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Rowing races require extreme physical and psychological effort from every athlete. This study aimed to determine the dynamics of the salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase, as well as blood lactate throughout the specific load represented by a 6 km rowing race, conducted on a rowing ergometer. The sample consisted of 11 junior and senior rowers from HVK Gusar in Split (n = 11) who actively competed at club and international levels. Variables consisted of three repeated oral samples of the hormone cortisol and the enzyme alpha-amylase determined in saliva and three repeated blood lactate samples. Potential differences in the levels of the studied variables at different time points were determined using a repeated-measures ANOVA test. The results showed different dynamics of hormonal (cortisol) and metabolic (alpha-amylase and lactates) variables. All variables experienced a significant post-race increase, while other changes were not significant. The results highlighted that high-intensity rowing causes an increase in the body's cortisol, alpha-amylase, and lactate levels. This should be implemented in rowing training to find the right balance between high and low-intensity rowing, enabling athletes' progression while reducing the risk of overtraining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress was previously defined as a response to any demand for change. These demands are noticeable during sport events, not only in athletes but also in coaches. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the influence of slow-paced breathing (SPB) on acute stress to handball coaches during official matches. One professional handball coach, aged 37 (height, 180 cm; weight, 80 kg), took part in the study. His salivary cortisol (C) concentration and alpha-amylase (AA) activity were measured, and his heart rate (HR) was monitored during six official matches. In the first three matches the SPB training protocol was not followed. From match four to match six, the coach performed SPB training every day and directly before the match. The decrease observed in AA was statistically significant with a large effect size (1.80). The trend of change in HR is visible and similar for matches with and without SPB. However, for SPB matches, there is a lower starting point compared to matches without SPB (89.81 ± 6.26 and 96.62 ± 8.10, respectively). Moreover, values of AA on SPB matches were smaller before the match (93.92 ± 15.89) compared to the same time point in non-SPB matches (115.30 ± 26.00). For AA, there is a significant effect size in the half-time (2.00) and after the match (−2.14). SPB matches showed a lower increase in AA. SPB might be used as one of the possible tools that could help coaches in achieving a desirable mental state during the match. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the effects of 3 d of intermittent fasting (3d-IF: abstaining from eating/drinking from dawn to sunset) on physical performance and metabolic responses to repeated sprints (RSs). Methods: Twenty-one active males performed an RS test (2 sets: 5 x 5-s maximal sprints with 25 s of recovery between and 3 min of recovery between sets on an instrumented treadmill) in 2 conditions: counterbalanced fed/control session (CS) and fasting session (FS). Biomechanical and biochemical markers were assessed preexercise and postexercise. Results: Significant main effects of IF were observed for sprints: maximal speed (P = .016), mean speed (P = .015), maximal power (P = .035), mean power (P = .049), vertical stiffness (P = .032), and vertical center-of-mass displacement (P = .047). Sprint speed and vertical stiffness decreased during the 1st (P = .003 and P = .005) and 2nd sprints (P = .046 and P = .048) of set 2, respectively. Postexercise insulin decreased in CS (P = .023) but not in FS (P = .230). Free-fatty-acid levels were higher in FS than in CS at preexercise (P < .001) and at postexercise (P = .009). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was higher at postexercise in FS (1.32 ± 0.22 mmol/L) than in CS (1.26 ± 0.21 mmol/L, P = .039). The triglyceride (TG) concentration was decreased in FS (P < .05) compared with CS. Conclusions: 3d-IF impaired speed and power through a decrease in vertical stiffness during the initial runs of the 2nd set of RS. The findings of the current study confirmed the benefits of 3d-IF: improved HDL-C and TG profiles while maintaining total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Moreover, improving muscle power might be a key factor to retain a higher vertical stiffness and to partly counteract the negative effects of intermittent fasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has been conducted on the eosinophil cationic protein. The high-resolution crystal structure of this protein in complex with adenosine 2',5'-diphosphate has been determined and the the results revealed the details of the ribonucleolytic active site.

The crystal structure of human eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) has been investigated at 2.4 A resolution in understanding the structure-function relationships of ECP. The possibility to determine the differences in catalytic and antipathogenetic activities of ECP and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin is discussed.

One of the essential things of management activities is making business decisions, including financial decision-making. Financial decision making in tourism management is characterized by the need for action and the existence of several guidelines for its realization. At the same time, the connection of the listed activities to the function of proper financial decision making is the basic requirement and task of the financial manager in tourism. Of course, all this is done in the direction of achieving the ultimate goal, increase in shareholder share price. In that sense, financial management in the enterprises in tourism field should give an answer to the optimal use, i.e., use of funds, provision of sources of financing, providing sources of financing, providing optimum cost of the engaged capital, deciding on the distribution of profits, as well as the dividend policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catering industry developments and trends are changing on a regular basis in order to meet the needs and expectations of the increasing food and beverage requirements of the modern catering customer. Thus, it is of utmost importance for food and beverage managers to study all these trends and developments so that any essential changes and improvements can be made in their establishments in a timely manner. Consumer preferences on catering services play a significant role in creating catering menus, an aspect that lies in the heart of the catering offer of the various catering providers. Regular analysis of catering menus is essential for all companies providing catering services. The preferences of the catering clients are a variable category and they depend on several factors: the standard of living of the population, its purchasing power, various food habits, current catering trends and so forth. For that purpose, it is necessary for all companies that appear on the catering market as catering service providers to regularly conduct market research so as to be informed about any changes that occur and that directly affect its decisions to create its catering menu, as well as additional catering services. Providing additional catering services such as: party rental equipment, additional staff such as chef during the event or additional waiter, bartender, photographer, interpreter during a seminar/conference is also important both for providing more complete catering event organization and for saving time of the potential customers who otherwise will have to arrange it by themselves. The main providers of catering services in the Republic of North Macedonia are catering companies, restaurants and hotels. The COVID-19 outbreak has made the competition between these companies even greater given the fact that many of the restaurants as a separate catering facility, but also the hotel restaurants have started to offer catering services in order to survive in the critical months of the pandemic when they were partial or fully closed or when working with a significantly reduced working hours due to the lockdown. In order to remain competitive in the catering market in the country, it is necessary for all these companies, both for the already established ones with developed catering services or the new ones who have successfully adapted to provide these services to be aware of the requirements of modern consumers of catering services. This aim of this paper is to analyze the current requirements of modern consumers of catering services in the Republic of North Macedonia that order catering services from various catering providers (independent catering companies, restaurants and hotels) in the country by conducting a research that will focus on their eating habits, nutritional requirements, food preferences and dishes from different types of cuisines, interests and requirements in terms of modern catering trends in the world, as well as factors that influence their decision to buy catering services from a particular catering company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we aimed to determine the exercise intensities eliciting the highest (FATmax) and the lowest (FATmin) fat oxidation rate in male cyclists and to compare these intensities with their individual aerobic (AeT) and anaerobic (AnT) thresholds, respectively. Twenty-two moderately trained male cyclists performed a 2-min stage graded exercise test until exhaustion using breath-by-breath gas analysis to determine maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max). The fat oxidation rate was calculated using a stoichiometric equation, with metabolic thresholds being determined by ventilatory gas analysis. In the present group of subjects, FATmax was found at a 21.34 ± 3.64 ml·kg−1·min−1 corresponding to 45.05 ± 7.68% VO2max. AeT occurred at an exercise intensity of 22.15 ± 4.84 ml·kg−1·min−1, matching 46.76 ± 10.24% VO2max. AnT and FATmin were located at intensities equivalent to 32.56 ± 5.52 ml·kg−1·min−1 and 32.30 ± 5.35 ml·kg−1·min−1 which corresponded to 68.74 ± 11.65 and 68.19 ± 11.29% VO2max, respectively. The correlation between FATmax and AeT was strong (r = 0.80, p < 0.05). No statistical difference was observed between FATmin and AnT (r = 0.99, p < 0.05). The strong relationship between observed indices can be used to provide a more tailored exercise approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present France's modern language policy in relation to the French language in the mass media at the end of the XX century. On the basis of the analysis of the documents that refer to the language policy in this area, we have concluded that, in terms of the radio and TV stations, the state regulates the use of the French language in the programmes. France also pays special attention to the print media and cinematographic production, which contribute to spreading of the French language and culture. The institutions, in charge of the protection of the French language in this area, point out that the biggest part of the mass media duly fulfil this obligation. The most common violations are the lack of translation, illegibility, grammar errors and increase presence of English words. These measures provide the protection of the French language in the mass media on both national and international level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]