show a significant difference (χ2= 10.44; p<0.01) with a greater frequency of players born in the first half of the year (62.73%). With regard to the rate of births registered in an even numbered or odd numbered year there are significant differences when the rates for an even numbered year (64.60%) and an odd numbered year (35.40%) are compared with those of the general population (χ2= 13.72; p<0.001). Based on the data collected and analyzed it can be concluded that there is a RAE in the basic categories of the Spanish national men’s handball teams according to quarter, half year and year of birth (even or odd numbered), but there exists little knowledge about the causes and consequence which may be produced by, or derive from, this effect.

Multi-Element Analysis of Spanish Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Based Techniques. Discrimination Using Multivariate Statistical Analysis

The elemental analysis of Spanish palm dates by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry is reported for the first time. To complete the information about the mineral composition of the samples, C, H, and N are determined by elemental analysis. Dates from Israel, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Iran have also been analyzed. The elemental composition have been used in multivariate statistical analysis to discriminate the dates according to its geographical origin. A total of 23 elements (As, Ba, C, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, H, In, K, Li, Mg, Mn, N, Na, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, V, and Zn) at concentrations from major to ultra-trace levels have been determined in 13 date samples (flesh and seeds). A careful inspection of the results indicate that Spanish samples show higher concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, and Ni than the remaining ones. Multivariate statistical analysis of the obtained results, both in flesh and seed, indicate that the proposed approach can be successfully applied to discriminate the Spanish date samples from the rest of the samples tested.