Route choice in mountain navigation,Naismith's rule,and the equivalence of distance and climb

Abstract

In this paper, I consider decision making about routes in mountain navigation. In particular, I discuss Naismith's rule, a method of calculating journey times in mountainous terrain, and its use for route choice. The rule is essentially concerned with the equivalence, in terms of time duration, between climb or ascent and distance travelled. Naismith himself described a rule that is purported to be based on trigonometry and simple assumptions about rate of ascent; his rule with regard to hill-walking implies that 1 m of ascent is equivalent to 7.92 m of horizontal travel (1:7.92). The analysis of data on fell running records presented here supports Naismith's rule and it is recommended that male runners and walkers use a 1:8 equivalence ratio and females a 1:10 ratio. The present findings are contrasted with those based on the analysis of data relating to treadmill running experiments (1:3.3), and with those based on the analysis of times for a mountain road-relay (1:4.4). Analysis of cycling data suggests a similar rule (1:8.2) for cycling on mountainous roads and tracks.     

Evaluation of an extra-curricular school sport programme promoting lifestyle and lifetime activity for adolescents

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of an extra-curricular school sport programme to promote physical activity among adolescents. One hundred and sixteen students (mean age 14.2 years, s = 0.5) were assigned to an intervention (n = 50) or comparison group (n = 66). The 8-week intervention involved structured exercise activities and information sessions. Four days of pedometer monitoring and time spent in non-organized physical activity and sedentary behaviours were measured at baseline and post-test. At baseline, participants were classified using steps per day as low-active (girls <11,000, boys <13,000) or active (girls ≥ 11,000, boys ≥ 13,000) and the effects of the intervention were assessed using these subgroups. Adolescents in the intervention group classified as low-active at baseline increased their step counts across the 8-week intervention (baseline: 7716 steps/day, s = 1751; post-test: 10,301 steps/day, s = 4410; P < 0.05) and accumulated significantly more steps (P < 0.05) than their peers in the comparison group (baseline: 8414 steps/day, s = 2460; post-test: 8248 steps/day, s = 3674; P = 0.879). The results of the present study provide further evidence that physical activity monitoring using pedometers is an effective strategy for increasing activity among low-active adolescents.     

Challenges Encountered by 17 Autistic Young Adults in Hong Kong

The self‐portrayals of 17 young persons with autism spectrum disorder reveal the challenges encountered by them, including study problems, inter‐personal relationships, being bullied by classmates at school, discrimination by the public in general and teachers, social workers, and peers in particular, obstacles to post‐secondary education, difficulties in securing and maintaining employment, psychological distress, and so on. This may indicate ineffective inclusive education and practice even though the government has injected a significant quantity of resources to implement inclusive education in Hong Kong. Clearly, more can be done by the government to help them overcome these challenges, especially regarding the issues of bullying at school and transition from school to work. Of course, the subjective self‐portrayals of youngsters on the spectrum in limited numbers can never allow us to view the whole picture. However, the book opens up a means for us to better understand them. Hopefully, it can trigger more concerns from the public, especially the government officials, and more research from scholars in Hong Kong.     

Reward or persuasion? The battle to define the meaning of a citation

The history and development of the Science Citation Index (SCI) is an example of the power of users in defining and influencing the development of a new technology. The SCI was developed as a tool for the historian of science for the purpose of tracing the history of ideas, but it was appropriated by users for purposes for which it was unintended – as a tool for evaluating the literature, individuals, institutions, and countries. The development of a citation tool gave rise to a debate over what is actually measured by citations. The citation‐as‐reward camp views citations as indicators of quality and impact, whereas the citation‐as‐persuasion camp views citations as no more than rhetorical devices. While neither view can fully explain how authors use citations, citation‐as‐reward prevails as the dominant interpretation.     

Applying findings from a systematic review of workplace‐based e‐learning: implications for health information professionals

Objectives: To systematically review the UK published literature on e‐learning in the health workplace and to apply the findings to one of the most prolific UK e‐learning initiatives in the health sector—the National Library for Health Facilitated Online Learning Interactive Opportunity (FOLIO) Programme. Methods: Sensitive searches were conducted across assia , Australian Education Index, British Education Index, cinahl , CSA Abstracts, Dissertation Abstracts, Emerald, eric , ibss , Index to Theses, lisa , medline , Psyc Info and Social Science Citation Index. Additional citations were identified from reference lists of included studies and of relevant reviews; citation tracking and contact with experts. Twenty‐nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were coded and analysed using thematic analysis as described by Miles & Huberman (Qualitative Data Analysis: A Sourcebook of New Methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1984). Results: Five broad themes were identified from the 29 included studies: (i) peer communication; (ii) flexibility; (iii) support; (iv) knowledge validation; and (v) course presentation and design. These broad themes were supported by a total of eleven sub‐themes. Components from the FOLIO Programme were analysed and existing and proposed developments were mapped against each sub‐theme. This provides a valuable framework for ongoing course development. Conclusion: Librarians involved in delivering and supporting e‐learning can benefit from applying the findings from the systematic review to existing programmes, exemplified by the FOLIO Programme. The resultant framework can also be used in developing new e‐learning programmes.     

在并行文件系统中使用服务器到服务器的通讯来简化一致性检查并提高性能

并行计算将发展为使用上千个集群化的CPU完成一个应用程序,这导致I／O瓶颈随着集群中CPU密度的加大而日益严峻。目前的并行文件系统提供了大量的聚合I／O带宽,然而它们的可扩展性达不到管理上千个存储节点上的分布式文件的需求。这篇论文我们通过存储服务器之间的聚合通讯来提高文件大数据集操作的可扩展性。特别的,我们采用服务器到服务器的通讯方式来简化一致性检查,同时改善文件创建、删除和状态查询的性能。     

A Qualitative Examination of Teacher-Student Power-Sharing in Chinese Classrooms: A Study in Hong Kong

This article explores the dynamics of power-sharing between teacher and students in learning and teaching situations, and describes the theoretical bases, implementation, and results of an empirical study in three elementary schools in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Findings from 58 class observations and interviews with 50 students, 25 teachers, and three school principals suggest that teachers can empower students by acknowledging their right to and responsibility for learning and by sharing power with students. Power-sharing classroom practice requires the dual efforts of teachers and students, and can be facilitated by the teachers’ interactive teaching mode, students’ cooperation and willingness to engage in learning, and school policy and culture, etc. In the power-sharing classrooms, teachers played the role of facilitators and students played as collaborators. In this article, theoretical implications for understanding power-sharing and critical pedagogy are discussed. The empirical evidence from this Hong Kong study contributes to an understanding of teacher-initiated power-sharing in the Chinese context, and the practice of critical pedagogy in classrooms.