The Effects of a Game Simulation on Muscle Activation and Knee Kinematics in Females

Intro: Female athletes experience non-contact ACL injuries at 5 times the rate of male athletes. These injuries occur more frequently at the end of halves and may be associated with exercise-induced fatigue causing knee instability. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effect of strenuous exercise on lateral knee movement during the landing phase of a jump. Methods: Ten subjects completed both the exercise and the control trial consisting of two 25-min game simulations on a treadmill or on a separate day the equivalent rest. Before, at half time, and immediately following the interventions subjects performed sets of 3 box jumps and vertical leaps. Surface Electromyography (sEMG) was used to assess relative muscle activation (%MVIC) and 2D video analysis to assess changes in Q Angle upon landing from a box jump. Data were analyzed by 2 factor repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Power analysis indicated the study was under powered and that 18 subjects were necessary to be adequate statistical power; therefore, results were interpreted with p≤0.1 as significant. There was no effect of exercise on Vertical leap, a measure of muscular fatigue. However, Q angle increased by 7.4 degrees following completion of the second exercise session (Pre:21.7±2.34 vs Post: 29.2±5.48) (p=.09). %MVIC decreased significantly over time for the Gastrocnemius (Pre: 78%±4% vs Post: 66%± 5%, p≤.1), bicep femoris (Pre: 68%± 3% vs Post: 64%±3%, p≤.05) and gluteus medius (Pre: 72%±5% vs Post: 58%±4%, p≤.05). The latissimus dorsi (Pre: 48%±2% vs Post: 41%±3%, p≤.05) and gluteus medius (Pre: 34%±3% vs Post: 29%±2%, p≤.05) muscles were activated later when comparing pre-exercise values to post-exercise results. Conclusion: These data indicate that knee instability with exercise may not require muscular fatigue, and that changes are associated with altered muscle activation. The changes in muscle activation timing may reflect compensation for altered muscle activation

Factorization theorems for exclusive heavy-quarkonium production

We outline the proofs of the factorization theorems for exclusive two-body charmonium production in B-meson decay and e^+e^- annihilation to all orders in perturbation theory in quantum chromodynamics. We find that factorized expressions hold up to corrections of order m_c/m_b in B-meson decay and corrections of order m_c^2/s in e^+e^- annihilation, where m_c is the charm-quark mass, m_b is the bottom-quark mass, and root-s is the e^+e^- center-of-momentum energy.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Factorization of low-energy gluons in exclusive processes

We outline a proof of factorization in exclusive processes, taking into account the presence of soft and collinear modes of arbitrarily low energy, which arise when the external lines of the process are taken on shell. Specifically, we examine the process of e^+e^- annihilation through a virtual photon into two light mesons. In an intermediate step, we establish a factorized form that contains a soft function that is free of collinear divergences. In contrast, in soft-collinear effective theory, the low-energy collinear modes factor most straightforwardly into the soft function. We point out that the cancellation of the soft function, which relies on the color-singlet nature of the external hadrons, fails when the soft function contains low-energy collinear modes.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables, version published in Physical Review

Factorization in exclusive quarkonium production

We present factorization theorems for two exclusive heavy-quarkonium production processes: production of two quarkonia in e^+e^- annihilation and production of a quarkonium and a light meson in B-meson decays. We describe the general proofs of factorization and supplement them with explicit one-loop analyses, which illustrate some of the features of the soft-gluon cancellations. We find that violations of factorization are generally suppressed relative to the factorized contributions by a factor v^2m_c/Q for each S-wave charmonium and a factor m_c/Q for each L-wave charmonium with L>0. Here, v is the velocity of the heavy quark or antiquark in the quarkonium rest frame, Q=sqrt{s} for e^+e^- annihilation, Q=m_B for B-meson decays, sqrt{s} is the e^+e^- center-of-momentum energy, m_c is the charm-quark mass, and m_B is the B-meson mass. There are modifications to the suppression factors if quantum-number restrictions apply for the specific process.Comment: 69 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables. v2: Version published in Physical Review

Evaluating tourism potential: a SWOT analysis of the Western Negev, Israel

SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis is a widely used method of evaluation employed in the business and planning worlds, including tourism planning, but there is little documentation on SWOT analysis in the academic tourism or geography literature. In this study SWOT analysis was applied more systematically in these areas, and rules for using it are suggested. The objective of this research is to show how SWOT analysis can be made more attractive, useful and accurate in research. This paper examines the current status and the potential of ecotourism in the Western Negev, in Southern Israel. The evaluation was conducted at the national, regional, and local levels using SWOT analysis. Data was gathered through field observation, interviews with decisions makers, and questionnaires distributed to the local population between the years 2000-2006. The findings relate to both the use of the SWOT technique as a research method and an evaluation concerning the tourism potential of the Western Negev. The findings relate to both the use of the SWOT technique as a research method and an evaluation concerning the tourism potential of the Western Negev. A simple diagram of the components of an enhanced SWOT analysis framework was developed, presented and used. It is suggested that this framework has wide applicability. The tourism industry is only in its infancy in the Western Negev, and thus this analysis can assist local decision makers by estimating the potential benefits and threats to their development. It is hoped that both academics and practioners would use the recommendations offered in the article for future research and for future development of the area

INSTITUTING FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS ACTIONS IN NIGERIA: UNRESOLVED ISSUES

Instituting fundamental Right actions has become one of the most popular forms of litigations in Nigeria; and for this credit must be given to the very liberal Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009 (FREP RULES) as against the FREP Rules, 1979 which is repealed. One cannot boldly say, without fear of contradiction that our courts are as proactive in their approach to some basic issues in fundamental rights litigation as the FREP Rules intend. This paper set out to re-visit the issue of jurisdiction in respect of fundamental rights litigations and the required number of applicants permitted to institute such actions; reviewing some authorities in the course and finally resolving that there is a need for the apex court to finally distinguish between its decisions in Turku v. Government of Gongola State (1988) All NLR 42  and Grace Jack v. University of Agriculture Makurdi (2004) LPELR – 1587 SC, (2004); 5NWLR (Pt. 865) 208  and to pronounce on the issue of the number of applicants that may present fundamental rights' cause in court; at any time it is called upon to do so. The paper also recommended in the alternative, tinkering of the FREP Rules to specifically handle the issues

Comparison of the color-evaporation model and the NRQCD factorization approach in charmonium production

We compare the color-evaporation model (CEM) and nonrelativistic QCD (NRQCD) factorization predictions for inclusive quarkonium production. Using the NRQCD factorization formulas for quarkonium production and for perturbative QQ-bar production, we deduce relationships that are implied by the CEM between the nonperturbative NRQCD matrix elements that appear in the factorization formula for quarkonium production. These relationships are at odds with the phenomenological values of the matrix elements that have been extracted from the Tevatron data for charmonium production at large transverse momentum. A direct comparison of the CEM and NRQCD factorization predictions with the CDF charmonium production data reveals that the CEM fits to the data are generally unsatisfactory, while the NRQCD factorization fits are generally compatible with the data. The inclusion of k_T smearing improves the CEM fits substantially, but significant incompatibilities remain. The NRQCD factorization fits to the chi_c data indicate that multiple gluon radiation is an essential ingredient in obtaining the correct shape of the cross section as a function of p_T.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figures, 7 tables, Some changes of emphasis in the conclusions, additional discussion of theoretical uncertainties, minor revisions and corrections, version to be published in Physical Review