Demonstration of pelvic anatomy by modified midline transection that maintains intact internal pelvic organs

Gross dissection for demonstrating anatomy of the human pelvis has traditionally involved one of two approaches, each with advantages and disadvantages. Classic hemisection in the median plane through the pelvic ring transects the visceral organs but maintains two symmetric pelvic halves. An alternative paramedial transection compromises one side of the bony pelvis but leaves the internal organs intact. The authors propose a modified technique that combines advantages of both classical dissections. This novel approach involves dividing the pubic symphysis and sacrum in the median plane after shifting all internal organs to one side. The hemipelvis without internal organs is immediately available for further dissection of the lower limb. The hemipelvis with intact internal organs is ideal for showing the complex spatial relationships of the pelvic organs and vessels relative to the intact pelvic floor. Anat Sci Educ 3:254–260, 2010. © 2010 American Association of Anatomists.     

Development of an automatic and mobile X-ray robot: An innovative approach to medical imaging through mechatronics

The objective of this work is the development of an automatic and mobile X-ray robot that is becoming necessary in a changing environment (aging society, growth of the developing countries, etc.). Specifically, there are three sides to such a project. First, there is the mechanical side, i.e. the design and implementation of motors on every mobile part of an X-ray unit allowing it to move around a standing patient. Then, comes the electronic side, i.e. the use of potentiometers and limit switches as feedback combined with microcontrollers. And last, the algorithm that computes three-dimensional models from two-dimensional X-rays.     

Media Exposure and Thin-Ideal Internalization in the Drive for Thinness in Japanese Women

Focusing mainly on the roles of media exposure and thin-ideal internalization, this study attempts to extend the findings of previous studies conducted in other countries. A structural equation model with maximum likelihood estimation was performed to test the hypothesized path model. The fit indices indicated that the path model provided an acceptable fit. The results revealed that the influence of fashion magazine reading on the drive for thinness is mediated via thin-ideal internalization. Thus, heavier readers of fashion magazines were more likely to exhibit a greater drive for thinness via internalization of the thin ideal. The results were generally consistent with findings from previous studies conducted in other countries, confirming the cross-cultural importance of the process of thin-ideal internalization in the study of the drive for thinness among young women.     

School reform for positive behaviour support through collaborative learning: utilising lesson study for a learning community

Recent research has emphasised educating children about positive behaviours to overcome delinquency issues, but there is little clarification of what factors lead to positive behaviours. This study analyses factors that led to children’s positive behaviours at a junior high school in Japan, which experienced a dramatic turnaround after implementing school reform using Lesson Study for Learning Community (LSLC). In this study, the results of a mixed-methods analysis show that if children receive psychological support they are likely to psychologically support others and, similarly, those who receive concrete help tend to offer concrete help to others. To foster learning cultures in which this happens, it is critical to engage the entire school in appropriate changes: for example, teachers’ positive attitudes towards children and learning are important factors encouraging children to support others.     

Why is school reform sustained even after a project? A case study of Bac Giang Province, Vietnam

This paper reports on a case study of schools in Vietnam wherein teachers are engaged in school reform activities known as professional teacher meetings (PTMs), which is based on an approach called lesson study for learning community (LSLC). The PTMs under LSLC were introduced in 2006, but the teachers involved are still conducting the activities despite scarcity of resources, particularly technical ones. This study addresses the following research question: Why have teachers continued to organize PTMs after the project ended? Three aspects will help address the research question. First, teachers had faith in the effectiveness of the PTMs. Second, enthusiasm and support of seniors and authorities such as school principals could have also helped sustain the PTMs. Third, the need to maintain a respectable reputation before external parties could also be an important factor.     

Initiating education reform through lesson study at a university in Indonesia

This paper analyses the issues involved in promoting lesson study in an Indonesian university, based on a case study of the Faculty of Mathematics and Science (FMIPA) of the State University of Yogyakarta. Five points are discussed. First, conducting lesson study with schools revealed that the faculty managers noticed the ignorance about lesson study in FMIPA and decided to conduct lesson study by themselves to learn more. Second, despite using a didactic teaching approach initially, more faculty members began using group work in their lessons. Third, despite the emphasis on the importance of observing students' learning realities, most faculty members focused on teaching methodology. Fourth, in terms of reflection, they could be classified as evaluation‐minded in order to be critical about the observed lessons, and learning‐minded to appreciate the observed lessons. Fifth, the strong involvement of managers is necessary to develop lesson study as a daily teaching and learning practice.     

The Effect of Training on the Relationships Among Velocity,Stroke Rate and Distance per Stroke in Untrained Subjects Swimming the Breaststroke

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to reveal the relationships among velocity (V), stroke rate (S), and distance per stroke (d/s) in the breaststroke, and to determine whether the swim velocity of the breaststroke is increased by an increased stroke rate induced by breaststroke training. A total of 168 ordinary high school students were engaged for the present study. In order to measure the swimming time and strokes during breaststroke at maximum effort for the 50m distance, a videotape recorder (VTR) with video timer system was employed, and the recordings were used in analyses. The S and d/s were calculated for each subject. It was found in this study that V is significantly related to d/s before and after training, but has no relation to S. From these results, it is suggested that improvement of velocity during breaststroke depends upon an increase of d/s, rather than S. This is considered to be an index of efficiency or technique in the breaststroke.     

The classroom observations of Vietnamese teachers: mediating underlying values to understand student learning

This study uses the grounded theory approach (GTA) to investigate the value and characteristics of teacher observations, when used to understand student learning. Earlier studies have analysed the act of observation, defining it as a combination of joint observation and interpretation activities. By contrast, this analysis of 28 primary school teachers in remote areas of Vietnam reveals that the act of observation is mediated by underlying values. This study develops a discussion about the way in which the inherent ‘compliance-with-a-plan’ value restricts teachers’ ability to develop knowledge, as proposed in the literature, while the value of ‘exploration’ encourages teachers to develop a broader interpretation of classroom interactions. Figures and tables illustrate these GTA-based results.     

PHILOSOPHY AS TRANSLATION: DEMOCRACY AND EDUCATION FROM DEWEY TO CAVELL

A bstract .  Dewey's idea of "mutual national understanding" faces new challenges in the age of globalization, especially in education for global understanding. In this essay Naoko Saito aims to find an alternative idea and language for "mutual national understanding," one that is more attuned to the sensibility of our times. She argues for Stanley Cavell's idea of philosophy as translation as such an alternative. Based upon Cavell's rereading of Thoreau's Walden , Saito represents Thoreau as a cross-cultural figure who transcends cultural and national boundaries. On the strength of this, she proposes a Cavellian education for global citizenship, that is, a perfectionist education for imperfect understanding in acknowledgment of alterity. Our founding of democracy must depend upon a readiness to "deconfound" the culture we have come from, the better to find new foundations together. The "native" is always in transition, by and through language, in processes of translation.