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

The Meaning of Probability of Default for Asset-backed Loans

The authors examine the concept of probability of default for asset-backed loans. In contrast to unsecured loans it is shown that probability of default can be defined as either a measure of the likelihood of the borrower failing to make required payments, or as the likelihood of an insufficiency of collateral value on foreclosure. Assuming expected loss is identical under either definition, this implies a corresponding pair of definitions for loss given default. Industry treatment of probability of default for asset-backed loans appears to inconsistently blend the two types of definition. The authors develop a mathematical treatment of asset-backed loans which consistently applies each type of definition in a framework to produce the same expected loss and allows translation between the two frameworks.Comment: 28 pages, 13 figure

Quantification of over-speed risk in wind turbine fleets

The effective life management of large and diverse fleets of wind turbines is a new problem facing power system utilities. More specifically, the minimization of over-speed risk is of high importance due to the related impacts of possible loss of life and economic implications of over-speed, such as a loss of containment event. Meeting the goal of risk minimization is complicated by the large range of turbine types present in a typical fleet. These turbines may have different pitch systems, over-speed detection systems and also different levels of functional redundancy, implying different levels of risk. The purpose of this work is to carry out a quantitative comparison of over-speed risk in different turbine configurations, using a Markov process to model detection of faults and repair actions. In the medium-long term, the risk associated with different assets can used as a decision making aid. For example if the operator is a utility, it may want to avoid purchasing high risk sites in the future, or may need to develop mitigation strategies for turbines at high risk of over speed

Mayoral views on economic incentives: valuable tools or a bad use of resources?

Mayoral Views on Economic Incentives: Valuable Tools or a Bad Use of Resources? explores which types of cities and mayors embrace – or reject – tax concessions and subsidies to attract or retain business. The authors find considerable variation in how individual mayors think about these issues; personal traits of the mayor (e.g., party and time in office) and city level characteristics (e.g., economic performance) do not predict their views on economic incentives. The absence of clear patterns suggests to the authors that the supposedly omnipresent pressure to provide inducements to business investment is not the recurring, vivid presence in the lives of mayors that we might expect.Citi Community Development and The Rockefeller Foundatio

Cost-Benefit Analysis Under Uncertainty

In what follows we provide a conceptually correct procedure for determining whether a risky project passes the "potential Pareto improvement" welfare criterion which forms the normative basis of cost-benefit analysis. In this approach the role of secondary markets in providing opportunities for redistributing risk is made transparent and the modifications necessary when such markets do not exist are suggested.

The readability of Australia’s taxation laws and supplemetary materials: an empirical investigation

Australian taxation law has been criticised for many years for its difficulty to read and understand. The Tax Law Improvement Project (TLIP) was established in December 1993 to rewrite in plain language Australia’s income tax legislation. The primary purpose of this study is to test empirically the effectiveness of attempts at simplifying the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 as amended. The study utilises empirical measures in analysing the level of readability of Australia’s taxation laws. In doing so, it builds on earlier research, which applied similar methods in examining the New Zealand taxation simplification process. It was found that the sections of Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 sampled were slightly more readable than corresponding sections of Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 as amended, which is consistent with Wallschutzky’s (1995) findings. Nevertheless, the results fall well short of acceptable bench-marks, suggesting that the goal of simplification has not been achieved.

Library Impact Data Project: hit, miss or maybe

Purpose In February 2011 the University of Huddersfield along with 7 partners were awarded JISC funding through the Activity Data programme to investigate the hypothesis that: “There is a statistically significant correlation across a number of universities between library activity data and student attainment” The Library Impact Data Project aimed to analyse users’ actions with regards to library usage and then linking those to final degree award. By identifying a positive correlation in this data those subject areas or courses which exhibit high usage of library resources can be used as models of good practice. Design, methodology or approach The overall approach of the project is to extract anonymised activity data from partners’ systems and analyse the findings. For each student who graduated in the sample years, the following data was required: final grade achieved; number of books borrowed; number of times e-resources were accessed; number of times each student entered the library and school or faculty. This data was then collated, normalised, and then analysed. In addition all partners were asked to hold a number of focus groups in order to secure qualitative data from students on library usage to provide a holistic picture of how students engage with library resources. Findings This paper will report on the findings of the project which ran from February to July 2011. It will consider whether the hypothesis was proven for the three indicators of library usage. Research or practical limitations or implications The main aim of the project was to support the hypothesis. The project acknowledges however, that the relationship between the two variables is not a causal relationship and there will be other factors which influence student attainment. Conclusions The paper will discuss the implications of the results and suggest further work that could result from the projects findings