A comparison of athletic movement among talent-identified juniors from different football codes in Australia: Implications for talent development

This studied aimed to compare the athletic movement skill of talent identified (TID) junior Australian Rules football (ARF) and soccer players. The athletic movement skill of 17 TID junior ARF players (17.5 – 18.3 y) was compared against 17 TID junior soccer players (17.9 – 18.7 y). Players in both groups were members of an elite junior talent development program within their respective football codes. All players performed an athletic movement assessment that included an overhead squat, double lunge, single leg Romanian deadlift (both movements performed on right and left legs), a push up and a chin up. Each movement was scored across three essential assessment criteria using a three point scale. Total score for each movement (maximum of nine) and overall total score (maximum of 63) were used as the criterion variables for analysis. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) tested the main effect of football code (two levels) on the criterion variables, whilst a one-way ANOVA identified where differences occurred. A significant effect was noted, with the TID junior ARF players outscoring their soccer counterparts when performing the overhead squat and push up. No other criterion's significantly differed according to the main effect. Practitioners should be aware that specific sporting requirements may incur slight differences in athletic movement skill between TID juniors from different football codes. However, given the low athletic movement skill noted in both football codes, developmental coaches should address the underlying movement skill capabilities of juniors when prescribing physical training in both codes

The association between fundamental athletic movements and physical fitness in elite junior Australian footballers

This study investigated the associations between fundamental athletic movement and physical fitness in junior Australian football (AF). Forty-four under 18 players performed a fundamental athletic movement assessment consisting of an overhead squat, double lunge, single leg Romanian deadlift and a push up. Movements were scored on three assessment criterions using a three-point scale. Additionally, participants performed five physical fitness tests commonly used for talent identification in AF. A Spearman’s nonparametric correlation matrix was built, with correlation coefficients being visualised using a circularly rendered correlogram. Score on the overhead squat was moderately positively associated with dynamic vertical jump height on left (rs = 0.40; P ≤ 0.05) and right (rs = 0.30; P ≤ 0.05) leg take-off, stationary vertical jump (rs = 0.32; P ≤ 0.05) and negatively associated with 20-m sprint time (rs = −0.35; P ≤ 0.05). Score on the double lunge (left/right side) was moderately positively associated with the same physical fitness tests as well as score on the multistage fitness test. Results suggest that improvements in physical fitness qualities may occur through concurrent increases in fundamental athletic movement skill, namely the overhead squat and double lunge movements. These findings may assist with the identification and development of talent. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Grou

Parity-Violating Electron Scattering and Neucleon Structure

The measurement of parity violation in the helicity dependence of electron-nucleon scattering provides unique information about the basic quark structure of the nucleons. In this review, the general formalism of parity-violating electron scattering is presented, with emphasis on elastic electron-nucleon scattering. The physics issues addressed by such experiments is discussed, and the major goals of the presently envisioned experimental program are identified. %General aspects of the experimental technique are reviewed and A summary of results from a recent series of experiments is presented and the future prospects of this program are also discussed.Comment: 45 pages, 9 figure

Discriminating talent identified junior Australian footballers using a fundamental gross athletic movement assessment

© Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. Talent identification (TID) is a pertinent component of the sports sciences, affording practitioners the opportunity to target developmental interventions to a select few; optimising financial investments. However, TID is multi-componential, requiring the recognition of immediate and prospective performance. The measurement of athletic movement skill may afford practitioners insight into the latter component given its augmented relationship with functional sport specific qualities. It is currently unknown whether athletic movement skill is a discriminant quality in junior Australian football (AF). This study aimed to discriminate talent identified junior AF players from their non-talent identified counterparts using a fundamental gross athletic movement assessment. From a total of 50 under 18 (U18) AF players; two groups were classified a priori based on selection level; talent identified (n = 25; state academy representatives) and non-talent identified (n = 25; state-based competition repre-sentatives). Players performed a fundamental gross athletic movement assessment based on the Athletic Ability Assessment (AAA), consisting of an overhead squat, double lunge (left and right legs), single leg Romanian deadlift (left and right legs), and a push up (six movement criterions). Movements were scored across three assessment points using a three-point scale (resulting in a possible score of nine for each movement). A multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant between group effects on four of the six movement criterions (d = 0.56 – 0.87; p = 0.01 – 0.02). Binary logistic regression models and a receiver operating characteristic curve inspection revealed that the overhead squat score provided the greatest group discrimination (β(SE) = -0.89(0.44); p < 0.05), with a score of 4.5 classifying 64% and 88% of the talent identified and non-talent identified groups, respectively. Results support the integration of this assessment into contemporary talent identification approaches in junior AF, as it may provide coaches with insight into a juniors developmental potential

A compact ultra-clean system for deploying radioactive sources inside the KamLAND detector

We describe a compact, ultra-clean device used to deploy radioactive sources along the vertical axis of the KamLAND liquid-scintillator neutrino detector for purposes of calibration. The device worked by paying out and reeling in precise lengths of a hanging, small-gauge wire rope (cable); an assortment of interchangeable radioactive sources could be attached to a weight at the end of the cable. All components exposed to the radiopure liquid scintillator were made of chemically compatible UHV-cleaned materials, primarily stainless steel, in order to avoid contaminating or degrading the scintillator. To prevent radon intrusion, the apparatus was enclosed in a hermetically sealed housing inside a glove box, and both volumes were regularly flushed with purified nitrogen gas. An infrared camera attached to the side of the housing permitted real-time visual monitoring of the cable׳s motion, and the system was controlled via a graphical user interface

Neutrino oscillations from the splitting of Fermi points

As was shown previously, oscillations of massless neutrinos may be due to the splitting of multiply degenerate Fermi points. In this Letter, we give the details and propose a three-flavor model of Fermi point splittings and neutrino mixings with only two free parameters. The model may explain recent experimental results from the K2K and KamLAND collaborations. There is also rough agreement with the data on atmospheric neutrinos (SuperK) and solar neutrinos (SNO), but further analysis is required. Most importantly, the Ansatz allows for relatively strong T-violating (CP-nonconserving) effects in the neutrino sector.Comment: 6 pages with jetplFRK.cls, v4: published versio