Implementing the Five-A Model of technical refinement: Key roles of the sport psychologist

There is increasing evidence for the significant contribution provided by sport psychologists within applied coaching environments. However, this rarely considers their skills/knowledge being applied when refining athletes’ already learned and well-established motor skills. Therefore, this paper focuses on how a sport psychologist might assist a coach and athlete to implement long-term permanent and pressure proof refinements. It highlights key contributions at each stage of the Five-A Model—designed to deliver these important outcomes—providing both psychomotor and psychosocial input to the support delivery. By employing these recommendations, sport psychologists can make multiple positive contributions to completion of this challenging task

The Higher Derivative Expansion of the Effective Action by the String-Inspired Method, Part I

The higher derivative expansion of the one-loop effective action for an external scalar potential is calculated to order O(T**7), using the string-inspired Bern-Kosower method in the first quantized path integral formulation. Comparisons are made with standard heat kernel calculations and with the corresponding Feynman diagrammatic calculation in order to show the efficiency of the present method.Comment: 13 pages, Plain TEX, 1 figure may be obtained from the authors, HD-THEP-93-4

Use of soil testing to predict nitrogen fertilizer needs of barley and rapeseed in Alberta

Non-Peer Reviewe

Simulations of neutron background in a time projection chamber relevant to dark matter searches

Presented here are results of simulations of neutron background performed for a time projection chamber acting as a particle dark matter detector in an underground laboratory. The investigated background includes neutrons from rock and detector components, generated via spontaneous fission and (alpha, n) reactions, as well as those due to cosmic-ray muons. Neutrons were propagated to the sensitive volume of the detector and the nuclear recoil spectra were calculated. Methods of neutron background suppression were also examined and limitations to the sensitivity of a gaseous dark matter detector are discussed. Results indicate that neutrons should not limit sensitivity to WIMP-nucleon interactions down to a level of (1 - 3) x 10^{-8} pb in a 10 kg detector.Comment: 27 pages (total, including 3 tables and 11 figures). Accepted for publication in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research - Section

An entomocentric view of the Janzen-Connell hypothesis

In 1987, in the first issue of Conservation Biology, Edward O. Wilson wrote about the “little things that run the world” – the importance and conservation of insects (Wilson, 1987). Readers of Insect Conservation and Diversity will no doubt be very familiar with the concept. Sadly, however, this perception is not as widely shared among the rest of the scientific community as it should be, and insects are still comparatively neglected as a prime focus of scientific investigations

Segmentation of Gated Tl-SPECT Images and Computation of Ejection Fraction: A Different Approach

Background. We describe a set of image processing algorithms and mathematical models that can be advantageously used in schemes for the segmentation of thallium-201-single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images and for computation of left ventricular ejection fraction (EF). Methods. The system consists of two independent blocs for image segmentation and computation of function. The former is based on a multiresolution elliptical coordinate transformation and dynamic contour tracking. Computation of EF is formulated on the basis of both the endocardial and epicardial contours, and we compare this formulation with that using only the endocardial border for images with low signal-to-noise ratios. The accuracy of border detection was validated against manual border tracing on FDG-PET images, simulated Tl-201-SPECT images where the true underlying borders were known, and actual Tl-201-SPECT images. Finally, we compared EFs computed for FDG-PET, technetium-99m-SPECT and Tl-201-SPECT with those obtained from planar gated blood pool imaging. Results. The automatically obtained results always were within the manual uncertainty range. Agreement between myocardial volumes from positron emission tomography and automatically obtained values from the simulated Tl-201-SPECT images was excellent (r = 0.95, n = 32). Agreement between EFs from planar gated blood pool imaging and the other image modalities was good (FDG-PET: y = 5.89 + 1.21x, r = 0.92, see = 6.24, n = 19, Tc-99m-SPECT: y = -3.86 + 1.06x, r = 0.88, see = 7.78, n = 9, Tl-201-SPECT: y = 17.8 + 0.81x, r = 0.77, see = 7.44, n = 26). For noisy input data the combined use of information from epicardial and endocardial contours gives more accurate EF values than the traditional formula on the basis of the endocardial contour only. Conclusions. Alternate approaches for segmentation and computation of function have been presented and validated. They might also be advantageously incorporated into other existing techniques

High gradient superconducting quadrupoles

Prototype superconducting quadrupoles with a 5 cm aperture and gradient of 16 kG/cm have been built and tested as candidate magnets for the final focus at SLC. The magnets are made from NbTi Tevatron style cable with 10 inner and 14 outer turns per quadrant. Quench performance and multipole data are presented. Design and data for a low current, high gradient quadrupole, similar in cross section but wound with a cable consisting of five insulated conductors are also discussed

Effect of aerosolized uridine-5'-triphosphate on airway clearance with cough in patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a genetic disease characterized by abnormal ciliary structure and function and impaired mucociliary clearance. Because patients with PCD use cough clearance as an airway defense mechanism, we tested the hypothesis that aerosolized uridine-5'-triphosphate (UTP) would improve clearance during cough by its actions to stimulate CI secretion and mucin release by goblet cells. We measured clearance during cough in 12 patients with PCD (ages 14 to 71 yr, FEV1 43% to 89% predicted) in a double blind, randomized, crossover study after aerosolization of a single dose of UTP (5 mg/ml, 3.5 ml) or vehicle (0.12% saline, 3.5 ml). Clearance during cough (whole lung) was quantified during and after a series of controlled coughs by measuring the clearance of [99mTc]Fe2O3 particles via gamma camera scanning over 120 min. Safety parameters were recorded during and after drug delivery. Aerosolized UTP improved whole-lung clearance during cough as compared with vehicle (from 0 to 60 min: 0.40 ± 0.07%/min [UTP] versus 0.26 ± 0.04%/min [vehicle] [mean ± SEMI, p = 0.01), and from 0 to 120 min: 0.38 ± 0.05%/min [UTP] versus 0.25 ± 0.04%/min [vehicle], p = 0.02), Aerosolized UTP is safe, with no serious adverse effects. Whole-lung clearance during cough in patients with defective ciliary function is enhanced after inhalation of UTP

High-contrast imaging constraints on gas giant planet formation - The Herbig Ae/Be star opportunity

Planet formation studies are often focused on solar-type stars, implicitly considering our Sun as reference point. This approach overlooks, however, that Herbig Ae/Be stars are in some sense much better targets to study planet formation processes empirically, with their disks generally being larger, brighter and simply easier to observe across a large wavelength range. In addition, massive gas giant planets have been found on wide orbits around early type stars, triggering the question if these objects did indeed form there and, if so, by what process. In the following I briefly review what we currently know about the occurrence rate of planets around intermediate mass stars, before discussing recent results from Herbig Ae/Be stars in the context of planet formation. The main emphasis is put on spatially resolved polarized light images of potentially planet forming disks and how these images - in combination with other data - can be used to empirically constrain (parts of) the planet formation process. Of particular interest are two objects, HD100546 and HD169142, where, in addition to intriguing morphological structures in the disks, direct observational evidence for (very) young planets has been reported. I conclude with an outlook, what further progress we can expect in the very near future with the next generation of high-contrast imagers at 8-m class telescopes and their synergies with ALMA.Comment: Accepted by Astrophysics and Space Science as invited short review in special issue about Herbig Ae/Be stars; 12 pages incl. 5 figures, 2 tables and reference

Genetic Relationships of Crown Rust Resistance, Grain Yield, Test Weight, and Seed Weight in Oat

Integrating selection for agronomic performance and quantitative resistance to crown rust, caused by Puccinia coronata Corda var. avenae W.P. Fraser & Ledingham, in oat (Avena sativa L.) requires an understanding of their genetic relationships. This study was conducted to investigate the genetic relationships of crown rust resistance, grain yield, test weight, and seed weight under both inoculated and fungicide-treated conditions. A Design II mating was performed between 10 oat lines with putative partial resistance to crown rust and nine lines with superior grain yield and grain quality potential. Progenies from this mating were evaluated in both crown rust-inoculated and fungicide-treated plots in four Iowa environments to estimate genetic effects and phenotypic correlations between crown rust resistance and grain yield, seed weight, and test weight under either infection or fungicide-treated conditions. Lines from a random-mated population derived from the same parents were evaluated in three Iowa environments to estimate heritabilities of, and genetic correlations between, these traits. Resistance to crown rust, as measured by area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC), was highly heritable (H = 0.89 on an entry-mean basis), and was favorably correlated with grain yield, seed weight, and test weight measured in crown rust-inoculated plots. AUDPC was unfavorably correlated or uncorrelated with grain yield, test weight, and seed weight measured in fungicide-treated plots. To improve simultaneously crown rust resistance, grain yield, and seed weight under both lower and higher levels of crown rust infection, an optimum selection index can be developed with the genetic parameters estimated in this stud