Instruction in reliability and magnitude of evaluation parameters at each phase of a sit-to-stand movement

The sit-to-stand movement strategy of each subject is different depending on whether the subjects perform voluntary movements or have concrete instructions (i.e., stand quickly), which is strongly reflected in the performance of each sit-to-stand movement phase. Thirty young-adult male subjects participated in this study (M age=20.7 yr; SD=2.6). Subjects performed the two movements from a chair height adjusted to the subject's lower thigh length. In the self-administered (SA) condition, subjects voluntarily stood up from the chair without instruction, and in the assigned-ordered (AO) condition subjects stood up from the chair as fast as possible. Vertical floor reaction force and electromyograms of the rectus femoris and tibialis anterior muscles were measured, and 15 parameters were selected. The parameters in the phase between the peak value of the floor reaction force and completion of the movement was highly reliable regardless of instruction. However, other parameters had different reliabilities between the instruction conditions. In particular, the parameters in the phase between starting the movement and the peak value of the floor reaction force under the assigned-order were higher than those of the self-administered condition. Moreover, the sit-to-stand movement was conducted faster in the assigned-order condition during the phase between starting the movement and buttocks-syneresis, and the peak value of the floor reaction force and completion of the movement. From the above, in the assigned-order condition "as fast as possible," the anteflexion bending movement and extension of knee and trunk joints were faster, and anteflexion movement was repeated more similarly under a concrete instruction such as moving as fast as possible.     

Involvement of BDNF receptor TrkB in spatial memory formation

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are involved in long-term potentiation (LTP), and are phosphorylated by several tyrosine kinases including a Src-family tyrosine kinase Fyn. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin, which also enhances hippocampal synaptic transmission and efficacy by increasing NMDA receptor activity. Here, we show that Fyn is a key molecule linking the BDNF receptor TrkB with NMDA receptors, which play an important role in spatial memory formation in a radial arm maze. Spatial learning induced phosphorylation of TrkB, Fyn, and NR2B, but not NR2A, in the hippocampus. Fyn was coimmunoprecipitated with TrkB and NR2B, and this association was increased in well-trained rats compared with control animals. Continuous intracerebroventricular infusion of PP2, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in rats delayed memory acquisition in the radial arm maze, but PP2-treated animals reached the same level of learning as the controls. The phosphorylation of Fyn and NR2B, but not TrkB, was diminished by PP2 treatment. Our findings suggest the importance of interaction between BDNF/TrkB signaling and NMDA receptors for spatial memory in the hippocampus.     

The left superior longitudinal fasciculus within the primary sensory area of inferior parietal lobe plays a role in dysgraphia of kana omission within sentences

Functional neurological changes after surgery combined with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography can directly provide evidence of anatomical localization of brain function. Using these techniques, a patient with dysgraphia before surgery was analyzed at our hospital in 2011. The patient showed omission of kana within sentences before surgery, which improved after surgery. The brain tumor was relatively small and was located within the primary sensory area (S1) of the inferior parietal lobe (IPL). DTI tractography before surgery revealed compression of the branch of the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) by the brain tumor. These results suggest that the left SLF within the S1 of IPL plays a role in the development of dysgraphia of kana omission within sentences.     

Cross cultural differences in unconscious knowledge

Previous studies have indicated cross cultural differences in conscious processes, such that Asians have a global preference and Westerners a more analytical one. We investigated whether these biases also apply to unconscious knowledge. In Experiment 1, Japanese and UK participants memorized strings of large (global) letters made out of small (local) letters. The strings constituted one sequence of letters at a global level and a different sequence at a local level. Implicit learning occurred at the global and not the local level for the Japanese but equally at both levels for the English. In Experiment 2, the Japanese preference for global over local processing persisted even when structure existed only at the local but not global level. In Experiment 3, Japanese and UK participants were asked to attend to just one of the levels, global or local. Now the cultural groups performed similarly, indicating that the bias largely reflects preference rather than ability (although the data left room for residual ability differences). In Experiment 4, the greater global advantage of Japanese rather English was confirmed for strings made of Japanese kana rather than Roman letters. That is, the cultural difference is not due to familiarity of the sequence elements. In sum, we show for the first time that cultural biases strongly affect the type of unconscious knowledge people acquire.     

Managing the interactions between multiple identities in inter-organizational collaborations: an identity work perspective

Inter-organizational collaboration (IOC) research considers the achievement of a collaborative identity as a key enabler of a successful collaboration. As a result, little has been said about the interactions between collaborative and non-collaborative identities. We build on narrative identity work and positioning theory, to explore how collaboration partners engage in identity work positioning to manage the interactions of the multiple identities emerging through the process of collaboration as they try to accomplish collaborative work. We illustrate this process through a qualitative longitudinal study of an educational partnership in Greece. Our analysis shows how IOC partners manage the interactions between collaborative and non-collaborative identities by positioning themselves, and others, in narratives of collaboration as part of their daily identity work when responding to emerging collaborative needs. Our research extends our current understanding of identity work processes in IOCs by demonstrating the paradoxical nature of the collaboration, which requires relying on both collaborative and non-collaborative identities for the successful achievement of aims. We therefore suggest that identity tensions should not be resolved but rather managed, since they enable partners to respond creatively to contextual organizational changes and make sense of the collaboration as it happens.     

Are Decisions Made by Group Representatives More Risk Averse? The Effect of Sense of Responsibility

We tested the hypothesis that a sense of responsibility drives group representatives' decisions to be more risk averse compared with decisions made by individuals. The hypothesis was supported when the monetary considerations (i.e., payoff inequality and the magnitude effect) were controlled for in the potential gain domain as well as in the potential loss domain. Evidence showed that this is because the group representatives were concerned about how they would view themselves (e.g., guilt and self‐blame) and also how they would be viewed by others (i.e., to avoid being blamed and looked down upon by others). This study provided new insights into understanding group representatives' decision making under risk. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

混沌理论对优化临床管理模式的启示——以孕产妇管理为例

围绕混沌理论与妊娠及分娩之间的联系,结合实践,提出可行的优化孕产妇管理工作的建议。强调医务人员应应用线上及线下多种方式,于孕前、孕期、产时、产后各阶段,针对孕产妇身心各方面,对其实施系统化的管理;应重点把握与孕妇首次接触的时机,建立信任关系以保证其良好的遵医行为;管理过程中应尊重孕产妇的个体差异,为其提供个性化的指导,同时应重视其支持系统的建立,医疗机构、社区、家庭应为孕产妇提供切实的支持。旨在为孕产期保健工作提供新思路,从而更好地为广大孕产妇服务。     

English Vowel Spaces Produced by Japanese Speakers: The Smaller Point Vowels’ and the Greater Schwas’

This study investigated how Japanese-speaking learners of English pronounce the three point vowels /i/, /u/, and /a/ appearing in the first and second monosyllabic words of English noun phrases, and the schwa /ə/ appearing in English disyllabic words. First and second formant (F1 and F2) values were measured for four Japanese speakers and two American English speakers. The hypothesis that the area encompassed by the point vowels in the F1-F2 vowel space tends to be smaller for the Japanese speakers than for the English speakers was verified. The hypothesis that the area formed by the three schwas in chicken{{chick\underline{e}n}}, spoonful{{spoonf{\underline{u}}l}}, and Tarzan{{Tarz\underline{a}n}} is greater for the Japanese speakers than for the English speakers and its related hypothesis were largely upheld. Implications for further research are briefly discussed.     

A New Argument for Evidentialism?

In his “A new argument for evidentialism” (Shah, Philos Q 56(225): 481–498, 2006), Nishi Shah argues that the best explanation of a feature of deliberation whether to believe that p which he calls transparency entails that only evidence can be reason to believe that p. I show that his argument fails because a crucial lemma that his argument appeals to cannot be supported without assuming evidentialism to be true in the first place.