68 research outputs found
Joint disorder; a contributory cause to reproductive failure in beef bulls?
The lame sire, unsound for breeding, can cause substantial economic loss due to reduced pregnancies in the beef-producing herd
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Identifying causes of Western Pacific ITCZ drift in ECMWF System 4 hindcasts
The development of systematic biases in climate models used in operational seasonal forecasting adversely affects the quality of forecasts they produce. In this study, we examine the initial evolution of systematic biases in the ECMWF System 4 forecast model, and isolate aspects of the model simulations that lead to the development of these biases. We focus on the tendency of the simulated intertropical convergence zone in the western equatorial Pacific to drift northwards by between 0.5° and 3° of latitude depending on season. Comparing observations with both fully coupled atmosphere–ocean hindcasts and atmosphere-only hindcasts (driven by observed sea-surface temperatures), we show that the northward drift is caused by a cooling of the sea-surface temperature on the Equator. The cooling is associated with anomalous easterly wind stress and excessive evaporation during the first twenty days of hindcast, both of which occur whether air-sea interactions are permitted or not. The easterly wind bias develops immediately after initialisation throughout the lower troposphere; a westerly bias develops in the upper troposphere after about ten days of hindcast. At this point, the baroclinic structure of the wind bias suggests coupling with errors in convective heating, although the initial wind bias is barotropic in structure and appears to have an alternative origin
Training loads in typical junior-elite tennis training and competition: implications for transition periods in a high-performance pathway
The purpose of this study was to describe the differences in training and competition loads at three distinct development levels in a junior-elite tennis academy. A total of 39 junior-elite tennis players were recruited from three squads; U/12, U/15 and U/18. Metrics of global positioning systems, accelerometer microtechnology and hitting demands were quantified to determine the external load. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were used to quantify internal training and competition loads. Two training sessions and one competition match were quantified. The results showed an increase in training hitting demands as age increased from the U/15–U/18 squad (p < 0.05). Serve loads were greater in competition compared to training across all squads (p < 0.05). Perceptions of exertion were greater in competition for the U/12 males (p < 0.01) with the U/15 males showing higher RPE in training (p < 0.05). No differences in perceptions of exertion were seen between female groups in training however, the U/15 females found competition less demanding than training (p < 0.05). Overall, the findings suggest practitioners be aware that the U/15–U/18 transition involves significant increases in hitting loads
Maximal rate of heart rate increase correlates with fatigue/recovery status in female cyclists
An In Vitro Biomechanical Comparison of the Breaking Strength and Stiffness of Polydioxanone (Sizes 2, 7) and Polyglactin 910 (Sizes 3, 6) in the Equine Linea Alba
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