Palladium and organocatalysis: an excellent recipe for asymmetric synthesis

The dual activation of simple substrates by the combination of organocatalysis and palladium catalysis has been successfully applied in a variety of different asymmetric transformations. Thus, the asymmetric a-allylation of carbonyl compounds, a-fluorination of acyl derivatives, decarboxylative protonation of β-dicarbonyl compounds, cyclization reactions of alkynyl carbonyl compounds and β-functionalization of aldehydes have been efficiently achieved employing this double-catalytic methodology.

Recent Advances in the Catalytic Enantioselective Reformatsky Reaction

This paper reviews the present state of the catalytic enantioselective Reformatsky reaction. Advancements in asymmetric versions of this reaction have recently led to a considerable extension of its scope and applicability, principally due to the use of highly active chiral ligands and very specific reaction conditions.

Performance Factors in Women's Team Handball: Physical and Physiological Aspects—A Review

Team handball is an Olympic sport played professionally in many European countries. Nevertheless, a scientific knowledge regarding women's elite team handball demands is limited. Thus, the purpose of this article was to review a series of studies (n = 33) on physical characteristics, physiological attributes, physical attributes, throwing velocity, and on-court performances of women's team handball players. Such empirical and practical information is essential to design and implement successful short-term and long-term training programs for women's team handball players. Our review revealed that (a) players that have a higher skill level are taller and have a higher fat-free mass; (b) players who are more aerobically resistant are at an advantage in international level women team handball; (c) strength and power exercises should be emphasized in conditioning programs, because they are associated with both sprint performance and throwing velocity; (d) speed drills should also be implemented in conditioning programs but after a decrease in physical training volume; (e) a time-motion analysis is an effective method of quantifying the demands of team handball and provides a conceptual framework for the specific physical preparation of players. According to our results, there are only few studies on on-court performance and time-motion analysis for women's team handball players, especially concerning acceleration profiles. More studies are needed to examine the effectiveness of different training programs of women's team handball players' physiological and physical attributes.

La enseñanza de la Historia a través de las tecnologías, la creatividad y el trabajo colaborativo

En el ámbito de la Didáctica de las Ciencias Sociales, la enseñanza de la disciplina histórica, suele normalmente asociarse a un proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje basado en el conductismo, por eso a través de esta investigación hemos llevado a cabo experiencias didácticas que ahondasen en la innovación educativa partiendo de la base de una enseñanza fundamentada en el método del historiador: la investigación, el trabajo cooperativo y el análisis de las fuentes históricas. Para desarrollar esta concepción en la enseñanza de la Historia hemos tenido en cuenta que el proceso se convirtiese en un elemento significativo de aprendizaje, de modo que los procedimientos se transformaban, gracias a la indagación, en un nuevo centro de interés para el alumnado. De ese modo hemos querido apostar por novedades metodológicas que implicasen el trabajo con las TIC, como los programas Photopeach o Glogster, el uso de las rutinas de pensamiento, para afianzar un aprendizaje crítico y reflexivo, así como la producción literaria para favorecer el uso de las fuentes históricas y al mismo tiempo trabajar la creatividad de nuestro alumnado. Entre los resultados obtenidos en este proceso se observan avances en el uso de las fuentes históricas, un análisis crítico de las mismas, la llegada de acuerdos y consensos a la hora de exponer estos resultados investigativos y, por último, un modelo creativo de presentar sus investigaciones desde mapas mentales hasta cuentos infantiles pasando por la producción de vídeos.