Search

Few studies have examined the impact of a preseason training intervention through systematic measures in Pro D2 rugby union (RU). Therefore, this study aimed to describe the effects of 12 weeks of preseason training (three blocks) on body composition, running performance, biochemical markers, and workload (WL) variation in professional RU players. Physiological (physical and biochemical) responses to preseason WL were analyzed by examining changes in anthropometric characteristics, Yo-Yo intermittent recovery level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1) test, blood samples (BS), Hooper index (1–7), the 10-Hz global positioning system (GPS), and session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) in nineteen elite male players. Changes throughout the preseason were analyzed using the one-way and mixed-model analysis of variance. Significant (p

This article addresses current norms of the 'dispersed' regime of global migration governance centred on state control of borders as pivotal to the reproduction of structural injustice in the form of racialized patterns of transnational positional difference. It focuses on the implications of this structural injustice for global inequality and, more specifically, for fair access to migration opportunities. Drawing on Rawls' discussion of background justice and Young's work on structural injustice, it argues that addressing this structural injustice requires constructing a regime of global migration governance that regulates state migration policies and proceeds to outline, within the terms of non-ideal theory, the basic norms of such a regime and to indicate some practical steps that could be taken toward such a regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper intends to explain the problem of structural injustice. The Rawlsian theory of justice is problematic due to the reality of positional differences. The assumptions of Rawls are put into question. Oppression, according to Iris Marion Young, is social in character. Fair opportunity is not enough. To elaborate this critique, this study presents the exclusion of individuals with handicap, the problem of global justice, and the situation of women in patriarchal cultures. Some social rules and the behavior of people discriminate the powerless. For instance, particular standards in society promote the high sense of respectability for professionals but not the respect for the equal dignity of persons. Procedures, laws, and policies manifest the prejudice against others. Beyond Rawls, the pursuit of justice and democratic inclusion, it is argued, requires overcoming unjust structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I will present a reading of senior life through the lens of postcolonial theory. Even while this body of theory is as varied as the life experience summarized under the label “old age”, such a project promises mutually fruitful results. Postcolonialism's preoccupation with positional difference, subalternity and the abiding influence of the hegemon over what it discards as other can be helpful in overcoming the often merely chronological or individualized understanding of the last stages of the life course. At the same time, some of the blind spots of postcolonial thinking, its alleged culturalism, can be amended by a sustained attention to the materiality of senior life. My reading will therefore address postcolonial aspects of old age in terms of concrete locations in the Global South and it will also offer a brief reflection on the theoretical challenges presenting themselves at the intersection of these two theory complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have examined the impact of a preseason training intervention through systematic measures in Pro D2 rugby union (RU). Therefore, this study aimed to describe the effects of 12 weeks of preseason training (three blocks) on body composition, running performance, biochemical markers, and workload (WL) variation in professional RU players. Physiological (physical and biochemical) responses to preseason WL were analyzed by examining changes in anthropometric characteristics, Yo-Yo intermittent recovery level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1) test, blood samples (BS), Hooper index (1-7), the 10-Hz global positioning system (GPS), and session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) in nineteen elite male players. Changes throughout the preseason were analyzed using the one-way and mixed-model analysis of variance. Significant ( p  < 0.01) improvements occurred in anthropometry and Yo-Yo IR1 running performance in forwards and backs. Total distance ( p  < 0.01) and impact ( p  < 0.05) during the second block were meaningfully higher than the other two blocks, with backs showing higher values than forwards. As expected, WL decreased significantly ( p  < 0.01) during the last training block. The WL variations were correlated with changes in biochemical markers over the preseason period. The collected data can be used for i) profiling French Pro D2 rugby championships players, ii) establishing effective training strategies, and iii) setting preseason WL expectations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Plant tissue testing is used as a guide for rice (Oryza sativaL.) fertilization and has been extensively used in the diagnosis of potassium (K) deficiency. However, little attention has been paid to the variation in the diagnostic index of K status in different parts of the rice plant. Here, we assessed the feasibility by testing K concentrations of whole plants, leaf blades and leaf sheaths to develop a suitable diagnostic index of plant K status and yield level in rice under different K application rates. The results showed that this research could satisfy the requirements of K status diagnosis, based on the quadratic-plus-plateau relationship between K application rates and grain yield. The K concentrations of the leaf blades and leaf sheaths on the main stem showed differences based on position. Leaf blade K concentrations significantly decreased from the top of the plant to the bottom in the effective tillering and jointing stages. Conversely, K concentrations in the lower leaf blades exceeded those in the upper leaf blades in the booting and full heading stages. K concentrations in the leaf sheath were significantly reduced with declining leaf position except during the jointing stage under high K treatments. Leaf sheath/leaf blade K concentration ratios increased significantly more in lower tissues than in upper plant tissues. Correlation analysis showed that the K concentrations of all sampled plant tissues were positively correlated to plant K uptake and grain yield. However, K concentrations of the whole plant were more useful as a diagnostic index at the effective tillering stage than at other growth stages. Leaf sheaths in lower positions were preferable to upper leaf sheaths and all leaf blades for evaluating plant K status, although their K concentrations were greatly influenced by plant growth stage. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that the ratio between the K concentrations of the first and fourth leaf blades (LBKR1/4) was grouped into significantly exponential curves (P < 0.01) to describe the relationship between plant K uptake and relative grain yield. Thus, LBKR1/4could be an ideal indicator of rice plant K status and yield level, as it eliminated the effects of plant growth stage. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To promote the application of laminated composites with high strength and plasticity in armor field, the feature of interface bonding and the influential mechanisms accounting for the interface quality need clarification. In this work, laminated composites of high-strength TB9 and good-toughness TC4 were successfully manufactured by high temperature rolling with different thickness reduction. Microstructural observations indicate that the plastic deformation and recrystallization at the edge position of the laminated composites are greater than that at the center position. By contrast, the center position of the composites has better bonding quality than the edge position. Besides, holes are detected at the interfaces when the reduction is low. With the reduction increased, the interface bonding is improved and the positional quality difference of the interfaces is reduced. The shear and tensile tests show higher bonding strength and tensile strength with larger rolling reduction. LS-DYNA finite element simulation is performed to study the formation mechanism of the holes and the influential mechanisms on the positional difference in interface bonding quality of the laminated composites. A parameter δ considering the relative strain of the TB9 and TC4 is introduced to quantitatively evaluate the deformation coordination. When the reduction was 70%, the δ is the smallest with the largest bonding strength up to 676 MPa at the center position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-unmanned aerial vehicles often collect a large amount of images when mapping an area at an ultrahigh resolution. A direct georeferencing technique potentially eliminates the need for ground control points. In this paper, we developed a camera-global positioning system (GPS) module to allow the synchronization of camera exposure with the airframe's position as recorded by a GPS with 10-20-cm accuracy. Lever arm corrections were applied to the camera positions to account for the positional difference between the GPS antenna and the camera center. Image selection algorithms were implemented to eliminate blurry images and images with excessive overlap. This study compared three different software methods (Photoscan, Pix4D web service, and an in-house Bundler method). We evaluated each based on processing time, ease of use, and the spatial accuracy of the final mosaic produced. Photoscan showed the best performance as it was the fastest and the easiest to use and had the best spatial accuracy (average error of 0.11 m with a standard deviation of 0.02 m). This accuracy is limited by the accuracy of the differential GPS unit (10-20 cm) used to record camera position. Pix4D achieved a mean spatial error of 0.24 m with a standard deviation of 0.03 m, while the Bundler method had the worst mean spatial accuracy of 0.76 m with a standard deviation of 0.15 m. The lower performance of the Bundler method was due to its poor performance in estimating camera focal length, which, in turn, introduced large errors in the Z-axis for the translation equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]