Kinematic repeatability of a multi-segment foot model for dance*

The purpose of this study was to determine the intra and inter-assessor repeatability of a modified Rizzoli Foot Model for analysing the foot kinematics of ballet dancers. Six university-level ballet dancers performed the movements; parallel stance, turnout plié, turnout stance, turnout rise and flex-point-flex. The three-dimensional (3D) position of individual reflective markers and marker triads was used to model the movement of the dancers’ tibia, entire foot, hindfoot, midfoot, forefoot and hallux. Intra and inter-assessor reliability demonstrated excellent (ICC ≥ 0.75) repeatability for the first metatarsophalangeal joint in the sagittal plane. Intra-assessor reliability demonstrated excellent (ICC ≥ 0.75) repeatability during flex-point-flex across all inter-segmental angles except for the tibia-hindfoot and hindfoot-midfoot frontal planes. Inter-assessor repeatability ranged from poor to excellent (0.5 > ICC ≥ 0.75) for the 3D segment rotations. The most repeatable measure was the tibia-foot dorsiflexion/plantar flexion articulation whereas the least repeatable measure was the hindfoot-midfoot adduction/abduction articulation. The variation found in the inter-assessor results is likely due to inconsistencies in marker placement. This 3D dance specific multi-segment foot model provides insight into which kinematic measures can be reliably used to ascertain in vivo technical errors and/or biomechanical abnormalities in a dancer’s foot motion.     

Between the remnants of colonialism and the insurgence of self-narrative in constructing participatory social maps: towards a land education methodology

This article summarizes a social mapping project conducted by the Environmental Education, Communication and Arts Research Group from the Federal University of Mato Grosso. The primary goals of the project were to map the vulnerable social groups of Mato Grosso, and identify the social and environmental conflicts that put them in situations of risk. The conflicts and dilemmas these groups experience are typically caused by land and water disputes. In turn, the disputes can be traced to the continuance of colonialist forms of political, economic and ecological relations implicit in the prevailing model of development in the region. Supported by the reinvention and application of a new methodology for environmental education, namely the social map, the work illustrates the significance of group identities, self-narratives and interpretive frames, and discusses how social mapping might be used in land education to enable the construction of participatory forms of public policy.     

荀子的"天下"观与"后周鲁时代"的秦国

本文旨在阐明《荀子》思想的特质和历史意义,而由此探讨其"天下"观和对当时秦国的看法.借此欲阐明《荀子》一书在战国时代周鲁两国已经不存在的政治情况下成形或出现于世的历史意义.本文先将荀子的"天下"观整理为如下三种特色:其一,荀子所构想的国家从头开始就是治理天下领域的国家.其二,在荀子"天下"观视野下的国家会经过其兴亡的动态.从正面的意义来看,原来只有"方百里"领土的小国理论上也能成长为治理天下的国家.其三,荀子在叙述周朝巩固治理天下的过程中赞扬周公的关键角色,并将他称为"大儒".基于如上三点,荀子在观察秦国的现状之际,认为其威势和领土已经不必要再扩张,而极力鼓励秦廷聘用"大儒"或"聪明君子"来推行"义术",即安抚天下诸侯和人民的政策.荀子一方面似乎认为实际上唯秦国具有在近未来能够治理天下的可能,但借由强调任何领土方圆"一百里"的诸侯只要聘用"大儒"也能够治理天下这一点,提醒秦君别错过聘用他的机会,否则聘用这样人才的其他国家会取代秦国的角色.     

郭店楚简《五行》的修养论

本文基于"郭店楚简"等20世纪末年问世的新出土文献带来的新知见,探讨孟子性善论形成过程的一系列论考之中探讨《五行》思想的部分.《五行》将"知"视为觉醒认知能力之过程,并将之分为"圣"和"智"两种.在此格局上,《五行》设定修养过程为:借由"智"之觉醒察觉到"贤人"之"德",通过模仿"行"本身来掌握"仁""义"等,从而实现"人道"之"善",进而从此阶段上升,借由"圣"的觉醒达到"天道"之"德",亦即能够在"德之行"的层次实践"仁""义"等.另外,《五行》"说"的相关论述中,"说"的作者用"仁气""义气"等术语对上述过程加以解说.从这一点可推测出《五行》的思想与《性自命出》的"性即气"的思维方式相当接近.     

International trends in health science librarianship part 11: Japan and Korea

This is the 11th in a series of articles exploring international trends in health science librarianship. The previous article in this series looked at the Far East (Greater China, Hong Kong and Taiwan). The current issue surveys developments in Japan and Korea. The next issue will explore trends in South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka). Next year all four issues will be devoted to trends in four regions in Africa (Southern Africa, East Africa, West Africa and North Africa. JM     

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.     

Social mapping and environmental education: dialogues from participatory mapping in the Pantanal,Mato Grosso,Brazil

Abstract

This article illustrates the steps taken to enact a new methodology for participatory social mapping by the Environmental Education, Communications and the Arts (GPEA) Research Group of the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT). The aim of Social Mapping is to record the identities, territories and socio-environmental conflicts experienced by social groups, based on their own namings and narratives, rather than relying on those more typically generated or provided by researchers or theorists. As such, it offers an important dialogical pathway for environmental education practices, in that it highlights the intrinsic relationship between culture and nature, and reinforces the understanding that the loss of one implies the disappearance of the other.     

Separation of serum LD isoenzymes by capillary electrophoresis

Separation and quantitative estimation of the isoenzymes of lactate dehydrogenase(LD) in serum were accomplished with capillary electrophoresis system. An uncoated fused silica capillary column 50 cm long, 75μm I.D. and substrate containing running buffer including L-lactic acid and NAD⁺ were used for the separation of serum LD isoenzymes. The resulting product of “NADH” was detected at 340 nm. Injection of 10 nL of five fold diluted serum sample were performed by pressure injection within 2 seconds. The isoenzymes were separated at 10 kV of voltage for 5 min, by turning off the voltage applied for 30 min incubation at 24°C for reaction between substrate and isoenzymes, and applying voltage of 30 min. Under these conditions, the isoenzymes of LD were detected by a NADH generated as isoenzyme of LD-5 emerged at 20 min, LD-1 peak at 23.5 min with close to baseline separation of the other isoenzymes which emerge between LD-5 to LD-1, after the emergence to LD-1 peak, followed another peak, termed “sample shock”: The results obtained by the proposed method correlated well with those by gel electrophoresis systemes (r=0.92∼0.98) for each five LD isoenzymes, respectively. Within-run precision CVs for 5 replicate analysis were 3.01 (LD-3, mean 14.6%)%∼7.82% (LD-4, mean 4.22%.), respectively.     

Long-term impact of the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games on sport participation: A cohort analysis

The sport participation rate has been shown to decrease with age in many countries. In Japan, however, the elderly sport participation rate has increased over the last decade and is the highest among all Japanese. This study investigated whether the cohort effect generated by the shared experience of hosting the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games during their youth can explain the increased sport participation of elderly Japanese. Data from the Japanese National Sport-Life Survey over 20 years were analyzed through regression analysis. The results show that, after controlling for demographics and other determinants of sport participation, individuals who experienced the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games participated in sport more frequently than other generations.     

The reliability of accelerometry to measure weightlifting performance

The purposes of the study were to track weightlifters' barbell acceleration with a portable accelerometer over three training sessions to examine test–retest reliability and to compare peak barbell acceleration at different training intensities. Twelve nationally ranked weightlifters volunteered for this study. The portable accelerometer was attached to the right side of the barbell to measure barbell resultant acceleration during the snatch lift at a sampling frequency of 100 Hz. The data were collected over three training sessions at intensity levels of 80%, 85%, and 90% of one repetition maximum. The data were analyzed using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) for the three training sessions and one-way repeated measure ANOVA to compare the difference in peak barbell acceleration at three intensities. Results showed that the device was highly reliable with an ICC of 0.88 and 95% confidence interval of 0.81–0.93. There were significant differences in peak barbell acceleration at various lifting intensities, indicating a decline of the acceleration as the mass of the barbell became heavier. The portable accelerometer seems useful in measuring barbell acceleration data, which can be analyzed in future studies to monitor a weightlifter's performance in a practical setting instead of testing at a laboratory.