Trait vs. phylogenetic diversity as predictors of competition and community composition in herbivorous marine amphipods.

Field studies of community assembly patterns increasingly use phylogenetic relatedness as a surrogate for traits. Recent experiments appear to validate this approach by showing effects of correlated trait and phylogenetic distances on coexistence. However, traits governing resource use in animals are often labile. To test whether feeding trait or phylogenetic diversity can predict competition and production in communities of grazing amphipods, we manipulated both types of diversity independently in mesocosms. We found that increasing the feeding trait diversity of the community increased the number of species coexisting, reduced dominance and changed food availability. In contrast, phylogenetic diversity had no effect, suggesting that whatever additional ecological information it represents was not relevant in this context. Although community phylogenetic structure in the field may result from multiple traits with potential for phylogenetic signal, phylogenetic effects on species interactions in controlled experiments may depend on the lability of fewer key traits.

Microbial processes in the Athabasca Oil Sands and their potential applications in microbial enhanced oil recovery.

The Athabasca Oil Sands are located within the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, which covers over 140,200 km(2) of land in Alberta, Canada. The oil sands provide a unique environment for bacteria as a result of the stressors of low water availability and high hydrocarbon concentrations. Understanding the mechanisms bacteria use to tolerate these stresses may aid in our understanding of how hydrocarbon degradation has occurred over geological time, and how these processes and related tolerance mechanisms may be used in biotechnology applications such as microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). The majority of research has focused on microbiology processes in oil reservoirs and oilfields; as such there is a paucity of information specific to oil sands. By studying microbial processes in oil sands there is the potential to use microbes in MEOR applications. This article reviews the microbiology of the Athabasca Oil Sands and the mechanisms bacteria use to tolerate low water and high hydrocarbon availability in oil reservoirs and oilfields, and potential applications in MEOR.

Different centre of pressure patterns within the golf stroke I: Cluster analysis.

Weight transfer research in the golf swing has produced conflicting and inconclusive results. A limitation of previous studies is the assumption that only one swing "style" exists within the golf swing. If different styles, or movement strategies, exist and if the different styles are analysed together in a single group, statistical errors will result. The aim of this study was to determine if different weight transfer styles exist in the golf swing by applying cluster analysis to centre of pressure (CP) patterns in the direction of hit (CPy) and to evaluate cluster analysis issues. Sixty-two professional to high handicap golfers performed simulated drives, hitting a golf ball into a net, while standing on two force plates. Centre of pressure position relative to the feet (CPy%) was quantified at eight swing events identified from 200-Hz video. Cluster analysis identified two major CPy% styles: a "Front Foot" style and a "Reverse" style. Both styles began with CPy% positioned evenly between the feet, moved to the back foot during backswing, and then forward during early downswing. Beyond early downswing, the Front Foot group continued to move CPy% to the Front Foot through to ball contact, while the Reverse group moved CPy% towards the back foot through ball contact and follow-through. Both weight transfer styles were evident across skill levels from professional to high handicap golfers, indicating that neither style was a technical error. Cluster analysis should include hierarchical and non-hierarchical clustering and use objective measures combined with theoretical assessment to determine the optimal number of clusters. Furthermore, a number of validation procedures should always be used to validate the solution.

Different centre of pressure patterns within the golf stroke II: group-based analysis.

Although the golf coaching literature stresses the importance of weight transfer during the swing, research has been conflicting or lacking statistical support. A potential problem with previous studies is that no attempt was made to account for different movement strategies in the golf swing. This study evaluated the relationship between centre of pressure measures and club head velocity within two previously identified swing styles, the "Front Foot" and "Reverse" styles. Thirty-nine Front Foot golfers and 19 Reverse golfers performed swings with a driver while standing on two force plates. From the force plate data, centre of pressure displacement, velocity, range, and timing parameters were calculated. Correlation and regression analysis indicated that a larger range of centre of pressure and a more rapid centre of pressure movement in the downswing was associated with a larger club head velocity at ball contact for the Front Foot group. For the Reverse golfers, positioning the centre of pressure further from the back foot at late backswing and a more rapid centre of pressure transfer towards the back foot at ball contact was associated with a larger club head velocity at ball contact. This study has highlighted the importance of identifying different movement strategies before evaluating performance measures, as different parameters were found to be important for the Front Foot and Reverse styles.

A three-dimensional analysis of javelin throwing technique.

This paper reports a three-dimensional kinematic analysis of the best throws from the women's and men's javelin competitions at the 1991 World Student Games in Sheffield. This was undertaken to obtain accurate three-dimensional release parameter values for elite javelin throwers in a top competition, to relate the release parameters to important temporal and kinematic features of the javelin throwing technique and to carry out an assessment of the adequacy of two-dimensional estimates of release parameter values in comparison with those from the three-dimensional analysis. Cine-film was taken using two phase-locked Panasonic 1PL cameras running at a frame rate of 100 Hz, and every other frame was digitized. All methodologies were in accord with the guidelines of the British Association of Sports Sciences. The results indicated the possibility of two different throwing techniques, within and between individuals, relating both to the timing of hip joint actions within the kinematic chain and the trade-off between the impulse applied to the javelin and run-up speed. The results also indicated that important release parameter values assessed from the xz-plane alone differed only marginally from those from three dimensions. The extra information obtainable from three-dimensional analysis (such as angle of sideslip, incidence magnitude, azimuth angle, angle of track and yaw rate) along with the poor representation of the time-course of important variables obtained from the xz-plane makes the three-dimensional analysis of this event essential. This is further strengthened by the practical use of three-dimensional analysis in allowing coaches and throwers the opportunity to view the event from any perspective. Recommendations for future research include further three-dimensional kinematic analyses with priority being given to assessing ways of estimating wind conditions around the javelin runway and of incorporating the vibrations of the javelin within the analysis.

The biomechanics of javelin throwing: a review.

In this paper, the scientific literature and that on the sports sciences relevant to javelin throwing is critically reviewed. This is particularly timely because of the change in the specification of the javelin for the men's event, which was introduced by the IAAF in 1986. A full discussion of the aerodynamics of the javelin is presented with due consideration of the change in pitching moment characteristics that the rules change had brought about. The uses and limitations of current computer programs for simulating javelin flight, in order to estimate optimal release parameters, are profiled. Consideration is also given to the effects of wind velocity, air density, javelin weight and the flutter and spin of the javelin on its flight. The review further considers the optimization of release parameters, drawing upon computer simulations and field-based data. The effects of release speed, release height, release angle, release angle of attack and release pitch rate are assessed. The javelin throwing technique is discussed in relation to cinematographically derived data, including an evaluation of experimental procedures. The importance to successful performance of the grip, the run-up and transition phases, the cross over and delivery strides are each reviewed. Finally, some prognoses as to the direction of future research into this complex throwing skill are offered.