Kinematic comparisons of 1996 Olympic baseball pitchers

The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the kinematics of baseball pitchers who participated in the 1996 XXVI Centennial Olympic Games. Two synchronized video cameras operating at 120 Hz were used to video 48 pitchers from Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, Cuba, Italy, Korea, Nicaragua and the USA. All pitchers were analysed while throwing the fastball pitch. Twenty-one kinematic parameters were measured at lead foot contact, during the arm cocking and arm acceleration phases, and at the instant of ball release. These parameters included stride length, foot angle and foot placement; shoulder abduction, shoulder horizontal adduction and shoulder external rotation; knee and elbow flexion; upper torso, shoulder internal rotation and elbow extension angular velocities; forward and lateral trunk tilt; and ball speed. A one-way analysis of variance (P < 0.01) was used to assess kinematic differences. Shoulder horizontal adduction and shoulder external rotation at lead foot contact and ball speed at the instant of ball release were significantly different among countries. The greater shoulder horizontal abduction observed in Cuban pitchers at lead foot contact is thought to be an important factor in the generation of force throughout the arm cocking and arm acceleration phases, and may in part explain why Cuban pitchers generated the greatest ball release speed. We conclude that pitching kinematics are similar among baseball pitchers from different countries.     

Research on teacher and librarian collaboration: An examination of underlying structures of models

This article reports on quantitative data collected in a mixed methods study of teacher and librarian collaboration. This practice is discussed extensively in the literature on school librarianship as an instructional strategy that positively affects student academic achievement. However, while there is much anecdotal evidence regarding successful teacher and librarian collaboration, there is little hard research that defines specific practices that lead to successful collaborations. This study provides empirical data on teacher and librarian collaboration which helps us understand the nature of collaboration and the extent to which theory and practice are integrated. Two surveys based on proposed theoretical models of teacher and librarian collaboration were used for this study. The first survey was based on Loertscger's Taxonomy. The second survey was based on a new proposed model of teacher and librarian collaboration (TLC Model) which builds on the taxonomy and expands our understanding of teacher and librarian collaboration. Participants in the study included teachers, librarians and principals from kindergarten through middle school. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was carried out on both surveys to identify underlying structures of teacher and librarian collaboration. Three factors emerged from the data identifying a range of underlying structures: integrated instruction, library and librarian as resource, and traditional role for teacher and librarian. Further research on the TLC Model with a larger number of participants and survey items is needed to examine the stability of the factor structures and to further refine the new measure.     

Helping adolescents with shyness: Applying the Japanese Morita therapy in shyness counselling

Summary Adolescence, being a period of rapid change and development, is often associated with experiences of turmoil and anxiety. Shyness is common as the adolescent attempts to explore boundaries, gain self-knowledge, and form an identity. An approach successful in treating this type of nervous pre-occupation is Morita therapy. This article describes how Morita therapy, in the form of Morita counselling, was applied in treating 12 shy adolescents seen in 3 groups. Four brief counselling sessions were conducted. The aim of treatment was not to rid the adolescent of shyness but to have them experience accomplishment and be productive despite anxiety symptoms. The main concepts presented were: action can be taken despite experiencing anxiety, emotions cannot willfully be controlled but behaviour can be chosen, and shyness is a reflection of greater sensitivity to life and can serve in a positive way. Positive treatment effects were observed on reported cognitive and behavioural measures and verified by behavioural counts documented. In conclusion, the adolescents appeared to have gained a more positive outlook on their shyness and an awareness of personal control through choice of action. By providing a concrete mechanism for approaching the shyness difficulty, Morita counselling, even in a brief number of sessions, has the potential for making an impact on this age group helping to spare them the anguish of social withdrawal and isolation.     

Kinematic and kinetic comparisons between American and Korean professional baseball pitchers

The purpose of this study was to quantify and compare kinematic, temporal, and kinetic characteristics of American and Korean professional pitchers in order to investigate differences in pitching mechanics, performance, and injury risks among two different cultures and populations of baseball pitchers. Eleven American and eight Korean healthy professional baseball pitchers threw multiple fastball pitches off an indoor throwing mound positioned at regulation distance from home plate. A Motion Analysis three-dimensional automatic digitizing system was used to collect 200 Hz video data from four electronically synchronized cameras. Twenty kinematic, six temporal, and 11 kinetic variables were analyzed at lead foot contact, during the arm cocking and arm acceleration phases, at ball release, and during the arm deceleration phase. A radar gun was used to quantify ball velocity. At lead foot contact, the American pitchers had significantly greater horizontal abduction of the throwing shoulder, while Korean pitchers exhibited significantly greater abduction and external rotation of the throwing shoulder. During arm cocking, the American pitchers displayed significantly greater maximum shoulder external rotation and maximum pelvis angular velocity. At the instant of ball release, the American pitchers had significantly greater forward trunk tilt and ball velocity and significantly less knee flexion, which help explain why the American pitchers had 10% greater ball velocity compared to the Korean pitchers. The American pitchers had significantly greater maximum shoulder internal rotation torque and maximum elbow varus torque during arm cocking, significantly greater elbow flexion torque during arm acceleration, and significantly greater shoulder and elbow proximal forces during arm deceleration. While greater shoulder and elbow forces and torques generated in the American pitchers helped generate greater ball velocity for the American group, these greater kinetics may predispose this group to a higher risk of shoulder and elbow injuries.     

A power information user (PIU) model to promote information integration in Tennessee's public health community.

Observation and immersion in the user community are critical factors in designing and implementing informatics solutions; such practices ensure relevant interventions and promote user acceptance. Libraries can adapt these strategies to developing instruction and outreach. While needs assessment is typically a core facet of library instruction, sustained, iterative assessment underlying the development of user-centered instruction is key to integrating resource use into the workflow. This paper describes the Eskind Biomedical Library's (EBL's) recent work with the Tennessee public health community to articulate a training model centered around developing power information users (PIUs). PIUs are community-based individuals with an advanced understanding of information seeking and resource use and are committed to championing information integration. As model development was informed by observation of PIU workflow and information needs, it also allowed for informal testing of the applicability of assessment via domain immersion in library outreach. Though the number of PIUs involved in the project was small, evaluation indicated that the model was useful for promoting information use in PIU workgroups and that the concept of domain immersion was relevant to library-related projects. Moreover, EBL continues to employ principles of domain understanding inherent in the PIU model to develop further interventions for the public health community and library users.