Globalization and the freedom of knowledge

This article considers the transmission of knowledge in higher education. It takes the metaphor of the music industry that pre‐selects the music people can buy. The sales potential is the leading principle in the selection process. Often the small producer is excluded because his or her music is not of commercial interest. The end‐customer does not know what he or she is missing because he or she has never heard the music. It is to be feared that a similar market principle will also influence the selection of knowledge and affect the capacity of higher education institutions to freely generate and transmit new knowledge. The globalization of higher education risks homogenizing the cultural traditions of the non‐Western world through a process of Western cultural domination. On the other hand, the Internet, via open source software like LINUX, might serve to democratize higher education and allow greater grassroots input.     

Word stress production in three‐year‐old children at risk of dyslexia

We investigated Dutch word stress acquisition in 3‐year‐old children at risk of dyslexia (children with at least one parent or older sibling with reading difficulties) and normally developing children, in order to shed light on language acquisition delays in children at risk of dyslexia, as well as to investigate further phonological deficits in dyslexia. The children had to repeat non‐words with stress patterns varying in regularity. Both the at‐risk and control children performed better on imitation of regular stress targets and worse on irregular and prohibited stress patterns. However, the at‐risk children showed more difficulty imitating irregular and prohibited patterns, and had lower percentages phonemes correct than the control group. The results can be interpreted as a delay in word stress acquisition in the at‐risk group. The findings thus point towards a phonological deficit early in language development.     

论矿物材料计算与设计

矿产资源产业是国民经济的基础产业,非金属矿产是重要的固体矿产之一,80%的矿物用于材料工业,矿物加工是矿产资源高效利用、制备矿物材料的重要加工技术环节,矿物材料是国民经济中高新技术材料的重要组成,材料科学及矿物材料学科的发展,为矿物材料计算与设计理论的提出奠定了实际基础.借鉴材料设计与计算的理论和方法,在总结、分析和研究矿物加工及矿物材料制备方面大量的理论研究和实际成果的基础上,提出了矿物材料计算与设计及功能性矿物材料、复合材料化学改性药剂分子设计与模拟的学术思想,论述了矿物材料计算与设计的基本科学技术问题、研究内容、相关学科体系、研究层次及其学科地位.其意义在于:使矿物加工工程学科发展和功能性矿物材料的研发,建立在基本科学原理基础之上,将矿物加工工程学科的主要研究内容统一在总体的方向、目标之内,横向拓展了相关学科理论的研究范围;根据矿物结构、组成,通过设计与计算,对矿物材料性能进行预测、预报,进而为制备提供最佳技术路线;对于已知性能的矿物材料优化制备路线,系统分析各种矿物的结构与组成及其所具备固有性质,针对各种材料性质要求,排列对应关系,为复合材料的制备奠定基础,进而实现矿物资源的高效开发和利用,同时,使得材料设计或计算材料的学科基础向研究矿物组成与结构的纵向延伸,丰富了材料科学思想.     

The effect of smartphones and playing video games on decision-making in soccer players: A crossover and randomised study

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to analyse the effect of the use of social networks in smartphones or playing video games on the passing decision-making performance in professional soccer athletes. Participants were 25 male professional soccer athletes (mean ± SD: age 23.4 ± 2.8 years). The participants performed three randomised conditions divided into three groups: control (CON), smartphone (SMA), and video game (VID). Before and after each experimental condition, the Stroop Task assessed the level of induced mental fatigue. Then, the athletes performed a simulated soccer match. A CANON® camera recorded the matches for further analysis on passing decision-making performance. A group effect was identified (p < .01) with impairment on passing decision-making performance for the SMA (p = .01, ES = 0.5) and VID (p = .01, ES = 0.5) conditions. We concluded that the use of social networks on smartphones and/or playing video games right before official soccer matches might impair the passing decision-making performance in professional soccer athletes.     

提出研究假设的作用

研究假设是研究课题确定后依据一定的知识、事实和资料,对所研究问题的规律或原因做出的推测性论断和假定性说明,是研究之前预先设想的、暂时的理论,是对研究课题设想出的一种或几种可能的结论或答案。假设一般包括两个事件或概念之间的关系,用“如果……那么……”的句子来陈述。例如:如果教师对一名学生的评价越来越差,那么该生的自我评价也会变得越来越差。研究假设是我们在实施课题研究设计之前,必须明确的问题。在教育科学研究中,提出具体的研究假设具有非常重要的作用。一、为课题研究指明方向研究假设使研究目的更明确,研究范围更确…     

试论假日旅游经济及其健康发展

假日旅游经济是我国旅游经济发展中的一个新的增长点。本文对假日旅游经济的涵义、基本特征及产生的背景进行了论述,并提出了科学调控假日旅游经济的若干对策措施,以期有益于促使我国假日旅游经济持续、健康发展。     

The different faces of controlling teaching: implications of a distinction between externally and internally controlling teaching for students’ motivation in physical education

Background: In Self-Determination Theory (SDT), a well-validated macro-theory on human motivation, a distinction is made between internally controlling teaching practices (e.g. guilt-induction and shaming) and externally controlling practices (e.g. threats and punishments, commands). While both practices are said to undermine students’ motivation, they would do so through somewhat differential motivational processes. Unfortunately, the relevance of the conceptual distinction between internally and externally controlling strategies has not been examined systematically. In the context of sport and physical education (PE), most studies on controlling teaching have either measured controlling teaching in an undifferentiated way or have focused on one particular feature of controlling teaching.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide a more fine-grained picture on the differential de-motivational effects of internally and externally controlling teaching strategies in the domain of PE.

Participants: A total of 925 students with an average age of 15.80 years (±1.99) coming out of 92 classes taught by 22 different PE teachers participated in the present study.

Data analysis: Data on perceived controlling teaching style and students’ motivation were analyzed within a multilevel framework from both a variable-centered (regression analyses) and person-centered approach (cluster analyses).

Results: We found evidence for a distinction between perceived internally and externally controlling teaching. Both teaching styles were strongly related to each other (r?=?.54). At the level of zero-order correlations, both internally and externally controlling teaching related negatively to students’ intrinsic motivation and identified regulation and related positively to introjected regulation, external regulation, and amotivation. However, when both teaching styles were included simultaneously as predictors of motivation in the regression analyses, only internally controlling teaching predicted poor quality and low quantity of motivation. A cluster analysis revealed different profiles of perceived controlling teaching style, with two profiles being characterized by either high or low levels of the two types of controlling teaching and other profiles displaying elevated or reduced levels of one of the types of controlling teaching. This person-centered analysis confirmed that particularly students who perceive their PE teacher as internally controlling are likely to report poor-quality motivation.

Conclusion: Controlling teaching (and internally controlling teaching in particular) is related to maladaptive motivational outcomes. As such, it can be advised to PE-practitioners to refrain from using controlling strategies when teaching students. More research is needed to identify the conditions under which teachers’ behavior is perceived as externally and/or internally controlling.     

Quality of life perception of basketball master athletes: association with physical activity level and sports injuries

This study aimed to verify the prevalence and characteristics of sports injuries (SI) and determine the association between the physical activity level (PA) and SI with perception of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Brazilian basketball master athletes. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 410 male master athletes, between 35 and 85 years of age (mean 52.26, SD ±11.83). The HRQoL was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study – Short Form-36. The PA was evaluated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Information regarding SI was collected using the Reported Morbidity Survey. Poisson regression, as estimated by the prevalence ratio (PR), was used as a measure of the association of PA and SI with HRQoL. The majority of athletes showed a high SI prevalence (58.3%) and reported one injury (67.8%) that occurred during training (61.1%) and primarily affected a lower limb (74.6%). The adjusted regression models showed a positive association of PA with the Functional Capacity (PR = 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12–1.90) and Physical Component (PR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.03–1.70) of HRQoL. Furthermore, the SI were negatively associated with HRQoL in Functional Capacity (PR = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.51–2.27), Physical Aspects (PR = 3.99, 95% CI = 3.08–5.18), Pain (PR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.26–2.16), Social Functioning (PR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.41–2.27), Emotional Aspects (PR = 4.40, 95% CI = 3.35–5.78), Mental Health domains (PR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.06–1.68), Physical Component (PR = 2.35, 95% CI = 1.90–2.90) and Mental Component (PR = 2.65, 95% CI = 2.14–3.29). These results highlighted that master athletes showed a high SI prevalence, primarily in the lower limbs. PA positively correlates with the physical HRQoL domain, whereas SI may decrease the HRQoL levels of both physical and mental domains.     

Neuromuscular and technical abilities related to age in water-polo players

Testing is one of the important tasks in any multi-step sport programme. In most ball games, coaches assess motor, physical and technical skills on a regular basis in early stages of talent identification in order to further athletes’ development. The purpose of the study was to investigate anthropometric variables and vertical jump heights as a free throw effectiveness predictor in water-polo players of different age groups. Two hundred and thirty-six young (10–18 years) male water-polo players partitioned into three age groups underwent anthropometric variables’ measures and squat- and countermovement-jump tests, and performed water-polo free throws. Anthropometric variables, vertical jump heights and throw speed – as a proxy for free throw effectiveness – resulted different over age groups. Particularly, throw speed changed from 9.28 to 13.70 m · s^?1 (+48%) from younger to older players. A multiple-regression model indicated that body height, squat-jump height and throw time together explain 52% of variance of throw speed. In conclusion, tall height, high lower limb power and throwing quickness appeared to be relevant determinants for effective free throws. Such indications can help coaches during talent identification and development processes, even by means of novel training strategies. Further research is needed over different maturity statuses.