The effect of complex training on horizontal power production in rugby union players : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Massey University

The use of strength and power training regimes is common place among elite and recreational athletes. However, the application of such methods as direct determinants of improvement in sporting performance is a controversial and much debated topic because the degree of transfer from the training exercise to the sporting application is unknown. In recent years combining strength and sport specific training methods into one training session (complex training) has been promoted as a method to enhance training transfer. The purpose of this project was to examine the effect of complex training on horizontal power production in rugby players. 9 participants completed two four week phases of training (complex and standard) in a randomized order. Participant performance in 5RM squat, horizontal force and horizontal power was tested prior to and at the end of each training phase. A number of significant improvements were observed following complex training: maximum slope of the horizontal force curve increased by 12.29 ±33.59%, maximum power increased by 15.13 ±7.49%, width of the power curve increased by 28.30 ±18.16%, and maximum velocity during the horizontal power test improved by 20.63 ±14.21%. The improvements were significantly different from the respective standard training measures (p ≤.05). It is concluded that power gains were a product of an enhanced ability to produce force at higher velocities. No significant weight gain or significant improvement in 5RM force production was associated with the improvement in maximum power. Therefore it is inferred that neural mechanisms accounted for the difference following complex training. The results presented here suggest that complex training not only improves horizontal power production but also transfers performance improvements to an untrained task by improving the rate of force development in the horizontal force condition. It appears that the complex training regime has in some way created a persistent change in the control mechanisms regulating the performance of both the horizontal strength and power conditions

Mapping the “housing with care” concept with stakeholders: insights from a UK case study

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of an early stage, exploratory case study of a proposed housing with care initiative (the Crichton Care Campus (CCC)). This sought the perspectives of a range of key stakeholders on the proposed model and how it might be best realised. The analyses of these findings show their relevance to debates on integrated housing with care, and reflect on the methodology used and its potential relevance to similar projects. Design/methodology/approach - The study used a transactive planning approach, where grounded views are sought from a variety of stakeholders. A purposive sample identified informants from relevant health, social care and housing organisations and nine semi-structured interviews were conducted. These were transcribed and data analysis was undertaken on an “interactive” basis, relating care theory to empirical expressions. Findings - The authors identify two contrasting orientations – inclusive “community-oriented” and professional “service-oriented”. This distinction provides the basis for a rudimentary conceptual map which can continue to be used in the planning process. Two significant variables within the conceptual map were the extent to which CCC should be intergenerational and as such, the degree to which care should come from formalised and self-care/informal sources. The potential to achieve an integrated approach was high with stakeholders across all sectors fully supporting the CCC concept and agreeing on the need for it to have a mixed tenure basis and include a range of non-care amenities. Originality/value- This paper offers originality in two respects. Methodologically, it describes an attempt to undertake early stage care planning using a needs led transactive methodology. In more practical terms, it also offers an innovative environment for considering any approach to care planning that actively seeks integration – based on an acknowledgement of complexity, a variety of perspectives and possible conflicts. The authors propose that the concepts of “community-orientation” and “service-orientation” are used as a helpful basis for planning negotiations, making implicit divergences explicit and thus better delineated

Are Individual Characteristics all that Matters in Earnings Determination? Evidence from the US and Germany

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Stationary solution of the ring-spinning balloon in zero air drag using a RBFN based mesh-free method

A technique for numerical analysis of the dynamics of the ring-spinning balloon based on the Radial Basis Function Networks (RBFNs) is presented in this paper. This method uses a 'universal approximator' based on neural network methodology to solve the differential governing equations which are derived from the conditions of the dynamic equilibrium of the yarn to determine the shape of balloon yarn. The method needs only a coarse finite collocation points without any finite element-type discretisation of the domain and its boundary for numerical solution of the governing differential equations. This paper will report a first assessment of the validity and efficiency of the present mesh-less method in predicting the balloon shape across a wide range of spinning conditions

Polarized synchrotron emission in quiescent black hole X-ray transients

We present near-infrared polarimetric observations of the black hole X-ray binaries Swift J1357.2-0933 and A0620-00. In both sources, recent studies have demonstrated the presence of variable infrared synchrotron emission in quiescence, most likely from weak compact jets. For Swift J1357.2-0933 we find that the synchrotron emission is polarized at a level of 8.0 +- 2.5 per cent (a 3.2 sigma detection of intrinsic polarization). The mean magnitude and rms variability of the flux (fractional rms of 19-24 per cent in K_s-band) agree with previous observations. These properties imply a continuously launched (stable on long timescales), highly variable (on short timescales) jet in the Swift J1357.2-0933 system in quiescence, which has a moderately tangled magnetic field close to the base of the jet. We find that for A0620-00, there are likely to be three components to the optical-infrared polarization; interstellar dust along the line of sight, scattering within the system, and an additional source that changes the polarization position angle in the reddest (H and K_s) wave-bands. We interpret this as a stronger contribution of synchrotron emission, and by subtracting the line-of-sight polarization, we measure an excess of ~ 1.25 +- 0.28 per cent polarization and a position angle of the magnetic field vector that is consistent with being parallel with the axis of the resolved radio jet. These results imply that weak jets in low luminosity accreting systems have magnetic fields which possess similarly tangled fields compared to the more luminous, hard state jets in X-ray binaries.Comment: Accepted to MNRA

A Note on 1/4-BPS States

We study classical solutions of N=4 super Yang-Mills theories that are invariant under 1/4 of the supersymmetry generators. Expressions for the mass and electric charge of the configurations are derived as functions on the monopole moduli space. These functions also provide a method of determining the number of normalisable bosonic zero modes.Comment: 10 pages, LaTe

Toward a Synthesis of Conservation and Animal Welfare Science

Conservation biology and animal welfare science are multidisciplinary fields of research that address social concerns about animals. Conservation biology focuses on wild animals, works at the level of populations, ecological systems and genetic types, and deals with threats to biodiversity and ecological integrity. Animal welfare science typically focuses on captive (often domestic) animals, works at the level of individuals and groups, and deals with threats to the animals’ health and quality of life. However, there are many areas of existing or potential overlap: (i) many real-life problems, such as environmental contamination, urban development and transportation, create problems for animals that involve both welfare and conservation; (ii) research methods from each field are needed to address some of the scientific problems of the other; and (iii) policies and practices targeting either conservation or animal welfare may prove unproductive if they do not take account of both areas of concern. Moreover, scientists in both fields face the common challenge of applying science to guide policy and practice, often to issues that are both empirical and ethical, and often under conditions of uncertainty. There are many cases where communication and co-operation between the fields should lead to better science and better practical outcomes