Research practices and scholarly communication in the digital environment

This paper examines changing research practices in the digital environment. A review of the literature and our own field research in Australia suggest that there is a new mode of knowledge production emerging, changing research practices and bringing new information access and dissemination needs. Adjustments will be required to accommodate these changes, but new opportunities are emerging for more cost‐effective and sustainable information access and dissemination. It will be necessary, however, to take an holistic approach and treat the creation, production and distribution of scholarly information, the management of information rights and access, systems of review and evaluation and the underlying infrastructure as parts of a single research information and scholarly communication system.     

Linear kinematics at take-off in horses jumping the wall in an international Puissance competition

Sagittal plane SVHS video recordings (50 Hz) were made of horses jumping the wall at an international Puissance competition. Video sequences were manually digitized and six kinematic variables at take-off were analyzed. Nine horses started the competition with the fence height at 1.80 m, and two horses attempted the fence in the fifth and final round with the fence height at 2.27 m. For successful performances, fence height was correlated with the following take-off variables: vertical velocity of the centre of mass (r = 0.45, p = 0.03); height of centre of mass (r = 0.44, p = 0.04); distance of centre of mass from fence (r = 0.46, p = 0.03); and distance from leading hind limb to centre of mass (r = -0.61, p < 0.01). These results indicated that body position at take-off is the most important aspect when jumping high fences. This is the first known study that has examined horses jumping over a Puissance wall. The results should help horse riders and trainers improve performance in Puissance jumping horses, and perhaps help in the early selection of horses with a talent for jumping high fences.     

Effects of the rider on the linear kinematics of jumping horses

This study examined the effects of the rider on the linear projectile kinematics of show-jumping horses. SVHS video recordings (50 Hz) of eight horses jumping a vertical fence 1 m high were used for the study. Horses jumped the fence under two conditions: loose (no rider or tack) and ridden. Recordings were digitised using Peak Motus. After digitising the sequences, each rider's digitised data were removed from the ridden horse data so that three conditions were examined: loose, ridden (including the rider's data) and riderless (rider's data removed). Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant differences between ridden and loose conditions for CG height at take-off (p < 0.001), CG distance to the fence at take-off (p = 0.001), maximum CG during the suspension phase (p < 0.001), CG position over the centre of the fence (p < 0.001), CG height at landing (p < 0.001), and vertical velocity at take-off (p < 0.001). The results indicated that the rider's effect on jumping horses was primarily due to behavioural changes in the horses motion (resulting from the rider's instruction), rather than inertial effects (due to the positioning of the rider on the horse). These findings have implications for the coaching of riders and horses.     

Internet based sensory analysis of tennis balls

Player perception of sports equipment affects attitudes towards product performance and quality. While assessing product ‘feel’ is a developing area of sports engineering research, the importance of product aesthetics on player psychology has been largely overlooked. Desirable aesthetics can increase product appeal and customer satisfaction, despite limited effects on product performance. Player perception of product quality is normally evaluated using an extensive interview and testing process that is expensive and time consuming. Use of the internet provides the opportunity to generate data more quickly. Two internet-based sensory evaluation investigations examining tennis ball aesthetics are detailed in this paper. The first investigation examines player perception of ball fuzziness: an aesthetic attribute with documented importance in ball aerodynamics. The second investigation looks to determine the relative importance of three different aesthetic attributes in perceived ball playability. Results of these investigations indicate that internet-based sensory evaluation techniques can be successfully used to elicit perception of product quality and preference. Responses showed that internet evaluations of ball fuzziness relate well to tactile ones. Ball fuzziness is nearly twice as important as ball logo in determining ball playability, while colour can be considered only a minor factor. Results from both investigations support the use of internet-based sensory evaluations as a cost-effective, efficient method of gathering data on product aesthetics that could be useful in a range of applications and could aid product development in the sports industry.     

澳大利亚图书馆自动化的进展

本文介绍了1989-1990年澳大利亚图书馆自动化的进展情况及国际图书馆自动化发展的总趋势。文中包括用于澳本土及跨国数据检索与传输的AARNet网、CD-ROM联网、图书馆自动化集成系统的选购趋向以及澳大利亚对“E-图书馆”概念所进行的数字化实验等。     

The persistence of social attraction in socially deprived and satiated rats

Pairs of socially deprived or satiated rats were observed for 71÷2 continuous hours in an open field. Social contact increased monotonically throughout this time, with socially deprived animals showing more attraction, and a greater increase in attraction, than satiated animals. The quality of social contact changed, however, from a predominantly active interaction, in which the most sociable animals were most mobile, to a predominantly passive huddling, in which the most sociable animals were least mobile. The results suggest that social attraction in rats is not transitory, and may serve several different functions.     

The meaning of play: A cross‐cultural study of American and Japanese teachers’ perspectives on play

Abstract

Early childhood teachers’ understandings of play were examined in a qualitative comparative study of 41 Japanese and 41 American participants. Qualitative analysis of the data yielded five themes: the power of living, the opportunity to learn and to develop, fun activities, child's work, and the opportunity to explore nature. Two themes emerged in regard to the meaning of play for adults: enjoyable and voluntary activities and child's play. Finally, we identified two themes regarding playfulness: state of heart and fun feelings. Teachers in both nations used rhetoric that is congruent with the current Zeitgeist of developmentally appropriate early education. One theme that differentiated the groups was the notion that play is children's work. While several Americans mentioned this slogan, this was not the case for the Japanese participants. In contrast, the theme of play as the power of living was more representative of Japanese teachers’ understandings of play, and this reflects the philosophy set forth by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology.     

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Questionnaire and Adult Attachment Interview (AAI): Implications for parent child relationships

Although Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are linked to increased health problems and risk behaviors in adulthood, there are no studies on the association between ACEs and adults’ states of mind regarding their early childhood attachments, loss, and trauma experiences. To validate the ACEs questions, we analyzed the association between ACEs and emotional support indicators and Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) classifications in terms of unresolved mourning regarding past loss or trauma and discordant states of mind in cannot classify (U/CC) interviews. Seventy-five urban women (41 clinical and 34 community) completed a questionnaire on ACEs, which included 10 categories of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, in addition to emotional support. Internal psychological processes or states of mind concerning attachment were assessed using the AAI. ACE responses were internally consistent (Cronbach's α = .88). In the clinical sample, 84% reported ≥ 4 ACEs compared to 27% among the community sample. AAIs judged U/CC occurred in 76% of the clinical sample compared to 9% in the community sample. When ACEs were ≥ 4, 65% of AAIs were classified U/CC. Absence of emotional support in the ACEs questionnaire was associated with 72% of AAIs being classified U/CC. As the number of ACEs and the lack of emotional support increases so too does the probability of AAIs being classified as U/CC. Findings provide rationale for including ACEs questions in pediatric screening protocols to identify and offer treatment reducing the intergenerational transmission of risk associated with problematic parenting.