COMING DOWN: THROWING MECHANICS OF BASEBALL CATCHERS

Catchers are asked to make quick, highly accurate throws from a deep squat starting position. The purpose of this study was to define the throwing mechanics of catchers. Comparisons of their throwing biomechanics were made with pitching and long toss. Motion data were collected on collegiate catchers (n=8) and pitchers (n=22) making such throws in game-like situations. Catchers exhibited a significantly different stride pattern, greater elbow flexion through arm cocking, and less forward trunk tilt at ball release. The stresses on the shoulder and elbow during catchers’ throws were similar to pitching and long toss, but produced significantly less ball velocity, suggesting a less efficient motion. This inefficiency is most likely compensation in order to complete the throw in less time. Coaches should be aware of this tendency when teaching catchers throwing mechanics

Deep Excavation Braced by Diaphragm Wall in Gdańsk (Poland)

Protection of deep excavation by cast in situ concrete diaphragm walls for Shopping Center in Gdansk (Poland) is described. The structure was designed as five-storey-building with three additional underground floors and founded on diaphragm walls. The excavation was made by “half-floor” method with temporary supports of floor in the form of steel columns. Static calculations of excavation bracing were carried out by PLAXIS numerical code for both design stage (for two calculation schemes: anchored and supported by floor ring) as well as after its construction (back analysis). The calculations served for an assessment of predicted wall displacements, deformations of soil surface around the excavation and internal forces in subsequent stages of the excavation deepening and for different working schemes (supports) of the construction. During construction works vertical displacements of the soil surface around the excavation and surrounding buildings as well as horizontal displacements of diaphragm walls were monitored and compared with the results of corresponding calculations. Some exemplary distributions of calculated and measured values of the wall and soil surface deformations are presented. Subsoil unloading effects and the range of impact zones on the vicinity are also analyzed

The cosmic X-ray experiment aboard HEAO-1

The HEAO-1 A-2 experiment, designed to study the large scale structure of the galaxy and the universe at X-ray energies is described. The instrument consists of six gas proportional counters of three types nominally covering the energy ranges of 0.15-3 keV, 1.2-20 keV, and 2.5-60 keV. The two low energy detectors have about 400 sq cm open area each while the four others have about 800 sq cm each. Dual field of view collimators allow the unambiguous determination of instrument internal background and diffuse X-ray brightness. Instrument characteristics and early performance are discussed

Foliated quantum error-correcting codes

We show how to construct a large class of quantum error-correcting codes, known as Calderbank-Steane-Shor codes, from highly entangled cluster states. This becomes a primitive in a protocol that foliates a series of such cluster states into a much larger cluster state, implementing foliated quantum error correction. We exemplify this construction with several familiar quantum error-correction codes and propose a generic method for decoding foliated codes. We numerically evaluate the error-correction performance of a family of finite-rate Calderbank-Steane-Shor codes known as turbo codes, finding that they perform well over moderate depth foliations. Foliated codes have applications for quantum repeaters and fault-tolerant measurement-based quantum computation

Practice Patterns Of Clinicians: Assessment Of Malnutrition In Ckd Dialysis And Interventions

With limited information on the practice patterns regarding clinician identification of malnutrition and the use of nutritional interventions in malnourished CKD-5 dialysis patients, a market research survey was conducted by NKF sponsored by Pentec Health to evaluate this amongst renal clinicians. For dialysis patients, results for the top four assessment markers were: decreased appetite; albumin level; decrease in dry weight, quality of life. Most commonly recommended oral supplements (OS) were nutritionally complete renal, diabetic and standard products with most common barriers: out of pocket cost; patient resistance; and reimbursement issues. Nutrition support and food during dialysis responses for outpatients in table below:Nutrition Intervention% of clinicians who would recommendBarriers to Use (Top 3 )Tube Feeding28.0 %Not available at unit; patient resistance; family resistanceIntradialytic Parenteral Nutrition (IDPN)48.7 %Reimbursement ; not available at unit; MD resistanceIntraperitoneal Nutrition (IPN)22.0 %Not available at unit; reimbursement; MD resistanceTotal Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)16.9 %Not available at unit; reimbursement, MD resistanceFood During Hemodialysis83.3 % OS 63.3% FoodDrop in blood pressure, risk of aspiration; hygieneFindings: A clinician gap seems to exist around nutrition support interventions in CKD-5 dialysis patients. Meal provision during dialysis could be expanded. These interventions may improve the nutritional status of dialysis patients