Development of a new ultrasound-based system for tracking motion of the human lumbar spine: Reliability, stability and repeatability during forward bending movement trials

The aim of this study was to develop a new method for quantifying intersegmental motion of the spine in an instrumented motion segment L4–L5 model using ultrasound image post-processing combined with an electromagnetic device. A prospective test–retest design was employed, combined with an evaluation of stability and within- and between-day intra-tester reliability during forward bending by 15 healthy male patients. The accuracy of the measurement system using the model was calculated to be ± 0.9° (standard deviation = 0.43) over a 40° range and ± 0.4 cm (standard deviation = 0.28) over 1.5 cm. The mean composite range of forward bending was 15.5 ± 2.04° during a single trial (standard error of the mean = 0.54, coefficient of variation = 4.18). Reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient = 2.1) was found to be excellent for both within-day measures (0.995–0.999) and between-day measures (0.996–0.999). Further work is necessary to explore the use of this approach in the evaluation of biomechanics, clinical assessments and interventions.

The Black Label: trade mark dilution, culture jamming, and the no logo movement

This article considers the ongoing debate over the appropriation of well-known and famous trade marks by the No Logo Movement for the purposes of political and social critique. It focuses upon one sensational piece of litigation in South Africa, Laugh It Off Promotions v. South African Breweries International (Finance) B.V. t/a Sabmark International. In this case, a group called Laugh It Off Promotions subjected the trade marks of the manufacturers of Carling Beer were subjected to parody, social satire, and culture jamming. The beer slogan “Black Label” was turned into a T-Shirt entitled “Black Labour/ White Guilt”. In the ensuing litigation, the High Court of South Africa and the Supreme Court of Appeal were of the opinion that the appropriation of the mark was a case of hate speech. However, the Constitutional Court of South Africa disagreed, finding that the parodies of a well-known, famous trade mark did not constitute trade mark dilution. Moseneke J observed that there was a lack of evidence of economic or material harm; and Sachs J held that there is a need to provide latitude for parody, laughter, and freedom of expression. The decision of the Constitutional Court of South Africa provides some important insights into the nature of trade mark dilution, the role of parody and satire, and the relevance of constitutional protections of freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Arguably, the ruling will be of help in the reformation of trade mark dilution law in other jurisdictions – such as the United States. The decision in Laugh It Off Promotions v. South African Breweries International demonstrates that trade mark law should not be immune from careful constitutional scrutiny.

Is the planet full? by Ian Goldin (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2014), pp. 272.

The question ‘is the planet full?’ is not new but it needs a critical assessment to provide a good answer. Obviously, the capacity of the planet should be evaluated in relation to the size and distribution of its human population and how relevant resources of the planet are used and managed. When we are discussing human population and resource management, multidimensional issues such as welfare, technologies and social changes are essential...

A new protest movement: Flexn your message through dance

Flexing, or Flex, is a street dance style that originated in Jamaica in the 1990s and grew up on the streets of Brooklyn, East New York. Performed to dancehall and reggae music, it has since evolved into a protest movement - an avenue for “flexors” to rally against social injustice, police brutality and racism.

The influence of Lord Robert Baden-Powell on the development of the Boy Scout Movement with observations on its operation in Queensland 1907-1937

The purpose of the Boy Scout Movement was to create boys who were honest, obedient to constituted authority and loyal to the King and the British Empire. This thesis examines the influence that Scouting's founder, Lord Robert Baden-Powell, had on the development of Scouting in Queensland in the period 1907 to 1937, and concludes that that influence was profound. Baden-Powell conceived the Boy Scout Movement, and its non-formal educative method as an answer to some of the social, economic, and political problems at the beginning of the twentieth century – a paradigm recognised and acknowledged by educators of the day.

Studies of water and electrolyte movement from oral rehydration solutions (rice- and glucose-based) across a normal and secreting gut using a dual isotope tracer technique in a rat perfusion model

Aims: To establish a model to measure bidirectional flow of water from a glucose oral rehydration solution (G-ORS) and a newly developed rice-based oral rehydration solution (R-ORS) using a dual isotope tracer technique in a rat perfusion model. To measure net water, sodium and potassium absorption from the ORS. Methods: In viva steady-state perfusion studies were carried out in normal and secreting (induced by cholera toxin) rat small intestine (n = 11 in each group). To determine bidirectional flow of water from the ORS the animals were initially labelled with tritium, and deuterium was added to the perfusion solution. Sequential perfusate and blood samples were collected after attainment of steady-state conditions and analysed for water and electrolyte content. Results: There was a significant increase in net water absorption from the R-ORS compared to the G-ORS in both the normal (P < 0.02) and secreting intestine (P < 0.05). Water efflux was significantly reduced in the R-ORS group compared to the G-ORS group in both the normal (P < 0.01) and the secreting intestine (P < 0.01). There was an increase in sodium absorption in the R-ORS group compared to the G-ORS. The G-ORS produced a significantly greater blood glucose level at 75 min compared to the R-ORS (P < 0.03) in the secreting intestine. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the improved water absorption from a rice-based ORS in both the normal and secreting intestine. Evidence that the absorption of water may be influenced by the osmolality of the ORS was also demonstrated.

Footwear intervene of forefoot loading during landing movement

This study investigated the forefoot loading character under flexible sole condition while performing landing maneuver. Twenty healthy male volunteers have participated in the test. The insole and outsole loading were measured at the same time. The results of this study shown that the forefoot impact loading could be effectively relieved through the footwear during landing movement. The peak pressure value in the outsole was much higher than the barefoot, where the highest value in the first metatarsal of outsole was 63.6% higher than barefoot condition. Peak pressure of the third metatarsal of insole reduced the most, this has decreased about 51.2% of the barefoot experienced.

Linking spatial stock dynamics and economics: Evaluation of indicators and fishery management for the travelling eastern king prawn (Melicertus plebejus)

Reduced economic circumstances havemoved management goals towards higher profit, rather than maximum sustainable yields in several Australian fisheries. The eastern king prawn is one such fishery, for which we have developed new methodology for stock dynamics, calculation of model-based and data-based reference points and management strategy evaluation. The fishery is notable for the northward movement of prawns in eastern Australian waters, from the State jurisdiction of New South Wales to that of Queensland, as they grow to spawning size, so that vessels fishing in the northern deeper waters harvest more large prawns. Bioeconomic fishing data were standardized for calibrating a length-structured spatial operating model. Model simulations identified that reduced boat numbers and fishing effort could improve profitability while retaining viable fishing in each jurisdiction. Simulations also identified catch rate levels that were effective for monitoring in simple within-year effort-control rules. However, favourable performance of catch rate indicators was achieved only when a meaningful upper limit was placed on total allowed fishing effort. Themethods and findings will allow improved measures for monitoring fisheries and inform decision makers on the uncertainty and assumptions affecting economic indicators.

Movement of tagged juvenile tailor (Pomatomus saltatrix) in Moreton Bay, Queensland

Large quantities of tailor, Pomatomus saltatrix, are caught by recreational and commercial fishers in coastal waters off New South Wales and Queensland. Juvenile tailor were subject to increasing fishing mortality in Moreton Bay (Queensland) in the mid 1980s. A tagging programme, involving State Government fisheries biologists and amateur fishing clubs, was established in 1986 to examine the movement, growth rate and fisheries exploitation of juvenile tailor (<270 mm fork length) in Moreton Bay. Of 2173 juvenile tailor tagged in Moreton Bay during February-July and December 1987, 237 were recaptured over a period of 30 months, representing a recapture rate of 11%. This was a high recapture rate compared with those in similar finfish tagging studies carried out in Moreton Bay. The recaptured fish moved relatively short distances (mean plus or minus s.d., 10.2 plus or minus 15.0 km; maximum distance, 85 km). Growth data were unreliable. Estuaries such as Moreton Bay function as nursery areas for tailor prior to their movement onto open surf beaches as adult fish. A legal minimum length for tailor was introduced on the basis of this study.

Investigation of movement and factors influencing post-release survival of line-caught coral reef fish using recreational tag-recapture data

Six species of line-caught coral reef fish (Plectropomus spp., Lethrinus miniatus, Lethrinus laticaudis, Lutjanus sebae, Lutjanus malabaricus and Lutjanus erythropterus) were tagged by members of the Australian National Sportsfishing Association (ANSA) in Queensland between 1986 and 2003. Of the 14,757 fish tagged, 1607 were recaptured and we analysed these data to describe movement and determine factors likely to impact release survival. All species were classified as residents since over 80% of recaptures for each species occurred within 1 km of the release site. Few individuals (range 0.8-5%) were recaptured more than 20 km from their release point. L. sebae had a higher recapture rate (19.9%) than the other species studied (range 2.1-11.7%). Venting swimbladder gases, regardless of whether or not fish appeared to be suffering from barotrauma, significantly enhanced (P < 0.05) the survival of L. sebae and L. malabaricus but had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on L. erythropterus. The condition of fish on release, subjectively assessed by anglers, was only a significant effect on recapture rate for L. sebae where fish in "fair" condition had less than half the recapture rate of those assessed as in "excellent" or "good" condition. The recapture rate of L. sebae and L. laticaudis was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by depth with recapture rate declining in depths exceeding 30 m. Overall, the results showed that depth of capture, release condition and treatment for barotrauma influenced recapture rate for some species but these effects were not consistent across all species studied. Recommendations were made to the ANSA tagging clubs to record additional information such as injury, hooking location and hook type to enable a more comprehensive future assessment of the factors influencing release survival.

Trapping to monitor tephritid movement: Results, best practice, and assessment of alternatives

Movement of tephritid flies underpins their survival, reproduction, and ability to establish in new areas and is thus of importance when designing effective management strategies. Much of the knowledge currently available on tephritid movement throughout landscapes comes from the use of direct or indirect methods that rely on the trapping of individuals. Here, we review published experimental designs and methods from mark-release-recapture (MRR) studies, as well as other methods, that have been used to estimate movement of the four major tephritid pest genera (Bactrocera, Ceratitis, Anastrepha, and Rhagoletis). In doing so, we aim to illustrate the theoretical and practical considerations needed to study tephritid movement. MRR studies make use of traps to directly estimate the distance that tephritid species can move within a generation and to evaluate the ecological and physiological factors that influence dispersal patterns. MRR studies, however, require careful planning to ensure that the results obtained are not biased by the methods employed, including marking methods, trap properties, trap spacing, and spatial extent of the trapping array. Despite these obstacles, MRR remains a powerful tool for determining tephritid movement, with data particularly required for understudied species that affect developing countries. To ensure that future MRR studies are successful, we suggest that site selection be carefully considered and sufficient resources be allocated to achieve optimal spacing and placement of traps in line with the stated aims of each study. An alternative to MRR is to make use of indirect methods for determining movement, or more correctly, gene flow, which have become widely available with the development of molecular tools. Key to these methods is the trapping and sequencing of a suitable number of individuals to represent the genetic diversity of the sampled population and investigate population structuring using nuclear genomic markers or non-recombinant mitochondrial DNA markers. Microsatellites are currently the preferred marker for detecting recent population displacement and provide genetic information that may be used in assignment tests for the direct determination of contemporary movement. Neither MRR nor molecular methods, however, are able to monitor fine-scale movements of individual flies. Recent developments in the miniaturization of electronics offer the tantalising possibility to track individual movements of insects using harmonic radar. Computer vision and radio frequency identification tags may also permit the tracking of fine-scale movements by tephritid flies by automated resampling, although these methods come with the same problems as traditional traps used in MRR studies. Although all methods described in this chapter have limitations, a better understanding of tephritid movement far outweighs the drawbacks of the individual methods because of the need for this information to manage tephritid populations.

A mechanism for the west-north-west movement of monsoon depressions

The monsoon depressions intensify over the Bay of Bengal, move in a west-north-west (WNW) direction and dissipate over the Indian continent. No convincing physical explanation for their observed movement has so far been arrived at, but here, I suggest why the maximum precipitation occurs in the western sector of the depression and propose a feedback mechanism for the WNW movement of the depressions. We assume that a heat source is created over the Bay of Bengal due to organization of cumulus convection by the initial instability. In a linear sense, heating at this latitude (20° N), produces an atmospheric response mainly in the form of a stationary Rossby–gravity wave to the west of the heat source. The low-level vorticity (hence the frictional convergence) and the vertical velocity associated with the steady-state response is such that the maximum moisture convergence (and precipitation) is expected to occur in the WNW sector at a later time. Thus, the heat source moves to the WNW sector at a later time and the feedback continues resulting in the WNW movement of the depressions.

An interactive method for engaging the public health workforce with evidence

Introduction Systematic review authors are increasingly directing their attention to not only ensuring the robust processes and methods of their syntheses, but also to facilitating the use of their reviews by public health decision-makers and practitioners. This latter activity is known by several terms including knowledge translation, for which one definition is a ‘dynamic and iterative process that includes synthesis, exchange and ethically sound application of knowledge’.1 Unfortunately—and despite good intentions—the successful translation of knowledge has at times been inhibited by the failure of reviews to meet the needs of decision-makers, and the limitations of the traditional avenues by which reviews are disseminated.2 Encouraging the utilization of reviews by the public health workforce is a complex challenge. An unsupportive culture within the workforce, a lack of experience in assessing evidence, the use of traditional academic language in communication and the lack of actionable messages can all act as barriers to successful knowledge translation.3 Improving communication through developing strategies that include summaries, podcasts, webinars and translational tools which target key decision-makers such as HealthEvidence.org should be considered by authors as promising actions to support the uptake of reviews into practice.4,5 Earlier work has also suggested that to better meet the research evidence needs of public health professionals, authors should aim to produce syntheses that are actionable, relevant and timely.2 Further, review authors must interact more with those who will, or could use their reviews; particularly when determining the scope and questions to which a review will be directed.2 Unfortunately, individual engagement, ideal for examining complex issues and addressing particular concerns, is often difficult, particularly when attempting to reach large groups where for efficiency purposes, the strategy tends to be didactic, ‘lecturing’ and therefore less likely to change attitudes or encourage higher order thinking.6 …

Modelling the movement of interacting cell populations: A moment dynamics approach

Mathematical models describing the movement of multiple interacting subpopulations are relevant to many biological and ecological processes. Standard mean-field partial differential equation descriptions of these processes suffer from the limitation that they implicitly neglect to incorporate the impact of spatial correlations and clustering. To overcome this, we derive a moment dynamics description of a discrete stochastic process which describes the spreading of distinct interacting subpopulations. In particular, we motivate our model by mimicking the geometry of two typical cell biology experiments. Comparing the performance of the moment dynamics model with a traditional mean-field model confirms that the moment dynamics approach always outperforms the traditional mean-field approach. To provide more general insight we summarise the performance of the moment dynamics model and the traditional mean-field model over a wide range of parameter regimes. These results help distinguish between those situations where spatial correlation effects are sufficiently strong, such that a moment dynamics model is required, from other situations where spatial correlation effects are sufficiently weak, such that a traditional mean-field model is adequate.

Information-movement Coupling as a Hallmark of Sport Expertise

Expert interceptive actions are grounded in both perceptual judgment and movement control, yet research has largely focused on the role of anticipation. More recently, the emergence of ecological psychology has provided movement scientists with opportunities to develop further understanding of the processes underpinning the development of expert information-movement couplings. In this chapter we discuss key research that has enhanced our understanding of perceptual learning with specific focus on the concepts of education of attention and calibration. We conclude by discussing the practical implications of this research in the study of expertise highlighting the need for future research using sporting tasks.