Defensive Position Research Articles

It Takes a Village to Train a Scientist.

Training for a career as a scientist is a demanding process that requires guidance, critique, and motivation from many different sources. Even the most successful scientists have a village of mentors who help them continue to grow. At the start of my graduate training, I had the benefit of working with Sakthivel Sadayappan as he was establishing his first laboratory at Loyola University Chicago. As I was worrying about putting together my thesis committee, I was struck by Sakthi’s work assembling his own mentoring committee to support him as a young investigator. I remember wondering: at what stage does mentoring end? I have come to appreciate that thankfully it never truly does. Reflecting on my training through graduate school and my current postdoctoral fellowship, I recognize the indispensable contributions of a host of mentors who are willing to invest their time to help me succeed. Here, I want to share some of the roles played by these people and why they are invaluable to a developing scientist. One hard step in career development is choosing a PI to serve as your mentor. Realistically, it is unlikely that you will find a PI who perfectly meets all of your needs. That’s fine; finding additional mentors to …

Klaus Iohannis’ Presidential Term: Between High Hopes and Disillusionment

The 2014 presidential elections in Romania and the victory of the former mayor of Sibiu, Klaus Iohannis, nurtured many expectations and high hopes. His election marks a rupture with the old political elite and was expected to bring a more western and balanced approach in the head institution of the state. But after almost a year and a half from the start of his presidential term his performance looks rather ambiguous and inconsistent. The president’s selective use of presidential power and his discrete communication style have often put him in a hesitant and defensive position. In this context it is highly unlikely that Klaus Iohannis will pursue important changes and improvements during his term in the domain of minority politics, or extend ethnic minorities collective rights and provisions. Even though Klaus Iohannis belongs to Romania’s ethnic German minority, his presidential agenda makes few references to the empowerment of ethnic minorities. His ‘small steps’ approach might bring surprising results, but so far the first one year and a half of the presidential term has been marked by a rather unconvincing performance.

The NFL Combine as a Predictor of On-field Success

Category: Sports Introduction/Purpose: The NFL scouting combine is utilized annually by NFL franchises for prospect evaluation. It consists of a series of physical tests, medical evaluation, and intelligence exam (the Wonderlic). The relationship between physical measures such as vertical jump height and subsequent on-field performance has not been adequately explored in the medical literature. Such information could be useful for athletes training for a career in football or for athletes returning from injury seeking to maximize their chance of subsequent on-field success. The purpose of this study is to see if physical characteristics, as measured in the combine, are correlated with subsequent on-field performance. Methods: Physical testing performance at the combine for all NFL positions from 2006 to 2013 was obtained from a publically available NFL draft scout website. NFL performance data for all players (n=1306) who entered the combine was obtained from the commercial website Pro Football Reference. Pearson’s linear correlation coefficients were utilized to analyze relationships between combine physical and intelligence test measurements and subsequent on-field performance for each offensive and defensive position. On-field performance was measured using a wide variety output statistics. Examples include yards per carry or reception and yards per attempt for offensive positions and sacks and tackles per game for defensive positions. Results: A number of combine measures were statistically significantly associated with improved on-field NFL performance (p<0.05). These measures differed per position and for offensive and defensive players and varied in correlation strength. For example, quarterbacks and running backs with faster forty-yard dash speeds were associated with better NFL rushing statistics. Conclusion: Certain physical characteristics, as measured in the NFL combine, are associated with improved on-field performance in the NFL. Further studies are needed to discern the relationship between the NFL combine and subsequent on- field performance.

Italian academia facing an international scenario: Issues and trends

The opening up to international debate of Italian accounting studies has required local researchers to deal with scientific paradigms based on assumptions, theories and methods markedly different from those that have been leading for decades the local knowledge production system. In an international scenario, a leading part has been played by the Anglo-Saxon mainstream paradigm. Not surprisingly, the interest of many Italian scholars has been catalyzed by such studies. However, the paradigm behind these studies is not free of criticism, as emerges from a qualified debate arising at international level around the pros and cons of this scientific approach. This paper - and the others collected in this Special Issue - hopes to contribute to the debate, with the aim, on the one hand, of overcoming some unbending defensive positions and, on the other hand, of favoring a conscious internationalization process.

Goalkeeper’s position for defending short range shots

The purpose of the study was to analyze and quantify the ability of the goalkeeper while defending shots from left and right sides of penalty area or the goal area, which frequently occurs in an actual game situation. In other words, the study aimed at verifying the reaction ability of the goalkeeper to defend goals in two different defense positions across a 3 m width area without performing dives. Eleven male goalkeepers from a university soccer league participated in the study. The goalkeepers were assigned to react to a specific target point, i.e. high, middle, low, left and right in response to the LED signal positioned at the front. Three-dimensional motion analysis system was used to perform kinematical analysis through which variables such as the approach time of reaching specific target points and the movement used to cover the defensive area were observed. In results, no significant differences were observed in approach time of the hand to the target point in both defense positions, i.e. Type-A (defense posture of positioning the hand at knee height) and Type-B (defense posture of positioning the hand at waist height). But Type-B defense position average velocity was observed faster than Type-A for blocking shots of low-middle heights. Hence, the results obtained from the study showed a possibility that being prepared in Type-A defense position will be more accurate and stable. Moreover, goalkeepers were able to occupy wider defense range in Type-A defense position than Type-B within the time period of 0.7 ∼ 0.8 s after triggering of the LED signal. In conclusion, the results obtained from the study pointed out that Type-A defense position can be much more effective in soccer for blocking shots from the left and right sides of the penalty area. The defense posture of positioning the hand at low height is considered more effective when defending a ball shot from areas near the penalty area than the high hand position. It was also confirmed that the available defense area can be defended widely and effectively by moving the center of the body. Further studies need to be performed to consider the cognitive perspective by applying various methods.

726 Are there only 2Rs in agricultural animal research and production?

Care of agricultural animals is a topic increasingly addressed through a lens and language identified as animal welfare. Welfare inherently is about how animals should be treated. Thus, animal care oversight is unavoidably normative; meaning the topic is undeniably one of ethics. Oversight of USA animal care arose first in publically funded laboratory animal use with the adoption of principles, codes and standards of practices. More recently, oversight has expanded to include agricultural animal research. While the goal of ensuring appropriate animal treatment is common to both lab and agricultural research, there are differences. Consequentially, principles initially implemented for lab animals with specific purpose and positive outcome can be shown to have a counter intuitive outcome when broadly applied. As an example, the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) were initially specific to lab animal research but are mandated for all animal research today. Lab animals serve only one purpose. They are solely research subjects. Agricultural research animals have utility beyond serving as data points. Specifically, when not contrary to health food standards, they are marketed as food. Thus, an IACUC that attempts to Reduce the herd size may be acting in a manner contrary to both better research numbers and also the maintenance of brood cow numbers necessary for a viable operation. Attempts to expand the application of the 3Rs beyond public institutions and to private animal agriculture raise even more questions. Production of beef or pork and not poultry would considerably Reduce the number of animals used in food production. But a question that remains unanswerable is how to compare the value of an animal life of one species to another. Thus, a measure of total harm using animal numbers alone becomes problematic for both science and ethics. Futurists suggest it may become possible to Replace the food animal altogether. But is a steak without the steer a higher moral position? Is the Replacement of animal discomfort and death through their non-existence more ethically defensible? Yes, Refinement in care animals regardless of purpose should be employed to attain appropriate animal quality of life. Additionally, Reduction of animal numbers would be consistent with better welfare, e.g., sexing offspring in dairy breeding. In summary, the 3Rs proposed by Russell and Burch in 1959 have continued application to lab animal oversight, but a simplistic application of these principles to animal agriculture can be shown to not always be the most defensible position.

(Logistics Services Strategies)

Bulgarian Abstract:Тази статия изследва различни стратегии, приложими за логистични услуги. Акцентът е върху стратегии, насочени към постигане на конкурентно предимство. Конкурентна стратегия може да се разглежда в процеса на вземане на определени действия за създаване на защитна позиция в организация за успешно справяне с петте конкурентни сили (конкуренти, потенциални нови участници, купувачи, подмяна продукти или услуги, доставчици) и получаване на по-висока възвръщаемост на инвестиции за компанията. Организациите трябва да намерят различни подходи за постигане на тези цели, както и най-добрата стратегия на компанията трябва да бъде приемането на уникална схема, отразяваща неговите специфични характеристики. С най-широко приложение, обаче, са по своята същност три последователни основни стратегии (които да се прилагат поотделно или съвместно), когато изграждането на такава дългосрочна позиция за отбрана и постигане на по-добри резултати, отколкото конкуренти в рамките на определена дейност. В така наречената матрица на клиентите рекламации може да се използва като инструмент за подпомагане на формулирането на общите логистични стратегическо поведение към клиентите на организацията. Четири логистични стратегии могат да се извлекат от матрицата, а компанията може да прилага такива стратегии на своите клиенти според тяхната рентабилност и разходи за логистични услуги. Документът по-нататъшни анализи на възможностите за персонализиране на стратегията за логистични услуги и разработване на подходяща програма. Персонализиране на стратегията за логистични услуги на клиентите означава намиране на фокусна точка, където служителите могат да стигнат заедно до заключение, че клиентът плаща за логистични услуги. В резултат на това, персоналът трябва да започне да извършва необходимите логистични услуги със страст и постоянство. Чрез персонализиране на стратегията за логистични услуги, управление може да създаде стабилна основа за постигане на сътрудничество персонал за изпълнение на стратегията. Целта на тази статия е да се подчертаят различни видове логистични стратегии и да изследват своите функции и възможности за кандидатстване. English Abstract:This paper explores various strategies applicable to logistics services. The emphasis is on strategies aiming at the achievement of a competitive advantage. A competitive strategy may be viewed through the process of taking certain actions to create a defensive position in an organization to successfully coping with the five competitive forces (competitors, potential new entrants, buyers, replacement products or services, suppliers) and receiving higher returns on investment for the company. Organizations shall find different approaches to achieving these goals, and the best strategy of the company shall be the adoption of a unique scheme reflecting its specific characteristics. With the widest application, however, are three inherently consistent core strategies (to be applied severally or jointly) when building such a long-term defence position and achieving better performance than competitors within a specific activity. The so- called Matrix of Customer Returns can be used as a helping tool for formulating a general logistics strategic behaviour towards the clients of the organization. Four logistics strategies may derive from the matrix, and the company may apply such strategies to its customers according to their profitability and costs for logistics services. The paper further analyses the opportunities for customizing the logistics services strategy and developing an adequate program. Personalizing the logistics customer services strategy means finding the focal point where employees may reach together a conclusion that the customer pays for the logistics services. As a result, the staff shall start performing the necessary logistics services with passion and persistence. By customizing the logistics services strategy, management can create a solid foundation for achieving staff collaboration for the implementation of the strategy. The purpose of this paper is to highlight different types of logistics strategies and to explore their features and application capabilities.

Analyse vidéo et traumatismes en compétition de judo de haut niveau : étude pilote

Judo is a combat sport with an inherent risk of injury. It is a worldwide sport but few studies have focused precisely on the risk of injury in high-level competitions. The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze judo injuries that occurred during two seasons of national competitions by reviewing the video recordings. This was a prospective observational study. A precise diagnosis was established and each injury was analyzed by a working group that included trauma physicians, orthopedic surgeons, national technical advisors, and video technicians. Demographic data, weight division, competition level, and the requirement or not for emergency evacuation were recorded as was the physical examination and complementary tests performed at six weeks. The duration of the interruption of sports activity was evaluated. An analysis of the video recording determining the duration of combat before injury, the judoka's position (attack or defense), the technique being used, the mechanism of the injury, and if present, any technical error or referee error that led to the injury. The video analysis involved 3034 combats involving 2458 opponents (1189 women and 1269 men). Sixty-six injuries were identified (2.2% of combats). There was no significant difference regarding age, gender, weight division, number of combats, or time of combat before injury. Evacuation was required in 10.6% of cases. The main injuries were anterior cruciate ligament tear (19.7%), joint contusion (13.6%), acromio-clavicular disjunction (10.6%). Sports activities had to be interrupted for six weeks in 40.9% of cases. In 83.3%, the injured judoka was in a defensive position. A technical error was the cause of injury in 18.2% of cases and was always made during the second part of the combat. All of the anterior cruciate ligament tears occurred in an opponent in a defensive situation. In 85% of cases, there was no technical error. The most common mechanism of injury was a lateral valgus-flexion-rotation movement (77%) during a throw to the back, with the foot blocked on the ground. Sports interruption was always greater than six weeks. Most of the acromio-clavicular disjunctions occurred in an opponent in a defensive situation. The mechanism of injury involved a fall on the shoulder or on the elbow during a throw forward. A technical error during the fall was noted in all cases. The sports interruption varied from three to six weeks in 57% of cases and was more than six weeks in 43%. The video analysis revealed precise data on the mechanism of injury and situations with a risk of injury. Anterior cruciate ligament tears appear to be the most problematic injuries in terms of frequency, duration of sports interruption, and severity. These preliminary findings should be examined in a large-scale study targeting the observed injuries in order to propose effective preventive measures that could reduce the risk of injury.

Castrum Zwitinense. Wczesnośredniowieczny zespół osadniczy w Grążawach nad Drwęcą jako ośrodek centralny

Castellan strongholds met several essential functions resulting from their rank – the administrative, economic, military, judicial, residential and religious ones. All of them, as indicated by written and archaeological sources, refer to Świecie on the Drweca River. To duties of stronghold-territorial administration belonged marketplace and route peace. This entitled the castellan to salary in trade and communication taxes income. He received half of taverns’ incoms, market tax and tolls on bridges and river crossings within the castellany. Military role of the centre in Świecie on Drweca resulted from both the strategic defensive position itself – on a peninsular elevation at the confluence of two rivers, on the outskirts of the Piast state, at the trade route (bridge crossing on the Brynica River), as well as the vast and impressive form of defensive ramparts. It was also associated with settlement and economic importance, resulting from the need to keep the stronghold crew. The results of excavations conducted in several seasons allowed to identify remains of inside buildings of both stronghold’s segments, its fortifications, as well as different phases of use. In the light of data resulting from the pottery material analysis as well as radiocarbon and dendrochronological dates, the time of functioning of the settlement complex in Świecie on Drweca is determined to the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries to the first half of the 13th century, taking into account several phases of its use. About the mid-11th century an open settlement was formed, it is possible that in the second half of the 11th century or at the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries was built a two segment fortress as a single urban complex, which was destroyed several times. The first traces of at least partial destruction by fire of the stronghold fortifications date back to the mid- 11th century, the later ones probably to the end of the 12th century. We also know that the stronghold along with the adjacent settlement was still in operation in the first half of the 13th century, however, it is hard to determine, if in the late Middle Ages it was settled in full, because faint traces from this period exclude its intensive use.

The Epidemiology of Injuries Identified at the National Football League Scouting Combine and their Impact on Professional Sport Performance: 2203 athletes, 2009-2015

Objectives:Normal At the annual National Football League (NFL) Scouting Combine, the medical staff of each NFL franchise performs a comprehensive medical evaluation of all athletes potentially entering the NFL. Currently, little is known regarding the overall epidemiology of injuries identified at the Combine and their impact on NFL performance. The purpose of this study is to determine the epidemiology of injuries identified at the Combine and their impact on future NFL performance.Methods:All previous musculoskeletal injuries identified at the NFL combine (2009-2015) were retrospectively reviewed. Medical records and imaging reports were examined. Game statistics for the first two seasons of NFL play were obtained for all players from 2009 to 2013. Analysis of injury prevalence and overall impact on draft status and position-specific performance metrics of each injury was performed and compared versus a position-matched control group with no history of injury and surgery.Results:A total of 2,203 athletes over seven years were evaluated, including 1,490 (67.6%) drafted athletes and 1,040 (47.2%) who ultimately played at least two years in the NFL. The most common sites of injury were the ankle (1160, 52.7%), shoulder (1143, 51.9%), knee (1128, 51.2%), spine (785, 35.6%), and hand (739, 33.5%). Odds ratios (OR) demonstrated quarterbacks were most at risk of shoulder injury (OR 2.78, p=0.001) while running backs most commonly sustained ankle (OR 1.49, p=0.038) and shoulder injuries (OR 1.55, p=0.022). Ultimately, defensive players demonstrated a more negative impact than offensive players following injury with multiple performance metrics impacted for each defensive position analyzed whereas skilled offensive players (i.e. quarterbacks, running backs) demonstrated only one metric affected at each position.Conclusion:The most common sites of injury identified at the Combine were: (1) ankle, (2) shoulder, (3) knee, (4) spine, and (5) hand. Overall, performance in the NFL was significantly impacted by previous injuries. NFL performance was directly dependent on position played as well as anatomic location of injury. Defensive players were more negatively impacted than offensive players. Additional work is necessary to determine longer-term impact of these injuries on NFL career and post-NFL quality of life.

Epidemiology of Injuries Identified at the NFL Scouting Combine and Their Impact on Performance in the National Football League: Evaluation of 2203 Athletes From 2009 to 2015.

Background:At the annual National Football League (NFL) Scouting Combine, the medical staff of each NFL franchise performs a comprehensive medical evaluation of all athletes potentially entering the NFL. Currently, little is known regarding the overall epidemiology of injuries identified at the combine and their impact on NFL performance.Purpose:To determine the epidemiology of injuries identified at the combine and their impact on initial NFL performance.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:All previous musculoskeletal injuries identified at the NFL Combine from 2009 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Medical records and imaging reports were examined. Game statistics for the first 2 seasons of NFL play were obtained for all players from 2009 to 2013. Analysis of injury prevalence and overall impact on the draft status and position-specific performance metrics of each injury was performed and compared with a position-matched control group with no history of injury or surgery.Results:A total of 2203 athletes over 7 years were evaluated, including 1490 (67.6%) drafted athletes and 1040 (47.2%) who ultimately played at least 2 years in the NFL. The most common sites of injury were the ankle (1160, 52.7%), shoulder (1143, 51.9%), knee (1128, 51.2%), spine (785, 35.6%), and hand (739, 33.5%). Odds ratios (ORs) demonstrated that quarterbacks were most at risk of shoulder injury (OR, 2.78; P = .001), while running backs most commonly sustained ankle (OR, 1.39; P = .040) and shoulder injuries (OR, 1.55; P = .020) when compared with all other players. Ultimately, defensive players demonstrated a greater negative impact due to injury than offensive players, with multiple performance metrics significantly affected for each defensive position analyzed, whereas skilled offensive players (eg, quarterbacks, running backs) demonstrated only 1 metric significantly affected at each position.Conclusion:The most common sites of injury identified at the combine were (1) ankle, (2) shoulder, (3) knee, (4) spine, and (5) hand. Overall, performance in the NFL tended to worsen with injury history, with a direct correlation found between injury at a certain anatomic location and position of play. Defensive players tended to perform worse compared with offensive players if injury history was present.

An innovative approach to the intellectual property in haute cuisine

The paper investigates the relationship between the culinary innovation process (divided in two stages: idea generation and idea transformation) and the role of creativity protection. The aim is to understand how chefs protect their creativity and their innovation outcomes. The analysis is based on a sample of 132 Italian Michelin-starred chefs. The study sheds light on creativity and innovation domains in the hospitality environment where organizations have to continuously innovate in order to maintain a defensible competitive position. It identifies five “barriers against imitation” by competitors: “listening to clients’ needs”; “chef’s own creativity”, “systematic approach to creativity”; “knowledge based feasibility”; “accumulated professional skills”. The paper represents an initial effort to examine creativity protection concepts in the gastronomy sector, which are still unexplored. It contributes to a better understanding of how to protect the intellectual property in a sector where the applicability of law-based intellectual property systems is very low.

The Solstices and the Orientation of the Roman Fort of Segontium

Here we discuss the orientation of Segontium, the Roman fort of Caernarfon, North Wales. As all the Roman military camps, this fort was planned according to an ideal pattern that was also applied to the coloniae, the outposts established in the territories conquered by Rome. The planning of military camps and colonies was based on a grid of parallel and perpendicular streets, where the main of them, the Decumanus, was specifically aligned. Some scholars are arguing that the Decumani were oriented according to the opportunity and environmental conditions of the place, some others are proposing the possibility of an astronomical orientation, to confer a symbolic meaning to the place too. Here we show that Segontium, besides having a very good defensive position and related orientation, had also astronomical alignments along the directions of sunrise/sunset on solstices. In fact, it had the same distinctive layout of another military camp of Roman Britannia, the Hardknott Fort, the orientation of which along sunrise/sunset on solstices we have already proposed.

Inter-parliamentary European Union–Latin American Caribbean (EU-LAC) relations and the increasing political convergence among Latin American regional parliaments (2006–15)

SUMMARYEurope and Latin America present a long-standing tradition of parliamentary diplomacy and particularly in the development of regional parliaments. Since the 1970s, inter-parliamentary relations between the two regions have been institutionalized, first by the regular dialogue of the European Parliament with the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino) and more recently, in 2006, with the creation of the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (EuroLat). Apart from representatives of Parlatino, EuroLat includes in the European Union-Latin American Caribbean (EU-LAC) parliamentary dialogue members of other regional assemblies created in recent decades, such as the Andean Parliament, the Central American Parliament and the Mercosur Parliament. However, recent EuroLat meetings have made evident a polarization of positions on regional politics between European and Latin American sides, especially regarding the political and human rights situation in Venezuela. In this sense, the present paper analyzes the impact of EU-LAC relations on the political convergence of Latin American parliaments concerning regional political issues. The aim is to discuss how institutionalized relations with the European Parliament, through EuroLat, increased convergence among Latin American parliamentarians. This argument is exemplified by the joint defensive position on the Venezuelan political situation adopted by Latin American parliamentarians vis-à-vis the European Parliament's condemnatory position.

The influence of situational variables on defensive positioning in professional soccer

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of match conditions on the defensive positioning in professional soccer. One hundred and ten ball recovery situations from an elite soccer team were analysed using a tracking system (Amisco Pro). Three team performance variables (ball recovery location (BRL), position of the defensive line (PDL) and position of the offensive line (POL), and three situational variables (match location, quality of opposition and match status) were considered. The results suggest that teams alter their style of play as a consequence of the match conditions. BRL was advanced by 4.87 and 1.80 m (p < 0.05) when the teams were losing and winning, respectively, and POL by 3.67 m (p < 0.05) when losing, than when the scores were even. Playing away decreased the BRL, the PDL and the POL by 4.62, 3.41 and 3.48 m compared with playing at home (p < 0.01). Playing against strong opposition decreased the BRL and the PDL by 5.32 and 3.51 m (p < 0.01) respectively, compared with playing against similar opponents. A combination of these variables can be used to develop a model to predict future performances. The findings emphasise the need for match analysts and coaches to consider the impact of match conditions during assessments of technical and tactical components of football performance.

The Great War and the Middle East

The centenary of the First World War has brought forward a veritable creeping barrage of books on its battles and campaigns. The concussive effect of all this makes an operational pause welcome, and allows one to contemplate the significance of the various studies, original and synthetical, which have issued forth from the cannon's mouth, so to speak. Rob Johnson's new book stands out from the mêlée—as one would expect from the director of the Changing Character of War research programme at Oxford University—as a carefully considered reappraisal of the Great War in the Middle East from a strategic perspective. Tipping his hat at Clausewitz, Johnson sets out ‘to identify, assess and explain the most significant themes of that theatre, not as a “military history” of manoeuvres and experiences but as a “study of war” which illustrates the interactions of decision-making with the prevailing concepts, context and changing conditions’ (p. viii). Moreover, he follows a Clausewitzian line of operations when he states that ‘war is not merely “an extension of politics”: war is a dynamic interaction of its actors, and the product of the friction of violent events. Contemporaries struggled with those dynamics, and tried to adapt their responses accordingly’ (p. viii). Read like this, the Great War in the Middle East becomes more than the usual portrayal of a pointless slugging match in Mesopotamia or Gallipoli. This was a war fought on multiple fronts, from the Somalilands to the Caucasus, and from the Western Desert of Egypt to the Afghan borders of British India. Johnson is adept at making the strategic connections between these campaigns and the greater war effort, especially when it came to command decisions over the allocation of men, munitions and material to the various fronts. He is acute in his emphasis of the technological context of the war, and especially the power that this gave early on, in 1915–16, to the defensive position in depth, of trench lines protected by barbed wire and machine guns, of strongpoints and killing zones for directed fire. He cites Lanchester's law, stating that an attack rarely succeeds unless the attacker enjoys a 3:1 superiority in infantry and firepower. This helps explain British failures at Ctesiphon and in the attempted relief of Kut, Gallipoli and the first and second Gaza battles. The British did not have enough troops or artillery to make the required breakthroughs in 1915–16. He points out that sound strategy depends on ‘the sinews of war’, adequate logistics and resources in men and material. By the third Gaza battle in 1917, General Allenby's Egyptian Expeditionary Force could deploy ten infantry divisions, four mounted divisions and 116 heavy guns, as well as squadrons of the new Bristol fighter plane. The British had aligned ‘ends, ways and means’ to shatter the Ottoman front in Palestine. Johnson makes clear that the Ottomans, despite their operational victories at Gallipoli and Kut, could simply not compete because of their lack of war industrial capacity and infrastructural weaknesses.

Catherine L. Phipps. Empires on the Waterfront: Japan’s Ports and Power, 1858–1899; Noell Wilson. Defensive Positions: The Politics of Maritime Security in Tokugawa Japan.

Both Noell Wilson’s Defensive Positions: The Politics of Maritime Security in Tokugawa Japan and Catherine L. Phipps’s Empires on the Waterfront: Japan’s Ports and Power, 1858–1899 use highly localized starting points—in this case, two ports located on Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu—to reexamine the history of Japan’s foreign relations in the early modern and modern eras. Especially when taken together, these studies offer refreshing perspectives on some of the most persistent issues in Japanese history, particularly the Tokugawa shogunate’s inability to cope with the new security challenges posed by imperialism (Wilson’s book) and Meiji Japan’s subsequent attempt to rise from that failure to become a full-fledged member of the Great Power club (Phipps’s work). That the authors refer to one another cordially in their acknowledgments only reinforces the complementarity of these studies. Although different in scope and thematic focus, Wilson’s and Phipps’s books are essential reading for early modern and modern Japan historians, as well as for scholars interested in foreign relations or maritime history.

Human Rights in American Foreign Policy: From the 1960s to the Soviet Collapse

Joe Renouard's Human Rights in American Foreign Policy has two goals: (1) to provide a survey of U.S. human rights policies during the period from the Vietnam War to the end of the Cold War; and (2) to examine the tensions among traditional political, power, security, and economic interests and concerns for human rights. Renouard believes that policy makers’ goal should be to find the proper balance between national interests and humanitarian concerns, and that human rights policy “exemplifies the classic struggle between the realist tradition in foreign affairs … and the idealist tradition” (p. 6). Renouard challenges much of the excellent work on human rights and American foreign policy done in the last decade, such as Kathryn Sikkink's Mixed Signals (2004), Clair Apodaca's Understanding U.S. Human Rights Policy (2006), Sarah B. Snyder's Human Rights Activism and the End of the Cold War (2011), William Michael Schmidli's The Fate of Freedom Elsewhere (2013), and Barbara J. Keys's Reclaiming American Virtue (2014), seeing it as wrongly critical of American policy. He claims that these scholars see American human rights policy as defined by “inaction, hypocrisy, and double standards,” with the federal government “failing to go far enough to protect human rights …; [it is] a defensible position for an activist, but rather presumptuous for a scholar of diplomacy” (p. 13). He further argues that one will find hypocrisy “if one believes that consistency is a realistic goal. In fact, consistency is an impossible standard” (ibid.).

VIDEO-ANALYSIS OF MODERATE AND SEVERE MATCH INJURIES IN GERMAN MEN'S PROFESSIONAL HANDBALL

BackgroundThere is little knowledge about the causes of injuries in men's professional handball, in particular with a view to the specificity of regular league play.ObjectiveTo identify and describe typical injury...

Quantification of Accelerometer Derived Impacts Associated With Competitive Games in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I College Football Players.

Wellman, AD, Coad, SC, Goulet, GC, and McLellan, CP. Quantification of accelerometer derived impacts associated with competitive games in National Collegiate Athletic Association division I college football players. J Strength Cond Res 31(2): 330-338, 2017-The aims of the present study were to (a) examine positional impact profiles of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) division I college football players using global positioning system (GPS) and integrated accelerometry (IA) technology and (b) determine if positional differences in impact profiles during competition exist within offensive and defensive teams. Thirty-three NCAA division I Football Bowl Subdivision players were monitored using GPS and IA (GPSports) during 12 regular season games throughout the 2014 season. Individual player data sets (n = 294) were divided into offensive and defensive teams, and positional subgroups. The intensity, number, and distribution of impact forces experienced by players during competition were recorded. Positional differences were found for the distribution of impacts within offensive and defensive teams. Wide receivers sustained more very light and light to moderate (5-6.5 G force) impacts than other position groups, whereas the running backs were involved in more severe (>10 G force) impacts than all offensive position groups, with the exception of the quarterbacks (p ≤ 0.05). The defensive back and linebacker groups were subject to more very light (5.0-6.0 G force) impacts, and the defensive tackle group sustained more heavy and very heavy (7.1-10 G force) impacts than other defensive positions (p ≤ 0.05). Data from the present study provide novel quantification of positional impact profiles related to the physical demands of college football games and highlight the need for position-specific monitoring and training in the preparation for the impact loads experienced during NCAA division I football competition.