Derivation of an Age and Weight Handicap for the 5K Run

The adverse effect of increasing age and/or body weight on distance run performance has been well documented. Accordingly, nearly all five kilometer (5K) road races employ age categories and, sometimes, a heavier body weight classification. Problems with such conventions include small numbers of runners within older age categories and the advantage given to the lightest runners within each weight category. We developed a 5K Handicap (5KH), a model that calculates an adjusted run time based on the inputs of actual 5K run time, age, and body weight for men and women. This adjusted time, then, can be compared between runners of different ages and body weights. The purpose of this paper was to explain, in detail, the derivation of the 5KH formula using published theoretical and empirical findings on age, body weight and distance run time relationships. To our knowledge, the 5KH is the first such model and overcomes the problems associated with being heavier within one weight class and having too few runners in certain age categories. We are currently undertaking large-scale validation studies and evaluation of its race day implementation

Validation of a 5K Age and Weight Run Handicap Model

Though increasing age and body weight (BW) have been widely known to be associated with slower distance run times, the common convention in 5K road races is to categorize competitors by age and, sometimes, BW. This has the disadvantage of assigning only small numbers of competitors to age categories and giving advantage to runners close to the minimum age or BW values allowable. Using recent advances in the modeling of distance run performance by BW combined with empirical evidence quantifying the independent effect of age on cardiovascular endurance, we previously published the derivation of the 5K Handicap (5KH), an age and BW handicap model for the 5K road race. With the inputs of age, BW and actual run time, the 5KH computes an adjusted run time which can be used to compare runners of different age and BW within the same gender. In this study, we field tested the 5KH in two local races with 275 men and 126 women. Results suggest that the 5KH eliminates the age and BW bias, and may provide more incentive for older and heavier runners to compete. Furthermore, the BW bias in the 5K tended to be lower for women than for men. The first scientifically-based age and BW graded system, the 5KH appears valid for both genders and may have application for other race distances and fitness testing environments

Body Mass Bias in a Competition of Muscle Strength and Aerobic Power

Recently, a fitness competition called the Pump and Run (PR) has been popularized. Composed of 2 events, a 5-km road race time (RT) in seconds and a maximal-repetition bench press (BPR) with resistance based on a percentage of body mass (M), the final score (RTadj) equals RT - 30(BPR). From published findings, the authors hypothesized that the PR would impose a bias against heavier competitors. Furthermore, the potential for age bias in this event has not been evaluated. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate M and age bias in the PR for men and women. For 74 female and 343 male competitors in a large PR event, RT, BPR, M, and age were collected from official competition results. Two subsamples were randomly created from the original sample: the validation (VAL) (54 women and 258 men) and the cross-validation (CVAL) (20 women and 85 men). For the VAL sample, the RTadj showed significant bias against heavier runners (women r2 = 0.35; men r2 = 0.28;P \u3c 0.01 for both) but no age bias (women r2 = 0.04; men r2 = 0.005; P \u3e 0.05 for both). Using allometric modeling, the authors developed a set of M-based correction factors to be multiplied by each RTadj to yield new adjusted run times (NRTadj) that would be free of M bias. As applied to the CVAL sample, the NRTadj values virtually eliminated the M bias (women r2 = 0.04; men r2 = 0.002; P \u3e 0.05 for both) of the current PR scoring system and retained the absence of age bias (women r2 = 0.02; men r2 = 0.0002; P \u3e 0.05 for both). The authors recommend the use of the NRTadj scores for future PR competitions

High Angular Resolution Stellar Imaging with Occultations from the Cassini Spacecraft II: Kronocyclic Tomography

We present an advance in the use of Cassini observations of stellar occultations by the rings of Saturn for stellar studies. Stewart et al. (2013) demonstrated the potential use of such observations for measuring stellar angular diameters. Here, we use these same observations, and tomographic imaging reconstruction techniques, to produce two dimensional images of complex stellar systems. We detail the determination of the basic observational reference frame. A technique for recovering model-independent brightness profiles for data from each occulting edge is discussed, along with the tomographic combination of these profiles to build an image of the source star. Finally we demonstrate the technique with recovered images of the {\alpha} Centauri binary system and the circumstellar environment of the evolved late-type giant star, Mira.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, Accepted by MNRA

The Role of Warfare and Strategy in \u3ci\u3eThe Lord of the Rings\u3c/i\u3e

After a brief analysis of the medieval nature of the arms, armor, and troops in the War of the Ring, examines the strategic advantages and disadvantages of both sides. Postulates Sauron’s “poverty of imagination” as a fatal flaw. The realistic depiction of military strategy gives The Lord of the Rings a feeling of “true” history

A Vacuum Spectrograph for the Infra-Red

A description is given of a 1-meter focus vacuum grating spectrometer for the infra-red which is distinguished by its versatility and compactness of design. The vacuum container is tubular in form and all optical parts are mounted on a carriage which is readily retractable from the case for adjustment. A novel feature is the use of a sine screw drive which gives a linear wave-length scale. A representative spectrum tracing is given

Contributions of Body Fat and Effort in the 5K Run: Age and Body Weight Handicap

The 5K handicap (5KH), designed to eliminate the body weight (BW) and age biases inherent in the 5K run time (RT), yields an adjusted RT (RTadj) that can be compared between runners of different BW and age. As hypothesized in a validation study, however, not all BW bias may be removed, because of the influences of body fatness (BF) and effort (run speed; essentially the inverse as measured by rating of perceived exertion (RPE)). This study\u27s purpose was to determine the effects of BF and RPE on BW bias in the 5KH. For 99 male runners in a regional 5K race (age = 43.9 ± 12.1 years; BW = 83.4 ± 12.9 kg), BF was determined via sum of three skinfolds just before the race. RPE, on the 20-point Borg scale, was used to assess overall race effort on race completion. Multiple regression analysis was used to develop a new adjusted RT (NRTadj, the RTadj corrected for BF and RPE), which was computed for each runner and then correlated with BW to determine bias. Indicative of slight bias, BW was correlated with RTadj (r = 0.220, p = 0.029). Both BF (p = 0.00002) and RPE (p = 0.0005) were significant, independent predictors of RTadj. NRTadj was not significantly correlated with BW (r = 0.051, p = 0.61), but BF explained 90%, and RPE explained only 6%, of the remaining BW bias evidenced in the 5KH. The previous finding that the 5KH does not remove all BW bias is apparently accounted for by BF and not RPE. Because no handicap should be awarded for higher BF, this finding suggests that the 5KH, for men, appropriately adjusts for the age and BW vs. RT biases previously noted

Cyclic networks of quantum gates

In this article initial steps in an analysis of cyclic networks of quantum logic gates is given. Cyclic networks are those in which the qubit lines are loops. Here we have studied one and two qubit systems plus two qubit cyclic systems connected to another qubit on an acyclic line. The analysis includes the group classification of networks and studies of the dynamics of the qubits in the cyclic network and of the perturbation effects of an acyclic qubit acting on a cyclic network. This is followed by a discussion of quantum algorithms and quantum information processing with cyclic networks of quantum gates, and a novel implementation of a cyclic network quantum memory. Quantum sensors via cyclic networks are also discussed.Comment: 14 pages including 11 figures, References adde