Quadrupole moments and mean-square charge radii in the bismuth isotope chain

Isotope shifts and hyperfine structures of the $^{205, 206, 208, 210, 210m, 212, 213}$Bi isotopes have been studied on the 306.7nm line using gas cell laser spectroscopy. The neutron-rich isotopes are the first isotones of Pb to be measured immediately above the N=126 shell closure. The ground state quadrupole moments of the even--N isotopes increase as neutrons are added or removed from the N=126 shell, but no corresponding increase is observed in the charge radii

Reliability and validity of velocity measures and regression methods to predict maximal strength ability in the back-squat using a novel linear position transducer

The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability of load-velocity profiles (LVPs) and validity of 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) prediction methods in the back-squat using the novel Vitruve linear position transducer (LPT). Twenty-five men completed a back-squat 1-RM assessment followed by 2 LVP trials using five incremental loads (20%–40%–60%–80%–90% 1-RM). Mean propulsive velocity (MPV), mean velocity (MV) and peak velocity (PV) were measured via a (LPT). Linear and polynomial regression models were applied to the data. The reliability and validity criteria were defined a priori as intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) or Pearson correlation coefficient (r) . 0.70, coefficient of variation (CV) 410%, and effect size (ES) \0.60. Bland Altman analysis and heteroscedasticity of errors (r2) were also assessed. The main findings indicated MPV, MV and PV were reliable across 20%–90% 1-RM (CV \ 8.8%). The secondary findings inferred all prediction models had acceptable reliability (CV \ 8.0%). While the MPV linear and MV linear models demonstrated the best estimation of 1-RM (CV \ 5.9%), all prediction models displayed unacceptable validity and a tendency to overestimate or underestimate 1-RM. Mean systematic bias (27.29 to 2.83 kg) was detected for all prediction models, along with little to no heteroscedasticity of errors for linear (r2 \ 0.04) and polynomial models (r2 \ 0.08). Furthermore, all 1-RM estimations were significantly different from each other (p \ 0.03). Concludingly, MPV, MV and PV can provide reliable LVPs and repeatable 1-RM predictions. However, prediction methods may not be sensitive enough to replace direct assessment of 1-RM. Polynomial regression is not suitable for 1-RM prediction

Reliability of the Coach’s Eye Goniometer Application during Squat Exercise

This study examined the test re-test, intrarater and interrater reliability of joint kinematics from the Coach’s Eye smartphone application. Twenty-two males completed a 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) assessment followed by 2 identical sessions using 5 incremental loads (20%-40%-60%-80%-90% 1-RM). Peak flexion angles at the hip, knee, and ankle joints were assessed using 1 experienced practitioner and 1 inexperienced practitioner. The acceptable reliability thresholds were defined as intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (r) > 0.70 and coefficient of variation (CV) ≤ 10%. The test re-test reliability of peak hip and knee flexion were reliable across 20-90% 1-RM (r > 0.64; CV 0.70; CV 0.11). The intrarater reliability was near perfect (r > 0.90) except for peak ankle flexion (r > 0.85). The interrater reliability was nearly perfect (r > 0.91) except for hip flexion at 80% 1-RM and ankle flexion at 20% (r > 0.77). Concludingly, the Coach’s Eye application can produce repeatable assessments of joint kinematics using either a single examiner or 2 examiners, regardless of experience level. The Coach’s Eye can accurately monitor squat depth

Drivers of contaminant levels in surface water of China during 2000-2030:Relative importance for illustrative home and personal care product chemicals

Water pollution are among the most critical problems in China and emerging contaminants in surface water have attracted rising attentions in recent years. There is great interest in China's future environmental quality as the national government has committed to a major action plan to improve surface water quality. This study presents methodologies to rank the importance of socioeconomic and environmental drivers to the chemical concentration in surface water during 2000-2030. A case study is conducted on triclosan, a home and personal care product (HPCP) ingredient. Different economic and discharge flow scenarios are considered. Urbanization and wastewater treatment connection rates in rural and urban areas are collected or projected for 2000-2030 for counties across China. The estimated usage increases from ca. 86 to 340 t. However, emissions decreases from 76 to 52 t during 2000-2030 under a modelled Organisation for Economic Co-operation (OECD) economic scenario because of the urbanization, migration and development of wastewater treatment plants/facilities (WWTPs). The estimated national median concentration of triclosan ranges 1.5-8.2 ng/L during 2000-2030 for different scenarios. It peaks in 2009 under the OECD and three of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), A2, B1 and B2 economic scenarios, but in 2025 under A1 economic scenario. Population distribution and surface water discharge flow rates are ranked as the top two drivers to triclosan levels in surface water over the 30 years. The development of urban WWTPs was the most important driver during 2000-2010 and the development of rural works is projected to be the most important in 2011-2030. Projections suggest discharges of ingredients in HPCPs - controlled by economic growth - should be balanced by the major expenditure programme on wastewater treatment in China

The effect of session order on the physiological, neuromuscular, and endocrine responses to maximal speed and weight training sessions over a 24-h period

Objectives: Athletes are often required to undertake multiple training sessions on the same day with these sessions needing to be sequenced correctly to allow the athlete to maximize the responses of each session. We examined the acute effect of strength and speed training sequence on neuromuscular, endocrine, and physiological responses over 24 hours. Design: 15 academy rugby union players completed this randomized crossover study. Method: Players performed a weight traiing session followed 2 hours later by a speed training session (WS) and on a separate day reversed the order (SW). Countermovement jumps (CMJ), perceived muscle soreness (MS), and blood samples were collected immediately prior, immediately post, and 24 hours post sessions one and two respectively. Jumps were analyzed for power, jump height, rate of force development, and velocity. Blood was analyzed for testosterone (T), cortisol (C), lactate and creatine kinase (CK). Results: There were no differences between CMJ variables at any of the post training time points (p > 0.05). Likewise, CK, T, C , and MS were unaffected by session order (p > 0.05). However, 10 meter sprint time was significantly faster (Mean ± SD; SW 1.80s ± 0.11 vs. WS 1.76 ± 0.08s; p > 0.05) when speed was sequenced second. Lactate levels were significantly higher immediately post speed sessions versus weight training sessions at both time points (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The sequencing of strength and speed training does not affect the neuromuscular, endocrine, and physiological recovery over 24 hours. However, speed may be enhanced when performed as the second session

FAK inhibition alone or in combination with adjuvant therapies reduces cancer stem cell activity

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2020-06-29, accepted 2021-03-15, registration 2021-04-23, pub-electronic 2021-05-28, online 2021-05-28, collection 2021-12Publication status: PublishedFunder: Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000297Abstract: Cancer stem-like cells (CSC) contribute to therapy resistance and recurrence. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) has a role in CSC regulation. We determined the effect of FAK inhibition on breast CSC activity alone and in combination with adjuvant therapies. FAK inhibition reduced CSC activity and self-renewal across all molecular subtypes in primary human breast cancer samples. Combined FAK and paclitaxel reduced self-renewal in triple negative cell lines. An invasive breast cancer cohort confirmed high FAK expression correlated with increased risk of recurrence and reduced survival. Co-expression of FAK and CSC markers was associated with the poorest prognosis, identifying a high-risk patient population. Combined FAK and paclitaxel treatment reduced tumour size, Ki67, ex-vivo mammospheres and ALDH+ expression in two triple negative patient derived Xenograft (PDX) models. Combined treatment reduced tumour initiation in a limiting dilution re-implantation PDX model. Combined FAK inhibition with adjuvant therapy has the potential to improve breast cancer survival

The effectiveness of injury prevention programs to modify risk factors for non-contact anterior cruciate ligament and hamstring injuries in uninjured team sports athletes: A systematic review

Background Hamstring strain and anterior cruciate ligament injuries are, respectively, the most prevalent and serious non-contact occurring injuries in team sports. Specific biomechanical and neuromuscular variables have been used to estimate the risk of incurring a non-contact injury in athletes. Objective The aim of this study was to systematically review the evidences for the effectiveness of injury prevention protocols to modify biomechanical and neuromuscular anterior cruciate and/or hamstring injuries associated risk factors in uninjured team sport athletes. Data Sources PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, Cochrane Libraries, U.S. National Institutes of Health clinicaltrials.gov, Sport Discuss and Google Scholar databases were searched for relevant journal articles published until March 2015. A manual review of relevant articles, authors, and journals, including bibliographies was performed from identified articles. Main Results Nineteen studies were included in this review. Four assessment categories: i) landing, ii) side cutting, iii) stop-jump, and iv) muscle strength outcomes, were used to analyze the effectiveness of the preventive protocols. Eight studies using multifaceted interventions supported by video and/or technical feedback showed improvement in landing and/or stop-jump biomechanics, while no effects were observed on side-cutting maneuver. Additionally, multifaceted programs including hamstring eccentric exercises increased hamstring strength, hamstring to quadriceps functional ratio and/or promoted a shift of optimal knee flexion peak torque toward a more open angle position. Conclusions Multifaceted programs, supported by proper video and/or technical feedback, including eccentric hamstring exercises would positively modify the biomechanical and or neuromuscular anterior cruciate and/or hamstring injury risk factors

Institutional Hybridity and Cultural Isomorphism in Contemporary Policing

Recent work on policing has increasingly acknowledged the influence of a broad array of changes upon both the structure and culture of police organizations. Generally, however, literature and research have tended to focus attention onto those elements of the broader police environment that effect such developments, whereas little commentary, to date, has been directed towards those features which impact across the broader public sector. Through drawing on the concepts of ‘hybrid professionalism’ [Noordegraaf M (2015) Hybrid professionalism and beyond: (new) forms of public professionalism in changing organizational and societal contexts. Journal of Professions and Organization 2: 187–206] and ‘institutional isomorphism’ [DiMaggio PJ and Powell WW (1983) The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. American Sociological Review 48: 147–160], this conceptual paper will argue that the impact of neoliberal ideology on the contemporary public sector has created a police organization for which professionalism increasingly denotes generic management skills that are common across different occupations and different police roles. In particular, it will be suggested that such institutional isomorphism may drive ideational responses commensurate with cultural change within police organizations. In short, therefore, the paper will make the case that, in parallel with changes already identified by other academics, broader structural changes may lead to a narrower and more generic set of cultural responses within contemporary police organizations

Studies of new Higgs boson interactions through nonresonant HH production in the b¯bγγ fnal state in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for nonresonant Higgs boson pair production in the b ¯bγγ fnal state is performed using 140 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. This analysis supersedes and expands upon the previous nonresonant ATLAS results in this fnal state based on the same data sample. The analysis strategy is optimised to probe anomalous values not only of the Higgs (H) boson self-coupling modifer κλ but also of the quartic HHV V (V = W, Z) coupling modifer κ2V . No signifcant excess above the expected background from Standard Model processes is observed. An observed upper limit µHH &lt; 4.0 is set at 95% confdence level on the Higgs boson pair production cross-section normalised to its Standard Model prediction. The 95% confdence intervals for the coupling modifers are −1.4 &lt; κλ &lt; 6.9 and −0.5 &lt; κ2V &lt; 2.7, assuming all other Higgs boson couplings except the one under study are fxed to the Standard Model predictions. The results are interpreted in the Standard Model efective feld theory and Higgs efective feld theory frameworks in terms of constraints on the couplings of anomalous Higgs boson (self-)interactions