Number Of Strikes Research Articles

Model characteristics of competitive activity of female MMA mixed martial arts fighters of different weight classes

Purpose: to determine model characteristics of the competitive activity of female MMA mixed martial arts athletes of different weight classes. Material & Method: the study involved 150 top female mixed martial arts MMA fighters. Participants were divided into 3 groups according to the weight class of 50 athletes each: Strawweight (48 kg to 52 kg), Flyweight (52 kg to 56 kg), and Bantamweight (56 kg to 61 kg). The following methods were used: analysis of scientific and methodological information and Internet sources; generalization of best practices; analysis of protocols and videos of competitive activities; methods of mathematical statistics. Results: female athletes of each weight class have their characteristics in terms of competitive activity indicators. Thus, the finish of the fight with a striking differential, attempts, and accuracy of takedowns is significantly better (p<0.05-0.01) in women`s strawweight fighters. Strawweight female fighters perform a large number of sig strikes landed, which have high accuracy, due to which they win the fight, and this is explained by a large arsenal of technical and tactical actions. Women’s flyweight fighters need more time to finish the fight early. They also have the least number of sig strikes landed during the fight, which are performed with little accuracy, and this is due to the rational distribution of strength in a fight. Women’s bantamweight fighters conduct a large number of knockdowns landed and submissions during the entire fight, this can be explained by the high level of development of special endurance. It was found that the representatives of all weight classes perform mostly distance strikes landed and their sig head strikes landed are the best ones. Conclusions: applying methods of pedagogical observation and mathematical statistics allowed us to determine the structure and model characteristics of modern competitive activities of elite female mixed martial arts MMA athletes for each weight class. The model characteristics obtained during the study can be used to plan the training process of qualified female athletes and to solve the issues of managing their preparation for competitions.

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variants Reduce Antibody Neutralization and Acquire Usage of Mouse ACE2.

Striking number of mutations found in the spike protein of recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and BA.4/5 has raised serious concerns regarding the escape from current antibody therapies and vaccine protection. Here, we conducted comprehensive analysis on the extent of two major Omicron lineages BA.1/BA.1.1 and BA.2 to escape neutralization from the therapeutic antibodies approved by the regulatory authorities and convalescent plasma from SARS-CoV-2 patients infected during initial wave of pandemic in early 2020. We showed that Omicron BA.1/BA.1.1 were the most resistant in both magnitude and breadth against antibodies and convalescent plasma, followed by Beta, BA.2, Gamma, Delta and Alpha. While the majority of therapeutic antibodies lost binding and neutralization to Omicron variants, BRII combo (BRII-196 + BRII-198), S309, and AZ combo (COV2-2196 + COV2-2130) maintained neutralization despite of reduction due to either conserved epitope or combinational effect between the two designated antibodies. A single intraperitoneal injection of BRII combo as a prophylactic treatment protected animals from Omicron infection. Treated animals manifested normal body weight, survived infection up to 14 days, undetectable levels of infectious viruses in the lungs, and reduced lung pathology compared to the controls. Analyzing ACE2 from diverse host species showed that Omicron variants acquired ability to use mouse ACE2 for entry. These results demonstrate major antigenic shifts and potentially broadening the host range of two major Omicron lineages BA.1/BA.1.1 and BA.2, posing serious challenges to current antibody therapies and vaccine protection as well as increasing danger of spillover into the wildlife.

New drugs for multiple sclerosis: new treatment algorithms.

To discuss recent changes in the multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment algorithm and to present therapies currently in MS clinical trials. High efficacy disease modifying therapies are optimally beneficial when used in the early, inflammatory phase of MS. Bruton's tyrosine kinase has emerged as an important therapeutic target for both relapsing and progressive forms of MS. Multiple therapies targeting remyelination failed to provide conclusive evidence of broad therapeutic benefit; however, more targeted approaches offer hope that myelin repair might be achieved resulting in specific clinical improvements. Strategies targeting chronic Epstein-Barr virus infection and dysbiosis of the gut microbiome are the first to link microbial risk factors for MS and therapeutic interventions. A striking number of diverse treatments under investigation bodes well for development of better and more effective therapies in MS.

‘Just Give Money to the Parents’: A Critical and Comparative Policy Analysis of Childhood Poverty in the United States and the Child Tax Credit

In January 2022 alone, over 3.7 million American children were pushed into the throes ofpoverty. This striking number marks a 41% increase from December 2021 when the expanded monthly US Child Tax Credit (CTC) expired, leaving many families without the economic life raft to keep them afloat. Such an increase in child poverty has concrete and damaging social, political, economic, and ethical ramifications. Over the past decades, a plethora of studies have established a clear, causal link between the stress, shame, and material deprivation of poverty and the negative consequences on early childhood development and life chances. Economically, childhood poverty costs the US $1.3 trillion annually in lost productivity and social ills, about 5.4% of GDP. This paper seeks to critically examine the causes, consequences, and burgeoning solutions to childhood poverty in the United States through a policy review and accompanying policy memo. The policy review is divided into four constituent parts: 1) an overview of American childhood poverty, 2) a critical analysis of the US’ current approaches, 3) an outline of alternative policy approaches, and 4) an outline of possible policy options for the US. This policy review, utilising the latest empirical evidence and embedded within poverty literature, is followed by a policy memo written to the Chair of the US Senate Budget Committee, urging for the introduction of a permanent monthly, expanded, non-citizenship based, inflation-indexed, and ‘refundable’ Child Tax Credit that will serve as a minimum guaranteed income for America’s families.

A computational model of stereoscopic prey capture in praying mantises.

We present a simple model which can account for the stereoscopic sensitivity of praying mantis predatory strikes. The model consists of a single “disparity sensor”: a binocular neuron sensitive to stereoscopic disparity and thus to distance from the animal. The model is based closely on the known behavioural and neurophysiological properties of mantis stereopsis. The monocular inputs to the neuron reflect temporal change and are insensitive to contrast sign, making the sensor insensitive to interocular correlation. The monocular receptive fields have a excitatory centre and inhibitory surround, making them tuned to size. The disparity sensor combines inputs from the two eyes linearly, applies a threshold and then an exponent output nonlinearity. The activity of the sensor represents the model mantis’s instantaneous probability of striking. We integrate this over the stimulus duration to obtain the expected number of strikes in response to moving targets with different stereoscopic disparity, size and vertical disparity. We optimised the parameters of the model so as to bring its predictions into agreement with our empirical data on mean strike rate as a function of stimulus size and disparity. The model proves capable of reproducing the relatively broad tuning to size and narrow tuning to stereoscopic disparity seen in mantis striking behaviour. Although the model has only a single centre-surround receptive field in each eye, it displays qualitatively the same interaction between size and disparity as we observed in real mantids: the preferred size increases as simulated prey distance increases beyond the preferred distance. We show that this occurs because of a stereoscopic “false match” between the leading edge of the stimulus in one eye and its trailing edge in the other; further work will be required to find whether such false matches occur in real mantises. Importantly, the model also displays realistic responses to stimuli with vertical disparity and to pairs of identical stimuli offering a “ghost match”, despite not being fitted to these data. This is the first image-computable model of insect stereopsis, and reproduces key features of both neurophysiology and striking behaviour.

Migration intent among Jordanian medical students: a nationwide cross-sectional investigation.

To investigate postgraduation emigration intents of medical students throughout different years and different universities in Jordan. This cross-sectional study was conducted via an online self-administered questionnaire from medical students in six schools of medicine in Jordan. Our questionnaire included two sections with questions regarding sociodemographic, intentions and reasons behind residency and fellowship abroad, and views on Jordanian residency programmes. Of a sample of 1006, 55.7% were females, and 90.7% were holding Jordanian citizenship. 85% and 63% of respondents intended to pursue residency and fellowship abroad, respectively. Intention to continue residency abroad was associated with males, expatriates and those living in urban areas. The main three destinations were the USA (37.4%), UK (22.3%) and Germany (16.6%). 30% of respondents intended to leave the country permanently, because of low salaries, poor education and lower ranking of Jordan residency programmes. When asked about ranking Jordanian residency programmes, it was found that on average, students ranked military hospitals first and government hospitals last with university hospitals being in second place and private hospitals in third. Unfortunately, a striking number of Jordanian medical students intended to leave the country postgraduation, which points towards the necessity for Ministry of health to take immediate actions to reduce the loss of our best students.

Richard L. Trumka: A Labor Leader in Troubled Times

Richard L. Trumka: A Labor Leader in Troubled Times

Crossing Total Occlusions Using a Hydraulic Pressure Wave: Development of the Wave Catheter.

With the ongoing miniaturization of surgical instruments, the ability to apply large forces on tissues for resection becomes challenging and the risk of buckling becomes more real. In an effort to allow for high force application in slender instruments, in this study, we have investigated using a hydraulic pressure wave (COMSOL model) and developed an innovative 5F cardiac catheter (L = 1,000 mm) that allows for applying high forces up to 9.0 ± 0.2 N on target tissues without buckling. The catheter uses high-speed pressure waves to transfer high-force impulses through a slender flexible shaft consisted of a flat wire coil, a double braid, and a nylon outer coating. The handle allows for single-handed operation of the catheter with easy adjusting of the input impulse characteristic, including frequency (1–10 Hz), time and number of strokes using a solenoid actuator, and easy connection of an off-the-shelf inflator for catheter filling. In a proof-of-principle experiment, we illustrated that the Wave catheter was able to penetrate a phantom model of a coronary Chronic Total Occlusion (CTO) manufactured out of hydroxyapatite and gelatin. It was found that the time until puncture decreased from 80 ± 5.4 s to 7.8 ± 0.4 s, for a stroke frequency of 1–10 Hz, respectively. The number of strikes until puncture was approximately constant at 80 ± 5.4, 76.7 ± 2.6, and 77.7 ± 3.9 for the different stroke frequencies. With the development of the Wave catheter, first steps have been made toward high force application through slender shafts.

Evaluation and recommendations for the use of dynamic penetrometers

Dynamic penetrometers are largely used for studies of soil compaction caused by agricultural practices. In this paper, some critical factors affecting precision, operation time, and ease of use of dynamic penetrometers were evaluated. An alternative procedure recording the number of strikes for pre-defined layers (NL) was proposed and compared to the conventional procedure that records depths per strike (Dn). Mass and falling height variability of commercial penetrometers were assessed and the effects on the penetration resistance (PR) equations were evaluated. Comparisons between dynamic and static penetrometers were performed for soils of different textures and a device to extract dynamic penetrometers from very compacted soils was proposed. The alternative procedure-NL presented no statistical difference to the conventional procedure-Dn, shorter acquisition times and simple data post-processing, which was recommended for routine analysis. Mass and falling height variability of 22 Stolf/IAA penetrometers significantly impacted the equations to calculate PR, with variations from −5 to +10% compared to the standard equation. Thus, users should utilize their own equations to transform raw data in PR. The dynamic penetrometer performance was significantly affected by soil texture as compared to the static penetrometer. The puller device was effective for extracting the dynamic penetrometers from soils with PR higher than 5 MPa.

The G209R mutant mouse as a model for human PCSK1 polyendocrinopathy.

PCSK1 encodes an enzyme required for prohormone maturation into bioactive peptides. A striking number of SNPs and rare mutations in PCSK1 are associated with a range of clinical phenotypes. Infants bearing two copies of a catalytically inactivating mutation, such as G209R, exhibit life-threatening chronic diarrhea and subsequently develop systemic endocrinopathies. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we have engineered a mouse model bearing a G209R missense mutation in exon 6 of the murine Pcsk1 locus. Most pups homozygous for the G209R mutation succumbed by day 2, and surviving pups were severely dwarfed. In homozygous (but not heterozygous) pups, blood glucose levels were significantly lower, accompanied by elevated plasma insulin-like immunoreactivity and accumulation of large quantities of unprocessed proinsulin in the pancreas. Peptide hormone processing was also aberrant in G209R mouse pituitary, with mature ACTH levels markedly reduced in homozygotes, accompanied by a significant accumulation of POMC. We also observed a significant reduction in PC1/3 protein in the brains of G209R homozygous mice by Western blotting, while PC2 levels remained unaffected. Most likely due to the continued presence of PC2, pituitary and brain levels of α-MSH were not impaired. Analysis of intestinal cell types indicated a modest reduction of enteroendocrine cells in G209R homozygotes. We suggest that the G209R Pcsk1 mouse model recapitulates many of the dramatic neonatal deficiencies of human patients with this homozygous mutation.

A Review of Striking Force in Full-Contact Combat Sport Athletes: Effects of Different Types of Strength and Conditioning Training and Practical Recommendations

ABSTRACT To succeed in full contact combat sports like mixed martial arts, tae kwon do, and boxing, athletes must deliver a greater number of damaging strikes than they receive. Producing knockdowns, rendering unconsciousness, and scoring points can be accomplished through the application of high magnitudes of striking forces. There is evidence that striking forces can be enhanced through either nonspecific or specific strength and conditioning methods or a combination thereof. To better assist practitioners working with combat sport athletes, this article reviews current empirical evidence on how combat sport athletes respond to different methods of resistance training and offers practical recommendations for implementing nonspecific and specific exercises.

Pain's interference with recovery makes case for revising strategy

Chronic pain is threatening the healthy recovery of a striking number of individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs), including one in four people whose illness is in remission, a new study suggests. Moreover, the study's lead author believes, current multidisciplinary strategies to assist patients with SUD and chronic pain hold no hope of making inroads with this complex population.

Effectiveness of surface-based detection methods for vessel strike mitigation of North Atlantic right whales

Increasing commercial and recreational use of the world’s oceans has led to growing concerns about vessel and marine mammal encounters. For endangered species such as the North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis, reducing the number of vessel strikes is key to improving their protection. In this study, we developed an agent-based model to assess the efficacy of thermal imaging systems as a surface-based whale detection method for vessel strike mitigation. We found that the detection range of such systems is the determining factor for their efficacy and needs to be chosen according to vessel characteristics, such as speed and maneuverability. Furthermore, we found that combining large-scale (e.g. protected zones) and small-scale (e.g. on-board detection systems) mitigation strategies increases protection. Finally, technological improvements are needed to achieve reliable detection ranges beyond what is currently possible so that fast and poorly maneuverable vessels such as ultra-large container ships could benefit from on-board detection systems.

An analysis of the causes of violence during strike action in South Africa: A psychological perspective

Peaceful strikes in post-apartheid South Africa are uncommon. Most industrial action is associated with violent acts to the extent that violence seems to be the norm. Different scholarly contributions regarding the causes of the high number of violent strikes in South Africa have been made; most of these, this article argues, are sociologically and legally inclined. Using the Freudian political psychology theory and the frustration-aggression hypothesis, this article opines that episodic waves of violent activities during strike action are subject to the psychological imbalances and frustrations emanating as a twin phenomenon of intrinsically motivated apartheid posttraumatic effects and people’s inability to meet their basic needs of life. Using an orderly and systematic review of the literature, the article unpacks the causes of violent strikes in South Africa in a psychological manner.

Behavior of RC Beams Strengthened by CFRP and Steel Rope under Frequent Impact Load

The current research aims to study the effect of impact loads on reinforced concrete beams strengthened by carbon fibers and/or steel wire rope. The use of steel wire rope is suggested as a new economic technique to strengthen and rehabilitate reinforced concrete beams, as well as to fix the fibers that are being used in strengthening. Reinforced concrete beams subjected to impact load using both carbon fibers and steel wire rope were tested, and the results were compared with the results obtained from reference beams, from beams strengthened with steel wire rope only, and from beams strengthened with carbon fibers only. The results of concrete beams strengthened using any of the three methods and subjected to impact loading showed a decrease in maximum deflection, residual deflection, damping time, and in the number of strikes to reach each phase of failure. The best results, however, were attained when strengthening using steel rope with and without the addition of carbon fibers, which improved the values of dynamic deflection, residual deflection, damping time, and the number of strikes to reach each phase of failure, when compared to beams strengthened by CFRP strips only.

Investigation of wear mechanisms in AlSi-polyester abradable - Ti(6Al4V) blade contacts using stroboscopic imaging

Abradable linings in aero engines have been an area of research interest over the past few decades as small reductions in clearances between stationary and rotating parts can lead to large increases in engine efficiency. The work performed in this article focuses on characterising the blade wear behaviour in contacts between Ti (6Al 4V) blades and AlSi-polyester abradables. This was done by performing three abrasion tests on the new test rig developed at the University of Sheffield. Tests have been performed on the AlSi-polyester abradables of the same nominal hardness over two incursion rates – 0.02μm/pass and 0.2 μm/pass and two blade tip speeds – 85 m/s and 170 m/s. The front-on stroboscopic imaging technique was used for these tests, which allowed capturing images of the entire blade front for a number of blade strikes during a test. It was found that at the incursion rate of 0.02μm/pass, both adhesions to the blade surface and blade wear were observed across the blade width. It was observed that adhesions were more likely to gradually wear off rather than fracture at 0.02μm/pass, and, fracture at 0.2 μm/pass. Tested surface profiles were obtained using an Alicona non-contact measurement system. This allowed the comparison of the blade profile results from the blade images to the surface of the respective tested abradable sample. It was concluded that adhesions that fractured could contribute to the localized gaps between the final blade and the final abradable surface where such adhesions have fractured close to the end of a test. Further testing areas have been identified such as the investigation into the effects of parameters such as incursion rate of a blade into an abradable, blade tip speed and abradable hardness on the results. The developed front-on imaging system also opened a possibility to investigate in-situ the rub performance of blades of varying tip geometry.

Oliver Tambo International Airport, South Africa: Land-Use Conflicts Between Airports and Wildlife Habitats

Airports stimulate tourism and trade and are a vital link in any country’s tourism infrastructure and economy. Large airports such as South Africa’s busiest airport, the OR Tambo International Airport, in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, are usually located on the periphery of cities, usually on land that forms part of the peri-urban economy, reserved perhaps for farming or left undeveloped. As a result, such land often becomes a wildlife haven within the more “urbanized” or developed areas. Unfortunately, this places wildlife, especially birds on a collision course with aircraft. So much so that bird and other animal strikes cost the aviation industry millions of US dollars annually. Therefore, it is essential to reduce the number of wildlife strikes, not only lower the risk of damage to aircraft, increase passenger safety and reduce operational delays, but also prevent a decline in local wildlife populations. Thus, this paper argues that South Africa must improve its management of land-use close to airports to minimize the potential for wildlife strikes. In that regard, this study catalogs the different habitats and land-use types surrounding OR Tambo International Airport, identifying potential bird hazard zones using kernel density analysis. This identifies which areas pose the highest risk of bird strikes. Although land-use and land zoning by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recommends a 13 km buffer zone around airports, this study shows that land-use in the buffer zone must also take potential bird strikes into account. Thus, airport operators need to work with land-use planning authorities and neighboring stakeholders to do so.

Vessel Strikes of Large Whales in the Eastern Tropical Pacific: A Case Study of Regional Underreporting

Vessel strike is recognized as a major modern threat to the recovery of large whale populations globally, but the issue is notoriously difficult to assess. Vessel strikes by large ships frequently go unnoticed, and those involving smaller vessels are rarely reported. Interpreting global patterns of vessel strikes is further hindered by underlying reporting biases caused by differences in countries’ research efforts, legislation, reporting structures and enforcement. This leaves global strike data “patchy” and typically scarce outside of developed countries, where resources are more limited. To explore this we investigated vessel strikes with large whales in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), a coastal region of ten developing countries where heavy shipping and high cetacean densities overlap. Although this is characteristic of vessel strike “hotspots” worldwide, only 11 ETP strike reports from just four countries (∼2% of total reports) existed in the International Whaling Commission’s Global Ship Strike Database (2010). This contrasts greatly with abundant reports from the neighboring state of California (United States), and the greater United States/Canadian west coast, making it a compelling case study for investigating underreporting. By reviewing online media databases and articles, peer review publications and requesting information from government agencies, scientists, and tourism companies, we compiled a regional ETP vessel strike database. We found over three times as many strike reports (n= 40), from twice as many countries (n= 8), identifying the geographic extent and severity of the threat, although likely still underestimating the true number of strikes. Reports were found from 1905 until 2017, showing that strikes are a regional, historic, and present threat to large whales. The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) was the most commonly hit species, and whale-watch industries involving small vessels in areas of high whale densities were recognized as a conservation and management concern. Industrial fishing fleets and shipping were suggested to be underrepresented sectors in the database, and are likely high-risk vessels for strikes with whales. We demonstrate the implications of known vessel strike reporting biases and conclude a more rapid assessment of global vessel strikes would substantially benefit from prioritized research efforts in developing regions, with known vessel strike “hotspot” characteristics, but few strike reports.

A Psychoanalysis of Milk: The Case of Alfred Hitchcock

A Psychoanalysis of Milk: The Case of Alfred Hitchcock

Resisting the Great Recession: Social movement unionism in Croatia and Serbia

Addressing the debate regarding the impact of the Great Recession on changing union strategies in post-socialist Europe, our analysis shows that in Croatia and Serbia the crisis, while depressing strike numbers, was nevertheless met with substantial union resistance. Developing a paired comparison and relying on protest event data for the period 2000–2017, we argue that the differences among the two countries’ respective varieties of capitalism drive divergent union strategies described as social movement unionism. In Serbia, the role of unions in protests articulating workers’ demands remained more central and unions were overall more present in the protest arena, while in Croatia, unions have exhibited stronger propensity to forge alliances and adopt innovative policy strategies. While taking on board scholarship that portrays social movement unionism as signalling union weakness, we argue that strategies which increase union mobilization capacity may also be understood as increasing union resilience in changing social circumstances.