THE EFFECT OF SELECTED KINEMATICS ON BALL SPEED AND GROUND REACTION FORCES IN FAST BOWLING

Lumbar stress fractures and lumbar injury account for the greatest amount of lost playing time in international cricket. Previous research has associated lower back injury with large peak ground reaction forces occurring during the front foot contact phase of the fast bowling action. Selected kinematics of the bowling action of 16 elite male fast bowlers were measured using an 18 camera Vicon Motion Analysis System. Ground reaction forces during front foot contact and ball release speed were recorded; correlations with kinematic factors were identified using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Ball release speeds were correlated with run-up speed, plant angle and the motion of the front knee during the period of front foot contact. Knee flexion during the first 15 frames of the front foot contact phase was correlated with increased peak vertical force and decreased peak horizontal loading rate. The use of a heel strike technique at the instant of front foot contact was correlated with decreased peak vertical force and loading rates. All correlations observed were moderate in strength, representing the multifactorial nature of the generation of ball speed and ground reaction forces. This study motivates future investigation of the effects of these selected kinematic factors on forces occurring above the knee, and the effect of kinematic factors on the performance of an individual bowler

Interstitial cell network volume is reduced in the terminal bowel of ageing mice

Ageing is associated with impaired neuromuscular function of the terminal gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which can result in chronic constipation, faecal impaction and incontinence. Interstitial cells of cajal (ICC) play an important role in regulation of intestinal smooth muscle contraction. However, changes in ICC volume with age in the terminal GI tract (the anal canal including the anal sphincter region and rectum)have not been studied. Here, the distribution, morphology and network volume of ICC in the terminal GI tract of 3‐to 4‐month‐old and 26‐to 28‐month‐old C57BL/6mice were investigated. ICC were identified by immunofluorescence labelling of wholemount preparations with an antibody against c‐Kit. ICC network volume was measured by software‐based 3D volume rendering of confocal Z stacks. A significant reduction in ICC network volume per unit volume of muscle was measured in aged animals. No age‐associated change in ICC morphology was detected. The thickness of the circular muscle layer of the anal sphincter region and rectum increased with age, while that in the distal colon decreased. These results suggest that ageing is associated with a reduction in the network volume of ICC in the terminal GI tract, which may influence the normal function of these regions

THE EFFECT OF INDIVIDUALISED COACHING INTERVENTIONS ON ELITE YOUNG FAST BOWLERS‘ TECHNIQUE

Fast bowling in cricket is an activity well recognised as having a high injury prevalence. Previous research has associated lower back injury with aspects of fast bowling technique. Coaching interventions that may decrease the likelihood of injury, whilst maintaining or increasing ball speed, remain a priority within the sport. Selected kinematics of the bowling action of 14 elite young fast bowlers were measured using an 18 camera Vicon Motion Analysis System. Subjects were tested before and after a two year coaching intervention period, during which subject-specific coaching interventions were provided. Mann-Whitney tests were used to identify significant differences in the change in the selected kinematics between those bowlers who were coached or un-coached on each specific aspect. Coached athletes demonstrated a significant change in shoulder alignment at back foot contact (more side-on, P = 0.002) and shoulder counter-rotation (decreased, P = 0.001) relative to un-coached athletes. There was no difference in the amount of change in flexion angles of the front or back knee or lower trunk side-flexion between those who received coaching intervention and those that did not. This study shows that specific aspects of fast bowling technique in elite players can change over a two year period and may be attributed to coaching intervention

PHP152 How are topics selected and prioritized by the national institute of health and care excellence (nice) and what might be the options if a technology is not selected?

Contents: Safety culture assessment saves Barilla money via better understanding of employee attitudes; Iowa State and CIRAS launch new online safety training modules; CIRAS sets table for food companies\u27 success; CIRAS helps Regency Consulting rocket share of federal contracts upward 28 percent; Iowa\u27s worker shortage: An old problem requiring new solutions; Filling the pipeline: By growing your own workers; Luring labor via LEGOS; Timerbline\u27s long-term relationship with CIRAS enhances company growth an dprofitability; CIRAS-arragned webinar to show job shops how to get more done factor; Want to buy a rapid prototyping machine? Don\u27t decide too rapidlyhttps://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ciras_news/1048/thumbnail.jp

MODIS Tree Cover Validation for the Circumpolar Taiga-Tundra Transition Zone

A validation of the 2005 500m MODIS vegetation continuous fields (VCF) tree cover product in the circumpolar taiga-tundra ecotone was performed using high resolution Quickbird imagery. Assessing the VCF's performance near the northern limits of the boreal forest can help quantify the accuracy of the product within this vegetation transition area. The circumpolar region was divided into longitudinal zones and validation sites were selected in areas of varying tree cover where Quickbird imagery is available in Google Earth. Each site was linked to the corresponding VCF pixel and overlaid with a regular dot grid within the VCF pixel's boundary to estimate percent tree crown cover in the area. Percent tree crown cover was estimated using Quickbird imagery for 396 sites throughout the circumpolar region and related to the VCF's estimates of canopy cover for 2000-2005. Regression results of VCF inter-annual comparisons (2000-2005) and VCF-Quickbird image-interpreted estimates indicate that: (1) Pixel-level, inter-annual comparisons of VCF estimates of percent canopy cover were linearly related (mean R(sup 2) = 0.77) and exhibited an average root mean square error (RMSE) of 10.1 % and an average root mean square difference (RMSD) of 7.3%. (2) A comparison of image-interpreted percent tree crown cover estimates based on dot counts on Quickbird color images by two different interpreters were more variable (R(sup 2) = 0.73, RMSE = 14.8%, RMSD = 18.7%) than VCF inter-annual comparisons. (3) Across the circumpolar boreal region, 2005 VCF-Quickbird comparisons were linearly related, with an R(sup 2) = 0.57, a RMSE = 13.4% and a RMSD = 21.3%, with a tendency to over-estimate areas of low percent tree cover and anomalous VCF results in Scandinavia. The relationship of the VCF estimates and ground reference indicate to potential users that the VCF's tree cover values for individual pixels, particularly those below 20% tree cover, may not be precise enough to monitor 500m pixel-level tree cover in the taiga-tundra transition zone

Insecticide resistance in Anopheles arabiensis in Sudan: temporal trends and underlying mechanisms

Background: Malaria vector control in Sudan relies mainly on indoor residual spraying (IRS) and the use of long lasting insecticide treated bed nets (LLINs). Monitoring insecticide resistance in the main Sudanese malaria vector, Anopheles arabiensis, is essential for planning and implementing an effective vector control program in this country. Methods: WHO susceptibility tests were used to monitor resistance to insecticides from all four WHO-approved classes of insecticide at four sentinel sites in Gezira state over a three year period. Insecticide resistance mechanisms were studied using PCR and microarray analyses. Results: WHO susceptibility tests showed that Anopheles arabiensis from all sites were fully susceptible to bendiocarb and fenitrothion for the duration of the study (2008–2011). However, resistance to DDT and pyrethroids was detected at three sites, with strong seasonal variations evident at all sites. The 1014 F kdr allele was significantly associated with resistance to pyrethroids and DDT (P 7 in allelic tests). The 1014S allele was not detected in any of the populations tested. Microarray analysis of the permethrinresistant population of An. arabiensis from Wad Medani identified a number of metabolic genes that were significantly over-transcribed in the field-collected resistant samples when compared to the susceptible Sudanese An. arabiensis Dongola strain. These included CYP6M2 and CYP6P3, two genes previously implicated in pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles gambiae s.s, and the epsilon-class glutathione-S-transferase, GSTe4. Conclusions: These data suggest that both target-site mechanisms and metabolic mechanisms play an important role in conferring pyrethroid resistance in An. arabiensis from Sudan. Identification in An. arabiensis of candidate loci that have been implicated in the resistance phenotype in An. gambiae requires further investigation to confirm the role of these genes

RANK/RANKL/OPG pathway: genetic associations with stress fracture period prevalence in elite athletes

Context: The RANK/RANKL/OPG signalling pathway is important in the regulation of bone turnover, with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes within this pathway associated with bone phenotypic adaptations. Objective: To determine whether four SNPs associated with genes in the RANK/RANKL/OPG signalling pathway were associated with stress fracture injury in elite athletes. Design, Participants, and Methods: Radiologically confirmed stress fracture history was reported in 518 elite athletes, forming the Stress Fracture Elite Athlete (SFEA) cohort. Data were analysed for the whole group, and were sub-stratified into male and cases of multiple stress fracture group. Genotypes were determined using proprietary fluorescence-based competitive allele-specific PCR assays. Results: SNPs rs3018362 (RANK) and rs1021188 (RANKL) were associated with stress fracture injury (p<0.05). 8.1% of stress fracture group and 2.8% of the non-stress fracture group were homozygote for the rare allele of rs1021188. Allele frequency, heterozygotes and homozygotes for the rare allele of rs3018362 were associated with stress fracture period prevalence (p<0.05). Analysis of the male only group showed 8.2% of rs1021188 rare allele homozygotes to have suffered a stress fracture while 2.5% of the non-stress fracture group were homozygous. In cases of multiple stress fractures, homozygotes for the rare allele of rs1021188, and individuals possessing at least one copy of the rare allele of rs4355801 (OPG) were shown to be associated with stress fracture injury (p<0.05). Conclusions: The data support an association between SNPs in the RANK/RANKL/OPG signalling pathway and the development of stress fracture injury. The association of rs3018362 (RANK) and rs1021188 (RANKL) with stress fracture injury susceptibility supports their role in the maintenance of bone health, and offers potential targets for therapeutic interventions