The poetical works of John Milton

XIII, 554 p., [1] h. de lám

Analysis of Team Performance During the 2011 English County Cricket Clydesdale Bank 40 Competition

Introduction During recent years, the game of cricket has been revolutionised by the introduction of the shorter version of the game. Research into the shorter formats of the game by Petersen et al (2008a), who researched 50 over cricket matches, and Petersen et al (2008b) and Douglas and Tam (2009), studying the Twenty20 adaptation of the game, idenified different predictors of success. In 50 over cricket winning teams scored more runs through boundaries, maintained a higher run rate and had more 50+ partnerships whereas in Twenty20 cricket, wickets had the largest positive outcome in terms of winning result. This information can influence both team and individual strategies during games. No research has been conducted into the 40 over games which forms the domestic competition in the UK. This study aims to address this and identify the game variables which have the largest impact upon match outcome in 40 over cricket. A knowledge of the impact that differing match variables can have upon the outcome of the game can help to influence team and individual strategies during games. Method For the purpose of the project, scores from 101 of 129 games during the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition were analysed and the analysis includedbowling and general match variables. The magnitudes of differences of game variables were compared between winning and losing teams and were calculated using Cohen’s Effect Size (ES). Results The top three indicators for success within the tournament were losing less wickets (ES= -1.54), hitting a greater number of 4’s (ES= 0.81) and scoring at a higher overall run rate (ES= 0.76). Conclusion Team selection in 40 over cricket should consider these performance indicators and look to exploit differing game variables to enhance a team’s chances of success. Game strategy should be revised in light of this research the data from all of the 21 participating teams. The game variables were broken down into three main headings of batting

The Effect of Pitch Size on Technical Demands in Small Sided Possession Games in Amateur Footballers

Introduction Small sided games (SSGs) have had a great significance in football training by providing physiological and technical development for all levels of participation (Rampinini et al. 2007). Various researchers have studied the effect of SSGs on technical demands (see Panter et al., 2008, Katis and Kellis, 2009) with both Platt et al. (2001) and Katis and Kellis (2009) agreeing that manipulation of player numbers and pitch size has an impact upon the technical actions recorded within SSGs. Whilst there is an abundance of research in SSGs, research in small sided possession games (SSPGs) is lacking. SSPGs can be defined as the use of fewer participants, smaller pitch dimensions and no football goals where the aim is purely to retain possession. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of pitch size on technical demands during SSPGs in amateur footballers. Method Introduction Small sided games (SSGs) have had a great significance in football training by providing physiological and technical development for all levels of participation (Rampinini et al. 2007). Various researchers have studied the effect of SSGs on technical demands (see Panter et al., 2008, Katis and Kellis, 2009) with both Platt et al. (2001) and Katis and Kellis (2009) agreeing that manipulation of player numbers and pitch size has an impact upon the technical actions recorded within SSGs. Whilst there is an abundance of research in SSGs, research in small sided possession games (SSPGs) is lacking. SSPGs can be defined as the use of fewer participants, smaller pitch dimensions and no football goals where the aim is purely to retain possession. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of pitch size on technical demands during SSPGs in amateur footballers. Method Players (n=8) participated in 3v3 and 4v4 small sided possession games over three different pitch dimensions (small; 20x25m, medium; 25x30m, large, 30x40m). Each SSPG was performed as three bouts of 4 minutes and one final bout of 2 minutes, separated by 2 minutes of rest. Each game lasted 20 minutes. Games were filmed and analysed post match with the following variables recorded; 1 touch possessions, 2 touch possessions, 3+ touch possessions, dribbles, pass, receive, interception, tackle, header and total number of actions. Results ANOVA mixed factional test identified interception (P>0.05) and tackles (P>0.05) as a statistical significant difference for technical demands when the number of participants and pitch dimensions changes. Passes were the most frequent recorded event across all pitch sizes for both 3v3 and 4v4 SSPGs. Medium pitch size was found to provide the highest mean number of actions per player for both 3v3 and 4v4. Conclusion Small sided possession games can be used to develop football player’s technical ability. Coaches should carefully consider the objective of the training session prior to manipulating pitch size and participant numbers in order to ensure the objective of the session remains central to the game

Try Scoring in the RFU Championship

Previous Rugby Union studies have identified a strong correlation between the number of tries scored and winning matches (Laird & Lorimer 2004; Lim et al. 2011). However, to date, the concept of try scoring has not been examined in the RFU Championship, where the majority of premiership academy players gain vital match experience. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the characteristics that lead to the scoring of a try. Twenty-eight competitive matches from the 2010/2011 RFU Championship were analysed using the SportsCode elite system (Sportstec). All tries were analysed utilising the following performance indicators; the possession starter and location, number of phases and placement location, all of which were recorded for one team when playing at home and away (Intra operator reliability – % error score 1.69%±0.01%). Due to the non-parametric nature of the data, a Mann Whitney U tests was utilised and identified no significant (p<0.05) differences between all performance indicators. However, a number of key findings were identified; during the 28 matches, a total of 116 tries were scored averaging 4.1 tries per game. Of the 116 tries, 40.52% were scored from the within the opponents 22nd and the ball was grounded 64 times in the 15 meter channels. The team scored 66% of tries from set-pieces and 61% of tries were scored within three phases. This study has reported the characteristics which affect build up and placement of tries, and identified that the analysed team had a greater chance of scoring a try when possession was gained from a set-piece on the right-hand side within the opponents 22. In addition this study has also provided an insight into the strategies utilised by a RFU Championship team during the build up to scoring tries

The transfer and stability of the dehalogenase I gene of 'Pseudomonas putida' PP3

An R-prime, pUU2, derived from the broad host-range plasmid R68.44+ was generated carrying the dehalogenase I gene from Pseudomonas putida PP3. This R-prime enabled its host to use 2-monoch1oropropionic acid (2MCPA) as sole carbon and energy source. The R-prime was studied by restriction endonuclease analysis. The process of R-prime formation was examined in detail and was shown to have suffered from interference from an insertion sequence originating from the PP3 chromosome. The dehalogenase I PP3 chromosomal insert was shown to interfere with the plasmid transfer functions and to be capable of translocation within the plasmid. A Pseudomonad containing the R-prime pUU2 was grown under phosphate limitation on 2MCPA in a chemostat. During 2600h. a range of mutants were isolated in which the plasmid was shown to have undergone several modifications including the acquisition of lOkb of novel DNA, the transfer of the dehalogenase I gene to the chromosome, and in some cases the concomitant loss of the plasmid. A new range of 2Mcpa+ R-prime plasmids were generated using a chemostat-derived plasmid-minus strain and R68.A5. These demonstrated that though the insertion sequence IS21 of R68.A5 may be involved in R-prime formation it need not be intimately associated with the chromosomal insert into the plasmid, at least in the case of the dehalogenase I gene. This, together with the frequency of R-prime formation, lends support to the view that the dehalogenase I gene may be on a transposable element. Restriction fragments from the R-prime pUU2 were cloned into pAT153 and pKT231. Clones were isolated capable of growth of 2MCPA and their plasmids were analysed by restriction digestion

Cassava: constraints to production and the transfer of biotechnology to African laboratories

Knowledge and technology transfer to African institutes is an important objective to help achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Plant biotechnology in particular enables innovative advances in agriculture and industry, offering new prospects to promote the integration and dissemination of improved crops and their derivatives from developing countries into local markets and the global economy. There is also the need to broaden our knowledge and understanding of cassava as a staple food crop. Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a vital source of calories for approximately 500 million people living in developing countries. Unfortunately, it is subject to numerous biotic and abiotic stresses that impact on production, consumption, marketability and also local and country economics. To date, improvements to cassava have been led via conventional plant breeding programmes, but with advances in molecular-assisted breeding and plant biotechnology new tools are being developed to hasten the generation of improved farmer-preferred cultivars. In this review, we report on the current constraints to cassava production and knowledge acquisition in Africa, including a case study discussing the opportunities and challenges of a technology transfer programme established between the Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute in Tanzania and Europe-based researchers. The establishment of cassava biotechnology platform(s) should promote research capabilities in African institutions and allow scientists autonomy to adapt cassava to suit local agro-ecosystems, ultimately serving to develop a sustainable biotechnology infrastructure in African countrie

Prospective cohort study to investigate the burden and transmission of acute gastroenteritis in care homes: a study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Noroviruses are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in all age groups, but illness is more severe and causes excess mortality in the elderly, particularly those in long-term care. The total burden of norovirus disease in the elderly in the UK is poorly defined; no current surveillance programmes systematically or accurately quantify norovirus infection in those living in care homes. The aim of this study is to evaluate an enhanced surveillance system for acute gastroenteritis among the elderly in care homes. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct this prospective cohort study in care homes in North West England; residents and staff at study care homes will be asked to participate. We will prospectively enrol a cohort of participants in an enhanced surveillance system to capture the incidence of acute gastroenteritis and use multiplex PCR to detect pathogens. We will sample symptomatic and non-symptomatic participants to understand characteristics of norovirus disease and susceptibility to infection. We will generate novel data on transmission dynamics by collecting data on the pattern of interactions within care homes using electronic proximity sensors. Comparisons of outbreak and non-outbreak periods will be used to quantify the impact of norovirus outbreaks on care homes. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by the North West-Greater Manchester South NHS Research Ethics Committee (REC Reference: 16/NW/0541). Study outputs will be disseminated through scientific conferences and peer-reviewed publications. This study will provide detailed insight on the burden and aetiology of acute gastroenteritis in care homes, in addition to generating novel data on transmission dynamics and risks. The study will identify areas for improving infection control practice and allow more accurate modelling of the introduction of interventions such as vaccination

The British Army, information management and the First World War revolution in military affairs

Information Management (IM) – the systematic ordering, processing and channelling of information within organisations – forms a critical component of modern military command and control systems. As a subject of scholarly enquiry, however, the history of military IM has been relatively poorly served. Employing new and under-utilised archival sources, this article takes the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) of the First World War as its case study and assesses the extent to which its IM system contributed to the emergence of the modern battlefield in 1918. It argues that the demands of fighting a modern war resulted in a general, but not universal, improvement in the BEF’s IM techniques, which in turn laid the groundwork, albeit in embryonic form, for the IM systems of modern armies. KEY WORDS: British Army, Information Management, First World War, Revolution in Military Affairs, Adaptatio

Adjunctive rifampicin for Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (ARREST): a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia is a common cause of severe community-acquired and hospital-acquired infection worldwide. We tested the hypothesis that adjunctive rifampicin would reduce bacteriologically confirmed treatment failure or disease recurrence, or death, by enhancing early S aureus killing, sterilising infected foci and blood faster, and reducing risks of dissemination and metastatic infection. METHODS: In this multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, adults (≥18 years) with S aureus bacteraemia who had received ≤96 h of active antibiotic therapy were recruited from 29 UK hospitals. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) via a computer-generated sequential randomisation list to receive 2 weeks of adjunctive rifampicin (600 mg or 900 mg per day according to weight, oral or intravenous) versus identical placebo, together with standard antibiotic therapy. Randomisation was stratified by centre. Patients, investigators, and those caring for the patients were masked to group allocation. The primary outcome was time to bacteriologically confirmed treatment failure or disease recurrence, or death (all-cause), from randomisation to 12 weeks, adjudicated by an independent review committee masked to the treatment. Analysis was intention to treat. This trial was registered, number ISRCTN37666216, and is closed to new participants. FINDINGS: Between Dec 10, 2012, and Oct 25, 2016, 758 eligible participants were randomly assigned: 370 to rifampicin and 388 to placebo. 485 (64%) participants had community-acquired S aureus infections, and 132 (17%) had nosocomial S aureus infections. 47 (6%) had meticillin-resistant infections. 301 (40%) participants had an initial deep infection focus. Standard antibiotics were given for 29 (IQR 18-45) days; 619 (82%) participants received flucloxacillin. By week 12, 62 (17%) of participants who received rifampicin versus 71 (18%) who received placebo experienced treatment failure or disease recurrence, or died (absolute risk difference -1·4%, 95% CI -7·0 to 4·3; hazard ratio 0·96, 0·68-1·35, p=0·81). From randomisation to 12 weeks, no evidence of differences in serious (p=0·17) or grade 3-4 (p=0·36) adverse events were observed; however, 63 (17%) participants in the rifampicin group versus 39 (10%) in the placebo group had antibiotic or trial drug-modifying adverse events (p=0·004), and 24 (6%) versus six (2%) had drug interactions (p=0·0005). INTERPRETATION: Adjunctive rifampicin provided no overall benefit over standard antibiotic therapy in adults with S aureus bacteraemia. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment