Reliability and validity of two tests of soccer skill

Twenty-four players from the 1st/2nd (elite) and 24 players from the 3rd/4th (non-elite) university football teams were recruited to evaluate the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT) and Loughborough Soccer Shooting Test (LSST) as tools to assess soccer skill. The LSPT requires players to complete 16 passes as quickly as possible. The LSST requires players to pass, control, and shoot the ball to targets on a full-sized goal. Participants completed two main trials each separated by at least one day. During both trials, the participants were given practice efforts before recording the mean of the next two (LSPT) or 10 (LSST) attempts as the performance score. For the LSPT, the mean time taken, added penalty time, and overall performance time were less in the elite players (elite: 43.6 s, s = 3.8; non-elite: 52.5 s, s= 7.4; P= 0.0001). For the LSST, there was no difference in the mean points scored per shot between groups (elite: 1.34, s = 0.46; non-elite: 1.28, s = 0.53). However, the elite players had higher mean shot speed (elite: 80 km h(-1), s = 4.5; non-elite: 74 km h(-1), s = 4.2; P < 0.0001) and performed each shot sequence faster (elite: 7.87 s, s= 0.29; non-elite: 8.07 s, s= 0.35; P= 0.037) than the non-elite players. Performance on both tests was more repeatable in elite players. In conclusion, the LSPT and LSST are valid and reliable protocols to assess differences in soccer skill performance.     

Children’s metabolic expenditure during object projection skill performance: New insight for activity intensity relativity

Objective: To examine children’s energy expenditure (EE) during object projection skill performance at three intensity intervals. Methods: Children’s (42, Mage = 8.1) average metabolic equivalents of task (METs) were calculated using a COSMED K4b2 while they repeatedly performed blocks of kicking, throwing (overhand), and striking (two-handed) during 6, 12, and 30-s interval conditions. A repeated-measures analysis of covariance examined differences in METs while controlling for skill level. Results: Data indicated a main effect for interval condition (df = 2, 123, F = 94.36, p <.001, η2 = .605). Post hoc t-tests demonstrated decreasing performance interval times yielded progressively higher METs (p <.001) across the three conditions (30s = 4.5±0.8 METs, 12s = 6.3±1.3, 6s = 8.3±1.6). There also was a main effect for sex (df = 1,120, F = 52.28, p <.001 η2 = .305). Boys demonstrated higher METs at each performance interval (p <.001). Conclusion: Skill practice with a maximum of one trial every 30s resulted in the equivalent of at least moderate physical activity (>4.0 METs) and intervals of 6s demonstrated vigorous physical activity (>7.0 METs). Practicing/performing object projection skills, even at intervals that allow for adequate instruction and feedback (i.e., 1 trial/30s), promotes MVPA in children.     

Dielectrophoretic separation of mouse melanoma clones

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is employed to differentiate clones of mouse melanoma B16F10 cells. Five clones were tested on microelectrodes. At a specific excitation frequency, clone 1 showed a different DEP response than the other four. Growth rate, melanin content, recovery from cryopreservation, and in vitro invasive studies were performed. Clone 1 is shown to have significantly different melanin content and recovery rate from cryopreservation. This paper reports the ability of DEP to differentiate between two malignant cells of the same origin. Different DEP responses of the two clones could be linked to their melanin content.     

Rank one chaos in a switch-controlled Chua's circuit

In this paper, we study the existence of strange attractors in a switch-controlled Chua's circuit. This circuit is obtained from the original Chua's circuit by adding externally controlled switches to it in such a way to modulate the system state variables. This investigation is conducted from the perspective of a recent chaos theory of rank one maps. The externally controlled switches are used for the purposes of realizing the general settings of the theory. Both synchronous and asynchronous switch control schemes providing periodic kicks in various directions are investigated, and their effects on the resulting chaotic attractors are discussed. The results of the numerical simulations presented are in close agreement with the expectations of the theory.     

Les Disparités d'alphabétisation et de scolarisation en Turquie

The struggle against illiteracy is a problem of great importance in Turkey as in many other countries. In Turkey the democratisation and secularisation of education have been a difficult process. Despite strong educational efforts in recent years, the country still presents various forms of inequality, such as considerable disparities between women and men, between town and country and between different regions. Unequal socio-economic, cultural and educational development, and attachment to cultural traditions are some of the factors that influence these inequalities. At the same time, Turkey is confronted by the sore problem of the education of linguistic minorities (especially the Kurds), who are not officially recognised as the cultural policy of Turkey aims to assimilate them. Thus, in the 1920s the Kurdish language was forbidden along with all languages other than Turkish, the official national language.     

真空预压技术对软粘土物理与力学属性影响的试验研究

研制了一套新三轴试验仪,该仪器能将堆载和真空加载在土样上,在固结进行中能同时监控超孔隙水压力、轴向应变(沉降)与体积应变.并根据浙江省温州市原状软粘土进行了固结试验,软粘土的天然含水率是72.5%.试验结果发现,真空预压、堆载预压或真空堆载联合预压3类加固方式中,粘土的固结特性没有明显差异.研究表明3种加固方法改变了软土的一些物理属性并改善了它的力学属性.     

Information security landscape and maturity level: Case study of Malaysian Public Service (MPS) organizations

Information protection is of paramount importance in today's world. From information involving the highest level of government administration and national security, to information existing at the level of the private company in the form of trade secrets or personal data, all are under the constant threat of being compromised. In this study, the researchers attempt to evaluate the information security maturity level and provide clear thoughtful analysis of the information security landscapes of the Malaysian Public Service (MPS) organizations. This study uses convenience sampling and the required data collected from 970 targeted individuals through a self-administrated survey. In addition, a survey questionnaire is utilized to gauge the security landscape and to further understand the occurrence of incidents, the sources of attack, and the types of technical safeguard. Findings revealed that the highest security incidents experienced by the MPS were spamming (42%), followed by attacks of malicious codes (41%). Twenty-five percent of incidents originated from within the organizations, 15% originated from outside, and 11% were from a mixture of internal and external sources. Also, it shows that 49% of incidents were from sources unknown to the respondents. The top most deployed safeguards by the MPS were found to be firewalls (95%), followed by anti-virus software (92%), and access control to information system (89%). Findings on the maturity level show that 61% of respondents are at Level 3, followed by 21% at Level 2 where the information security processes are still considered an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) domain. At the higher end of the continuum lies 13% for Level 4 and 1% at Level 5.     

对发展关中平原循环农业的认识与实践

循环农业是近年来提出的一种新的农业发展理念,其理论框架及支撑其理论体系的实践例证尚处于争鸣与建构中。陕西关中平原作为历史悠久的传统农业区,过去几十年来已建立起以冬小麦-夏玉米轮作制为特征的集约化农业生产,目前存在的最大问题是作物秸秆大都不能以合理方式返还农田。本文基于对关中地区农业发展现状的分析与思考,紧紧围绕循环农业所倡导的“4R”原则,提出以田块尺度的秸秆还田为主要纽带,以期连通农田生态系统中物质和能量的循环链,建立关中平原地区秸秆资源高效利用的农业循环生产模式和体系,为该区域农业可持续发展提供理论和现实依据。