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(1) Background: The objective of the study was to verify the effects of COVID-19 confinement on motor skills through a longitudinal study in Portuguese children who were one year old at the beginning of the pandemic. (2) Methods: The sample consisted of 88 children of both sexes, in the pre-COVID-19 assessment, they were 13.31 ± 2.4 months old and in the post-COVID-19 assessment, the same children were already 49.31 ± 2.5 months old. Motor skills were assessed using the PDMS-2 scales. For the statistical analysis, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was used to test normality, and the Wilcoxon test was used to compare the results of the two assessments in the same sample. (3) Results: There were statistically significant differences in all motor skills assessed, with children presenting, on average, worse results in all global motor skills in the post-COVID-19 assessment, as opposed to fine motor skills, showing better results in the post-COVID-19 assessment. (4) Conclusions: These results show the negative impact of the pandemic on children evaluated with a special emphasis on global motor skills, with the majority demonstrating values considered below average for their age, noting that the pandemic protocols may have had serious consequences on children's motor development, warning professionals who deal daily with children in these age groups about the importance of stimulating global motor skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interest of this study perspective, which allows us to interpret competitive action in more detail, is also important to reflect that according to the legal adaptations dictated by the rules of a modality, it makes its study necessary. The objective was to analyse the predominance of technical actions used in the 2021 European Judo Championship based on combat time and golden score. The study sample focused on 400 combats of the European Judo Championship 2021. We used an observation system created for this purpose, according to the classification system proposed by Kodokan. Cross-frequency tables were produced, where the association degree between variables was analysed using the Chi Square test, where the significance level was set at p = .05. We complemented the association analysis between variables by calculating the adjusted standardized residuals. The predominance of techniques and their effectiveness presented a similar hierarchy in both the combat and golden score phases. In golden score, women showed a significant association with hip techniques and men with frontal sacrifice techniques. Female athletes proved to be more effective in percentage terms in the golden score phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to analyse and compare behavioural changes in swimming teachers, after retrospective reflection between two swimming teaching sessions. 10 individuals were analysed, characterized by gender, level of experience, coaching graduation and level of students practice. To analyse behaviours, the SOP (teacher observation system) was applied, comparing the moments of Instruction, Feed-back, Organization and Observation. In the statistical comparison, two non-parametric tests were applied: the Wilcoxon test, which allowed comparing the same behaviours between the first and second sessions, and the Mann Whitney test, which allowed comparing the same behaviours between the first and second sessions of each session. It was found that there were significant differences in Instruction and Organization behaviours between the first and second sessions among the swimming teachers analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imagery (IM) is one of the most popular psychological techniques used by athletes and coaches to improve performance at competition level. The aim of the study was to investigate if there were statically significant differences in the use of the imagery modalities of MIQ-3 (kinaesthetic, Visual Internal, Visual External) between futsal and soccer practitioners. Seventeen-three subjects (soccer: n = 24; age = 11.33 ± 0.48 years old; futsal: n = 49; age = 10.08 ± 1.77 years old) volunteered to participate in this study. All the participants had at least two years of regular practice in federated competition. The subjects signed an informed consent form. To assess IM ability, the Portuguese version of MIQ-3 was used. The normality of the data was verified by the Shapiro-Wilk Test. The mean and standard deviation were computed as descriptive statistics. T-test Student and Mann-Whitney tests for independent samples were used to verify differences between groups. Our results demonstrated no significant differences between groups (p > .5), values were higher in futsal practitioners in VI, VE and MIQ-3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this project consists in creating a new way of structuring Education School Physics lessons, based on a logical whatever pedagogical-didactic, instead of anatomical - physiological way. This plan has been put into practice with students of 4th grade from Padres Redentoristas Social Center, located in Castelo Branco (Portugal) in swimming classes. With this purpose we designed an intervention plan in the water, which consists in four games encouraging them to do it by the good way. As a result, we analyse the results obtained in the planning, intervention and the subsequent hypothetical development of a good game that was carried out. Since due to a series of factors, both personal and external, I have not been able to meet the expectations that I had originally established in my planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contact is defined as a human need and its use in the educational field is justified against the moral panic that predominates in society. This article deepens into the reality of the use of contact as a pedagogical tool in relationships between the specialist in Physical Education and the student. Its objective is to analyse situations of intergenerational contact in the Physical-Motor Expression classroom and the aquatic environment at a school in Castelo Branco, Portugal. It was based on the bodily experience of a teacher who carried out her internship with 150 students in an Erasmus mobility. A professional from the school was involved as well. A qualitative method of research is adopted in order to detect the different pedagogical functions of touch, through the Teaching Body Journal and a semi-structured interview with a professional. We verified that the teacher-student contact has great value in the teaching and acquisition of body techniques, in emotional regulation and in auxiliary tasks. We conclude that contact can occur in multiple ways in the classroom and if it is used properly, its pedagogical value is high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to verify whether the application of additional sessions of flexibility training improves this capacity in athletes who practice acrobatic gymnastics. The study included 28 children (10.57 ± 2.5 years), aged between 7 and 15 years of both genders (F, N = 24, 11.00 ± 0.5 years; M, N = 4, 8.00 ± 0.4 years), divided into two groups, experimental group (N = 14, 8.43 ± 1.01) and control group (N = 14, 12.71 ± 1.51). The athletes in the experimental group performed 20 specific training sessions for different types of flexibility over approximately 3 months. The Shapiro-Wilk test was applied to verify normality and the Wilcoxon test (to assess intra-group differences) was used. After analysing the results, we found that although there were not many statistically significant differences, on average the experimental group presented better results after the intervention in the various variables evaluated, whereas the control group presented, on average, and in some of the study variables, little or no evolution. These results agree with the study by (Publio, 1988) who carried out an investigation evaluating the flexibility of Olympic gymnasts through training, where they obtained significant results in gymnasts with an average age of ten years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to verify if there were differences in terms of the development of strength and impulsion of the lower limbs in athletes practicing Acrobatic Gymnastics. In this study participated 12 athletes aged between 10 and 15 years (12.50 ± 0.97) all female, divided into two groups, an Experimental Group (N = 5, 12.40 ± 0.92) and a control group (N = 7, 12.57 ± 0.36). To assess the strength of the lower limbs, the Chronojump software was used and to verify the body composition, the "Inbody" Bioimpedance scale was used. Athletes in the experimental group performed 20 specific training sessions for different types of strength over approximately 3 months. The Shapiro-Wilk test was applied to verify normality and the Wilcoxon test was used (to assess intra-group differences). The main results obtained refer that both groups evolved, however it was the experimental group (subject to complementary training) that obtained better results and greater evolution, with statistically significant differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Futsal, with its tactical dynamism and agility, demands motor mastery and quick thinking. Soccer, on expansive fields, requires endurance and precise strategy. Physical condition is a crucial foundation in both, optimizing performance and preventing injuries. Both modalities exemplify the symbiosis between body and mind in the sporting context. Agility ability is associated with jumping, resulting in improved time in agility drills with increased jumping in players. The countermovement jump (CMJ) is used to measure the explosive power of the lower limbs in an individual. The purpose of this study was to verify the correlation between CMJ (Jump Height (JH), Flight Time (FT), Power (P), Initial Speed (IS)) and the agility tests (T Test, Three Cone Test and Reactive Agility Test) in young soccer and futsal players. Fifty-seven young people (soccer: n = 34; age = 14.09 ± 2.68 years old, height = 1.63 ± 13.91 m, body mass = 55.33 ± 14.67 kg; futsal: n = 23; age = 14.13 ± 2.69 years old, height = 1.66 ± 13.18 m, body mass = 56.76 ± 15.79 kg). The subject performed the "Countermovement jump" (CMJ) from a contact mat using the Chronojump system, followed by three agility tests, T-Test, Three-Cone Test and Reactive Agility Test. The results show that there is a more significant correlation between explosive power and agility in futsal players than in soccer players. Taking this into consideration coaches should continue to work on strength through jumping which will help with their agility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Futsal, with its tactical dynamism and agility, demands motor mastery and quick thinking. Soccer, on expansive fields, requires endurance and precise strategy. Physical condition is a crucial foundation in both, optimizing performance and preventing injuries. Both modalities exemplify the symbiosis between body and mind in the sporting context. Agility ability is associated with jumping, resulting in improved time in agility drills with increased jumping in players. Squat Jump (SJ) training was shown to improve physical ability in soccer players in pre-season. The purpose of this study was to verify the correlation between SJ (Jump Height (JH), Flight Time (FT), Power (P), Initial Speed (IS)) and the agility tests (T Test, Three Cone Test and Reactive Agility Test) in young soccer and futsal players. Fifty-seven young people (soccer: n = 34; age = 14.09 ± 2.68 years old, height = 1.63 ± 13.91 m, body mass = 55.33 ± 14.67 kg; futsal: n = 23; age = 14.13 ± 2.69 years old, height = 1.66 ± 13.18 m, body mass = 56.76 ± 15.79 kg). The subject performed the "Squat Jump" (SJ) from a contact mat using the Chronojump system, followed by three agility tests, T-Test, Three-Cone Test and Reactive Agility Test. The results show that there is a more significant correlation between explosive power and agility in futsal players than in soccer players. Taking this into consideration coaches should continue to work on strength through jumping which will help with their agility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to describe and compare the self-reported physical activity of Portuguese, Italian and Spanish students who attend higher education. Participated in the study 1440 higher education students. Of this total, 424 subjects study in Portugal; 407 study Italy; and 609 study in Spain. The short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was applied, validated and translated into Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. Using SPSS (v.23.0), descriptive statistics were performed, as well as verification of the normality of data distribution (Kolmogorov-Smirnov) Since all variables have a non-normal distribution, the Kruskal Wallis test was used (Mann-Whitney). We verified that, regarding the variables "Vigorous PA Days", "Moderate PA Days", "Sitting Time per day, during the week" and "Sitting Time per day, on the weekend", it is the Italian students who present the mean values more favourable, with significant differences (p = .05), compared to Spanish and Portuguese students. We conclude that Portuguese, Italian and Spanish university students present moderate levels of physical activity, combined with high amounts of daily sedentary behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agility is characterized by the athlete's capacity to perform rapid whole-body movements with a change of velocity or direction in response to a stimulus. This study aimed to verify the differences in agility performance between young soccer and futsal players. A total of 57 young players (futsal: n = 23; 14.13 ± 2.69 years old [age], 1.66 ± 13.18 m [stature], 56.76 ± 15.79 kg [body mass]; soccer: n = 34; 14.09 ± 2.68 years old [age], 1.63 ± 13.91 m [stature], 55.33 ± 14.67 kg [body mass]) volunteered to participate in this study. The participants performed three different agility tests, namely: 'T-Test' (seconds), 'Three Cone Test' (seconds), and 'Reactive Agility Test' (seconds). The normality of the data was verified by the Shapiro-Wilk Test. The mean and standard deviation were computed as descriptive statistics. T-test Student and Mann-Whitney tests for independent samples were used to verify differences between groups. Our results demonstrated significant differences in the 'Three cone test', with futsal players presenting better time (seconds). No significant differences were observed for 'T-Test' and 'Reactive Agility Test'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Futsal, with its tactical dynamism and agility, demands motor mastery and quick thinking. Soccer, on expansive fields, requires endurance and precise strategy. Physical condition is a crucial foundation in both, optimizing performance and preventing injuries. Both modalities exemplify the symbiosis between body and mind in the sporting context. Squat Jump (SJ) training was shown to improve physical ability in soccer players in pre-season. The purpose of this study was to analyse the differences in the SJ outcomes (Jump Height (JH), Flight Time (FT), Power (P), Initial Speed) between young soccer and futsal players. Fifty-seven young people (soccer: n = 34; age = 14.09 ± 2.68 years old, height = 1.63 ± 13.91 m, body mass = 55.33 ± 14.67 kg; futsal: n = 23; age = 14.13 ± 2.69 years old, height = 1.66 ± 13.18 m, body mass = 56.76 ± 15.79 kg) took part of this study. The participant performed the SJ from a contact mat using the Chronojump system (Chronojump-Boscosystem, Spain). Mann-Whitney and T-Test for Independent samples were used to verify differences between groups. We found that soccer players demonstrate higher power than futsal players, and the futsal player higher jump height than the soccer group, while other jump-related variables remain similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Futsal, with its tactical dynamism and agility, demands motor mastery and quick thinking. Soccer, on expansive fields, requires endurance and precise strategy. Physical condition is a crucial foundation in both, optimizing performance and preventing injuries. Both modalities exemplify the symbiosis between body and mind in the sporting context. The countermovement jump (CMJ) is used to measure the explosive power of the lower limbs in an individual. The purpose of this study was to analyse the differences in the CMJ outcomes (Jump Height (JH), Flight Time (FT), Power (P), Initial Speed) between young soccer and futsal players. Fiftyseven young people (soccer: n = 34; age = 14.09 ± 2.68 years old, height = 1.63 ± 13.91 m, body mass = 55.33 ± 14.67 kg; futsal: n = 23; age = 14.13 ± 2.69 years old, height = 1.66 ± 13.18 m, body mass = 56.76 ± 15.79 kg) took part of this study. The participant performed the CMJ from a contact mat using the Chronojump system (Chronojump-Boscosystem, Spain). Mann-Whitney and T-Test for Independent samples were used to verify differences between groups. We found that futsal players demonstrate notably higher power than soccer players (p < .05; 640.85 ± 238.25 vs 566.62 ± 166.23 watts, respectively), while other jump-related variables remain similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Social distancing and confinement measures were key to combating the spread of COVID-19. However, these measures could lead to side effects in other dimensions of health, with radical changes in lifestyle behaviours, namely in physical activity (PA) and eating habits. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the health-related behaviours of Portuguese students, with regard to PA habits and eating habits before and during confinement due to COVID-19. Methods: 174 students (mean = 21.58; SD = 2.58) residing in Portugal, answered the lifestyle and intention to be physically active questionnaire. Results: Of the 174 respondents, 35.1% did not practice regular PA before the 1st confinement, 22.4% practiced regular PA for less than 6 months, and finally, 42.5% subjects practiced regular PA for more than 6 months. Subjects who practiced PA before the first confinement, for more than 6 months, had better PA habits, better eating habits and higher levels of intention to be physically active. For PA habits, level of intention and eating habits during confinement, between genders, there were no statistically significant differences (p = .131; p = .398; p = .424, respectively) Conclusion: Although there were no statistically significant differences, male students showed better PA habits and more intention to be physically active, while female students showed better eating habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Futsal is a modality that requires the athlete to perform at a certain level as quickly as possible, causing excessive training after a long break, increasing the risk of contracting various traumas to the musculoskeletal system, increasing the risk of sports injuries, which according to Woods et al., (2002) happens more regularly in the preparatory period of sports seasons, closely associated with low body composition (WC) and muscle capacity (CM) indices of players in this phase of the season. The objective of this study is to verify if the existence of injury in the first 3 months of the sports season in futsal players is related to the low rates of WC and CM in the pre-season evaluation. The sample will be admission, of approximately 70 players, from 5 clubs in the district of Castelo Branco, participating in 4 competitive levels. The InBody, the Chronojump and the isokinetic dynamometer will be used to collect the WC and CM data and, for the existence of an injury, a recording grid created for the purpose. After collecting the data, the normality of the sample will be verified and the multiple linear regression test will be applied to verify the relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variables. We intend that the results alert all professionals involved in training that the initial WC and CM data may be associated with the risk of injury and, naturally, with sports performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital Marketing sets a sequence of strategies responsible for maximizing the interaction between companies and their target audience. One of them, known as Customer Success, establishes long-term techniques capable of projecting the sustainable value of a given customer to a company, monitoring the indexers that translate its activities. Therefore, this paper intends to address the need to develop an innovative tool that allows the creation of a temporal knowledge base composed of the behavioral evolution of customers. The CRISP-DM model benefits the processing and modeling of data capable of generating knowledge through the application and combination of the results obtained by machine learning algorithms specialized in time series. Time Series K-Means allows the clustering and differentiation of consumers characterized by their similar habits. Through the formulation of profiles, it is possible to apply forecasting methods that predict the following trends. The proposed solution provides the understanding of time series that profile the flow of customer activity and the use of the evidenced dynamics for the future prediction of these behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recommender systems ought to increase profit from product sales, by carefully recommending selected items to users. For this, recommendations need to be relevant, novel and diverse. There are many approaches to this problem, each with its own advantages and shortcomings. This paper proposes a novel way to combine model, memory and content-based approaches in a cascade-hybrid system, where each step refines the previous one, sequentially. In addition to this, a straightforward way to easily incorporate time-awareness into rating matrices is also advanced. This hybrid system focuses on being intuitive, flexible, robust, auditable and avoid heavy performance costs. Evaluation metrics such as Novelty Score are also formalized and computed, in conjunction with Catalog Coverage and mean recommendation price to better capture the recommender's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Although there are some studies that have linked fitness parameters and sports injuries, the literature remains controversial. The aim of the study was to prospectively analyze the influence of initial physical condition parameters on the development of injury in the first three months of the sports season in futsal players. A total of 68 players (24.26±4.63 years old) were assessed before the start of the sports season in relation to certain physical condition parameters, such as body composition (bioimpedance), lower limb power (countermovement jump, CMJ) and muscle strength (isokinetic dynamometer). The injured players showed significantly worse initial performance in the CMJ compared to the uninjured players ( p< 0.001). There were no significant differences between groups in body composition and muscle strength. Lower power values were associated with a higher risk of injury in the first few months of the sports season (OR=0.92; 95% CI=0.88-0.99). Muscle power was an independent predictor of injury in the first few months of the sports season in futsal players, indicating that improving players' physical condition could help reduce the number of injuries., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: This study aimed to verify the typology and incidence of injury by comparing the different competitive levels of futsal during the preseason., Methods: The sample consisted of 68 senior male futsal players (24.26 ± 4.63 years). Data were collected using an injury recording grid that examined the affected body part, anatomical region, type of injury, mechanism, and severity., Results: It was found that the elite group has the lowest incidence rate of injury (4.8 injuries per 1,000 h of exposure) compared to the sub-elite (11.8 injuries per 1,000 h of exposure) and amateur groups (13.9 injuries per 1,000 h of exposure). However, at this level, there is the highest percentage of injury occurrence (38.5%), the lower limb was the most affected part of the body (30.8%), and ligament (23.1%) and muscle (15.4%) injuries are the most prevalent. The most frequent mechanism of injury was non-traumatic (30.8%), and the majority were moderate injuries in the elite (23.1%) and sub-elite (17.9%) groups and severe injuries in the amateur group (12.5%)., Discussion: The amateur futsal players had the highest incidence of injury during the preseason period compared to the other competitive levels. Still, it was at the elite level where the highest percentage of injuries occurred, most of them non-traumatic and of ligament origin, primarily affecting the ankle region. The results highlight the importance of adopting specific injury prevention programs for ligament and muscle injuries during the preseason phase, regardless of the competitive level., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2024 Marques, Rebelo, Crisóstomo, Honório, Duarte-Mendes, Petrica and Serrano.)