Analysis of the start to the first hurdle in 110m hurdles at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Beijing 2015

The purpose of this study was to use observational analysis to evaluate the relationships between variables measured at the start of the men’s 110 hurdles event and race performance itself. Data were obtained for competitors in 2015 IAAF World Athletics Ch ampionships, in Beijing, China. The athletes’ start was quantified by reaction time and time to the first hurdle; their action over the first hurdle was quantified by the take - off distance (i.e., the distance from the last step to the first hurdle), the la nding distance, and the total distance in the air over the first hurdle. Regression analyses revealed that the combination of one measure of the start (either reaction time or time to the first hurdle) and the measure of propulsion over the first hurdle (d istance in air over the first hurdle) predicted performance (SEE = 0.23 s in the heats, SEE = 0.16 s in the semi - finals, SEE = 0.09 s in the finals). In addition, looking at performances in the finals, where all athletes with available data used a seven - st ep approach to the first hurdle, inclusion of stride length data improved the prediction somewhat (SEE = 0.07 s). The results demonstrate that a combination of a fast start, rapid acceleration, and strong drive over the first hurdle quantifiably explains a nd contributes to performance in the men’s 110 m hurdles at the highest level

Trends and preferences of Internet participants: differences between SNS users and non-users

The staggering growth of online social networking and the potential of Social Networking Sites as marketing channels has become an issue of attention and interest by commercial organizations. This explorative study provides the basis for understanding the nature and behaviour of users of these sites. Based on a national sample, this paper investigates the demographics, profiles and behaviour of participants of Social Networking Sites in The Netherlands. The paper compares the online behaviour of users and non-users of SNS and reveals that the first category of networked citizens is much more active on most types of online activities. Furthermore the study identifies the profile of the average participant in online social networks, identifies preferences and reveals ways that online citizens are engaged with this particular form of social media. The findings provide a better understanding of the importance of the Social Networks for the digital citizen and present useful facts to marketers eager to integrate these media into their marketing approaches and strategies; they also present researchers of human behaviour with interesting insights on the role of the online social networks as platforms of social interaction and communication

Fuzzy classification improvement by a pre-perceptual labelled segmentation algorithm

The goal of this paper is to present how two different image processing approaches can be enhanced by merging both methodologies. We will see how the results of a perceptual labelled segmentation methodology [7] can be improved by applying a fuzzy classification algorithm [2] based on a fuzzy outranking methodology [9] as a postprocessing algorithm, and viceversa. A comparison of the individual algorithms with the combination of both algorithms will be presented in order to demonstrate the improvement. Color Bone Marrow (1) images will be used. The objective is to detect White Blood Cells. The detection of white blood cells in bone marrow microscopic images presents big difficulties because of the great variance in their characteristics and also because of staining and illumination inconsistences. On the other hand, the maturity classes of white blood cells actually represents a continuum; cells frequently overlap each other, and there is a fairly wide variation in size and shape of nucleus and cytoplasm regions within given cell classes

Dynamics of formation and decay of coherence in a polariton condensate

We study the dynamics of formation and decay of a condensate of microcavity polaritons. We investigate the relationship between the number of particles, the emission's linewidth and its degree of linear polarization which serves as the order parameter. Tracking the condensate's formation, we show that, even when interactions are negligible, coherence is not determined only by occupation of the ground state. As a result of the competition between the coherent and thermal fractions of the condensate, the highest coherence is obtained some time after the particle number has reached its maximum

Un proyecto escultórico: la tortuga

En enero de 2003, los escultores Pablo de Arriba del Amo y José de las Casas Gómez presentaron la idea de una posible creación escultórica a la Junta municipal de Villaverde Alto. Este proyecto fue aprobado; por tanto, contó con la financiación necesaria para llevarlo a cabo, posteriormente fue instalado en la localización final propuesta, que era en la plaza Ágata de ese mismo distrito. En este artículo se van a desarrollar pormenorizadamente todos los pasos que se siguieron en el proceso de creación de este monumento, el cual por su envergadura era especialmente complejo. Desde la elección del tema, los materiales y los procesos hasta el desarrollo y estudio de la cimentación, todo ello será explicado para dar cuenta de un proyecto de máximo interés no sólo para los propios escultores, sino que, para el público general, la aproximación a este procedimiento puede hacer valorar el universo de la escultura mucho más. Hay que tener en consideración que ambos escultores se inventaron un procedimiento escultórico mediante la aplicación de sus conocimientos en una configuración novedosa, tanto por el procedimiento como por el método de aplicación de los materiales. Durante las páginas que siguen se verán y comprenderán las dificultades que tuvieron que afrontar no sólo a nivel técnico, sino a nivel conceptual para hilvanar todos los aspectos del proyecto, viéndose, así mismo, los ámbitos en los que este proyecto concreto es singular.In January 2003, the sculptors Pablo de Arriba del Amo and José de las Casas Gómez, presented the idea of a possible sculptural creation to the Municipal Board of Villaverde Alto, this project was approved, therefore, it had the necessary financing to carry it out. It was later installed in the proposed final location, which was in Plaza Ágata in that same district. In this article, all the steps that were followed in the process of creating this monument, which was especially complex due to its size, will be developed in detail. From the choice of theme, materials and processes to the development and study of the foundation, all of this will be explained to account for a project of maximum interest not only for the sculptors themselves, but also for the general public. The approach to this procedure can make the universe of sculpture much more appreciated. It must be taken into account, that both sculptors invented a sculptural procedure by applying their knowledge in a novel configuration, both in terms of the procedure and the method of applying the materials. During the following pages you will see and understand the difficulties they had to face not only at a technical level but also at a conceptual level to put together all the aspects of the project, seeing, likewise, the areas in which this specific project is unique

Observation of the Decay B^-→D_s^((*)+)K^-ℓ^-ν̅ _ℓ

We report the observation of the decay B^- → D_s^((*)+)K^-ℓ^-ν̅ _ℓ based on 342  fb^(-1) of data collected at the Υ(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e^+e^- storage rings at SLAC. A simultaneous fit to three D_s^+ decay chains is performed to extract the signal yield from measurements of the squared missing mass in the B meson decay. We observe the decay B^- → D_s^((*)+)K^-ℓ^-ν̅ _ℓ with a significance greater than 5 standard deviations (including systematic uncertainties) and measure its branching fraction to be B(B^- → D_s^((*)+)K^-ℓ^-ν̅ _ℓ)=[6.13_(-1.03)^(+1.04)(stat)±0.43(syst)±0.51(B(D_s))]×10^(-4), where the last error reflects the limited knowledge of the D_s branching fractions

Comparison of Two Differently Processed Acellular Dermal Matrix Products for Root Coverage Procedures: A Prospective, Randomized Multicenter Study

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141116/1/jper1693-sup-0001.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141116/2/jper1693.pd

Effect of periodontal dressing on nonâ surgical periodontal treatment outcomes: a systematic review

BackgroundPeriodontal dressing has been advocated and showed some positive outcomes for placing over the surgical site after periodontal surgery. However, little is known about its effect on nonâ surgical therapy.PurposeThe aim of this review was to assess the clinical effect of periodontal dressing when used after nonâ surgical therapy.Material and methodsTwo examiners performed an electronic search in several databases for relevant articles published in English up to November 2013. Selected studies were randomized human clinical trials (prospective or retrospective trials) with the clear aim of investigating the effect of periodontal dressing placement upon periodontal nonâ surgical mechanical therapy. Data were extracted from the included articles for analysis.ResultsThree randomized clinical trials fulfilled the inclusion criteria and thus were included in the data analysis. Statistical analysis could not be carried out due to the lack of clear data of the included studies. However, descriptive analysis showed its effectiveness in improving clinical parameters such as gain of clinical attachment level and reduction of probing pocket depth.ConclusionPlacement of periodontal dressing right after nonâ surgical mechanical therapy can be beneficial in improving overall shortâ term clinical outcomes, although more controlled studies are still needed to validate this finding.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/122435/1/idh12130.pd