Estuarine turbidity, flushing, salinity, and circulation

The effects of estuarine turbidity, flushing, salinity, and circulation on the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay are discussed. The sources of fresh water, the variations in salinity, and the circulation patterns created by temperature and salinity changes are analyzed. The application of remote sensors for long term observation of water temperatures is described. The sources of sediment and the biological effects resulting from increased sediments and siltation are identified

Tapering practices of strongman athletes: Test-retest reliability study

BACKGROUND: Little is currently known about the tapering practices of strongman athletes. We have developed an Internet-based comprehensive self-report questionnaire examining the training and tapering practices of strongman athletes. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to document the test-retest reliability of questions associated with the Internet-based comprehensive self-report questionnaire on the tapering practices of strongman athletes. The information will provide insight on the reliability and usefulness of the online questionnaire for use with strongman athletes. METHODS: Invitations to complete an Internet questionnaire were sent via Facebook Messenger to identified strongman athletes. The survey consisted of four main areas of inquiry, including demographics and background information, training practices, tapering, and tapering practices. Of the 454 athletes that completed the survey over the 8-week period, 130 athletes responded on Facebook Messenger indicating that they intended to complete, or had completed, the survey. These participants were asked if they could complete the online questionnaire a second time for a test-retest reliability analysis. Sixty-four athletes (mean age 33.3 years, standard deviation [SD] 7.7; mean height 178.2 cm, SD 11.0; mean body mass 103.7 kg, SD 24.8) accepted this invitation and completed the survey for the second time after a minimum 7-day period from the date of their first completion. Agreement between athlete responses was measured using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and kappa statistics. Confidence intervals (at 95%) were reported for all measures and significance was set at P<.05. RESULTS: Test-retest reliability for demographic and training practices items were significant (P<.001) and showed excellent (ICC range=.84 to .98) and fair to almost perfect agreement (κ range=.37-.85). Moderate to excellent agreements (ICC range=.56-.84; P<.01) were observed for all tapering practice measures except for the number of days athletes started their usual taper before a strongman competition (ICC=.30). When the number of days were categorized with additional analyses, moderate reliability was observed (κ=.43; <.001). Fair to substantial agreement was observed for the majority of tapering practices measures (κrange=.38-.73; P<.001) except for how training frequency (κ=.26) and the percentage and type of resistance training performed, which changed in the taper (κ=.20). Good to excellent agreement (ICC=.62-.93; P<.05) was observed for items relating to strongman events and traditional exercises performed during the taper. Only the time at which the Farmer's Walk was last performed before competition showed poor reliability (ICC=.27). CONCLUSIONS: We have developed a low cost, self-reported, online retrospective questionnaire, which provided stable and reliable answers for most of the demographic, training, and tapering practice questions. The results of this study support the inferences drawn from the Tapering Practices of Strongman Athletes Stud

Book Review

The author reviews The Nominalistic Principle by Eliyahu Hirschberg, which examines changes in the value of money caused by inflation, deflation, devaluation, and revaluation

A Transmissable Erosive Gastro-Enteritis of Cattle

A Widespread ocurrence of an unusual disease of cattle has appeared in Indiana dairy and beef herds. It was characterized clinically by fever, nasal discharge, erosions of the buccal mucosa, lameness, cough and profuse diarrhea and at necropsy by congestion, hemorrhages and erosions of the mucosa of the entire digestive tract and congestion of the upper portion of the respiratory system. The disease was readily transmitted to calves both by direct and indirect contact and by inoculation of filtrates of blood obtained from affected animals. It has been called transmissible erosive gastroenteritis of cattle

The dynamic structure of a coastal plain estuary

The time mean equations of motion applicable to a coa.stal plain estuary are developed and discussed. Time series observations of temperature, salinity, and current velocity from two sections in the James River are utilized to obtain the mean lateral and longitudinal components of the relative pressure field, the Coriolis force, and the field accelerations...

Streamlines from a discrete vector field: With application to ocean currents

The problem of presenting a scalar field on the surface of the earth or sea can be solved by drawing the contour lines or isopleths of the field. If the values of the scalar are measured at points of a grid, it is necessary to interpolate between the points in constructing the contours. The resulting curves are therefore somewhat subjective; however, if the data are reasonably accurate and closely spaced, experienced workers can reduce this subjectiveness to a minimum

The equations of mass continuity and salt continuity in estuaries

Equations of mass (or volume) continuity and salt continuity are developed for the two- and one-dimensional estuary from the basic forms of these equations in three dimensions. The three cases of vertical, lateral, and sectional homogeneity are treated. Some misuses of the continuity concepts as applied to estuaries have appeared in recent literature. These are discussed. The effect of phase difference between tidal slack water and high tide on the nontidal drift in sectionally homogeneous estuaries is presented

A study of the salt balance in a coastal plain estuary

Observations of salinity and current velocity taken in the James River estuary are used in this investigation. Time means are taken over several tidal cycles and the nonadvective motions and nonadvective salt flux are related to these means. The analysis shows that in the James River estuary the horizontal advective flux and the vertical nonadvective flux of salt are the most important factors in maintaining the salt balance. The vertical advective flux is of secondary importance but is still significant. The horizontal nonadvective flux of salt is small. In addition, the vertical nonadvective flux of salt is partly related to the magnitude of the oscillatory tidal currents