text:
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Holding Polluters and Government Accountable
Delaware Bayshore
March 31st, 2013 Bill Wolfe	No comments
NJ's Most Ecologically Rich and Threatened Region At Risk
hawks soar
"A national spotlight is shining on the need to protect our coastal and bay ecosystems," said Bill Wolfe, Director NJ PEER "We owe it to the Delaware Bayshore communities to practice regional ecosystem based planning and strict regulation" ~~~ New Report on Protecting Delaware Bay Ecosystem (Going Green on Delmarva, June 22, 2010)
[Update #2 4/28/13 – Sandy Bauers of the Philly Inquirer gets in and writes a must read story: Along N.J. bay, rising sea draws ever closer]
Update #1: 4/1/13 – Gee, what an amazing coincidence!: Five months of silence, and today we get a DEP press release:
CHRISTIE ADMINISTRATION AND PARTNERS WORK TO RESTORE DELAWARE
BAY BEACHES ERODED BY SANDY TO HELP RED KNOTS AND OTHER
SHOREBIRDS DURING UPCOMING MIGRATION – end update]
Anyone interested can read the full Report – "Protecting the Delaware Bay Environment" –
I'm too lazy to write at the moment, so just look at pictures of an ecologically rich working landscape that will only get more beautiful as spring emerges.
Categories: Uncategorized	Tags:
Obama's Energy Secretary Pick Has Some Problems
March 30th, 2013 Bill Wolfe	No comments
Professor Moniz and MIT Report The Latest Example of "Frackademia"
Corporate capture of government and the destruction of academic and scientific integrity
Perhaps the most under-reported story flying recently under the media radar involves President Obama's nominee for Secretary of Energy, MIT professor Ernest J. Moniz.
Obama made the announcement back on March 4, and Moniz received favorable media coverage.
Typical is this sketch from the NY Times:
In choosing Dr. Moniz, Mr. Obama has once again selected a nuclear physicist, although one with more political experience; Dr. Moniz was the under secretary of energy in President Bill Clinton's second term.
Dr. Moniz, like his predecessor, Dr. Chu, is highly focused on how to meet a skyrocketing global demand for energy while mitigating adverse effects on the environment, and like Dr. Chu, he has focused on the need for technology innovation.
He also shares with Dr. Chu a scientist's view of politics. In a memo posted on his program's Web site in November 2012, he said that the M.I.T. Energy Initiative was continuing to supply technical research "in the interest of providing some degree of rationality in the ongoing political discussion."
How's that? Just what is "a scientist's view of politics"? (presumably, the NY Times refers to the old discredited caricature – the dichotomy of pristine objective fact based neutral science, versus subjective and value based politics).
On the one hand, Moniz is praised by media as having "more political experience", but on the other hand, he himself touts his ability to provide "some degree of rationality in the ongoing political discussion."
Does the media not see some tension, if not a glaring contradiction there?
In a sort of pre-emptive way, right out of the gate, NY Times climate blogger Andrew Revkin engaged and dismissed this issue superficially.
[Could that be because Revkin himself is biased and was caught up in the "Frackademia" PR game ? see this and read on: An M.I.T. Plan for Natural Gas with Planet in Mind (Andy Revkin, New York Times "Dot Earth" blog, June 9, 2011)]
Revkin is a well informed peddler of conventional wisdom. At the outset, based only on a press release, he attempted to downplay that tension and dismiss environmental critics (who are disdainfully dismissed in one word as "campaigners", i.e. unlike the savvy and rigorously scientific Revkin, these "campaigners" are scientifically illiterate political advocates).
Revkin wrote: (curiously, without mentioning or linking to his prior June 9, 2011 story on the MIT fracking Report)
Moniz is already taking heat from some environmental campaigners for his work directing the M.I.T. Energy Initiative, which — like many university energy and climate research hubs — receives ample funding from industries selling or dependent on fossil fuels. Among other things, he is a proponent of gas drilling using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. I've come to know Moniz over years of contact as a reliable, transparent and data-driven researcher and think he'll do well in this position. (I still think Shirley Ann Jackson, the president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, would have done well, too.)
But perhaps two recent in depth investigative reports can overcome Revkin's early casual dismissal and shed some light on Moniz's "view of politics" and science, as he practices them up at MIT.
I suspect that this investigative work will play a role in Moniz's Senate confirmation hearing on April 9 –
If we had a functioning democracy, it most certainly would.
One indication of that this might play a role is that the Obama message people are already working the beltway media to marginalize critics and create an air of inevitability.
The best example of that beltway cynicism and spin is Politico's set up promotional piece: Ernest Moniz should have an easy time before Senate. This quote says it all – ultimate beltway insider Dan Weiss is backing Obama and doesn't want to waste any bullets criticizing Obama's pro-energy industry pick:
Daniel Weiss, director of climate strategy with the liberal Center for American Progress Action Fund, said the flurry of attention "is basically background noise."
If the Obama people are trotting out their loyal "environmental" backers to deflect criticism as "background noise", that means they're scared.
So lets take a quick look at what Mr. Weiss dismissed as "background noise".
First, we consider ProPublica's work: Drilling Deeper: The Wealth of Business Connections for Obama's Energy Pick:
Here's what we know about Moniz's recent involvement with the energy industry:
He was on BP's Technology Advisory Council between 2005 and 2011, a position for which he received a stipend, according to BP. Spokesman Matt Hartwig said the company does not disclose details of such payments. (A 2012 BP financial report disclosed that one council member received about $6,200.) The council "provides feedback and advice to BP's executive management as to the company's approach to research and technology," according to the company. BP has also provided $50 million in funding to Moniz's MIT Energy Initiative. Moniz talked about that relationship while delivering a warm introduction before a 2009 speech at MIT by BP's then-CEO Tony Hayward.
From 2002 to 2004, Moniz sat on the strategic advisory council of USEC, a public company that provides enriched uranium to nuclear power plants. A company spokesman said Moniz was paid for his role on the nine-member council, but declined to say how much. USEC, which has been seeking a $2 billion loan guarantee from the Energy Department for a centrifuge plant in Ohio, has applauded Moniz's nomination.
He's on the board of ICF International, a Fairfax, Virginia-based company which does energy and environmental consulting. It has received Energy Department contracts as part of what one executive called a "longstanding relationship with the Department of Energy." As a board member, Moniz got $158,000 in cash and stock in 2011, according to the company's most recent annual report.
He is on the strategic advisory council of NGP Energy Technology Partners, a private equity firm that invests in both alternative energy and fossil fuel companies. The Washington, D.C.-based firm declined to comment.
He is on the board of advisers of another private equity firm, the Angeleno Group,which says it provides "growth capital for next generation clean energy and natural resources companies." The Los Angeles-based firm didn't respond to requests for comment.
He is a trustee of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), a Saudi Aramco-backed nonprofit organization. The organization did not respond to requests for comment.
He was on the board of directors of the Electric Power Research Institute from 2007 to 2011, following a stint on the group's advisory council that began in 2002. A nonprofit utility consortium, the organization does research for the industry with an annual budget of over $300 million. The group paid Moniz $8,000 between 2009 and 2011, according to its most recent tax returns
Since 2006, Moniz has been on the board of General Electric's "ecomagination" advisory board which advises the company on "critical environmental and business issues." The company did not respond to inquiries about compensation.
But even more significant than all those financial ties and conflicts of interest, a second Report shed light on how Moniz views scientific integrity, academic science, and politics – and the picture it paints sure ain't pretty. Frankly, the findings are alarming and damning.
The Public Accountability Initiative published a disturbing Report: Industry Partner or Industry Puppet? How MIT's influential report on fracking was authored, funded, and released by oil and gas industry insiders
Several universities have released high-profile studies on the subject of fracking that dismissed environmental concerns, but were later found to be tainted by poor scholarship, pro-industry bias, and significant conflicts of interest stemming from ties to industry. Rather than inform the public, the reports appear to have been designed to manipulate public opinion about fracking. The fallout has been significant, prompting resignations and retractions at the University of Texas, the University at Buffalo, and Penn State.1 The Public Accountability Initiative (PAI) has been at the forefront of efforts to expose this trend, which has come to be known as "frackademia."2
This PAI report examines yet another high profile study of fracking: MIT's "The Future of Natural Gas" report, released in June 2011. The nomination of MIT professor Ernest J. Moniz as the next energy secretary has put a new spotlight on the report, which endorsed "natural gas as a bridge to a low-carbon future."3 Moniz served as chair of the study group that authored the report and directs the MIT Energy Initiative, which released the report.
The MIT report is marred by undisclosed conflicts of interest, pro-industry advocacy, and poor scholarship similar to that which resulted in retractions and resignations at other universities, yet it has not received the same level of critical attention.4
Authored by industry. Key authors of the study, including Moniz himself, failed to disclose personal financial conflicts of interest in report materials or at events where the report was presented:
• Study chair Ernest Moniz took a lucrative position on the board of ICF International, a consulting firm with significant oil and gas ties, just prior to the release of the report. ICF cited shale gas analysis as a key profit driver for its energy business weeks before Moniz joined its board; it sells a proprietary gas market analysis tool and works for oil and gas clients such as America's Natural Gas Alliance. Moniz's ICF compensation since 2011 is valued at $305,648.5 He has also served on the advisory board of NGP Energy Technology Partners, which invests in oil and gas companies, since 2006, but it is unclear if he receives compensation in this position.
Funded and advised by industry. The MIT study was also funded by oil and gas industry sources and advised by a committee dominated by industry representatives.
Report funding. The report was funded by oil and gas industry sources, including the American Clean Skies Foundation, which is closely linked to Chesapeake Energy. These funders were acknowledged in the report.
Report advisory committee. Though the study's advisory committee was billed as a group of "leaders from industry, government and environmental groups," it was dominated by individuals with strong oil and gas industry ties.
MIT Energy Initiative funding. The MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), directed by Moniz, receives extraordinary amounts of funding – over $145 million over its seven-year history – from oil and gas giants like BP and Chevron.
Though the MIT report named its funders, its failure to disclose its authors' industry ties suggests that MIT did not have proper systems in place for disclosing and managing conflicts of interest. 7 The MIT Energy Initiative's response to PAI's findings is telling in this regard. The response, which is included in the appendix, begins: "The notion that these findings are developed based on anything other than the unbiased research of MIT researchers is false." The response notes that authors filed disclosure forms with the university, but does not address PAI's queries about whether MIT and the Energy Initiative viewed the study authors' industry ties as conflicts of interest and managed them as such. The response raises red flags about how the Energy Initiative understands and handles conflicts of interest. 8
On the question of bias, there are signs that the study authors were not relying on sound research in authoring a study that was so bullish on the future of natural gas. Though a full review of the study is outside the scope of this report, the third section takes a closer look at the thin evidence underlying two of the MIT study's most significant and widely amplified pro-industry claims:
Environmental impacts. There is no substantive research backing the study's claim that fracking-related environmental risks are "challenging but manageable."
Gas exports. The report offers little evidence backing its argument for the development of a global gas market complete with LNG exports. For instance, it cites the economic benefits associated with a global gas market without including any discussion of price impacts.University-industry partnerships support a great deal of academic research in the United States, but it is important to safeguard this research against improper industry influence. The significant conflicts of interest, gas industry advocacy, and poor scholarship in the MIT study suggest that the university did nothing to ensure that it was not acting as an industry mouthpiece in endorsing natural gas.
I urge you to read the entire Report.
This really is part of a much larger debate about the wholesale corporate capture and control of government and the prostitution and absolute destruction of academic and scientific integrity.
Never mind the energy policies they reflect, if these tactics go unchallenged, we surely are doomed.
I hope someone stands up for those institutions and ideas.
[ps – and what the hell is the former head of the CIA doing at MIT on energy?
John Deutch, an MIT professor and the former director of the CIA, served as one of the members of the "Future of Natural Gas" study group. Deutch chaired the hydraulic fracturing advisory subcommittee convened by Energy Secretary Steven Chu in May 2011. Deutch had significant personal ties to the oil and gas industry that were not disclosed in the MIT report.
New Paradigm: Overburdened Bullshit
Christie DEP Stands Environmental Justice Policy on Its Head
Christie Policy and Performance Demand Legislative Oversight
Great Depression - could be Shiloh, NJ today (see below)
We recently wrote about one of NJ's "sacrifice zones", Paulsboro NJ, a community in the belly of the toxic spewing petro-chemical beast.
But, as we noted, Paulsboro is NOT alone – there are scores of "sacrifice zones" all across NJ, and they are expanding.
Gov. Christie Whitman - a big smile on her face - frisks black man in Camden, NJ
They are expanding as disasters like Superstorm Sandy, lack of investment, home foreclosures, abandonment, austerity social safety net policies, crumbling infrastructure, decrepit and segregated schools, and unemployment devastate low income communities.
The DEP – historically – at least recognized their responsibility for addressing the environmental and public health aspects of these problems and struggled to provide relief. Those efforts fell far short and were often more PR spin than substantive reform, but, at least the problems were openly acknowledged and discussed, leadership cared, and DEP resources were committed.
In December 2009, it seemed that DEP had finally turned the corner and could no longer deny the magnitude of the cumulative impact, disproportionate burden, public health, and environmental justice problems. DEP researchers released a report that documented the problem – see: DEP Discovers Discrimination – Dumps Environmental Justice Issue in Christie's Lap.
So, what did the Christie DEP do with that challenge the Corzine DEP belatedly dumped in their lap?
They ran for the hills and spun a lot of bullshit –like this
The Next Generation of Environmental Management
"Working with Communities to Address their Greatest Environmental Concerns"
Goal 3 – Restoration and Enhanced Protection in Environmentally Overburdened Communities
Develop a new paradigm for the protection of communities overburdened by environmental stresses through a multimedia approach focusing on human health and the environmental impacts; ensure that we work in concert to address issues related to air, water, preservation, acquisition, and affordable access to parks.
Continued development and utilization of the Cumulative Impact Method.
Ensure cross program coordination to achieve the greatest net-environmental gain or the least possible negative effect impacting the public's quality of life.
Expand the number of DEP staff dedicated to working in and with communities to ensure a thorough understanding of issues and potential solutions.
Paulsboro, and Pompton Lakes, and Camden, and Passaic City, and Garfield and Kearny and Trenton and Gloucester City and Salem and Carney's Point and Neptune and Clifton and West Orange and Linden, and Paterson, and Carteret and Middlesex and Elizabeth and Newark and Doremus Ave. – the list goes on – they all make a mockery of DEP's "overburdened" community rhetoric (see DEP's Office of Environmental Justice).
The people of Paulsboro are literally a laboratory for an "over-burdened community" and a case study in what is known as "cumulative impacts".
But DEP has virtually abandoned the science and the development of regulatory standards to address cumulative impacts and cumulative risks – they default to US EPA. The DEP's website cites EPA studies that are more than 10 years old!
Towards Cumulative Risk Assessment
EPA Cumulative Assessment Information
This website offers presentations made during the EPA "Mid-Atlantic Cumulative Risk Workshop" held on May 28-29, 2003. The workshop's theme was "How Can Cumulative Risk Assessment be Used to Achieve Environmental Justice?" Attendees included Public Health Experts, Scientists, Environmental Justice Advocates, and Government Officials. Discussion focused on: defining cumulative Risk and the intersections between cumulative risk and public health.
Risk World
A listing of databases regarding risk assessment, analysis, and management
A List of Risk Assessment Values References (Scorecard)
As we've written, DEP Commissioner Martin has established a de facto moratorium on development of new regulatory standards.
DEP science has been outsourced, suppressed, ignored, spun, or defunded.
Let's hope that these issues get some legislative oversight in DEP's upcoming budget hearing before the Senate on April 15.
down and out in Shiloh, NJ (3/23/13)
Shiloh, NJ (3/23/13) This Property Is Condemned, but where is Natalie Wood?
Delaware Bayshore, Cumberland County, NJ (3/23/13)
Bivalve, NJ (3/23/13)
great Depression - I couldn't find anyone on porches in Shiloh or Cumberland County
DEP Dodges Role of Climate Change In Sandy and Sea Level Rise
DEP Bows To Gov.'s Political Views
DEP Fails to State the Science on Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, and Flood Maps
homes at Cape May Point - The end of the line - no where to run, no where to hide, from sea level rise and climate change
Yesterday, DEP adopted the FEMA Draft Advisory Base Flood Elevation Maps (read the DEP press release and the DEP response to comment adoption document).
In doing so, as is legally required, DEP responded to all public comments on the rule proposal.
In an extraordinary and deeply troubling move, DEP failed to accurately state the well known and consensus scientific relationships betweeen climate change and sea level rise.
DEP scientists and engineers know that climate change is causing sea level rise. Recent maps on sea level rise were released by Rutgers University, further validating that consensus scientific view (see: Sea level map offers disturbing picture of Shore's future) .
Yet the DEP experts were gagged from stating that scientific fact in a regulatory document (just as we warned, see):
Rutgers Sea Level Rise Maps Being Ignored by DEP
NEW JERSEY YET TO COME TO GRIPS WITH POST-SANDY FLOOD RISKS – Coastal Maps Do Not Account for Climate Change Effects; Inland Maps Decades Old
This is even more troubling because the issue was raised point blank in public comments (mine #51, #52), which obligated the DEP to respond accurately and comprehensively to that issue. DEP chose not to do so.
This further politicizes the issue and is evidence of direct Christie Gov. Office influence on DEP experts, who obviously blocked DEP experts from accurately responding –
Here is the public comment and the evasive DEP non-response.
51. COMMENT: Climate change is real. As the planet and the ocean warms, the ocean expands, glaciers and arctic ice melts. That increases the volume of the ocean and that results in sea level rise. It's going to happen at a more accelerated rate in the future. We have to plan for that and we have to adapt to that. Climate change also causes more extreme weather events due to the warming of the ocean and warm moisture in the atmosphere. Testimony about Superstorm Sandy being a 500 or 700 year storm cannot be scientifically credible or statistically valid.
COMMENT: In January of 2012, before Superstorm Sandy hit, FEMA adopted a climate change adaptation policy that explicitly called for future risk to be incorporated in the FEMA programs, including projected conditions. That represented a significant change in FEMA policy because FEMA had previously dealt with historical data and not projected conditions. However, FEMA's ABFEs do not comply with FEMA's own policy because they reflect historic conditions and do not project forward.
RESPONSE TO COMMENTS 47 THROUGH 53: The Department recognizes that the extent of flooding within the State can increase over time due to a variety of factors. In response to this, the Flood Hazard Area Control Act rules were amended in 2007 to require that the lowest floor of buildings and the elevation of many roadways and parking areas be situated at least one foot above the flood hazard area design flood elevation. The Department also regulates a flood larger than the 100-year flood in fluvial areas to account for possible uture changes in flood elevations. This rulemaking incorporates additional amendments that ensure construction activities in New Jersey will utilize the most recent and accurate flood mapping available. The use of FEMA's ABFEs and automatic incorporation of effective FEMA maps that depict the Department's flood hazard area design flood elevation ensure that the State will not rely on outdated or inaccurate flood mapping. Furthermore, should FEMA incorporate additional risk factors into its depiction of the 100-year flood elevation on its Flood Insurance Rate Maps, these changes will be automatically incorporated into the Department's delineations. As the Flood Hazard Area Control Act rules are set to expire on November 7, 2014, the Department will again have an opportunity to review the best available data and risk indicators and determine if additional rule amendments are necessary."
One of the " variety of factors" DEP recognized is climate change and sea level rise.
My comment specifically noted defects in DEP's rule specifically with respect to climate change.
DEP chose not to respond to the comment and that could only be because it would embarrass the Gov. and DEP's failure to consider climate change in Sandy response.
[ps – note one coastal group (e.g. COA, ALS) or planning group (NJF) submitted comments on the DEP rule. Delaware Riverkeeper, Sierra Club, and PEER were the only environmental groups to participate.]
piles of sand are not dunes and provide no defense
jetties are jive
piles of sand - a pile of crap
this is what erosion looks like - just a matter of time (Cape May Point, NJ)
Cape May Lighthouse, at sunset
Sunset Beach, Cape May NJ (3/23/13)
Christie Has His Carbon and Eats It Too
March 27th, 2013 Bill Wolfe	1 comment
Gov. Has No Plan For Climate Change, As He Dismantles Existing Efforts
Dismantling is Far Worse Than Denial
"I don't believe in a carbon tax. …. I'm not going to put more regulations on corporations" Gov. Christie ~~~ ****Star Ledger 3/26/13
Important Introductory remarks
**** Curiously, in a bit of Orwell's classic 1984 "down the memory hole", the Star Ledger story I excerpted the above quote from was edited and the Gov.'s controversial remarks on climate and Sandy have been whitewashed. The original story had an extended quote by the Gov. to the affect that had the Gov. implemented greenhouse gas controls prior to Sandy that they would not have had any effect on Sandy. This direct quote in the original Ledger story also included a statement that "I don't believe in a carbon tax". That is a direct quote and I tweeted it at 2:55 pm: (yes I know I left out the … before "I don't" and after "carbon tax" to break up the full quote, but that's because of Twitter character limit, a problem I was going to resolve in this post)
This is important because the original quote shows the Gov. arrogantly digging in with respect to previous criticism he took on failure to consider climate in his Sandy response.
Equally important, the Ledger deleted the Gov.'s quote opposing a carbon tax. That is a huge policy statement, given current proposals for a carbon tax to replace the cap and trade scheme that failed in Congress in Obama's first term.
I had planned to criticize the Gov. by noting that if he opposed regulation and he opposed market based solutions, then there were very few policy tools left in the toolkit, aside from 1) tax breaks/incentives, 2) voluntary corporate efforts, and 3) public education and consumer choices, all of which are severely limited in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions or developing renewable power sources – and none of which the Gov. is actually funding and implementing. –
The deleted quotes demonstrate – in the Gov.'s own words – that he has no climate policy. end introductory remarks.
BREAKING!: The Star Ledger has confirmed that NJ Gov. Chris Christie is not a fellow Republican knuckle dragging climate change denier: (Ledger, edited version)
In 2011, Christie pulled New Jersey from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative intended to control emissions, although he has said climate change is affecting the state and "human activity plays a role in these changes."
Whoo-Hoo! Just what we called for!
So, let's break that down.
Christie agrees that climate change is: 1) real; 2) already happening; 3) negatively impacting New Jersey; and 4) "human activity plays a role".
So, what does Gov. Christie propose to do about it?
Based on his own statements, as we've written in detail, we know that climate change is not a priority to the Gov. and that he had no time to consider it prior to Sandy or during the Sandy recovery planning process.
Based on his record, as we've written in detail, we know he has done virtually nothing on climate change policy, other than systematically to dismantle and defund existing climate change and energy policies, programs, and institutions.
But now that the Gov. has had time to reflect, just what is his climate change policy?
It took many years and the sustained activist efforts of tens of thousands of NJ residents, attending hundreds of meetings and protests, to forge NJ's fragile political consensus and policy framework on energy and environmental issues.
That consensus reflected a conscious choice to have public policy and sound planning drive policy decisions, not short term economic considerations or powerful political special interests (or things like cost benefit analysis, cost tests, a veto by the Chamber of Commerce, or a narrowly focused rate counsel – all key features of the current Christie policy landscape).
Let me offer just one historical example of that:
In the mid 1980's, the Legislature, Governor Tom Kean, and DEP were calling for garbage incinerators to be built in each of NJ's 21 counties. At the same time, the Hazardous Waste Facilities Siting Commission was planning to develop hazardous waste incineration capacity in NJ.
Those incineration plans were met by huge public opposition. Thousands of angry people turned out at hundreds of meetings and protests. Over a 5-6 year period, environmentalists effectively organized this strong public opposition to not only block those efforts, but, by 1990, to convince the Florio Administration to fundamentally reverse course.
Florio imposed a moratorium on garbage incineration, and instead adopted a policy of source reduction and maximum feasible recycling. Florio abandoned hazardous waste incineration and replaced that with toxics use reduction and pollution prevention as the preferred management options.And Florio began efforts to integrate energy and environmental policy by consolidating BPU energy programs in DEP, to form a new DEPE. [full disclosure: I was involved in all this at the time while working at DEP].
These were huge advances, they were enacted during a period of economic recession, they were made possible by grassroots activism prevailing over business interests, and they set the stage to play strong defense during the "Open for Business" Whitman administration.
All of this activist and policy work culminated in the 2007 passage of the Global Warming Response Act. As required by the Act, in 2009, DEP submitted a Report on how to implement the Act, with more than 20 recommendations to move forward.
So, the stage was set for NJ to be a national leader and make real progress in reducing GHG emissions and making the transition to renewable power.
Gov. Christie has unravelled that. It took decades to build.
And that unraveling of a political consensus and the dismantling of NJ's robust policy framework are far worse than if the Gov. was a knuckle dragging denier.
Deniers can only block progress. Deniers can be worked around. Due to their extreme views, deniers marginalize and discredit themselves. Deniers really can do little harm.
But dismantlers like Gov. Christie are a disaster.
And the media lets Christie duck all that by appearing to be reasonable – i.e. he doesn't deny climate change – all while they largely ignore his dismantling efforts.
Good Sites
Edison Wetlands Association
NJ DEP
NJ PEER
Shore11
South Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance
Sustained Outrage
The Century of Self
The Yesmen
Race & immigration
The working life
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Horizontal jumping biomechanics among elite female handball players with and without anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: an ISU based study
Igor Setuain1,2,
Eder Bikandi3,
Francisco Antonio Amú Ruiz1,2,4,
Fernando Urtasun1 &
Mikel Izquierdo ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1506-42721
BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation volume 11, Article number: 30 (2019) Cite this article
Handball is a strenuous body-contact team sport that places high loads on the knee joint. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is one of the most devastating injuries that any handball player can suffer, and female athletes are at particular risk due to their intrinsic anatomical, hormonal, neuromuscular and biomechanical characteristics. The purpose of this study was to analyze the horizontal jumping biomechanics of female elite handball players with or without previous ACL reconstruction.
Twenty-one female participants (6 with previous ACL reconstruction and 15 uninjured controls) were recruited. Two horizontal hopping tasks were evaluated using inertial sensor unit (ISU)-based technology to assess jumping biomechanics through a direct mechanics-based approach.
The athletes with previous ACL reconstruction demonstrated a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the unilateral triple hop for distance compared with the healthy controls. Furthermore, during the initial propulsive phase of the unilateral cross-over hop, the control participants generated significantly (P < 0.05) higher force values in the mediolateral direction (the X axis) with their dominant limb compared with the ACL-reconstructed (ACL-R) limb of previously injured participants.
Three-dimensional horizontal jumping biomechanics analyses using ISU-based technologies could provide clinicians with more accurate information regarding the horizontal jumping biomechanical patterns among elite handball female athletes. Furthermore, several mechanical alterations could still be observed among those players who had undergone previous ACL reconstruction, even when several years have passed since the original ACL injury.
Handball is a body-contact team sport that elicits high-intensity maneuvers such as abrupt changes in direction, velocity and sudden single leg landings [1, 2]. The nature of the sport and the high intensity of games, makes the knee joint to be exposed to many stressful forces that could result the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), rupture, which constitutes one of the most devastating injuries among handball players [3, 4].
The reported incidences of ACL injury for male and female handball athletes are approximately 0.24 and 0.86 injuries per 1000 h of exposure, respectively [5]. Therefore, female athletes are 6 to 10 times more likely to suffer an ACL injury than their male counterparts during the same jumping and pivoting tasks [5, 6]. Anatomical, hormonal and neuromuscular differences between sexes have been proposed as explanatory factors for this discrepancy in the ACL injury rates between sexes [7,8,9,10].
The clinical relevance of ACL injury does not rest solely on the ligament disruption itself; the functional implications of concomitant associated knee injuries for the athletes' function can play an important role in the clinical prognosis of the athlete after injury [11]. Additionally, the scientific literature lacks information regarding the best clinical practices for rehabilitation programs or universal functional and clinical evaluation criteria for resuming the sport after injury [11].
This ambiguity may expose the athlete to both higher risk of graft rupture and a new injury of the healthy contralateral knee [12]. Thus, the detection and monitoring of subjects with a higher risk of injury or re-injury using functional, biomechanical or neuromuscular screening evaluations appears to be crucial either for prevention and rehabilitation in sports medicine [13].
Functional performance evaluations have traditionally been highlighted as a key point in relation to decisions regarding resuming play after ACL injury [2, 13,14,15,16]. In this context, unilateral hopping tests have demonstrated a good ability to identify lower limb impairments during both vertical and horizontal jumping maneuvers [15,16,17].
Several biomechanical and neuromuscular impairments at the trunk, hip and knee joint levels have been widely reported in the literature as a result of motion analysis and inverse mechanics procedures during the abovementioned and other sport-specific tasks [18,19,20,21]. Unfortunately, these testing procedures require from expensive and complex laboratory resources (such as camera-motion analysis systems and/or force plates) and are associated with a high financial investment and trained staffs that are familiar with such laboratory-derived procedures. The recent development of ISU-based biomechanical evaluations presents clinicians with the opportunity to perform several functional and biomechanical jumping evaluations on the training court itself [22,23,24,25,26,27,28].
In relation to handball, Myklebust et al. [29] observed long-term differences in strength, jumping test scores and anterior-posterior knee joint laxity between ACL-injured and uninjured professional and recreational players after an injury. In addition, Setuain et al. [28] presented a validation study that reported promising results validating the utilization of the ISU versus force plate recordings during vertical jumping tasks. Later, the same research group probed the potential of ISU-based evaluations to assess vertical jumping biomechanical among both female [25] and male [26] elite handball players in relation to previous ACL injury. The authors found long-term, sex-specific functional adaptations after ACL reconstruction, being thefemale athletes more likely than males to experience lasting biomechanical jumping alterations after an ACL reconstruction [25]. The application of the ISU-based biomechanical jumping to identify movement pattern alterations after ACL injury has also been proven in previous studies [22, 23].
The aim of this study was to examine the biomechanical differences in horizontal jumping between elite female handball players with previous ACL reconstruction who had returned to their previous sport activity, and level-, sex-, and age-matched pairs of control counterparts. The hypothesis of the present research was that the ACL-R players would present lasting biomechanical alterations in terms of greater supported three-axis peak forces during single-limb horizontal jumping maneuvers compared with their control counterparts, despite have continued with elite competition for several years after the original ACL injury.
A descriptive case series study design was selected. The examinations were conducted at the athlete's habitual training court. The jumping task battery included the unilateral triple hop for distance (UTHD) and the unilateral triple cross-over hop for distance (COHD). These tests have been established as reliable methods for evaluating lower limb function in relation to ACL injury in previous investigations [16, 30, 31].
Twenty-one female elite handball players competing in their highest national division league and European championships were recruited. The sample comprised 6 athletes who had undergone ACL reconstruction, two of them bilaterally (age 26.4 ± 1.4 years; height 169.0 ± 1.6 cm; and weight 61.8 ± 1.4 kg), and 15 uninjured controls (age 25.1 ± 1.4 years; height 175.0 ± 1.4 cm; and weight 69.5 ± 1.8 kg). Among the athletes with bilateral reconstructions, both limbs were recorded as ACL-R limbs. The average and standard deviation of the data collection time since surgical reconstruction was 6.0 ± 3.5 years. For the control group, athletes who had sustained a previous lower limb injury lasting more than 6 weeks were excluded to avoid jumping pattern bias due to potential functional alterations resulting from severe lower extremity injury. The participants and coaches were informed in detail about the experimental procedures and the possible risks and benefits of the project, which was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Public University of Navarra and performed according to the Declaration of Helsinki.
An inertial orientation tracker (MTx, 3DOF Human Orientation Tracker, Xsens Technologies B.V. Enschede, The Netherlands) was attached over the L3-L4 region of the subject's lumbar spine and provided data on kinematic and kinetic variables such as accelerations, orientations and velocity at a sampling rate of 100 Hz. A technical explanation describing the inertial sensor-derived variables has been previously provided (Additional file 1: Appendix A) [32]. Furthermore, a 10-m-long measuring tape was utilized to measure the distance in each horizontal jumping task. The last heel contact was recorded for the final measure.
Lower limb dominance was determined as previously described by Bencke et al. [2] in their work with handball players. The limb that pushed off the ground for a jump when a regular handball throw was performed was considered dominant [2]. All the participants performed the test at the beginning of a routine training session conducted during the competitive season and at least 48 h after their last competition. The jumping methodology used in this trial has been published previously [17, 24, 30, 31, 33,34,35,36]. The subjects were instructed that during the execution of each maneuver, they should keep their hands on their hips. No added technical instructions about the jumping modality were given to the athletes to avoid modifications during the task performance. The participants started in a single-limb stance position. They then performed three consecutive horizontal hops as far as possible, holding the position for at least 1 second after the last landing. For the COHD, the subjects adopted the same starting position and executed three consecutive cross-over hops outside two lanes separated by a 15-cm-wide tape attached on the floor, trying to land as far as possible while maintaining their balance for 1 second at the final landing. The first jumping step was interiorly directed. A practice trial was performed to ensure the participant's comfort and safety and was followed by two further test trials interspersed with 30 s of rest. The jumping tasks were performed in order from easiest to most complex to avoid possible injury risks associated with the intensity of the maneuver. The participants thus started with the UTHD and ended with the COHD.
ISU provides linear acceleration values in a sensor-fixed Cartesian reference frame (XYZ). Before starting the measurement, the inertial sensor unit is calibrated and the sensor axes are aligned with anatomical directions. The acceleration signal consists of gravitational and inertial components. The inertial sensor unit registers gravity as a static vertical component, in addition to the dynamic acceleration caused by changes in velocity during locomotion. The gravity component must be subtracted to estimate the dynamic acceleration. The 3D orientation data provide the position of the inertial unit with respect to the gravitational vector, allowing the calculation of the inertial component for each axis. The gravitational constant was estimated by leaving the inertial sensor unit still on a flat surface for 2 seconds. In previous studies [25,26,27,28], body-worn inertial sensor and accompanying custom algorithms has demonstrated high agreement and reliability levels compared with force plates, [28] (Fig. 1).
Z-axis (vertical), X-axis (medial-lateral) and Y-axis (anterior-posterior) orientations
Data processing and analysis
The data reported by the sensor was analyzed using direct mechanics-based procedures that considered the subject as a mechanical system and estimated the movement and actuation of forces through the center of mass displacement [37,38,39]. As previously mentioned, the human center of gravity is considered to be located at the L3 lumbar spine level, where the ISU was placed. The data processing description was previously published by this research group [29].
Briefly, in order to facilitate the biomechanical analysis of the jump, the task was divided into separate phases. The identified phases were based on the results obtained from the vertical velocity curve recordings (Z-axis) through a self-customized computer application implemented with MatLab 7.11 (MathWorksInc; Natick, MA, USA). The Z- velocity signal was used to distinguish the boundaries between the different phases of both tasks and were considered positive when the subject moved upwards (corresponding to the propulsive phases of the three consecutive jumps) and negative when subject moved downwards (corresponding to the pre-loading and landing phases). The different phases of the jumping task have been described succinctly in previous studies [25,26,27,28,29] (Fig. 2).
Horizontal jumping task jumping phases by velocity by time curve analysis description The segment T1-T3 represents the negative passive and active work (pre-stretch) corresponding to the propulsive phase (PP). The T3 event corresponded to the instant the Z-velocity first passed zero (when the centre of mass of the athlete was in its lowest position) during the transition between the initial absorption (A1) or pre-load and the propulsive phase (PP1) of the jump. The PP1 concluded in T4, when the maximal vertical velocity (propulsive phase) was achieved. Therefore, the segment T2-T3 represents the countermovement of the jump, and consequently, the segment T3-T4 corresponds to the PP1. Segment T4-t5 represents the flight time of the first jump (FT1). The same curve cut-off points were described thorough the whole triple hop analysed. Thus, absorptive (eccentric, T5-T6; T8-T9 and T11-T12) and propulsive (concentric; T6-T7, T9-T10) phases were similarly described
Lastly, the mechanical efficiency ratio (ME) calculation was defined as the ratio between the jumping performance (cm) and the sum of the peak ground reaction forces supported at the centre of mass level (N). The amount of the sum of three-dimensional forces would penalize or benefit the ratio in the horizontal jumping task. The ME, aims to determine to what extent the supported peak ground reaction forces are during the absorptive phases, in relation to the distance reached during the maneuver. Supporting greater peak ground reaction forces during the absorptive phases, could lead to a more harmful mechanical overload which could increase the injury risk.
$$ \boldsymbol{ME}=\frac{\boldsymbol{performance}\ \left(\boldsymbol{cm}\right)}{\left(\boldsymbol{Fx}+\boldsymbol{Fy}+\boldsymbol{Fz}\right)} $$
Descriptive statistics (mean, standard error of the mean and IC values at 95%) were calculated for all the collected variables (weight in kg; height in cm; performance in cm; 3 axis GRFs in N).
Afterwards, descriptive statistics for the selected variable groups (ACL-R injured limb, ACL-R healthy limb, Control dominant limb) were applied. After normal distribution of the data and variances equality were checked through the Shapiro-Wilk and Levene tests respectively, a 2 X 2 (group by limb) multivariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to analyse interaction levels between factors. The dominant limb of the control group was matched to the involved limb of the ACL-R group and the non-dominant limb was matched to the non-involved limb of the ACLR group [19]. Thus, if between groups interaction was observed a one-way analysis of variance was performed in order to detect with subsequent Bonferroni post hoc comparisons, the existing differences between limb us with only one fixed factor (group; ACL-R vs controls). When the variance equality was rejected, the Tamhane's post hoc test was performed. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. "SPSS® statistical software (V. 20.0, Chicago, IL, USA) was used for the abovementioned statistical calculations.
Apart from that, intra and inter-group differences were analysed using magnitude-based inferences (MBI). This statistical method was chosen in order to highlight the practical significance over the statistical (p value) significance, emphasizing that the magnitude of an effect would be more relevant than any statistically significant effect especially in the clinical practice or when treating elite athlete's data [40, 41]. The magnitudes of the smallest worthwhile differences were identified by the determination of the effect sizes (Cohen's d) for between-limbs and between group comparisons, using means and standard deviations for each group of variables. Values for Cohen's d statistics were interpreted as follows: < 0.15 for trivial, 0.15 to 0.4 for small, 0.4 to 0.75 for medium, 0.75 to 1.10 for large and > 1.10 for very large differences [41].
After the data processing, the number of analysed limbs in both control and ACL-R group was the following: 8 ACL-R reconstructed limbs and 4 ACL-R in both UTHD and COHD maneuvers; 13 dominant and non-dominant limbs in the UTHD and 14 dominant and non-dominant limbs in the COHD of the control group. The ACL-R players were significantly (p < 0.05) lighter and smaller than their non-ACL-R counterparts. No significant interaction effects were found between factors for UTHD and COHD tests. Therefore, the results are delimitated to the description of the main effects observed.
Unilateral triple hop for distance (UTHD)
Regarding the UTHD, the dominant limb of the controls reached a significantly better distance performance on the UTHD task compared with the injured limb of the ACL-R participants (p < 0.05). Indeed a non statistical trend although a large effect size was find in realtion to a gretater X mediolateral force production during the first hop in controls in comparison to ACL- reconstructed players. (Table 1). No further significant differences were found for any time or force variables (Fig. 3).
Table 1 Horizontal jumping performance for unilateral triple hop and unilateral cross-over hop for distance. Descriptive statistics, significance and effect size calculations for each group
Between groups peak vertical and medial-lateral forces comparison during the unilateral triple hop for distance (UTHD) and the unilateral cross over hop for distance maneuvers. Mean and SD. Abbreviations: (UTHD), unilateral triple hop for distance; (COHD), unilateral cross over hop for distance; ACL-R, anterior cruciate ligament group-reconstructed limb; ACL-H, anterior cruciate ligament group-healthy limb; control group-dominant limb
The ACL-R limbs of cases demonstrated a trend towards greater mechanical efficiency ratios (0.079 ± 0.02 vs. 0.070 ± 0.05; Cohen's d = 0.4) when executing this horizontally oriented jumping task (Table 2).
Table 2 Horizontal jumping performance and three-dimensional force-based mechanical efficiency ratios. Descriptive statistics and effect size (Cohen's d) calculations
Triple cross-over hop for distance (COHD)
Regarding the COHD, no significant differences were found between the groups in terms of performance (reached distance) (Table 1). However, a significant group-by-limb interaction was observed for the PP X-axis forces (F = 4.353; p = 0.010). The Bonferroni post-hoc analysis revealed that the dominant limbs of the controls displayed significantly greater X-medial-lateral axis forces than the injured limbs of the ACL-R group (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found for the remaining analyzed variables (Fig. 3).
The ACL-R limbs of the cases demonstrated a trend towards lower mechanical efficiency ratios (0.058 ± 0.02 vs. 0.085 ± 0.02; Cohen's d = 1.4) when executing this side-to-side and horizontally oriented jumping task.
For more information, available complementary material is included about the 3-axial forces results for the UTHD (Additional file 1: Appendix B) and the COHD (Additional file 1: Appendix C).
The purpose of this study was to examine the biomechanics of two horizontal hopping tasks among top-level professional female handball athletes using an ISU-based methodology. The analysis focused on the identification of persistent jumping biomechanics adaptations in the ACL-R limbs of previously injured athletes. The results of the present work showed that although the ACL-R participants had returned to full competition at high intensity and exigency levels, slight jumping biomechanics alterations seemed to persist.
Consequently, the previously ACL-injured limbs of the cases showed lower UTHD performance in terms of distance (Table 1), and reduced mediolateral force generation on the propulsive phases of this horizontally oriented jumps, specially in the COHD maneuver (Fig. 3). These findings may suggest that at the initial propulsion (the pre-loading phase preceding the first hop), the ACL-R limbs of the previously injured athletes generated lower frontal plane forces compared with the dominant limbs of the control athletes. Furthermore, during the execution of both horizontal jumping tasks, the ACL-R athletes were more prone (although not significantly) to generate lower Z-axis (vertical) and Y-axis (horizontal) forces. Interestingly, the newly proposed mechanical efficiency ratios demonstrated a trend towards lower values for the ACL-R limbs of the cases compared with the dominant limbs of the controls when executing this horizontally oriented jumping maneuvers, specially the CTHD. This could highlight that female handball players exhibit greater peak external force penalization (supporting ground reaction forces) when jumping with their previously ACL-R limb for the distance reached in comparison to that supported by controls. These results partially agree the study hypothesis, which posited that the ACL-R players would experience lasting biomechanical movement pattern alterations in terms of greater supporting three-axis peak forces during single-limb horizontal jumping maneuvers compared with their control counterparts despite having performed in elite competition for several years since the original ACL injury.
This results, contrast with those obtained by the same research group employing the same jumping test battery and biomechanical analysis methodology among male elite handball players. In that study, the authors did not find any meaningful biomechanical adaptations among previoulsy ACL reconstructed in comparison to control (non ACL injured) players. In this sense, it seems that male handball professional players are able to recover their lower limb full performance capacities without lasting biomechanical alterations that can be in contrast observed among their female counterparts. Although evidence exists referring no sex influence in relation to increased risk for ACL graft failure among sportspeople, [42] may be, this statistical trend would change when controlling for sex, handball sport, and level of competence of the participants. This question should be addressed in properly designed investigations.
Traditionally, lower limb functional evaluations have been carried out in order to determine the athlete capacities with regard to return to sport participation. tIndeed, jumping biomechanical have also been performed in relation to injury risk factor identification showing huge correlation between poor unilateral limb performance values and knee dynamic instability [31]. In this context, ground reaction forces acting at the trunk level have been considered to have significant effects on lower limb segment behavior due to the inertia moment of force generation [43, 44]. Consequently, frontal plane kinematic or kinetic parameters measured at the trunk level have been shown to be significantly associated with knee valgus production [43]. In this context, ISU systems have become a reliable instrumentation for trunk displacement-derived 3D force calculations in different functional tasks [25,26,27,28]. It has been shown, an upward trunk position when landing from a jump could lead to greater anterior shear forces at the knee joint and higher vertical peak ground reaction forces, exposing the ACL to a higher injury risk [35, 43].
Thus, despite knee joint moment description is not possible when analysing a jumping task through a direct mechanics approach, by placing an ISU on the L3-L4 level, clinicians by using this jumping biomechanical analysis method, could look for jumping aberrant patterns identification that have been previously linked to a greater knee joint injury risk due to excessive mechanical overload during high demand athletic tasks.
In this way, it is possible that ACL-R female athletes, could have developed lasting movement pattern adaptations during single-limb actions in the attempt to improve lower limb stiffness through movement pattern reprogramming at the central nervous system level [45, 46]. This fact would help to explain the smaller medial-lateral force produced at the center of mass level during both UTHD and COHD task, as a positive effect of the rehabilitation.. These results are in contrast with previous investigations from the same research group and cohort of athletes that analyzed vertical jumping maneuvers [26]. In that research, ACL-reconstructed athletes generated higher medial-laterally oriented peak forces than their control counterparts. In the authors' opinion, this controversy could arise from a specific jumping direction-based motor retraining strategy adopted among cases to preserve knee joint integrity. In fact, the reduced mechanical efficiency ratios observed for the ACLR limbs of cases on the COHD task, which is known to place higher valgus stress on the knee joint than the UTHD, could support this hypothesis. However, this assumption should be adequately tested with studies designed to answer the specific question.
The identification of lasting functional and biomechanical jumping alterations several years after the injury in both the present and previous research [25,26,27], could be linked to an inadequate rehabilitation process or the approval of excessively early return to play by sports medicine staff when managing ACL injuries. This fact becomes clinically relevant in this context, as the time lapse between the time of reconstruction and retourn to sport participation, is know to affet ACL graft failure [42], The application of the ISU bed biomechanical jumping evaluations, could become useful for a more accurate motion analysis at the clinical setting level that would allow the clinician to plan an objective, clinically reasonable rehabilitation program based on the observed biomechanical alterations.
Some potential limitations could be observed in the present study. Given the uniqueness of the analyzed population, which was limited to an exclusive cohort of female professional handball athletes, the results should be interpreted with caution and in relation to this sport level, discipline and sex. Additionally, there was a lack of standardization of the postoperative rehabilitation protocols and the graft type used for the ligament repair among the ACL-R athletes. The heterogeneity of the rehabilitation process may have biased the long-term outcome in terms of physical activity level and sport-specific performance. However, previous studies have reported that no differences exist between reconstructions using different graft types in relation to long-term function of the knee [29]. Furthermore, the use of a single ISU placed at the trunk level limited the information collected regarding the knee joint biomechanics.. The, net moments of force calculations for specific joints were outside the scope of the present study which in turn tries to describe the centre of mass behavior thorough a direct mechanics approach. This is not as exhaustive as inverse mechanics procedures, but instead could be more friendly (in the field testing) and easy to handle for sport clinicians.
In conclusion, elite female handball players with previous ACL reconstruction demonstrated a attenuated jumping capacity in the THD test. Indeed, they also displayed lower X-medial-lateral axis peak force generation, especially during the first propulsive phase of the CTHD. This fact could be interpreted as a protective effect against the lower limb collapse. As main clinical implication, ISU systems can aid the implementation of real-time simple biomechanical jumping examinations by sports medicine professionals in clinical settings to reduce the residual uncertainty that often arises during the ACL rehabilitation process regarding the return to sports. However, due to the uniqueness of the analyzed cohort the present results must be considered with caution and restricted to the intrinsic characteristics of these top level female handball players.
ACL:
ACL-R:
ACL-Reconstructed
COHD:
Cross-Over Hop for Distance
GRF:
Ground Reaction Force
Inertial Sensor Unit
Mechanical Efficiency ratio
UTHD:
Unilateral Triple Hop for Distance
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The authors would like to thanks athletes for agreeing to participate.
There was no external funding for the study or publication of the results.
Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, Campus of Tudela, Av. de Tarazona s/n, 31500, Tudela, Navarra, Spain
Igor Setuain
, Francisco Antonio Amú Ruiz
, Fernando Urtasun
& Mikel Izquierdo
Clinical Research Department, TDN. Advanced Rehabilitation Center, Pamplona, Spain
& Francisco Antonio Amú Ruiz
Athletic Club Football team. Medical Service, Bilbao, Spain
Eder Bikandi
Department of Physical Education and Sports, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
Francisco Antonio Amú Ruiz
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IS, MI were conceiving this study, for acquiring data, and drafting the manuscript. IS, EB, FA, FU, MI were responsible for final version of the manuscript. IS, EB, MI, were responsible for statistical analysis, and advised regarding interpretation of the results. EB, FA, FU were responsible for literature search. IS, EB, MI were responsible for acquiring data and interpretation of the results. All authors read and approved the manuscript and figures.
Correspondence to Mikel Izquierdo.
The participants and coaches were informed in detail about the experimental procedures and the possible risks and benefits of the project, which was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Public University of Navarra and performed according to the Declaration of Helsinki.
Athletes involved in this study gave their written consent to use anonymized data for statistical and scientific use.
Additional file 1: Appendix A. Technical explanation of ISU technology-derived analysis [32]. Appendix B. UTHD manoeuvre phases breakdown in terms of centre of mass force orientation values. Descriptive statistics and effect size calculations. Appendix C. UCOHD manoeuvre phases breakdown in terms of centre of mass force orientation values. Descriptive statistics and effect size calculations.
Setuain, I., Bikandi, E., Amú Ruiz, F. et al. Horizontal jumping biomechanics among elite female handball players with and without anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: an ISU based study. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 11, 30 (2019) doi:10.1186/s13102-019-0142-8

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Export Food
Zim to export 5 000t of avocado
ZIMBABWE'S avocado picking season is now underway, with local growers targeting to export about 5 000 tonnes of the fruit this year.
Avocados, among an array of horticultural products, offer viable solutions for local exporters who are looking at increasing their export values.
In Zimbabwe, avocados are being commercially grown in the Eastern Highlands, with export prospects to the rest of Africa, Europe and Asia, according to ZimTrade, the country's export trade promotion body.
"Zimbabwe avocado picking season is now well underway, with the estimated export targets of 5 000 tonnes well in our sights," said the Zimbabwe Avocado Growers Association (Zaga) in an industry update.
"With nearly 1 000 containers, mainly from Peru on the water, which is expected to reach the European Union (EU) in the next week or so, avocado supply will be extremely high and this will undoubtedly put pressure on pricing going forward.
"Some buyers have even advised producers to slow down picking in anticipation of this. It remains critical that in order for Zimbabwean avocados to remain competitive in the international market, there is need to expand into other global markets where reliance on the EU is reduced. It is here that the China protocol will make a difference," the association added.
Zaga, however, said the rise in the cost of fuel has already had a negative impact on viability as the knock on effect on fertiliser prices for the next season can be felt by producers countrywide with some fertiliser prices having increased by 40% over the previous season.
According to Trade Map, avocado imports globally almost doubled between 2015 and 2020 from US$3,8 billion (bn) to US$7,2bn.
Currently, the largest importers of avocados are the Unites States (US$2,54b), Netherlands (US$1,03bn), France (US$518m), Spain (US$318m), Germany (US$371m) and United Kingdom (US$346m).
The Netherlands and the United Kingdom are already top importers of Zimbabwean horticultural products, according to ZimTrade.
"Local farmers can use existing channels to introduce more avocados into these markets. Some promising markets for Zimbabwean-produced avocados in the European market include Norway, Portugal, Belgium, Poland and Spain. In the medium to long-term, China and the rest of Asia are also promising prospects," said ZimTrade chief executive Allan Majuru in one of his articles.
The global demand for avocados has been steadily increasing for the last decade, and this trend is expected to continue, experts say.
To easily penetrate European markets, Majuru said Zimbabwean farmers can take advantage of the interim Economic Partnership Agreement, which allows local sector players to enjoy duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market.
Small-scale farmers can also focus on these markets because their market entry requirements are easily attainable compared to the EU and Asian markets, he said.
Apart from these international markets, there is also scope for exporting avocados to other African markets.
According to Trade Map, top importers of avocados in Africa in 2020 were South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Namibia, Tanzania and Botswana.
"Most of these markets are easily accessible, riding on logistical advantages and bilateral as well as multilateral trade agreements," Majuru said.
South Africa is already Zimbabwe's top trading partner and should provide a sound market for farmers who want to improve exports of avocados. For the rest of the markets with potential, local farmers can ride on the African Continental Free Trade Area, Comesa, and Sadc trade agreements that offer preferential treatment in the reduction or elimination of customs duties.
There are two main varieties of avocados produced and consumed across the world, which are Hass and green-skinned avocados such as Fuerte, Bacon, Gwen, MacArthur, Pinkerton, Reed and Zutano avocados. Around 80% of avocados produced and consumed worldwide are Hass, which also happens to be the main variety grown for export in Zimbabwe.
African Union Urges Farmers to Boost Food Production
UN Welcomes New Centre to Put Ukraine Grain Exports Deal Into Motion
events Food
Second international summit on food production in Africa to open in Dakar
Agriculture Export
Rebuilding Cameroon's Export Market
Tunisia Sees 32% Rise in Fruit Export Earnings in 2022


text:
manuel neuer jersey bayern
Choose the classic red and blue home jersey as worn at the Allianz Arena or support Dei Bayern on their travels with the latest Away and European kits. Our fans can enjoy the wonderful apparel that we have to offer here in our online store and discover new ways to demonstrate solidarity and support for our beloved team. Iker Casillas, 35, and David de Gea, 24, continue to rotate between the sticks as they have done in the past couple of years, despite the latter emerging as one of the world's premier goalkeepers with Casillas seemingly in the twilight of his glittering career. Moreover she confessed her love for then Blues centre-half David Luiz and took a selfie with him. Then everything just went mental. Some do, some don't. Funny how some things don't seem to change -. Eighties can now change the rules to stop anyone else challenging them? I just point out the rules are bent by the influence of the elite clubs, and choose my side. As outraged fans of the breakaway teams threatened to overthrow the billionaire owners of their clubs, and rival supporters set fire to their kits outside football grounds, the Prime Minister weighed in by branding the plans as 'ludicrous'.
The base of the shirt is black and on it are displayed tonal diamonds in red, painted by hand, paying tribute to the outside of the stadium when it is illuminated. Arsenal fans were yesterday seen hanging signs calling for their owner to quit the club following the announcement, while Leeds United fans were seen burning a Liverpool shirt outside Elland Road – where the two sides played in the Premier League last night. Arsenal take on Leicester on Sunday in the Prmier League at the Emirates. Another club may take their place next season; maybe a better run club. But so, so much better than that. Their current agreement with Nike, which brings in around £20m each season, finishes at the end of this campaign and club officials were keen to search for better terms. They enjoyed some good breaks – the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson and sale of Gareth Bale undoubtedly helped – but if Liverpool win the league they will have advanced five places further than any club in Premier League history. The biggest surprise perhaps is that despite winning a number of trophies in recent seasons, current Premier League champions Manchester City have not yet translated that success into massive shirt sales.
The club's Premier League and Champions League winning manager Jurgen Klopp also hinted he was against the proposals, telling Sky Sports before the game: 'People are not happy with it, I can understand it. The players and staff and I think the fans are very grateful that the family chose to take the direction they did. Woodyatt started being a Red when Liverpool beat Stoke 5-3 despite his entire family being West Ham enthusiasts. The celebrations appeared tongue-in-cheek, though his decision to wear a full kit despite not even being named on the bench brought back memories of John Terry. And reports suggested bosses at Uefa were considering punishing rebel clubs Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester City by throwing them out of this season's Champions League – despite them making up three of the four semi-finalists. Weren't the first all-foreign starting XI in the Premier League? However the breakaway clubs last night appeared to be standing firm, with reports suggesting they have already signed 23-year deals to compete in the new European Super League tournament, starting from the 2023-24 season.
No longer do you have to spend hours agonising over different price tags, because we list all the lowest prices right here in one convenient place. If we park the potential administration if they can't pay those players over the short term, I think over the summer we're going to see a number of players having to, probably, be sold. I learnt over the years not to take any notice of it. Whenever your favourite players take to the field, sporting their iconic and unmistakable jerseys, there won't be any question as to who you're cheering for. Welcome to Dhgate to find bayern munich jersey made in China online, you can buy everything you want here, including kareem abdul jabbar jerseys, france 2006 jersey etc.,with free shipping and free returns. Furthermore, you can keep yourself even warmer when you pair your new FCB jersey with a pair of our official sweatpants or wear it under one of our matching tracksuits. Explore the FC Bayern Munich fan shop and choose from a wide range of FCB team shirts that are sure to make you stand out from the crowd. So are the Brownlee brothers.
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Youth Justice Conferencing and Indigenous Over-Representation in the Queensland Juvenile Justice System: A Micro-Simulation Case Study.
Source: (2008) Journal of Experimental Criminology. 4(4):357-380.
Research suggests that rather than focusing on criminal justice responses, more progress in reducing Aboriginal overrepresentation might be made if the focus was shifted to the underlying causes of Aboriginal crime: substance abuse, family violence, poor school performance, and unemployment. Further development of initiatives to address the underlying causes of offending by indigenous young people, as well as use of effective criminal justice responses, such as youth justice conferencing, likely will be more effective in reducing the overrepresentation of young indigenous people in the juvenile justice system. The results of the simulations indicate that youth justice conferencing is unlikely to contribute significantly to the targets set by the Justice Agreement. While conferencing has the potential to reduce the number of young people reoffending overall, this impact may be more apparent for non-indigenous young offenders, resulting in an increase in the disparity in the ratio of indigenous to non-indigenous young offenders. While youth justice conferencing is only one of a range of criminal justice interventions identified in the Justice Agreement as strategies for reaching the identified goals, it is the only diversionary option that has been empirically shown to reduce rates of reoffending. However, there is a deep need for more rigorous evaluations of the impact of youth justice conferencing on reoffending; simulation modeling is only as good as the estimates that are used as parameters in the models. (Abstract courtesy of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.gov).


These tights are worn quite a lot for Standard and Smooth dancing. They are not flat tights but have a sheen to them and are much more durable than pantyhose. They are available in 3 colors. Light toast, Toast, and Black. Do not order lighter than your skin tone. It comes in 4 sizes: A, B, C, D (see Size Chart). MINIMUM ORDER 3 PAIR. (The price set to this Item is for 3 pair). Tights cannot be exchanged or returned. International orders are welcomed!


text:
Q: How to ensure that Neo4j nodes are added to the index within same transaction? I want to store nodes into Neo4j, where I don't want to store same node more than once. For this I am using Neo4j indexing API.
http://docs.neo4j.org/chunked/milestone/indexing-search.html
http://docs.neo4j.org/chunked/milestone/auto-indexing.html
But, the node just created is not reflected in the index.
How to ensure that Neo4j nodes are added to the index within same transaction?
package graph

import org.neo4j.graphdb.Direction
import org.neo4j.graphdb.GraphDatabaseService
import org.neo4j.graphdb.Node
import org.neo4j.graphdb.Path
import org.neo4j.graphdb.Relationship
import org.neo4j.graphdb.RelationshipType
import org.neo4j.graphdb.Transaction
import org.neo4j.graphdb.factory.GraphDatabaseFactory
import org.neo4j.graphdb.traversal.Evaluators
import org.neo4j.graphdb.traversal.TraversalDescription
import org.neo4j.graphdb.traversal.Traverser
import org.neo4j.kernel.Traversal
import scala.sys.ShutdownHookThread
import collection.JavaConversions._
import java.io.File
import scala.collection.mutable
import org.neo4j.graphdb.factory.GraphDatabaseSettings

object indextest extends App {

  def deleteFileOrDirectory(file: File): Unit = {
    if (!file.exists()) return ;
    if (file.isDirectory()) for (child <- file.listFiles()) deleteFileOrDirectory(child)
    else file.delete()
  }

  val GRAPHLOCATION = "/tmp/testgraph"

  // setup Graph DB
  deleteFileOrDirectory(new File(GRAPHLOCATION))
  val graphDb = new GraphDatabaseFactory().newEmbeddedDatabaseBuilder(GRAPHLOCATION)
    .setConfig(GraphDatabaseSettings.node_keys_indexable, "name")
    .setConfig(GraphDatabaseSettings.node_auto_indexing, "true")
    .newGraphDatabase()

  // register shutdown hook thread
  ShutdownHookThread {
    graphDb.shutdown()
  }

  val tx = graphDb.beginTx
  val indexManager = graphDb.index()
  val nameIdsIndex = indexManager.forNodes("nameIds", Map("type" -> "exact"))

  val node1 = createOrFetchNode("A")
  val node2 = createOrFetchNode("A")

  tx.success()
  tx.finish()

  def createOrFetchNode(nodeName: String) = {
    val hits = nameIdsIndex.get("name", nodeName)
    val node = hits.getSingle()
    println(s"search for $nodeName -> list: ${hits.iterator.toList} node: $node")

    if (node == null) {
      val node2 = graphDb.createNode()
      node2.setProperty("name", nodeName)
      node2
    } else node
  }

}

CURRENT OUTPUT:

search for A -> list: List() node: null
search for A -> list: List() node: null

EXPECTED OUTPUT:

search for A -> list: List() node: null
search for A -> list: List(Node[1]) node: Node[1]

What am I doing wrong ?

A: You actually have two indexes: the auto_index, that you create when you pass to the config (GraphDatabaseSettings.node_auto_indexing, "true"), and your second index nameIdsIndex. This second index is a manual one, therefore you have to explicitly add and remove entries from it. This is why you don't find anything with your query (you should find the node in the auto_index though).
There are special mechanisms for ensuring the uniqueness when creating nodes: http://docs.neo4j.org/chunked/milestone/tutorials-java-embedded-unique-nodes.html

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Sister city synagogue hit again by vandals
Reform congregation tagged with graffiti in Ra'anana, Israel
By NJJN Staff	January 30, 2014, 12:00 am 0 Edit
Local Jewish leaders expressed dismay after a building housing a Reform synagogue in the central Israeli city of Ra'anana was vandalized with graffiti.
Ra'anana is a partnership community of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, which has worked to promote pluralism in the city and ease tensions among its religious streams.
"Here in the Greater MetroWest community, we feel that we are a part of the community of Kehilat Ra'anan, and that the community of Kehilat Ra'anan is a part of Greater MetroWest. This hateful attack is an attack on all of us," said David Leit, chair of the federation's Religious Pluralism Committee, about last Thursday's graffiti attack on the Samueli Center for Progressive Judaism, which houses the synagogue. "We stand with Kehilat Ra'anan in condemning such narrow-minded acts. This is clearly the act of misguided extremists and does not represent the broader Jewish community in Ra'anana and Israel." (See full statement in sidebar.)
The graffiti found on the outside of the synagogue building included quotes from medieval sage Moses Maimonides disparaging "non-believers," according to the Jerusalem Post.
The synagogue was previously vandalized, most recently before Thursday's incident in April 2011.
Rabbi Gilad Kariv, head of the Israel Religious Action Center based in Jerusalem, in a statement called the vandalism a "price tag" incident presumably carried out by Orthodox extremists.
Rabbi Tamar Kolberg, religious leader at the Kehilat Ra'anan synagogue, said in a letter to supporters that the graffiti were intended to describe the congregation as "blasphemous."
"Of course these are voices of extremists, and yet I know very well that not enough is being done actively in Israeli society to combat the lack of pluralism. This issue is not on the agenda of public education at all," she wrote.
Added Kolberg: "We need to concentrate more efforts in this field because the real danger to our society is not from outside but from within — and this issue of Jewish pluralism is one of the many internal issues that are creating hate and animosity and a deep rift between large groups."


text:
EU court 'should not intervene' in Croatia-Slovenia border dispute
File photo. Cars queue up at the official temporary border between Croatia and Slovenia at the Piran Bay, 13 June 2010. [Antonio Bat/EPA/EFE]
An adviser at the EU Court of Justice agreed with Croatia on Wednesday (11 December) that settling the border between Slovenia and Croatia was not a matter on which EU courts should rule.
The dispute over the contested northern Adriatic waters and a sliver of land between Zagreb and Ljubljana dates back to the 1991 break-up of Yugoslavia. Slovenia, which joined the EU in 2004, blocked Croatia's accession talks in 2008 because of the border issue.
The two sides eventually agreed to hand the matter over to the international tribunal in The Hague and the agreement allowed Croatia to resume membership talks and join the bloc in 2013. The deal was included in Croatia's accession agreement in order to stop Slovenia vetoing its membership.
Slovenia had argued that, by not implementing an arbitration tribunal's determination in 2017 of the land and sea border between Croatia and Slovenia, Croatia was violating EU law and could be sued under EU law.
Croatia and Slovenia continue maritime dispute after arbitration ruling
Croatia has rejected an international tribunal's border ruling that gave neighbouring Slovenia access to international waters just off Croatia's coast, in a move that might create new obstacles for future EU enlargement in the Balkans.
"Determining that boundary is, by its very nature, a matter of public international law in respect of which the court does not have jurisdiction," Advocate General Priit Pikamae said in his non-binding opinion on Wednesday.
The dispute risks complicating Croatia's accession to the Schengen border-free area. The European Commission has said Croatia met technical criteria for accession, but Slovenia is unhappy with Croatia's rejection of the arbitration ruling, which might affect Slovenia's stance on Croatia's Schengen hopes.
Slovenia says it would be 'very funny' if Croatia joined Schengen
Slovenia on Monday (4 September) warned fellow EU member Croatia that failure to implement the Piran ruling will amount to a breach of the EU's rule of law.
The problem also affects fishermen of both countries in the zone where the maritime border has not yet been agreed upon.
Slovenian Foreign Minister Miro Cerar told a news conference later on Wednesday that he believed the court would not follow the adviser's guidance, adding the opinion and consequent court decision "has no influence on the validity of the arbitration ruling" regarding the border.
Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec told reporters Slovenia remains adamant that the arbitration ruling on the border between the two states has to be implemented.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković welcomed the adviser's opinion and invited Slovenia on a dialogue to resolve the problem.
"We are friendly countries and we're ready to seek in a dialogue a solution which would satisfy both countries. I expect some moves in that direction in the coming months," Plenković said at the beginning of a cabinet session in Zagreb.
Zagreb does not want to implement the arbitration ruling saying Slovenia improperly meddled with the arbitration process.
The court itself will likely rule in two to four months on the matter. It typically follows the opinions of its advocate generals.
Marjan Sarec
Miro Cerar
Piran Bay


text:
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Join thousands of creatives in our global community
Music News >
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Who Are The Ones To Watch In Music In...
Music Meets Gaming: This Is The Free...
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The composition of Colombia's incoming Congress is far from definite, the country's State Council said Tuesday. Electoral authorities will need weeks to process claims of candidates who missed out on seats due to alleged election fraud.
After weeks of intense vote scrutiny by lawyers, candidates and delegates, the investigation into disputed seats in Congress will now be dealt with by the National Electoral Council and the 5th commission of the State Council.
The two government bodies will be working to settle lawsuits, claims of voter intimidation and claims of buying votes, a process which, they say, will not be sorted any time soon.
According to the preliminary count from the congressional elections, there are 15 seats still under dispute between the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Among those that are being contested in the House of Representatives are two seats for the Cauca Valley, western Colombia: one seat for the U Party (Partido de la U) which will be awarded to either Rafael Palau or Oliverio Hoyos, and one Liberal Party (Partido Liberal) seat to be awarded to either Juan Fernando Reyes Kuri or Hernan Sinisterra.
According to Reyes Kuri, he has already filed 30 complaints to municipal and departmental committees hoping to have his case brought before the National Electoral Council (CNE).
"We will use all the law resources available and are preparing the document in which we ask the CNE to assume jurisdiction and review a few votes over which we have serious doubts, if this is not appropriate, we will initiate action for annulment of the election before the State Council State," said Reyes Kuri .
With regards to the liberal seat, Oliver Hoyos has said that he will work with this case until the very end and he, along with others involved in seat disputes, have requested a vote re-count in the interests of transparency.
Hoyos stated that, "We, for example, we would never open as many bags as they opened, ones with over 500 votes in our favor. Further, we turn to the Prosecutor General to investigate cases such as in Zone 3 where the observer was the brother-in-law of Dilian Francisca Toro," who was standing as candidate for the U Party.
Furthermore, the situation within the Senate itself is tense due to clashes within the parties as well as between the different political groups.