The binding media of the polychromy of Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Army

The “Terracotta Army” is a worldwide known archaeological finding in China. It is a part of the burial complex of the emperor Qin Shihuangdi (259–210 BC), which is still under excavation and study. The fact that the sculptures, chariots and weapons of the First Chinese Emperor's Terracotta Army were originally all painted in bright colours is still not widely known. The chemical characterisation of the paint medium was performed through an analytical procedure based on GC-MS. The proteinaceous binder was identified for the first time through a desalting procedure used in proteomics. The identification of egg as a paint binder is extremely interesting in terms of the historical significance of the work of art itself and important in terms of the method of conservation. Moreover it represents one of the first steps towards an understanding of the painting technique used on ancient sculptures in China, of which – despite their fame – nothing is yet known.     

Determinants of possession of the ball in soccer

In research on the importance of the possession of the ball in soccer, little attention has been paid to its determinants. Using data from 170 matches of the 2003 - 2004 Spanish Soccer League, we explain why differences in the possession of the ball among teams are so great. In particular, four variables are examined: evolving match status (i.e. whether the team is winning, losing or drawing), venue (i.e. playing at home or away), and the identities of the team and the opponent in each match. Results of linear regression analysis show that these four variables are statistically significant and together explain most of the variance in possession. In short, home teams have more possession than away teams, teams have more possession when they are losing matches than when winning or drawing, and the identity of the opponent matters - the worse the opponent, the greater the possession of the ball. Combinations of these variables could be used to develop a model that predicts possession in soccer.     

Motivational predictors of prosocial and antisocial behaviour in football

This study examined (a) the main and interactive effects of goal orientations and perceived motivational climate on prosocial and antisocial behaviour, and (b) whether number of seasons one has played for the team interacts with motivational climate in predicting prosocial and antisocial behaviour in association football. Participants were 325 male association football players, whose age ranged from 12 to 17 years. Athletes completed questionnaires measuring frequency of prosocial and antisocial behaviours in football, goal orientation, motivational climate and social desirability, and indicated the number of seasons they had played for their current team. Regression analyses revealed that task orientation and mastery climate were positive predictors of prosocial behaviour, whereas ego orientation and performance climate were positive predictors of antisocial behaviour. In addition, task orientation negatively predicted antisocial behaviour, while ego orientation negatively predicted prosocial behaviour. No significant interactions between task and ego orientation and mastery and performance motivational climate were found. Finally, mastery climate negatively predicted antisocial behaviour for those who had played many seasons for the team. In conclusion, strengthening task orientation and mastery climate and weakening ego orientation may enhance prosocial behaviour. However, for antisocial conduct to be eliminated from the context of association football, ego orientation and performance climate need to be tempered, as these constructs exert unique independent effects on antisocial behaviour.     

TIJAH: Embracing IR Methods in XML Databases

This paper discusses our participation in INEX (the Initiative for the Evaluation of XML Retrieval) using the TIJAH XML-IR system. TIJAHs system design follows a standard layered database architecture, carefully separating the conceptual, logical and physical levels. At the conceptual level, we classify the INEX XPath-based query expressions into three different query patterns. For each pattern, we present its mapping into a query execution strategy. The logical layer exploits score region algebra (SRA) as the basis for query processing. We discuss the region operators used to select and manipulate XML document components. The logical algebra expressions are mapped into efficient relational algebra expressions over a physical representation of the XML document collection using the pre-post numbering scheme. The paper concludes with an analysis of experiments performed with the INEX test collection.     

A comparative study of the professional and curricular conceptions of the secondary education science teacher in Spain: possible implications for ongoing teacher education

We compared the professional and curricular conceptions of two samples of secondary education science teachers in Spain, who differed in their years of teaching experience and in whether or not they had participated in a long‐duration scientific‐pedagogical refresher course. Using the data from their responses to a questionnaire, we analysed aspects of their professionalism as teachers (motivation and work satisfaction) and aspects of the curriculum related to content, teaching methods and evaluation. The results show a broader professionalism and a higher level of satisfaction in the case of the teachers with more experience and a higher level of professional training. We found significant differences in whether the pupils' ideas were regarded as erroneous, and in whether laboratory practical work was used to test theory. We conclude by setting out a series of reflections with the aim of working towards improving teachers' ‘professional development’.

Dans cet article, nous comparons les représentations professionnelles et curriculaires de deux échantillons de professeurs de Sciences de l'Enseignement Secondaire en Espagne, selon leur ancienneté et leur éventuelle participation à un cours de remise à niveau scientifique et pédagogique de longue durée. À partir des réponses à un questionnaire, nous avons analysé certains aspects professionnels, tels que la motivation et le degré de satisfaction dans l'exercice de la profession, de même que certains aspects curriculaires touchant les contenus, la méthodologie et l'évaluation. Les résultats démontrent un professionalisme plus important et un plus haut degré de satisfaction chez les professeurs les plus expérimentés et les mieux formés. Nous avons également trouvé des différences significatives en ce qui concerne la prise en compte des idées fausses des élèves ou la mise en place de travaux pratiques en laboratoire pour vérifier la théorie. Il en découle une série de réflexions dans le but d'améliorer le ‘parcours professionnel’ des enseignants.

En este artículo se comparan las concepciones profesionales y curriculares de dos muestras de profesores de Ciencias de Educación Secundaria españoles que difieren en los años de docencia y en la realización o no de un curso de actualización científico‐pedagógica de larga duración. Con los datos de un cuestionario, se analizaron aspectos de la profesionalidad docente, como la motivación y satisfacción en el ejercicio de la profesión, y aspectos curriculares, relacionados con los contenidos, la metodología de enseñanza y la evaluación. Los resultados revelan una profesionalidad más extensa y un mayor nivel de satisfacción en el caso de los profesores con más experiencia y mejor formados. Asimismo, se han encontrado diferencias significativas en asuntos tales como la consideración de las ideas de los alumnos como errores o la realización de prácticas de laboratorio para comprobar la teoría. A partir de ello se plantean una serie de reflexiones que buscan mejorar el ‘desarrollo profesional’ del profesorado.

In disem Artikel werden die Ansichten zu Beruf und Lehrerinhalten von zwei Gruppen von spanischen Erziehungwissenschaftern verglichen, die Pädagogik für den Unterricht an Sekundarschulen lehren und sich darin unterscheiden, dass sie eine unterschiedliche lange Berufserfahrung haben und einige sich wissenschaftlich in zeitlich länger befristeten Kursen fortgebildet haben, andere aber nicht. Die Ergebnisse eines Fragebogens wurden ausgewertet, um bestimmte Aspekte zu untersuchen, die die Arbeit der Dozenten betrifft, so zum Beispiel die Motivation und Zufriedenkeit bei der Ausübung des Berufs sowie Aspekte des Lehrplans, die Unterrichtinhalte, die Methodologie und Fragen der Evaluation betreffen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Dozenten mit größerer erfahrung und besser wissenschaftlicher Ausbildung vielseitiger in profesioneller Hinsicht sind und einen höheren grad an Zufriedenkeit aufweisen. Des weiteren konnten wesentliche unterschiede in Punkten wie der Bewertung von Schülerfelehrn oder bei der Durchführung von Praxisstunden im Labor, die der Anwendung der gelernten Theorie dienen, gefunden werden. An diesen Ergebnisse schlieben sich Reflexionen darüber an, wie die berufliche ‘Entwicklung und Fortbildung’ der Dozenten verbessert werden kann.