Steel in freight car construction

It has been the custom among designers of freight cars either with underframes of steel or of wood to depend upon the strength of the underframe alone in making computations for a specified carrying capacity, despite the fact that the superstructure in many cases can and does constitute a truss. The author presents the evolution in design of structural steel freight cars, with which he has been closely identified, where the value of the superstructure as a tress has been duly considered as an element of strength and in reducing weight.     

中、日国民体质联合调查报告

中、日两国是目前世界上系统开展国民体质监测的主要国家,20余年来有着广泛的交流。中、日双方曾在1986年进行了7～20岁青少年体质研究联合调查,对两国青少年体质进行了全面的比较与分析。本次联合调查开展于2004—2007年,取样点分别为中国上海和日本东京。对两国6～74岁国民的身体形态、身体素质指标以及与体质相关的信息进行了调查。调查结果显示:1)中、日儿童青少年生长发育长期变化规律相似;2)上海儿童青少年生长发育水平高于东京。速度、绝对力量、韧素、平衡等能力高于同年龄的东京儿童青少年,但耐力素质和相对力量水平低于东京;3)上海成年人身体素质总体水平低于东京,虽然有多项身体素质指标的峰值高于东京,但是,在达到峰值以后,多数均低于同龄的东京居民;4)上海成年、老年人肥胖率高于东京,且上海肥胖发生率的潜在上升风险性更大。     

Stressors in elite sport: a coach perspective

We examined the varying performance and organizational stressors experienced by coaches who operate with elite athletes. Following interviews with eleven coaches, content analysis of the data revealed coaches to experience comparable numbers of performance and organizational stressors. Performance stressors were divided between their own performance and that of their athletes, while organizational stressors included environmental, leadership, personal, and team factors. The findings provide evidence that coaches experience a variety of stressors that adds weight to the argument that they should be labelled as "performers" in their own right. A variety of future research topics and applied issues are also discussed.     

Hearts in the fire, heads in the fridge: a qualitative investigation into the temporal patterning of the precompetitive psychological response in elite performers

Retrospective perceptions and causal beliefs regarding the temporal patterning of precompetitive psychological responses were examined in 12 elite rugby union players. Composite sequence analysis resulted in a series of temporal networks to describe participants' cognitive, affective, and behavioural responses in a time-to-event paradigm. Match-related cognitions remained stable in the lead up to competition, while perceptions of physical symptoms peaked at the onset of performance. Affective responses were associated with feelings of anxiety and tension in the early temporal phases but excitement, confidence, and efficacy in team-mates directly before competition. Behavioural themes described activities associated with technical and physical preparation, familiarization with environmental conditions, and strategies to control activation states early on or directly before competition. The findings highlight the idiosyncratic and dynamic nature of the temporal patterning of precompetitive responses and the influence that perceptions of the team have upon individual preparation for performance. Implications are discussed in the context of the type and timing of intervention for developing individual and team preparatory routines.     

A season-long team-building intervention: examining the effect of team goal setting on cohesion

The purpose of the current study was to determine whether the implementation of a season-long team-building intervention program using team goal setting increased perceptions of cohesion. The participants were 86 female high school basketball players from 8 teams. The teams were randomly assigned to either an experimental team goal-setting or control condition. Each participant completed the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ; Carron, Brawley, & Widmeyer, 2002; Carron, Widmeyer, & Brawley, 1985), which assessed cohesion at both the beginning and end of the season. Overall, the results revealed a significant multivariate effect, Pillai's trace F(12, 438) = 2.68, p = .002. Post hoc analyses showed that at the beginning of the season, athletes from both conditions did not differ in their perceptions of cohesion. However, at the end of the season, athletes in the team goal-setting condition held higher perceptions of cohesion than athletes in the control condition. Overall, the results indicated that team goal setting was an effective team-building tool for influencing cohesiveness in sport teams.     

2008年奥运会后中国高等教育体育市场化有效资源配置研究

对建立高等教育与中国体育强强联合市场化可持续发展运行机制进行研究,结果表明：中国高等教育进入大众化阶段后,体育结构的变化和扩张将与国民体育素质建设和国家竞技体育的可持续发展产生密切的相关互动;建立高等教育体育的内外部全民健身市场化生产服务体系和高校、社团、国际竞技体育市场化流通环境,加强政府宏观调控,完善法律保障体系,是体教结合市场化有效资源配置的基本路径。