Sit-to-stand movement in children: A longitudinal study based on kinematics data

Although the ability to stand from a seated posture is relevant for clinical practice, there are few studies investigating the process of acquisition and refinement of the motor components involved in sit-to-stand movement (STS) in children. Therefore, this longitudinal study aims to describe kinematic characteristics of the STS movement in children from 12 to 18 months, and also to investigate the relationship between changes in STS movement and childrens’ daily-life mobility. Ten healthy children were evaluated at 12,13,14,15 and 18 months of age. A motion analysis system was used to measure total duration of STS movement and angular movements of each joint, and frequencies of successful and unsupported STS were obtained. The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory was used to assess childrens’ daily-life mobility. Results showed that children tend to increase the frequency of successful trials over the months by reducing the total duration and decreasing peak ankle dorsiflexion and trunk flexion during STS. Children also started to stand up from chair with decreased trunk flexion angle among ages. At the end of the STS, we observed decreases in trunk flexion and knee flexion over age. Furthermore, kinematic characteristics that reflect improvements in STS movement are related to better performance of functional skills and decreased level of assistance provided by the caregiver in daily-life mobility of younger children. However, the strength of these associations decreases from 14 months of age onwards.     

Capturing and evaluating blinks from video-based eyetrackers

Blinks are related to several emotional states, and the present report describes a simple, reliable way to measure blinks from the video stream of an eye obtained during eyetracking, where the source of the eye video is a video camera attached to a head-mounted eyetracker. Computer vision techniques are employed to determine the moments that a blink starts and ends, for the purpose of calculating blink frequency and duration. The video is first processed to show blocks of eyelid and pupil movements, and is then analyzed for blink starts and ends. The moment of a blink start is reported when the eyelid starts to move quickly, exceeding a predetermined threshold. The end of a blink arises when the pupil size increases by less than a separate threshold. We observed several different blink patterns from different subjects, and our algorithm was designed to work for all of these patterns. We evaluated our algorithm by manually measuring the true blinks of five different subjects while they were eyetracked. To test the sensitivity and specificity of the algorithm, we employed a series of threshold values to plot the receiver operating characteristic curves. Using the best thresholds, we achieved excellent sensitivity (>90 %) and specificity (>99 %) over the five subjects. Potential applications of this research include real-time, nonintrusive, continuous and automated measurements of mental workload and other emotional states related to blink rates and durations.     

Immigrant identity of Israeli adolescents from Ethiopia and the former USSR: culture‐specific principles of organization

The study examines how a sample of 210 high‐school immigrant students (ages 14–15) from Ethiopia and the former USSR socially represent their notion of what klitat aliyah (successful adaptation to Israel) means. Prevalent relevant theories—Berry's model of Acculturation Tendencies (BAT), Social Identity Theory (SIT) and Social Comparison Theory (SCT)—suggest three kinds of patterns by which minority or socially weak groups deal with these kinds of situations. These underlying patterns were tested by a 47‐item questionnaire (with a 4‐point Likert‐like scale), constructed from immigrant narratives regarding their klitat aliyah according to SIT, SCT and BAT categories of adaptation strategies. A Guttman non‐parametric Similarity Structure Analysis (SSA) revealed four‐facet organization of items for both males and females in both sub‐samples. These facets, which reflected social representations of Israeli society, were dubbed: Extended Identity, Rivalry Identity, Secluded Identity and Identity Loss. Results did not confirm the underlying categorization of strategies suggested by SIT and SCT, and partially replicated those suggested by BAT. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Husserl's Two Notions Of Completeness

In this paper I discuss Husserl's solution of the problem of imaginary elements in mathematics as presented in the drafts for two lectures hegave in Göttingen in 1901 and other related texts of the same period,a problem that had occupied Husserl since the beginning of 1890, whenhe was planning a never published sequel to Philosophie der Arithmetik(1891). In order to solve the problem of imaginary entities Husserl introduced,independently of Hilbert, two notions of completeness (definiteness in Husserl'sterminology) for a formal axiomatic system. I present and discuss these notionshere, establishing also parallels between Husserl's and Hilbert's notions ofcompleteness.     

初中生英语学业成绩影响因素的因果模型

采用英语自我效能、英语学习焦虑、英语学习策略问卷,测量研究213名初中生英语自我效能、英语学习焦虑、英语学习策略与英语学业成绩之因果关系模型。结果表明：（1）初中女生英语学习焦虑显著低于男生;（2）初中生性别、自我效能、活用策略对英语学业成绩有显著回归效应,自我效能是性别影响英语学业成绩的中介变量;（3）初中生英语自我效能与学习策略构成因果-反馈关系且对英语学业成绩有显著回归效应;（4）初中生英语自我效能是英语学习焦虑对英语学业成绩产生消极效应的中介变量．并与英语学习焦虑构成因果-反馈关系;（5）初中生英语学习策略与英语自我效能共同对英语学习焦虑构成多级链式因果-反馈关系。     

Loving styles: relationships with personality and attachment styles

We investigated the ability of the major personality dimensions, some of their underlying facet scales, and attachment styles to predict primary and secondary loving styles, as conceptualized by Lee. Personality was assessed using the International Personality Item Pool, and attachment styles through an inventory devised by Collins and Read. Respondents were 302 undergraduate students (212 females; 90 males) who participated in the study in exchange for course credit. Results of regression path analysis showed that N was the only personality dimension without direct predictive links to loving styles. Instead, the influence of N was through an anxious attachment style. There were no personality predictors of Agape, and similarities were also observed between these results and those obtained in Hong Kong. The results are discussed with reference to previous studies and some suggestions for further research are also noted. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Heuristic Value of Eclecticism in Theory Development: The Case of Piagetian-Vygotskian <Emphasis Type="Italic">dialogue</Emphasis> about Proportional Reasoning

Køppe’s proposition of four layers in theoretical building are used here in the exploration of a specific case of eclectic combination, the use of Piagetian and Vygotskian general approaches to the analysis of proportional reasoning as a cognitive mathematical ability. It is proposed here that the eclectic consideration of these contributions depends on the consideration of their specificity, in the sense that they highlight different aspects of the phenomenon under scrutiny, and also on the consideration of the coherence between this eclectic convergence and premises in terms of schools of thought under which each contribution is framed. We conclude proposing in accordance to S. Køppe’s proposal that eclecticism can be valuable and heuristic in theory development, but this contribution will depend largely on the effort in establishing careful relations between the four layers of theory-building.     

An analytic tableau calculus for a temporalised belief logic

A tableau is a refutation-based decision procedure for a related logic, and is among the most popular proof procedures for modal logics. In this paper, we present a labelled tableau calculus for a temporalised belief logic called TML⁺, which is obtained by adding a linear-time temporal logic onto a belief logic by the temporalisation method of Finger and Gabbay. We first establish the soundness and the completeness of the labelled tableau calculus based on the soundness and completeness results of its constituent logics. We then sketch a resolution-type proof procedure that complements the tableau calculus and also propose a model checking algorithm for TML⁺ based on the recent results for model checking procedures for temporalised logics. TML⁺ is suitable for formalising trust and agent beliefs and reasoning about their evolution for agent-based systems. Based on the logic TML⁺, the proposed labelled tableau calculus could be used for analysis, design and verification of agent-based systems operating in dynamic environments.     

Implicit theories of intelligence and IQ test performance in adolescents with Generalized Anxiety Disorder

During the past decade, several studies have reported positive effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in the treatment of children and adolescents with mental disorders. One of the most important CBT interventions is to teach children and adolescents to challenge negative thoughts that lead to maladjusted behaviors. Based on the implicit theories of intelligence framework, the main purpose of this study was to test whether an incremental theory manipulation could be used to affect IQ test performance in adolescents with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Results showed that patients demonstrated enhanced IQ performance and experienced less state anxiety when they were exposed to an incremental theory of intelligence manipulation. Our findings suggest that incremental theory manipulation provides a useful cognitive strategy for addressing school-related anxiety in adolescents with mental disorders such as GAD.     

必须关注防止医学领域内的唯心科学观

对医学科学领域内存在的和某些一度充斥的唯心科学观的社会表现进行分析,从过程管理和科学方法论的重要性入手,提出防范学术腐败和发展医学科学的方法和措施,从教育和民生的角度探讨医务工作者和社会学家必须关注的医学领域内的唯心科学观,并举例说明医学工作者的科学道德自律和社会责任感的重要性。