Time-motion analysis in women’s team handball: importance of aerobic performance

Women’s handball is a sport, which has seen an accelerated development over the last decade. Data on movement patterns in combination with physiological demands are nearly nonexistent in the literature. The aim of this study was twofold: first, to analyze the horizontal movement pattern, including the sprint acceleration profiles, of individual female elite handball players and the corresponding heart rates (HRs) during a match and secondly to determine underlying correlations with individual aerobic performance. Players from one German First League team (n = 11) and the Norwegian National Team (n = 14) were studied during one match using the Sagit system for movement analysis and Polar HR monitoring for analysis of physiological demands. Mean HR during the match was 86 % of maximum HR (HRmax). With the exception of the goalkeepers (GKs, 78 % of HRmax), no position-specific differences could be detected. Total distance covered during the match was 4614 m (2066 m in GKs and 5251 m in field players (FPs)). Total distance consisted of 9.2 % sprinting, 26.7 % fast running, 28.8 % slow running, and 35.5 % walking. Mean velocity varied between 1.9 km/h (0.52 m/s) (GKs) and 4.2 km/h (1.17 m/s) (FPs, no position effect). Field players with a higher level of maximum oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) executed run activities with a higher velocity but comparable percentage of HRmax as compared to players with lower aerobic performance, independent of FP position. Acceleration profile depended on aerobic performance and the field player’s position. In conclusion, a high V̇O2max appears to be important in top-level international women’s handball. Sprint and endurance training should be conducted according to the specific demands of the player’s position.

A Computational Method based on Radio Frequency Technologies for the Analysis of Accessibility of Disabled People in Sustainable Cities

The sustainability strategy in urban spaces arises from reflecting on how to achieve a more habitable city and is materialized in a series of sustainable transformations aimed at humanizing different environments so that they can be used and enjoyed by everyone without exception and regardless of their ability. Modern communication technologies allow new opportunities to analyze efficiency in the use of urban spaces from several points of view: adequacy of facilities, usability, and social integration capabilities. The research presented in this paper proposes a method to perform an analysis of movement accessibility in sustainable cities based on radio frequency technologies and the ubiquitous computing possibilities of the new Internet of Things paradigm. The proposal can be deployed in both indoor and outdoor environments to check specific locations of a city. Finally, a case study in a controlled context has been simulated to validate the proposal as a pre-deployment step in urban environments.

Fixation pattern analysis with microperimetry in nystagmus patients

Objective: To assess the usefulness of microperimetry (MP) as an additional objective method for characterizing the fixation pattern in nystagmus. Design: Prospective study. Participants: Fifteen eyes of 8 subjects (age, 12–80 years) with nystagmus from the Lluís Alcanyís Foundation (University of Valencia, Spain) were included. Methods: All patients had a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination including a microperimetric examination (MAIA, CenterVue, Padova, Italy). The following microperimetric parameters were evaluated: average threshold (AT), macular integrity index (MI), fixating points within a circle of 1° (P1) and 2° of radius (P2), bivariate contour ellipse area (BCEA) considering 63% and 95% of fixating points, and horizontal and vertical axes of that ellipse. Results: In monocular conditions, 6 eyes showed a fixation classified as stable, 6 eyes showed a relatively unstable fixation, and 3 eyes showed an unstable fixation. Statistically significant differences were found between the horizontal and vertical components of movement (p = 0.001), as well as in their ranges (p < 0.001). Intereye comparison showed differences between eyes in some subjects, but only statistically significant differences were found in the fixation coordinates X and Y (p < 0.001). No significant intereye differences were found between microperimetric parameters. Between monocular and binocular conditions, statistically significant differences in the X and Y coordinates were found in all eyes (p < 0.02) except one. No significant differences were found between MP parameters for monocular or binocular conditions. Strong correlations of corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) with AT (r = 0.812, p = 0.014), MI (r = –0.812, p = 0.014), P1 (r = 0.729, p = 0.002), horizontal diameter of BCEA (r = –0.700, p = 0.004), and X range (r = –0.722, p = 0.005) were found. Conclusions: MP seems to be a useful technology for the characterization of the fixation pattern in nystagmus, which seems to be related to the level of visual acuity achieved by the patient.