Kinematic variations due to changes in pace during men's and women's 5 km road running

The purpose of this study was to investigate variations in kinematic parameters in men's and women's 5 km road racing. Athletes often vary their pace and changes particularly tend to occur towards the end of a race due to fatigue and sprint finishes. Twenty competitive distance runners (10 male, 10 female) were videoed as they completed the English National 5 km championships. Three-dimensional kinematic data were analysed using motion analysis software (SIMI, Munich). Data were recorded at 950 m, 2,400 m and 3,850 m. Repeated measures ANOVA showed significant decreases in speed due to reduced step length and cadence in both men and women. These decreases predominantly occurred between the first two measurement points. The hip, knee, ankle and shoulder angles at both initial contact and toe-off did not change significantly, but there were significant reductions in the elbow angle for both men (at initial contact) and women (at toe-off)

Is Toxoplasma gondii a threat to the conservation of free-ranging Australian marsupial populations?

It has often been asserted that Australian marsupial species are particularly susceptible to Toxoplasma gondii infection and to clinical toxoplasmosis following infection. This implicates T. gondii as a potential threat to marsupial population viability, and contrasts to what is known of T. gondii in populations of several other host species. We reviewed the literature, and found a lack of scientifically robust evidence addressing the occurrence of T. gondii infection in free-ranging populations of Australian marsupial species, and the impacts of the infection on population health. Key limitations included a lack of studies in free-ranging marsupial populations, study findings susceptible to substantial chance influences, and selection, misclassification and confounding biases. The lack of scientifically robust data available on this topic indicates that assertions that free-ranging populations of Australian marsupials are particularly susceptible to T. gondii infection and to toxoplasmosis are premature. The threat of T. gondii to the viability of free-ranging marsupial populations should therefore be regarded, at this stage, as a hypothesis

Eimeria spp. infecting quenda (Isoodon obesulus) in the greater Perth region, Western Australia

Parasites of wildlife inhabiting urbanised and peri-urban environments are of interest regarding wildlife population health, and also veterinary public health in the case of parasites that can also infect humans and domestic animals. This study aimed to: identify, and estimate the prevalence of, species of Eimeria parasitic in quenda (Isoodon obesulus) in the greater Perth region, Western Australia; 2) morphologically describe and genetically characterise a novel observed species of Eimeria as E. angustus; and 3) genetically characterise E. kanyana. Eimeria spp. prevalence was 76.1% (95% CI 64.9–84.5%), and four putative species of Eimeria were identified. Eimeria kanyana was identified infecting quenda for the first time, with a prevalence of 54.9% (43.4–66.0%). Eimeria quenda was less prevalent, at 7.0% (3.1–15.5%). The novel species E. angustus was present in 45.1% of sampled quenda (34.0–56.6%). A second novel morphotype of Eimeria was present in 2.8% of sampled quenda (0.9–9.7%). Mixed Eimeria spp. infections were present in 21/71 quenda (29.6%, 95% CI 20.2–41.1%). Molecular phylogenetic analyses of E. kanyana and E. angustus were conducted at the 18S rRNA and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase loci. At both loci, two isolates identified as E. kanyana grouped in a phylogenetic clade with E. trichosuri. Five isolates identified as the novel E. angustus were most closely related to E. tropidura at the 18S locus. At the COI locus, no sequence data were available for E. tropidura; isolates of E. angustus grouped with E. sciurorum

Second harmonics and compensation effect in ceramic superconductors

A three-dimensional lattice of the Josephson junctions with a finite self-conductance is employed to model the ceramic superconductors. The nonlinear ac susceptibility and the compensation effect are studied by Monte Carlo simulations in this model. The compensation effect is shown to be due to the existence of the chiral glass phase. We demonstrate, in agreement with experiments, that this effect may be present in the ceramic superconductors which show the paramagnetic Meissner effect.Comment: 6 pages, latex, 4 figures, Phys. Rev. B (accepted

Doctors’ recognition and management of melanoma patients’ risk: an Australian population-based study

Background Guidelines recommend that health professionals identify and manage individuals at high risk of developing melanoma, but there is limited population-based evidence demonstrating real-world practices. Objective A population-based, observational study was conducted in the state of New South Wales, Australia to determine doctors’ knowledge of melanoma patients’ risk and to identify factors associated with better identification and clinical management. Methods Data were analysed for 1889 patients with invasive, localised melanoma in the Melanoma Patterns of Care study. This study collected data on all melanoma diagnoses notified to the state’s cancer registry during a 12-month period from 2006 to 2007, as well as questionnaire data from the doctors involved in their care. Results Three-quarters (74%) of patients had doctors who were aware of their risk factor status with respect to personal and family history of melanoma and the presence of many moles. Doctors working in general practice, skin cancer clinics and dermatology settings had better knowledge of patients’ risk factors than plastic surgeons. Doctors were 15% more likely to know the family history of younger melanoma patients (<40 years) than of those ≥80 years (95% confidence interval 4–26%). Early detection-related follow-up advice was more likely to be given to younger patients, by doctors aware of their patients’ risk status, by doctors practising in plastic surgery, dermatology and skin cancer clinic settings, and by female doctors. Conclusion Both patient-related and doctor-related factors were associated with doctors’ recognition and management of melanoma patients’ risk and could be the focus of strategies for improving care

Strengthening impact assessment: a call for integration and focus

We suggest that the impact assessment community has lost its way based on our observation that impact assessment is under attack because of a perceived lack of efficiency. Specifically, we contend that the proliferation of different impact assessment types creates separate silos of expertise and feeds arguments for not only a lack of efficiency but also a lack of effectiveness of the process through excessive specialisation and a lack of interdisciplinary practice. We propose that the solution is a return to the basics of impact assessment with a call for increased integration around the goal of sustainable development and focus through better scoping. We rehearse and rebut counter arguments covering silo-based expertise, advocacy, democracy, sustainability understanding and communication. We call on the impact assessment community to rise to the challenge of increasing integration and focus, and to engage in the debate about the means of strengthening impact assessment

The Upper Limit of Magnetic Field Strength in Dense Stellar Hadronic Matter

It is shown that in strongly magnetized neutron stars, there exist upper limits of magnetic field strength, beyond which the self energies for both neutron and proton components of neutron star matter become complex in nature. As a consequence they decay within the strong interaction time scale. However, in the ultra-strong magnetic field case, when the zeroth Landau level is only occupied by protons, the system again becomes stable against strong decay.Comment: 6 pages Revtex, 2 .eps figures, fig.(1) is not include