Optimized versus corrected peak power during friction-braked cycle ergometry in males and females

The aim of this study was to compare optimization and correction procedures for the determination of peak power output during friction-loaded cycle ergometry. Ten male and 10 female sports students each performed five 10-s sprints from a stationary start on a Monark 864 basket-loaded ergometer. Resistive loads of 5.0, 6.5, 8.0, 9.5, and 11.0% body weight were administered in a counterbalanced order, with a recovery period of 10 min between sprints. Peak power was greater and occurred earlier, with less work having been done before the attainment of peak power, when the data were corrected to account for the inertial and frictional characteristics of the ergometer. Corrected peak power was independent of resistive load (P > 0.05), whereas uncorrected peak power varied as a quadratic function of load (P < 0.001). For males and females, optimized peak power (971 +/- 122 and 668 +/- 37 W) was lower (P < 0.01) than either the highest (1074 +/- 111 and 754 +/- 56 W respectively) or the mean (1007 +/- 125 and 701 +/- 45 W respectively) of the five values for corrected peak power. Optimized and mean corrected peak power were highly correlated both in males (r = 0.97, P < 0.001) and females (r = 0.96, P < 0.001). The difference between optimized and mean corrected peak power was 37 +/- 30 W in males and 33 +/- 14 W in females, of which approximately 15 W was due to the correction for frictional losses. We conclude that corrected peak power is independent of resistive load in males and females.     

Relationship between maximal oxygen uptake and oxygen uptake attained during treadmill middle-distance running

Traditionally, it has been assumed that during middle-distance running oxygen uptake (VO2) reaches its maximal value (VO2max) providing the event is of a sufficient duration; however, this assumption is largely based on observations in individuals with a relatively low VO2max. The aim of this study was to determine whether VO2max is related to the VO2 attained (i.e. VO2peak) during middle-distance running on a treadmill. Fifteen well-trained male runners (age 23.3 +/- 3.8 years, height 1.80 +/- 0.10 m, body mass 76.9 +/- 10.6 kg) volunteered to participate in the study. The participants undertook two 800-m trials to examine the reproducibility of the VO2 response. These two trials, together with a progressive test to determine VO2max, were completed in a randomized order. Oxygen uptake was determined throughout each test using 15-s Douglas bag collections. Following the application of a 30-s rolling average, the highest VO2 during the progressive test (i.e. VO2max) was compared with the highest VO2 during the 800-m trials (i.e. VO2peak) to examine the relationship between VO2max and the VO2 attained in the 800-m trials. For the 15 runners, VO2max was 58.9 +/- 7.1 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1). Two groups were formed using a median split based on VO2max. For the high and low VO2max groups, VO2max was 65.7 +/- 3.0 and 52.4 +/- 1.8 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1) respectively. The limits of agreement (95%) for test-retest reproducibility for the VO2 attained during the 800-m trials were +/- 3.5 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1) for a VO2peak of 50.6 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1) (the mean VO2peak for the low VO2max group) and +/- 2.3 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1) for a VO2peak of 59.0 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1) (the mean VO2peak for the high VO2max group), with a bias in VO2peak between the 800-m runs (i.e. the mean difference) of 1.2 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1). The VO2peak for the 800-m runs was 54.8 +/- 4.9 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1) for all 15 runners. For the high and low VO2max groups, VO2peak was 59.0 +/- 3.3 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1) (i.e. 90% VO2max) and 50.6 +/- 2.0 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1) (i.e. 97% VO2max) respectively. The negative relationship (-0.77) between VO2max and % VO2max attained for all 15 runners was significant (P = 0.001). These results demonstrate that (i) reproducibility is good and (ii) that VO2max is related to the %VO2max achieved, with participants with a higher VO2max achieving a lower %VO2max in an 800-m trial on a treadmill.     

Mandarin lessons: modernity,colonialism and Chinese cultural nationalism in the Dutch East Indies,c.1900s

The Chinese Association in the Dutch East Indies, known locally as the Tiong Hoa Hwe Koan (THHK) was first established in Batavia in 1900. A key objective of the THHK’s foundation was the creation of modern schools instructing in Mandarin for local Chinese students. At the turn of the 20th century, this odd choice of instructional language led to highly charged debates about languages, pedagogical efficacy, practicality, modernity-tradition and cultural authenticity. Using underutilized source materials in the local Malay-Hokkien vernacular, this article revisits these debates amongst the Chinese in the Dutch colony. This article interrogates the transparency of common ethnicity in analyses of Chinese nationalisms that developed outside of continental China. Drawing on the concept of “literary governance” as well as comparative work by scholars on Indian and continental Chinese nationalisms, it demonstrates the significance of the colonial context which provoked the THHK to adopt the vocabulary of modernity in reworking progressive ideas circulating in displaced Chinese nationalistic circles. Notwithstanding the THHK’s promotion of Mandarin, such reworking was accomplished through vigorous acts of transliteration and translation in the hybridized Malay-Hokkien vernacular. The THHK was hardly on the receiving end of nationalistic influences emanating from the proverbial China core but was an active agent in what has been described as a “global moment of Chinese nationalism.” The case of the THHK demonstrates the need for a finer understanding of multivalent histories of Chinese nationalisms as well as how these histories intersected with those of European colonialism in Southeast Asia.     

Experiences of Danish Business Expatriates in Russia: Power Distance in Organizational Communication

Rapid globalization of business processes stimulates many companies to dispatch their employees – business expatriates – on overseas assignments. Russia differs markedly from many other cultures in terms of specific communication norms and rules. Understanding such differences in organizational life is crucial for the success of business expatriates working there. This study employs in-depth interviews with eight Danish business expatriates who worked in Russia and examines the differences between the Danes and the Russians in terms of communication characteristics related to Hofstede’s cultural dimension power distance. This work enhances scholars’ empirical knowledge of power distance, which has rarely been investigated qualitatively.     

Measuring allocative efficiency in Cultural Economics: the case of “Fundación Princesa de Asturias” (The Princess of Asturias Foundation)

The literature on Cultural Economics provides us with some examples for the measurement of technical efficiency. However, there are few case studies dedicated to the analysis of allocative efficiency. The aim of this paper is to fill this gap by incorporating a methodology that analyses both technical and allocative efficiency. We use the Shephard’s distance function, particularly suitable when affronted with non-profit-making firms or institutions that are not interested in cost minimization. As an empirical application, we analyse the efficiency of Fundación Princesa de Asturias (PAF), a Spanish non-governmental organization devoted to promoting the cultural, scientific and humanistic values of universal heritage, the period of study being 1988–2012. Our findings suggest that PAF could have used 7% less inputs to achieve the same level of output. On the other hand, we have found allocative inefficiency. Concretely, the input for other expenditures appears to have been over-utilized in relation to both the inputs for labour and current assets, with labour in turn being over-utilized in relation to current assets. Moreover, our results indicate that both technical and allocative efficiency have clearly improved during the period analysed. In summary, our empirical application shows how distance function methodology can be successfully implemented to measure allocative efficiency in cultural firms and institutions.     

试论先秦比类思维

比类思维源于先秦,就“类”而言,中国的“类”概念,外延宽泛,中国比类思维散见在先秦诸子文献中,中国在先秦时就有了隐喻,究其发端,在比类思维。比类促生隐喻、促进认知、更助推了先秦灿烂辉煌的历史文化。     

Can sit-to-stand muscle power explain the ability to perform functional tasks in adults with severe obesity?

This study examined the relationship between sit-to-stand (STS) power and physical function in adults with severe obesity. Thirty-eight adults (age: 44 ± 12 years; body mass index [BMI]: 45.2 ± 7.8 kg/m²) completed evaluations of STS power, strength and functional performance. STS power was measured with a wearable inertial sensor, strength was assessed with the isometric mid-thigh pull, and function was measured with the timed up-and-go (TUG), six-minute walk test (6MWT) and 30-s chair STS. Power and strength (normalised to body mass) entered regression models in addition to age, gender, BMI and physical activity (daily step count). Power displayed large univariate associations with TUG (r = 0.50) and 30-s chair STS (r = 0.67), and a moderate association with 6MWT (r = 0.49). Forward stepwise regression revealed that power independently contributed to TUG (β = ?0.40, p = 0.010), 30-s chair STS (β = 0.67, p < 0.001) and 6MWT performance (β = 0.27, p = 0.007). Power also appeared to be a superior determinant of function compared with strength. Power generated via the STS transfer largely underpins the ability to perform functional tasks in adults with severe obesity, although intervention studies are required to investigate a potentially causal relationship.     

Frequent sit-to-stand transitions and several short standing periods measured by hip-worn accelerometer are associated with smaller waist circumference among adults

This cross-sectional study analysed the association of sedentary behaviour (SB) and standing with waist circumference. Finnish adults aged 30-75 years from a sub-sample of population-based Health 2011 Study used a hip-worn tri-axial accelerometer (Hookie AM20, Traxmeet, Ltd, Espoo, Finland) for seven days. Those 1405 participants (57% women) who used accelerometer at least four days, minimum of 10 hours/day, were included. SB and standing were analysed in 6s epochs using validated algorithm. Daily total time, daily number and accumulated time from bouts (30s–5min,30s–10min,30s–15min,30s 30min,>5min,>10min,>15min, >30min) as well as daily number of sit-to-stand transitions were determined. Waist circumference (cm) was measured in standardized way. Participants’ mean age was 52 years (SD 12.2). Mean waist circumference was 97cm (SD 12.3) in men and 87cm (SD 12.7) in women. According to multivariable stepwise linear regression analysis, sit-to-stand transitions [standardised regression coefficient (β)= -0.14, 95%CI -0.20 to -0.09], standing bouts of 30s–5min (β= -0.21, 95%CI -0.26 to -0.15) and number of 30s-30min SB bouts (β=0.12, 95%CI 0.06 to 0.17) were most strongly associated with waist circumference. Besides assessing total SB time, future studies should assess also different bout lengths of SB and sit-to-stand transitions and standing times should be assessed separately.