Patterns of bibliographic references in the ACM published papers

This paper analyzes the bibliographic references made by all papers published by ACM in 2006. Both an automatic classification of all references and a human classification of a random sample of them resulted that around 40% of the references are to conference proceedings papers, around 30% are to journal papers, and around 8% are to books. Among the other types of documents, standards and RFC correspond to 3% of the references, technical and other reports correspond to 4%, and other Web references to 3%. Among the documents cited at least 10 times by the 2006 ACM papers, 41% are conferences papers, 37% are books, and 16% are journal papers.     

The trouble with assimilation: Social dominance and the emergence of hostility against immigrants

In exploring the “status boundary enforcement hypothesis,” Thomsen, Green and Sidanius (2008) theorized and confirmed that Social Dominance Orientation would be more strongly correlated with a general willingness to aggress against immigrants when respondents are primed with an immigrant who is eager to assimilate into the dominant culture than when they are primed with an immigrant who prefers cultural isolation (separation). However, because assimilation differs from separation on both the home culture component and the host culture component, the actual source of this effect remains unclear. By using an assimilation versus integration contrast that differ only on the home culture component, the present study confirmed and extended Thomsen et al.’s findings. We were able to conclude that this counter intuitive effect, at odds with most research in this area, is primarily driven by people with high SDO having more negative reactions to immigrants’ willing to abandon their original cultures rather than to immigrants wanting to maintain contact with the host culture. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Late information pick-up is preferred in basketball jump shooting

In this study we examined the timing of optical information pick-up in basketball jump shooting using an intermittent viewing technique. We expected shooters to prefer to look at the basket as late as possible under the shooting style used. Seven experts with a high shooting style and five experts with a low shooting style took 50 jump shots while wearing liquid-crystal glasses that opened and closed at pre-set intervals. In principle, under this constraint, the participants could control when they saw the basket by actively modulating the timing of their movements. Analyses of the phasing of the movements relative to the events defined on the glasses revealed that low-style shooters preferred to see the basket just before the ball passed their line of sight, whereas high-style shooters tended to view the basket from underneath the ball after it passed their line of sight. Thus, most shooters preferred to pick up optical information as late as possible given the adopted shooting style. We conclude that, in dynamic far aiming tasks such as basketball jump shooting, late pick-up of optical information is critical for the successful guidance of movements.     

Effects of distinct practice conditions on the learning of the o soto gari throwing technique of judo

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different types of practice on learning the o soto gari, focusing on the kuzushi (unbalancing the opponent). A total of 64 children (mean age 9.19 ± 1.41 years) were assigned to one of four groups: (1) static traditional practice, i.e., uchikomi – repetition of the moving pattern that characterises the technique up to the point of throwing; (2) in motion traditional practice – uchikomi with the tori (player executing the technique) moving/walking; (3) whole practice with pre-kuzushi – full technique with a preparatory component for kuzushi; (4) progressive parts practice with pre-kuzushi – progressively introducing kuzushi, tsukuri (set-up to execute the technique) and kake (final part of the technique; projection) with pre-kuzushi. Pre-test, acquisition, post-test and retention test were carried out. Movements were video recorded and analysed regarding three aspects: global technique of the tori, occurrence of a movement pattern performed by the tori to unbalance the uke (player receiving the “attack”), and occurrence of actual unbalance (kuzushi). Results showed no significant differences between-groups. However, different within-groups improvements suggest that using a uchikomi with pre-kuzushi can help learners deal with the motor actions of pulling and pushing in order to unbalance the opponent.     

Transnational Mothers and School Related Decisions

The Urban Review - This article addresses the question of how transnational Mexican mothers negotiate and participate in the educational trajectories of children in the United States and in Mexico....     

Effects of different strength training frequencies during reduced training period on strength and muscle cross-sectional area

This study investigated the effects of different reduced strength training (RST) frequencies on half-squat 1 RM and quadriceps cross-sectional area (QCSA). Thirty-three untrained males (24.7?±?3.9 years; 1.73?±?0.08?m; 74.6?±?8.4?kg) underwent a 16-week experimental period (i.e. eight weeks of strength training [ST] followed by additional eight weeks of RST). During the ST period, the participants performed 3–4 sets of 6–12 RM, three sessions/week in half-squat and knee extension exercises. Following ST, the participants were randomly allocated to one of three groups: reduced strength training with one (RST1) or two sessions per week (RST2), and ceased training (CT). Both RST1 and RST2 groups had their training frequency and total training volume-load (i.e. RST1?=?50.3% and RST2?=?57.1%) reduced, while the CT group stopped training completely. Half-squat 1 RM (RST1?=?27.9%; RST2?=?26.7%; and CT?=?28.4%) and QCSA (RST1?=?6.1%; RST2?=?6.9%; and CT?=?5.8%) increased significantly (p?<?.05) in all groups after eight weeks of ST. No significant changes were observed in 1 RM and QCSA for RST1 and RST2 groups after the RST period, while the CT group demonstrated a decrease in half-squat 1 RM (22.6%) and QCSA (5.4%) when compared to the ST period (p?<?.05). In conclusion, different RST frequencies applied were able to maintain muscle mass and strength performance obtained over the regular ST period. Thus, it appears that RST frequency does not affect the maintenance of muscle mass and strength in untrained males, as long as volume-load is equated between frequencies.     

Optimal tensegrity structures in bending: The discrete Michell truss

This paper provides the closed form analytical solution to the problem of minimizing the material volume required to support a given set of bending loads with a given number of discrete structural members, subject to material yield constraints. The solution is expressed in terms of two variables, the aspect ratio, ρ^-1, and complexity of the structure, q (the total number of members of the structure is equal to q(q+1)). The minimal material volume (normalized) is also given in closed form by a simple function of ρ and q, namely, V=q(ρ^-1/q-ρ^1/q). The forces for this nonlinear problem are shown to satisfy a linear recursive equation, from node-to-node of the structure. All member lengths are specified by a linear recursive equation, dependent only on the initial conditions involving a user specified length of the structure. The final optimal design is a class 2 tensegrity structure. Our results generate the 1904 results of Michell in the special case when the selected complexity q approaches infinity. Providing the optimum in terms of a given complexity has the obvious advantage of relating complexity q to other criteria, such as costs, fabrication issues, and control. If the structure is manufactured with perfect joints (no glue, welding material, etc.), the minimal mass complexity is infinite. But in the presence of any joint mass, the optimal structural complexity is finite, and indeed quite small. Hence, only simple structures (low complexity q) are needed for practical design.     

Effective force and economy of triathletes and cyclists

The effective force applied on the crank, the index of pedalling effectiveness, and the economy of movement at 60, 75, 90, and 105 rev/min cadences were examined in nine cyclists and eight triathletes. Tests were performed on two days. Maximal oxygen uptake was measured and the second ventilatory threshold was estimated on day 1 using a stationary bicycle. On day 2, the four different cadences were tested at about 5% below the second ventilatory threshold. A strain gauge instrumented clip-less pedal mounted on the bicycle enabled us to measure the normal and tangential forces exerted on the pedal, while the pedal and crank angles were monitored with the aid of a video system. Based on this information, the effective force and the index of pedalling effectiveness were calculated. Cyclists produced significantly more effective force and a higher index of pedalling effectiveness at 60 and 75 rev/min and were significantly more economic at all cadences than triathletes. The significant and positive correlation between effective force and economy at all cadences suggests that improvement of the effective force would reflect on economy.