Kinanthropometric differences between 1997 World championship junior elite and 2011 national junior elite triathletes

OBJECTIVES: In 1997, anthropometry measures were made to determine the body size and shapes of both senior and junior elite triathletes. Since then, the junior event distance has changed and the optimal morphology of participants may have evolved. Thus the objective of this study was to compare the morphology of 1997 World championship junior elite triathlon competitors with junior elite competitors in 2011. DESIGN: Comparative study of junior elite triathlete kinanthropometry. METHODS: Twenty-nine males and 20 females junior elite competitors in the 1997 Triathlon World Championships underwent 26 anthropometric measurements. Results were compared with 28 male and 14 female junior elite triathletes who competed in the 2011 Australian National Junior Series, as qualifying for 2011 Triathlon World Championships. Comparisons were made on the raw scores, as well as somatotype, and body proportional scores. RESULTS: Both male and female junior elite triathletes in the 2011 group were significantly more ectomorphic than their 1997 counterparts. The 2011 triathletes were also proportionally lighter, with significantly smaller flexed arm and thigh girths, and femur breadths. The 2011 males recorded significantly longer segmental lengths and lower endomorphy values than the 1997 junior males. CONCLUSIONS: Junior elite triathlete morphology has evolved during the past 14 years possibly as a result of changing race distance and race tactics, highlighting the importance of continually monitoring and updating such anthropometric data.

Surfacing authentic leadership: inspiration from after life

This paper advocates an innovative approach to help leadership students analyze, capture, and remember the nature of their authentic leadership. This developmental activity was inspired by the Japanese film, Wandâfuru raifu (After Life) (Kore-Eda, Sato, & Shigenobu, 1998), in which the recently deceased are asked to recall and relate a memory that symbolizes all that is important to them. After this memory is replayed to them the recently deceased move on to the afterlife and keep the memory prominent in their minds for eternity. This activity is applied to authentic leadership by asking leadership students to recall their family, personal, and work histories as they relate to their leadership. To bring this activity up to date and into the real world, the students are asked to tell their story directly to a camera in front of a green screen. In postproduction, images related to the students’ stories are keyed in to replace the green screen thereby creating powerful memories of the factors influencing the students’ authentic leadership. This new technique is proposed as an integrative and memorable activity that captures and synthesizes insights from other authentic leadership exercises while focusing on the actionable lessons. Viewing of the film prior to the teaching event offers the additional benefit of creating an atmosphere of quiet contemplation and reflection in students’ minds.

Quality of life in outpatients with depression in China

BACKGROUND: Quality of life (QOL) is an important outcome measure for patients with depression, but QOL research involving large samples of patients has been uncommon. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the QOL of Chinese outpatients with depression and its determinants. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected continuously from 19,984 outpatients; 19,950 usable questionnaires were obtained. Along with the QOL index (WHOQOL-BREF), the questionnaire also included participants' sociodemographic characteristics, outpatient visits, and medication use information. RESULTS: Less than 5% of depressed patients reported "good" or "very good" QOL, while less than 3% were satisfied with their general health. The overall score was low (54.12); four QOL domain (physical health, psychological, social relationships, and environment) scores (range, 35.03-40.10) were significantly lower than in other community population surveys. QOL scores were significantly lower among first-visit than non-first-visit patients. Medication users reported significantly higher QOL scores than non-users, with NaSSA more effective than SSRIs, followed by other types, SNRIs, and no medication, in that order. LIMITATIONS: Since this was an observational, cross-sectional survey with continuous outpatient data collection method instead of random sampling, generalization of the results is limited, and causality cannot be determined. However, the "natural" observational design, large sample size, and similarity in findings with other studies reveal the "real world" QOL of depressed outpatients in mainland China. CONCLUSIONS: Depressed patients had a low QOL, and the scores of first-visit patients with severe symptoms were significantly lower than non-first-visit patients. Though medication can improve patients' QOL, different types of medications have different impacts.

Antimicrobial activity of Eucalyptus tereticornis and comparison with daily life antibiotics

Eucalyptus is a fast growing tree which has shown to possess high degree of resistance against stressed environmental conditions. Eucalyptus tereticornis is widely cultivated in various parts of the world even in Pakistan. The medicinal properties of this tree reside in its oil. The main aim of our study is to check the antimicrobial activity of this valuable tree and to compare it with commercially available antibiotics. Eucalyptus tereticornis oil was extracted from the fresh leaves and branch tips during flowering season from surrounding areas of Hazara University, Pakistan. Different concentrations of oil were checked against Gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 49452), Gram negative bacteria including Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC 14028) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and also against yeast Candiada albican (ATCC 2091). The oil was significantly active against all the microbes studied. The activity of E. tereticornis oil was compared with standard antibiotics Ciprofloxacin (CIP-5 μg), Chloramphenicol (C-30 μg), Tetracycline (TE-30 μg) and Ampicillin (AMP 25-μg). The comparison gives the significant results and proves the antimicrobial efficiency of this valuable plant.

The world to come: stories

In 1738, English preacher, Isaac Watts wrote ‘The world to come’, a Christian tract about departed souls, death, and the glory or terror of the resurrection. Almost 300 years later the world to come still fascinates readers. It’s not only climate change, it’s the climate of everything: from technological ‘advances’ that threaten to create an immortal humanity; to an endless ‘war on terror,’ which means that, though we may never know war, nor will we ever truly know peace; to a thousand visions of post-Apocalyptic life in the media. The world to come is everywhere; it is with us now… In this anthology, twenty-one writers respond to the world to come – the one just around the corner, the hereafter and the everywhen.

Rhetoric and reality: critical perspectives on education in a 3D virtual world

The emergence of any new educational technology is often accompanied by inflated expectations about its potential for transforming pedagogical practice and improving student learning outcomes. A critique of the rhetoric accompanying the evolution of 3D virtual world education reveals a similar pattern, with the initial hype based more on rhetoric than research demonstrating the extent to which rhetoric matches reality. Addressed are the perceived gaps in the literature through a critique of the rhetoric evident throughout the evolution of the application of virtual worlds in education and the reality based on the reported experiences of experts in the field of educational technology, who are all members of the Australian and New Zealand Virtual Worlds Working Group. The experiences reported highlight a range of effective virtual world collaborative and communicative teaching experiences conducted in members' institutions. Perspectives vary from those whose reality is the actuation of the initial rhetoric in the early years of virtual world education, to those whose reality is fraught with challenges that belie the rhetoric. Although there are concerns over institutional resistance, restrictions, and outdated processes on the one-hand, and excitement over the rapid emergence of innovation on the other, the prevailing reality seems to be that virtual world education is both persistent and sustainable. Explored are critical perspectives on the rhetoric and reality on the educational uptake and use of virtual worlds in higher education, providing an overview of the current and future directions for learning in virtual worlds.