Open Science Journal (OSJ)
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Training Specificity and Ecological Validity: Challenging Reductionist Exercise Paradigms for Older Adults
Get PDFThis article challenges the prevalent approach in exercise science for improving functional performance in older adults. It argues that contemporary exercise research and practice adheres to an outdated paradigm based on the motor schema theory. This approach diminishes the principle of specificity in training and assessments. The author supports this central critique through fundamental principles, including conceptual imprecision, paradigmatic limitations, and the tenets of motor learning. Additional evidence from exercise science literature demonstrates that these issues undermine the specificity principle. To address these shortcomings, the author proposes a preliminary framework called ‘The Emergence of Skilled Mobility in Ageing (ESMA)’, which aligns training and evaluation with individual-task-environment constraints. This framework recognises the critical role of adaptive variability and representative practice design for optimising coordination, skills, and mobility. The proposed framework has significant implications for interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge translation, through focused and ecologically valid assessments and interventions. Overall, this article identifies key gaps in the current exercise science paradigm and offers an integrated solution that focuses on specificity and real-world functioning
Analysis of Cooperation Principle and Politeness Principle --Taking Love is a Fallacy as an Example
Get PDFAbstract: “Love is a fallacy” is Max Shulman’s narration, in which the writer introduces some classic logic fallacies in a humorous tone. This thesis aims at analyzing the conversation in the love is a fallacy, based on the cooperation principle and the politeness principle. It is hoped that this thesis would bring some thought for our daily communication.Keywords: Love is a Fallacy; Cooperation Principle; Politeness Principle
Teacher’s professional values (objectivity, honesty, integrity and self-control): Validating the mediating role of ethnical perception using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)
Get PDFAim: The study aim was to validate how ethical perception could mediate teachers’ professional values such as objectivity, honesty, integrity and self-control in the Ghanaian context using CFA. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed and the convenience sampling technique was used to administer a total of 248 questionnaires to basic and senior high school teachers in the southern part of Ghana. Findings: The study found that objectivity as one of the professional values of teachers has negative effect on the ethical perceptions of teachers and the results were not statistically significant (β=-0.015, SE.=0.061, p=0.800**, n=248). It was again found that integrity was statistically significant and had negative effect on ethical perceptions of teachers (β =-0.131, SE.=0.079, p<0.01, n=248). Again, it was found that honesty has statistically significant a positive effect on the ethical perceptions of teachers (β =0.413, SE.=0.066**, p<0.001, n=248). It was again found that self-control was statistically not significant and had negative effect on ethical perceptions of teachers (β =-0.097, SE.=0.096, p=0.309**, p<0.001, n=248). Finally, it was found that ethical perception was statistically significant and had positive effect on the ethical decisions of teachers (β =0.427, SE.=0.065, p<0.001, n=248). In the end, the results suggest that there is a partial mediation effect of professional values on teachers’ ethical decisions (Obj.=-.007; p=.853; Hon.=.176; p=.003**; p=.039*; Inter.=-.056; Self-Con.=-042; p=.234**, p<0.001, n=248). Conclusion: The study concluded that professional values, ethical perceptions and decisions of ethical behavior of teachers are an important part of a good workplace culture and should be encouraged in order to foster a strong working relationship for effective teaching and learning process. Recommendation: The study recommended that school heads in Ghana should create a framework at the workplace in which teachers can test and practice their professional values, ethical perceptions and decisions of ethical behavior with others to promote effective teaching and learning
Managing a non-profit organization: The case of Arab trading and contracting company
Get PDFUnder the current situation in Lebanon, it has become prudent for people and organizations to take the government position. Such organizations started initiating programs that help people in educational, living situating, and other forms of social aiding. Arab Trading and Contracting Company (ATC) was one of the pioneer’s non-profit organizations (NPO) helping the Lebanese people through essential worldwide programs. ATC used a combination of managerial steps in addition to decentralized structure to cope with the needed requirements of sustainability. Moreover, ATC set a training & development and innovative strategy to assure the continuity of the organization. Finally, the case study stated the main strategy that ATC embraces, which is creating a for-profit organizations to fund its NPO
Depressive symptoms as a predictor of rehospitalization and death of heart failure
No full textIntroduction: Hearth failure is a disease with a high risk of complications and reduces life expectancy. Ventricular function and neurohumoral activation are defining characteristics of the disease. The present of depressive symptoms is extremely common and determinant for the HF, and its influence may determine the prognosis of the disease.Methods: Consecutively hospitalized patients with HF were analyzed and recruited for three months, receiving clinical follow-up for six months after admission. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were analyzed and submitted to a type II Beck questionnaire to analyze depressive symptoms. They received clinical follow-up in person or by phone call to determine whether there was hospital readmission or death in the afore mentioned period. Chi-square test, Student’s t-test were used to compare groups with and without depressive symptoms, multivariate analysis was used to determine mortality predictors in the group with depressive symptoms up to the sixth month.Results: Initially, 103 patients were included, and after six months 96 patients remained alive. The mean age was 63.5±12.1 years. Most patients were female (58.4%). New York Heart Association functional class was in II and III in 75% of the sample. In the sample, 59 (61.4%) had DS by the Beck questionnaire type II. There were 28 (29.2%) patients with the analyzed outcomes and in the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the presence of age was a determining factor for the outcomes.Conclusion: The presence of heart failure associated with depressive symptoms becomes a combination with increasingly evident complications, as well as it also becomes a long-term relevant factor for readmission and death. Depressive symptoms in our sample proved to be a major factor in deaths and readmissions. A multidisciplinary care is extremely important for the improvement of care
Winter beans: the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle for monitoring and prediction of crop performance
Get PDFTraditional field-based techniques for phenotyping of crops are based on visual assessment which are subjective and time consuming. A high throughput automated technique using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a multispectral image (MSI) camera was used to investigate the correlation between markers of winter bean crop development with eventual crop yield. A simplified approach has been developed using different vegetation indices i.e. NDVI, GNDVI and NDRE, coupled with an iso-cluster classification method to monitor plant characteristics across all growing stages. The UAV-MSI data could then be incorporated into a yield estimator model to estimate the winter bean seed yield. The NDVI approach showed the greatest correlation between the modelled seed yield and the actual seed yield determined on two separate occasions (R2 = 0.84 and R2 = 0.87). In addition, GNDVI and NDRE were a better estimator of seed yield for areas with dense vegetation. These are hence shown to be able to monitor a winter bean harvest in an efficient and timely manner
A string theory of quantum gravity and inertial fields for the description of reality
Get PDFRelativity of space time neglects uncertainty principle while Quantum Mechanics takes into account the uncertainty principle but neglects space time structure.In this work we put both principles together and find one expression for the interval to the type of Kaluza Klein where the fifth term is not one extra dimension but a quantum state of space.This work is complementary with others where posit a model of vacuum in which decompose the continuous spatial geometry into 3-dimensional cells and put a oscillator in each one. This oscillators couple in a way that build a large set of open and closed fibers that group in open strings. Because this strings have no null section, it can be interpreted as a extra dimension.We will show in a self consistent way that this cells model can explain gravity and inertial forces in algebraic terms
Development of modified sliding mode control of the LCC series-parallel resonant converter based on frequency variation
Get PDFThis paper discusses the elements of high frequency power supplies and high voltages which are used considerably in high voltage applications, for industrial applications, atmospheric pressure plasma processing, X-ray high voltage applications, electrostatic precipitation, etc. For this reason, the LCC criteria presents a reliable option incorporated in its topology, which makes upmost use of leakage inductance and convoluting capacitance to remove the negative effects of converter operation. These render it a viable choice in most power and energy applications. The LCC Series-Parallel Resonant Converter adopts the desirable properties of both the parallel and series resonant converter which include reduced peak currents, miniature variations in switching frequency and high efficiency. Sliding Mode Control (SMC) is a satisfactory robust control technique suitable for a specific array of nonlinear systems. Sliding mode approach is able to disregard certain anomalies and irregularities in converter topology. SMC in its form of control directs paths of signals onto a surface, commonly referred to as the sliding surface or hyperplane. The sliding surface or hyperplane, allows a control signal to direct trajectory points. In this paper, a current-mode control is adopted. The configuration of the sliding mode controller is robust amplitude modulated. The small-signal modelling analysis was done to equalize and mathematically derive the system parameters due to its non-linearities, verified through simulation and experimental results
Inability of 7,8 – Dihydroxy-4- Methylcoumarin antioxidant activity, to prolong longevity and to protect against stress in Caenorhabditis Elegans worms
Get PDFDespite an increase in life expectancy, it is known that this factor is not necessarily accompanied by a better quality of life, which reflects in longevity. Aspects related to metabolic stress to which cells are subjected can modulate this process, which can lead to various pathologies. Coumarins are secondary metabolites found in several plants, such as guaco, and are part of the polyphenol family capable of producing up to 1300 derivatives, with potential effects against metabolic stress, in addition to being used in the cosmetics industry with the objective of improving fragrance of products. Therefore, it seems necessary to seek to elucidate molecular mechanisms that can regulate this aging process, which can be associated with the gradual loss of physiological functions of cells and tissues, increasing the number of cells in senescence that may be related to increased oxidative stress. PURPOSE: the aim of this study was to identify the influence of the use of the coumarin synthetic compound 7,8-Dihydroxy-4-methylcoumarin (DHMC) on longevity and resistance to different types of stress in vivo. METHODS: free radical scavenging (DPPH) analyzes were performed for the compound, longevity, and stress tests (H2O2, NaCl, Heat) for C. elegans worms. RESULTS: in the first analysis, the compound showed 92% of antioxidant activity already in small concentrations (25ug/ml) through DPPH analysis. In the following tests DHMC did not show antibacterial responses against Escherichia coli, and Caenorhabditis elegans worms did not show stress reduction or significant improvement in longevity with the use of the compound. CONCLUSION: therefore, the DHMC compound expresses a high antioxidant activity and presents several study potentials. However, it has no biological effects in protecting against stress or contributing to longevity in C. elegans worm
Relationship between Indebtedness and profitability in industrial manufacturing companies in Ecuador
Get PDFManufacturing companies oversee converting raw materials into finished products, characterized by the intervention of machinery and labor force. The article analyzes, through correlation of variables, the relationship between indebtedness and profitability of a group of companies in the Ecuadorian manufacturing sector. The results showed an average debt ratio of 332.70%, which indicates that most of the companies work with money from suppliers or with credits offered by financial institutions. The return on investment shows an average of 113.57%, which indicates that the companies have excellent earnings in terms of what they invest in their economic activity. Correlational analysis showed little or no relationship between return on equity and debt ratio at 21.9%. Likewise, a weak negative relationship between profit margin and indebtedness was evidenced with a -42.4% correlation. In conclusion, the research data indicate that the manufacturing companies have not improved their profitable level by making adequate use of debt.