The risk of injury in amateur soccer is lower than that previously reported in professional players. The most common complaints in amateur players are knee ligament injuries. Further research is needed to investigate ways of reducing the incidence of injuries in amateur soccer.

Eight women with clinical signs of staphylococcal mastitis were randomly divided in 2 groups. A solution of the bacteriocin nisin (6 microg/mL) was applied to the nipple and mammary areola of those assigned to the nisin group for 2 weeks, and a similar preparation devoid of nisin was applied to the control group. On day 0, staphylococcal counts in breast milk of the nisin and control groups were similar (5.04+/-0.19 and 4.88+/-0.21 log10 CFU/mL, respectively). However, on day 14, the mean in the nisin group (3.22+/-0.43 log10 CFU/mL) was statistically lower than that of the control group (5.01+/-0.21 log10 CFU/mL). No clinical signs of mastitis were observed among the women of the nisin group on day 14, whereas they persisted throughout the study in the women of the control group. In conclusion, nisin seems to be an efficient alternative to antibiotics for the treatment of staphylococcal mastitis.

BackgroundEpidemiologic research to learn the incidence, type, location, and severity of female soccer injuries and the risk factors for sustaining a sport injury is the first step in developing preventive policies. The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of injuries in the population of female soccer players in Spain.MethodsThe injuries incurred by 25,397 female soccer players were registered by the medical staff of the Spanish Football Federation during 1 season. A standardized medical questionnaire was used to classify the injury according to type, severity, location, and injury mechanism. A total of 2108 injuries was reported with an incidence of 0.083 injuries per player per season. Most injuries were in the lower limbs (74.0%), mainly affecting knee (30.4%) and ankle joints (17.9%).ResultsThe proportion of injuries derived from contact with another player was higher during matches (33.7%) than during training (11.4%; p < 0.001). Noncontact injuries were classified as severe more frequently than were contact injuries (51.0% vs. 42.6%; p < 0.001). A higher incidence of injury was found in adult soccer players (≥18 years) vs. their counterparts younger than18 years (0.094 vs. 0.072 injuries per player per year, respectively; p < 0.001). There were no differences between age groups in any other injury variable (e.g., type, mechanism, location, or severity; p > 0.05).ConclusionMost female soccer injuries were located at the knee and ankle; the injury mechanism determined the playing time lost; and the player's age did not affect injury characteristics.

The aim of this study was to examine body fat of elite Spanish soccer referees and assistant referees by division, role and age group. Participants were 243 males (age 32.4 ± 5.3 years, weight 72.3 ± 6.2 kg, height 179.1 ± 5.9 cm and body mass index 22.5 ± 1.4) who belonged to the Referees Technical Committee of the Royal Spanish Soccer Federation. A portable bioelectrical impedance analyser TANITA BC 418-MA was used to estimate the percentage of body fat (%BF). In the first analysis, they were classified by division and role: 158 elite Spanish league referees (n = 20 first-division referees; n = 22 second-division referees and n = 116 second-B-division referees) and 85 elite Spanish league assistant referees (n = 40 first-division assistant referees and n = 45 second-division assistant referees). In the second analysis, they were divided into three age groups as previously described by Castagna: young (Y, 27–32 years, n = 144), average (A, 33–38 years, n = 66) and senior (S, 39–45 years, n = 33). Analysing by division and role, the first-division referees were the oldest and the second-B-division referees were the youngest. First- and second-B-division referees had lower total %BF than first- and second-division assistant referees (9.6% and 9.8% vs 12.8% and 12.0%, p < 0.05). Comparing by age group, Y group had lower %BF than A and S groups (10.2% vs 11.4% and 12%, p < 0.05), but no differences were found between A and S groups. These results showed that first- and second-B-division referees presented more healthy values of %BF than first- and second-division assistants. By age group, Y group had the lowest %BF.

Purpose Despite the widely recognised importance of lifelong learning, there are mixed results on its causal economic impact. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how economic conditions change the composition of participants in non-formal lifelong learning and whether the business cycle is relevant for the impact of non-formal lifelong learning on employability. Design/methodology/approach Non-linear decomposition techniques and matching estimators based on multidimensional covariates are applied to the Spanish sample of the European Adult Education Survey. The analysis controls for background, human capital and personal traits and draws a distinction between unemployed and employed workers. Findings The results show major differences in the volume and composition of participants before and during the Great Recession. In addition, there is a business cycle dependence of the effectiveness of non-formal lifelong learning that varies with the individual labour market situation. While lifelong learning proves more effective for the unemployed in recessions, for the employed the impact is greater in expansions. Originality/value The paper provides new evidence on the scant results of the moderating effect of the business cycle on the impact of lifelong learning. The analysis is not restricted to training implemented within public programmes, but rather extends to any kind of non-formal lifelong learning undertaken by unemployed and employed workers. In this sense, the analysis provides information about the optimal moment to invest in lifelong learning from both the policymaker and individual as well as firm perspective.