Exploring the existence, strength, and independence of relative age and maturation selection biases: a case study in Gaelic football talent development programmes.

BACKGROUND: Biological maturity and relative age player selection biases are well documented in youth sports. However, there has been limited examination of the relationship between these biases. AIM: This study investigated the presence, strength, and independence of relative age and biological maturity selection biases in Gaelic football. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 247 male players from U14 to U16, from two talent academies were assessed for relative age (decimal age (DA)) and biological maturity (discrepancy between biological and chronological age (BA-CA)). RESULTS: Relative age effects (RAE) were observed in the U14 (DA = 0.62, d = 0.40) and U15 squads (DA = 0.57. d = 0.26) only. A bias towards advanced maturity status was present at U14 (BA-CA = 0.60, d = 0.83), U15 (BA-CA = 0.78, d = 0.89), and U16 (BA-CA, d = 1.01). There was a trivial (U14, r(83) = -0.210; U15, r(88) = 0.060) and low (U16, r(76) = 0.352) correlation between relative age and maturity status. CONCLUSION: Substantial maturity selection biases and, to a lesser degree, relative age biases are evident in youth Gaelic football. Critically, these biases are independent constructs. Coaches and policy makers should be educated on the distinct influences of relative age and maturation, and on strategies to address these biases.

The 'Toolbox' of strategies for managing Haemonchus contortus in goats: What's in and what's out.

A dynamic and innovative approach to managing the blood-consuming nematode Haemonchus contortus in goats is critical to crack dependence on veterinary anthelmintics. H. contortus management strategies have been the subject of intense research for decades, and must be selected to create a tailored, individualized program for goat farms. Through the selection and combination of strategies from the Toolbox, an effective management program for H. contortus can be designed according to the unique conditions of each particular farm. This Toolbox investigates strategies including vaccines, bioactive forages, pasture/grazing management, behavioural management, natural immunity, FAMACHA, Refugia and strategic drenching, mineral/vitamin supplementation, copper Oxide Wire Particles (COWPs), breeding and selection/selecting resistant and resilient individuals, biological control and anthelmintic drugs. Barbervax(®), the ground-breaking Haemonchus vaccine developed and currently commercially available on a pilot scale for sheep, is prime for trialling in goats and would be an invaluable inclusion to this Toolbox. The specialised behaviours of goats, specifically their preferences to browse a variety of plants and accompanying physiological adaptations to the consumption of secondary compounds contained in browse, have long been unappreciated and thus overlooked as a valuable, sustainable strategy for Haemonchus management. These strategies are discussed in this review as to their value for inclusion into the 'Toolbox' currently, and the future implications of ongoing research for goat producers. Combining and manipulating strategies such as browsing behaviour, pasture management, bioactive forages and identifying and treating individual animals for haemonchosis, in addition to continuous evaluation of strategy effectiveness, is conducted using a model farm scenario. Selecting strategies from the Toolbox, with regard to their current availability, feasibility, economical cost and potential ease of implementation depending on the systems of production and their complementary nature, is the future of managing H. contortus in farmed goats internationally and maintaining the remaining efficacy of veterinary anthelmintics.

A six-point condition for ordinal matrices.

Ordinal assertions in an evolutionary context are of the form "species s is more similar to species x than the species y" and can be deduced from a distance matrix M of interspecies dissimilarities (M[s, x] < M[s, y]). Given species x and y, the ordinal binary character cxy of M is defined by cxy(s) = 1 if and only if M[s,x] < M[s, y], for all species s. In this paper we present several results concerning the inference of evolutionary trees or phylogenies from ordinal assertions. In particular, we present. A six-point condition that characterizes those distance matrices whose ordinal binary characters are pairwise compatible. This characterization is analogous to the four-point condition for additive matrices. An optimal O(n2) algorithm, where n is the number of species, for recovering a phylogeny that realizes the ordinal binary characters of a distance matrix that satisfies the six-point condition. An NP-completeness result on determining if there is a phylogeny that realizes k or more of the ordinary binary characters of a given distance matrix.

Comparison of the beta-adrenoceptor effects of soterenol and its 3-hydroxy, 4-sulphonamido isomer (MJ6987-1) in isolated tissues from the guninea-pig.

1. Soterenol and its 3-hydroxy, 4-methanesulphonamido isomer (MJ6987-1) were compared with isoprenaline for beta-adrenoceptor mediated effects in guinea-pig atrial, tracheal, uterine and ileal preparations. In addition, MJ6987-1 was tested for its effects in the atria of cats, rabbits and rats. 2. Soterenol had a lower intrinsic activity and was approximately two to six times less active than isoprenaline in all preparations. 3. MJ6987-1 was a full agonist, being some 30--200 times less active than isoprenaline at beta 1-receptor sites and greater than 3000 times less active in preparations where beta 2-receptor activation was involved. 4. Change in the position of the ring substituents in soterenol leads to the production of beta 1-receptor selective agonist.