Visszaemlékezéseim : 1956-2003

A szerző szakmai pályafutásának története

Ontogeny, phylogeny and functional morphology of the hominoid shoulder girdle

The shoulder is of particular relevance for resolving issues of locomotor ancestry since, as a group, living hominoids can be defined by the set of functional similarities that they share at this anatomical area (such as a scapula located on the back of the ribcage, and a shoulder joint adapted to allow extensive abduction). However, there is ongoing debate over which selective pressures are responsible for these shared morphologies. The current study addresses the question of whether the similarities in this anatomical structure in hominoids are a product of common ancestry (homology) or rather the product of parallelism (homoplasy) from an ontogenetic and phylogenetic perspectives. To this end, 30 measurements were collected on the clavicle, scapula and humerus of six hominoid species (Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes, Pan paniscus, Gorilla gorilla, Pongo pygmaeus and Hylobates lar) and one macaque species (Macaca fascicularis); information on the dental development of each individual specimen was collected for the purpose of creating an ontogenetic sample for each species; all measurements were collected on surface scans of individual bones and analysed in a 3D environment (Geomagic Suite 12.1 and Amira 3.1), and all statistical analyses (ontogenetic, phylogenetic as well as within- and between-species differences) were conducted using R version 2.12.2 (R Core Team 2011). Overall my results provide a more detailed understanding of ontogenetic change in shoulder morphology across hominoid species, and demonstrate (1) a relative lack of phenotypic plasticity in other key traits (such as the proximal curvature of the clavicle and glenoid-axillary angle of the scapula), and (2) high levels of plasticity in key diagnostic traits of hominoid shoulder morphology in humeral torsion, the distal curvature of the clavicle, and the orientation of the scapular spine and glenoid fossa (all correlated with each other). However these seem to operate within phylogenetic constraints and to be modulated by the underlying anatomy of the thorax and shoulder girdle. Overall my results support the notion of an arboreal origin to the ape lineages and parallel evolution of quadrupedalism in the great apes

Mine Action: Lessons and Challenges

Mine Action: Lessons and Challenges represents the views of selected experts as to what some of the key lessons have been, and what challenges remain for the future. Following an Executive Summary of its main conclusions and findings, this work is laid out in two parts. Part I looks at the core activities — the “pillars” — of mine action: advocacy, victim assistance, mine risk education, demining (survey, marking and clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance) and stockpile destruction. Part II looks at key management issues, specifically, programme coordination and management, information management and capacity development. This work concludes with a thought-provoking assessment of what mine action has actually achieved

Development of a Probabilistic Chimpanzee Glenohumeral Model: Implications for Human Function

Modern human shoulder function is affected by the evolutionary adaptations that have occurred to ensure survival and prosperity of the species. Robust examination of behavioral shoulder performance and injury risk can be holistically improved through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates anthropology and biomechanics. Anthropological research methods have attempted to resolve gaps in human shoulder evolution, while biomechanics research has attempted to explain the musculoskeletal function of the modern human shoulder. Coordination of these two fields can allow different perspectives to contribute to a more complete interpretation of, not only how the modern human shoulder is susceptible to specific injuries, but also why. How the modern human shoulder arose from a, likely, weight-bearing, arboreal past to its modern form, and what this has meant for modern behaviors, is not well understood. Despite a weight-bearing, locomotor ancestral usage, the modern human upper extremity is highly fatigable in repetitive, low to moderate force tasks, such as overhead reaching. The closest living human relative, modern chimpanzees, has retained an arboreal, locomotor upper extremity. Interdisciplinary comparative research on humans and chimpanzees could lead to greater insight on modern human shoulder function. The purpose of this research was to explore the modern human capacity for ancestral, brachiating behaviors and resultant injury mechanisms through comparative experimental, computational modeling and probabilistic modeling approaches with chimpanzees. The first study experimentally explored the modern human ability to perform a horizontal bimanual arm-suspensory climbing task. EMG of 12 upper extremity muscles and motion capture of the arm and thorax were monitored in experienced and inexperienced climbers. Results were also compared to previously published or collected data on chimpanzees performing an analogous task. While all human climbers used a high proportion of their muscular reserve to perform the task, experienced climbers had moderately reduced muscle activity in most muscles, particularly during phasic shifts of the climb cycle and moderately more efficient kinematics. Climbing kinematics and muscle activity were very similar between humans and chimpanzees. However, chimpanzees appear to have a different utility of the posterior deltoid, suggesting an influence of their habitual arboreal behaviors. The second and third studies describe the development of a deterministic chimpanzee musculoskeletal glenohumeral model. Study 2 developed geometric parameters of chimpanzee shoulder rhythm and glenoid stability ratios for the construction of a chimpanzee glenohumeral model. The chimpanzee glenohumeral model of Study 3 was designed to parallel an existing human glenohumeral model, enabling comparative analyses. The chimpanzee glenohumeral model consists of three modules – an external torque module, musculoskeletal geometric module, and an internal muscle force prediction module. Together, these modules use postural kinematics, subject specific anthropometrics and hand forces to estimate joint reaction forces and moments, subacromial space dimensions, and muscle and tissue forces. Using static postural data from Study 1, predicted muscle forces and subacromial space were compared between chimpanzees and humans during an overhead, weight-bearing climbing task. Compared to chimpanzees, the human model predicted a 2mm narrower subacromial space, deltoid muscle forces that were often double those of chimpanzees and a strong reliance on infraspinatus and teres minor (60-100% maximal force) over other rotator cuff muscles. Finally, the deterministic chimpanzee and human glenohumeral models were expanded in Study 4 to a probabilistic analysis of rotator cuff function between species. Using probabilistic software and the same postural climbing inputs, both models had anthropologically relevant musculoskeletal features perturbed in a series of Monte Carlo simulations – muscle origins and insertions, glenoid inclination and glenoid stability – to determine if rotator cuff muscle force prediction distributions would converge between species. Human rotator cuff muscle behavior did not converge with chimpanzees using probabilistic simulation. The human model continued to predict strong dependence on infraspinatus and teres minor, with 99% confidence intervals of [0-100]% maximal force, over supraspinatus and subscapularis, with confidence intervals of [0-5]% maximal force. Chimpanzee rotator cuff confidence intervals were typically between [0-40]% maximal force, with median force for all four rotator cuff muscles typically 5-20% maximal force. While perturbation of muscle origins and insertions had the greatest effect on muscle force output distributions, no musculoskeletal variation notably modified human climbing performance. Structural musculoskeletal differences between species dictated differences in glenohumeral function. The results from all studies indicate susceptibility for the fatigue-induced initiation of subacromial impingement syndrome and rotator cuff pathology in modern humans during overhead and repetitive tasks. Lower muscle absolute PCSA in humans, combined with a laterally oriented glenohumeral joint and laterally projecting acromion reduced the capacity for overhead postures and weight-bearing postures. These evolutionary differences may have been vestigial consequences, concurrent with necessary adaptions for important, evolutionary human-centric behaviors such as throwing. However, they have influenced the high rates of rotator cuff pathology in humans compared to closely related primates. The present work represents an important first step toward a broad scope of future research. Interdisciplinary computational modeling offers an evolving and improving alternative to traditional methods to study human evolution and function. Computational and probabilistic simulations can be expanded to numerous other biomechanical and evolutionary queries. The results of this thesis are a promising initial step to examining the evolutionary structural connection to biomechanical human function through comparative computational modeling

From heritage to hedonism: the repositioning of the tourist image of Egypt: a key informant qualitative inquiry

A thesis submitted to the University of Luton, Luton Business School, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of PhilosophyThis thesis provides an examination of the managerial policies adopted by the Egyptian tourism sector in planning and implementing the repositioning of the image of Egypt from the mid 1960s onwards. It aimed at augmenting its traditional cultural identity with an additional hedonistic dimension, derived from the development of beach resort tourism on the Red Sea coast. In addition to exploring the specific elements of the Egyptian repositioning, including an evaluation of its success, the study seeks to identify from the analysis, the key issues and managerial requirements involved in the repositioning of destinations in general, and proposes a preliminary model of the content and sequencing of the repositioning process. The study employed a qualitative methodology involving ethnographic fieldwork with key informants, chosen as representatives of the main categories of stakeholders who participated in Egyptian tourism planning of the repositioning programme. It took its direction and procedures from an adaptation of Grounded theory, in which three main sources of data were collected and appraised: ethnographic interview responses, direct observation, and documentation generated both internally and externally. The results revealed by this study suggest that, though total tourist flows generally increased after the repositioning, and the proportion of tourists visiting the Red Sea beach resorts, rather than the cultural locations, also increased, the lack of proper evaluation mechanisms of the programme made it difficult to attribute causally these changes to public sector managerial decisions, rather than to other variables in the broader external environment (world tourism growth trends, power of the international operators, price competitiveness, etc.). Moreover, in analysing the mechanics of the programme, a number of key areas of deficiency in strategic planning and marketing practice were identified. These deficiencies included: weak or non-existent marketing research; poor market targeting and product portfolio analysis; inadequate planning and evaluation procedures; weak communication, and integration of effort between stakeholders; and limited awareness of cutting edge promotional practices. The normative model of repositioning offered at the end of the Results section of this study seeks to address some of the problems and deficiencies disclosed in the Egyptian case study, by suggesting some of the desiderata of best practice when destinations need to augment, modify, or change their image

Raymond Arthur Dart : his life and work

Relatório de Estágio em Ensino do Português e de Língua Estrangeira (Francês) no 3.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico e no Ensino Secundário apresentado à Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de CoimbraNa sequência de investigação anterior (Freitas, 2014), pretendemos com o presente relatório apresentar os resultados qualitativos de um projeto de investigação-ação inserido num curso de formação inicial de professores (Castro, 2010). O trabalho incide sobre o ensino e a aprendizagem da gramática do Francês Língua Estrangeira em contexto escolar, através da abordagem da marcação do género e do número (Franceschina, 2005; Wilmet, 2007), e assenta numa metodologia que privilegia a utilização de laboratórios gramaticais com os quais se trabalhará os conteúdos referidos (Brito, 1997). Além de apresentar a experiência de estágio, analisaremos o desempenho dos alunos ao longo do ano letivo utilizando as notas da observação de aulas, os resultados de dois testes de avaliação efetuados antes e depois da aplicação do laboratório gramatical, e os resultados de um teste de diagnóstico realizado no final do ano letivo. Verifica-se que os alunos aprendem facilmente as regras, ainda que evidenciem maiores dificuldades nas exceções, na relação entre oral e escrito e, sobretudo, nas interferências causadas pela influência da língua materna. Na parte final, apresentar-se-á algumas considerações finais, bem como ideias de estudos futuros.Sur la base d’une recherche antérieure (Freitas, 2014), notre objectif avec ce rapport est celui de présenter les résultats qualitatifs d'un projet de recherche-action integré dans un master de formation initiale de professeurs (Castro, 2010). Le travail se centre sur l'enseignement et l’apprentissage de la grammaire du Français comme langue étrangère en contexte scolaire, en abordant les marques du genre et du nombre (Franceschina, 2005; Wilmet, 2007) et se base sur une méthodologie qui favorise l'utilisation des laboratoires grammaticaux avec lesquels nous travaillerons ces contenus (Brito, 1997). En plus de présenter l'expérience de stage, nous analyserons les performances des élèves tout au long de l'année scolaire, en utilisant les notes d'observation en classe, les résultats de deux tests d'évaluation effectués avant et après l'application du laboratoire grammatical et les résultats d'un test diagnostic réalisé à la fin de l'année scolaire. On constate que les élèves apprennent facilement les règles, quoiqu’ils montrent plus de difficultés dans les exceptions, dans le rapport entre l’oral et l’écrit et, surtout, dans les interférences causées par l'influence de la langue maternelle. Dans la dernière partie, nous présenterons quelques considérations finales et des idées pour de futures recherches.Following the results of previous work (Freitas, 2014), this report presents a research-and action project for grammar teaching in school within an initial teacher training experience in French as a Foreign Language (Castro, 2010). The project analyses gender and number marking learning (Franceschina, 2005; Wilmet, 2007) and is based on a methodology that favours the use of grammatical laboratories (Brito, 1997). The report describes the teacher training experience and the pupils’ progress throughout the year, according to class observation notes, the results of two tests (before and after the grammar laboratory experience), and the results of a diagnosis test at the end of the year. General rules for gender and number marking are easily learned, but pupils show some difficulties in exceptions, in the relationship between oral and written forms and especially in interferences from their mother tongue. In the final part, we will present some final considerations and future research ideas