The need for administrative know-how in libraries

The need for administrative know-how in libraries is great. Problems of administration in libraries do not differ significantly from those in other types of organizations. It behooves librarians to be aware of modern management theory, as developed and tested in the environment of business, and to adopt such useful tools as operations analysis and the systems approach to problems in the library environment.     

Translating Ovide Decroly’s ideas to Brazilian teachers

This article seeks to analyse, comprehend and apprehend the appropriation processes of Ovide Decroly’s ideas in Brazil through the translation of his books and that of Amélie Hamaïde into Portuguese. The article discusses the following questions. Why did Brazilian intellectuals and teachers need to import Decroly’s ideas to be applied in Brazilian schools? Did the translation of Decroly’s and Hamaïde’s books play an innovative role in Brazilian society? Did the release of these books bring about changes, and did it stabilise and legitimise discourses that were already present in Brazil? Who were the translation agents of those books? First, discussions concerning travelling knowledge and cultural translation, as well as translation and the role of translation agents, are introduced. The translated books and their (production) contexts are then presented, comparing and analysing the source books and the translations. The analyses aim at understanding this journey and answering these questions, and it will be shown that Decroly’s ideas were torn apart into “pieces of knowledge” gaining life and autonomy throughout the journey, and turning into facts. It is advocated that his ideas were appropriated as “indigenous foreigners” in Brazil.     

Language and reading impairments are associated with increased prevalence of non-right-handedness

Handedness has been studied for association with language-related disorders because of its link with language hemispheric dominance. No clear pattern has emerged, possibly because of small samples, publication bias, and heterogeneous criteria across studies. Non-right-handedness (NRH) frequency was assessed in N = 2503 cases with reading and/or language impairment and N = 4316 sex-matched controls identified from 10 distinct cohorts (age range 6–19 years old; European ethnicity) using a priori set criteria. A meta-analysis (N_cases = 1994) showed elevated NRH % in individuals with language/reading impairment compared with controls (OR = 1.21, CI = 1.06–1.39, p = .01). The association between reading/language impairments and NRH could result from shared pathways underlying brain lateralization, handedness, and cognitive functions.     

Intensity of parasitic infestation in silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

Silver carp, Hypopthalmichthys molitrix is one of the most economically valuable fish species in Bangladesh. However, its production is often hindered by parasite-induced mortality. The present study reports the intensity of parasitic infestation in 216 specimens of H. molitrix collected from different fish markets in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh. Nine different parasite species (Trichodina pediculatus, Dactylogyrus vastator, Ichthyophthirius multifilis, Gyrodactylus elegans, Lernaea sp., Apiosoma sp., Myxobolus rohitae, Camallanus ophiocephali, and Pallisentis ophiocephali) were recovered from the gill, skin, stomach, and intestine of host fish. The highest level of infection was observed for host skin, while lower levels were observed for host gill, stomach, and intestine. The results also revealed that the intensity of parasite infection in different organs of H. molitrix varied with the season. In particular, the highest levels of infection were recorded during the winter period (November-February), when fish are most susceptible to parasites. The findings of the study will help in the management and conservation of H. molitrix.     

Dual-mode on-demand droplet routing in multiple microchannels using a magnetic fluid as carrier phase

We present dual-mode, on-demand droplet routing in a multiple-outlet microfluidic device using an oil-based magnetic fluid. Magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticle-contained oleic acid (MNOA) was used as a carrier phase for droplet generation and manipulation. The water-in-MNOA droplets were selectively distributed in a curved microchannel with three branches by utilizing both a hydrodynamic laminar flow pattern and an external magnetic field. Without the applied magnetic field, the droplets travelled along a hydrodynamic centerline that was displaced at each bifurcating junction. However, in the presence of a permanent magnet, they were repelled from the centerline and diverted into the desired channel when the repelled distance exceeded the minimum offset allocated to the channel. The repelled distance, which is proportional to the magnetic field gradient, was manipulated by controlling the magnet''s distance from the device. To evaluate routing performance, three different sizes of droplets with diameters of 63, 88, and 102 μm were directed into designated outlets with the magnet positioned at varying distances. The result demonstrated that the 102-μm droplets were sorted with an accuracy of ∼93%. Our technique enables on-demand droplet routing in multiple outlet channels by simply manipulating magnet positions (active mode) as well as size-based droplet separation with a fixed magnet position (passive mode).     

Could knee joint mechanics during the golf swing be contributing to chronic knee injuries in professional golfers?

ABSTRACT

Full three-dimensional movements and external moments in golfers’ knees and the possible involvement in injuries have not been evaluated using motion capture at high sample frequencies. This study measured joint angles and external moments around the three anatomical axes in both knees of 10 professional golfers performing golf drives whilst standing on two force plates in a motion capture laboratory. Significant differences were found in the knee joint moments between the lead and trail limbs for the peak values and throughout all stages during the swing phase. A significantly higher net abduction moment impulse was seen in the trail limb compared with the lead limb (?0.518 vs. ?0.135 Nms.kg^?1), indicating greater loading over the whole swing, which could contribute to knee lateral compartment or anterior cruciate ligament injuries. A significant correlation (r = ?0.85) between clubhead speed at ball contact and maximum joint moment was found, with the largest correlations being found for joint moments at the top of the backswing event and at the end of the follow-through. Therefore, although knee moments can contribute to high clubhead speeds, the large moments and impulses suggest that they may also contribute to chronic knee injuries or exacerbate existing conditions.     

Educational gaps in medical care and health behavior: Evidence from US Natality data

The US Natality files provide information on medical procedures and health related behavior during pregnancy and childbirth. The data set represents nearly the universe of mothers who give birth in the US, providing the most complete coverage possible of medical care and health behavior among a specific patient population. We document gaps in outcomes by education of the mother and the changes in these educational gaps during 1989-2002.     

Biomechanics of the ski cross start indoors on a customised training ramp and outdoors on snow

An effective start enhances an athlete's chances of success in ski cross competitions. Accordingly, this study was designed to investigate the biomechanics of start techniques used by elite athletes and assess the influence of different start environments. Seven elite ski cross athletes performed starts indoors on a custom-built ramp; six of these also performed starts on an outdoor slope. Horizontal and vertical forces were measured by force transducers located in the handles of the start gate and a 12-camera motion capture system allowed monitoring of the sagittal knee, hip, shoulder, and elbow kinematics. The starting movement involved Pre, Pull, and Push phases. Significant differences between body sides were observed for peak vertical and resultant forces, resultant impulse, and peak angular velocity of the shoulder joint. Significantly lower peak vertical forces (44 N), higher resultant impulse (0.114 Ns/kg), and knee joint range of motion (12°) were observed indoors. Although movement in the ski cross start is generally symmetrical, asymmetric patterns of force were observed among the athletes. Two different movement strategies, i.e. pronounced hip extension or more accentuated elbow flexion, were utilised in the Pull phase. The patterns of force and movement during the indoor and outdoor starts were similar.