The Belt and Road Initiative: China’s Rise, America’s Balance, and Latin America’s Struggle

This research attempts to understand the evolving relationship between China, the United States, and Latin America. Specifically, it explores China’s rapid rise as a formidable geopolitical power, the United States’ mixed response to that rise, and efforts by two Latin American countries, Ecuador and Argentina, to avoid exploitation by both China and the United States—and, indeed, to even benefit from this mutating relationship. In all cases, historically constructed ideas and strategic interests shape relations among these various actors. Accordingly, this research lays out the historical sources for each of these powers’ central ideas. Then, it connects those ideas to the current strategies employed by both China and the United States to promote their military, economic, political, and cultural power. Meanwhile, this research uses two case studies—Ecuador and Argentina—to explore to what extent states have attempted to use investment and trade with China through the Belt and Road Initiative to increase economic growth and expand political autonomy. Ultimately, this analysis informs our understanding of geopolitics, clarifies the role of historic memory in international relations, and lays the groundwork for further research related to the BRI’s understudied role in Latin America

Becoming a Superpower: China’s Rise and the Belt and Road Initiative in Latin America

Is China a Superpower? Will it become one? After half a century of establishing a strong international military presence, thriving economic growth, domestic/international political authority, and considerable cultural “soft power”, the PRC has emerged as a hegemon capable of competing in international geopolitics. Nevertheless, these questions remain unanswered. For this reason, this research explores what it means to be a superpower, whether China is or will be a superpower, and, importantly, what impact China’s rise has on the world. To do this, this research explores existing debates surrounding China’s current global status, the historical emergence of the PRC as a major international power, and, lastly, analyzes China’s implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative within Latin America, which is the quintessential representation of China’s continuing emergence as a 21st-Century superpower. Crucially, this research centers four axes of power—military, economic, political, and cultural power—around China’s historic memory of the “Century of Humiliation” to explain how and why Chinese leaders make the decisions they do. Ultimately, this research attempts to highlight the impact China\u27s growth has on global peace, the environment, and social justice, especially within the countries impacted by the Belt and Road Initiative

KINEMATIC AND KINETIC COMPARISON BETWEEN PRE-PROFESSIONAL DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND AMERICAN BASEBALL PITCHERS

The purpose of this study was to compare elbow valgus torque and shoulder distraction force in pre-professional American and Dominican Republic (DR) pitchers. Kinematics that are known to influence elbow valgus torque and shoulder distraction force were also compared. Three dimensional biomechanical analyses were performed on Dominican Republic (n = 37) and American (n = 37) baseball pitchers. Potential difference between Dominican Republic and American pitchers were assessed through analysis of covariance with 95% confidence intervals. Age, hand dominance, and pitch velocity are known to influence elbow torque and shoulder force, therefore these confounding variables were controlled for within the analyses. Pre-professional Dominican Republic pitchers were found to throw fastballs with slower ball velocity but experienced increased elbow valgus torque compared to their American counterparts. Increased elbow valgus torque and inefficient pitching mechanics among Dominican Republic pitchers should be considered when developing training programs and pitching plans for professional pitchers from the Dominican Republic

BALL SIZE AND WEIGHT EFFECTS ON THROWING KINEMATICS AND KINETICS IN YOUTH BASEBALL ATHLETES

In baseball, youth players play on smaller fields with shorter base path distance, pitching distance, and smaller mounds. Despite this, the baseball itself remains unchanged for youth athletes. This prospective cohort analyzed the kinematics and kinetics of 38 youth baseball pitchers while using modified sized and weighted baseballs. An ANOVA was used to determine statistical significance amongst ball modifications. ANOVA results show significance between the 3oz-5oz baseball with the 3oz baseball decreasing elbow varus torque. This is a preliminary study on the effects of modified baseballs on youth athletes

CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE AXIAL SPINE TO KICKING BIOMECHANICS IN THE DIPPING KICK AMONG ELITE SOCCER PLAYERS

The aim of this study was to develop normative data for thoracic, lumbar and pelvic range of motion (ROM) during a soccer dipping kick among five NCAA Division I and high-level youth soccer players, comparing successful and unsuccessful kicks. The “dipping” kick is a complex, skill whereby a player strikes the ball so that it initially rises, but due to its top spin subsequently “dips” toward the intended target. From a repeated measures, cross-sectional design, successful kicks had a lower thoracic rotation at ball contact and average maximum thoracic rotation at 31.1±26.5º compared to the average maximum value for unsuccessful kicks at 43.7±28.6º, although not statistically significant. This study suggests that twisting the thoracic spine away from the target in an effort to “whip” and dip the ball may be suboptimal. The thoracic spine is more in line with the pelvis in successful kicks

The Grizzly, December 5, 2019

Ursinus Cancels Swimming Seasons After Hazing Investigation • Students Detail Harassment on Main Street • Summer Internship Tips with CPD • Get to Know: Spring Break Service Trip • Opinion: Ursinus\u27 Judicial System is Broken • Q&A with Senior Linebacker Jake McCain • Women\u27s Basketball Walk-on Proves She is More Than Just a Ballerhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1597/thumbnail.jp

Cementless unicompartmental knee replacement achieves better ten year clinical outcomes than Cemented:A systematic review

Purpose The aim of this study was to report and compare the long-term revision rate, revision indications and patient reported outcome measures of cemented and cementless unicompartmental knee replacements (UKR). Methods Databases Medline, Embase and Cochrane Central of Controlled Trials were searched to identify all UKR studies reporting the ≥ 10 year clinical outcomes. Revision rates per 100 component years [% per annum (% pa)] were calculated by fixation type and then, subgroup analyses for fixed and mobile bearing UKRs were performed. Mechanisms of failure and patient reported outcome measures are reported. Results 25 studies were eligible for inclusion with a total of 10,736 UKRs, in which there were 8790 cemented and 1946 cementless knee replacements. The revision rate was 0.73% pa (CI 0.66–0.80) and 0.45% pa (CI 0.34–0.58) per 100 component years, respectively, with the cementless having a significantly (p  Conclusions Cementless fixation had reduced long-term revision rates compared to cemented for the Oxford UKR. For the non-Oxford UKRs, the revision rates of cementless and cemented fixation types were equivalent. Therefore, cementless UKRs offer at least equivalent if not lower revision rates compared to cemented UKRs. Level of evidence III.</p

Temporal trends in incidence of time-loss injuries in four male professional North American sports over 13 seasons

Sports-related injuries increase healthcare cost burden, and in some instances have harmful long term physical and psychological implications. There is currently a lack of comprehensive data on temporal injury trends across professional North American sports. The purpose of this study was to compare temporal trends, according to incidence and time-loss injuries, by body part in professional baseball, basketball, football, and ice hockey. Public injury data from Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Football League, and National Hockey League from 2007 to December 2019 were extracted and used. A mean of 62.49 injuries per 100 players per season was recorded for all professional sports. The groin/hip/thigh reported the greatest season proportional injury incidence for baseball, football, and ice hockey, with the groin/hip/thigh as the third highest injury incidence in basketball. When stratifying by more specific body part groupings, the knee demonstrated the greatest injury proportional incidence for basketball, football, and ice hockey, with the knee as the third highest proportional injury incidence for baseball. There was an increased in basketball ankle injuries following 2011-2012 season. Football and ice hockey reported the greatest concussion proportion incidence, with football demonstrating an increase in concussions over time, and a substantial increase in concussions from the 2014 to 2015 season. These publicly extracted data and findings can be used as a shared resource for professional baseball, basketball, football, and ice hockey for future individual and across sport collaborations concerning resource allocation and decision making in order to improve player health