Conditioned by Dress – The Relationship between Mind, Fashion, Film & Performance.

This is the first monograph in the Pocket Book Series Practices of Transdisciplinarity, a co-publishing collaboration between the ArtEZ Academy in the Netherlands and the London College of Fashion. 'Practices of Transdisciplinarity' examines creative research practices that cross the traditional boundaries assigned to art and design disciplines. Anna-Nicole Ziesche's: Conditioned by Dress - The Relationship between Mind, Fashion, Film and Performance' opens the series. This combined visual and text-based publication is the first book to present an overview of Anna-Nicole Ziesche’s films. Her early work investigates methods for composing fashion ‘looks’, using simple film editing techniques to manipulate, magnify and repeat the decorative details of cloth onto the body. We discover her unique research process that uses story telling and performance to explore the relationship between self-perception and dress. Anna-Nicole is also a sculptor; she re-constructs her dreams, building installations in which she subjects the body to poetic narratives inspired by her experiences of fashion. Within these installations Anna-Nicole and her ‘dressed’ characters perform both physically and psychologically. Film and photography are mediums where "to dress" takes on a new meaning. [from the Foreword, by Lucy Orta

The relationship between sport-specific training and a perceptuo-motor skills assessment as part of talent identification in young table tennis players (8-10 years)

A perceptuo-motor skills assessment was developed to better estimate the potential of youth table tennis players (8-10 years). Sport-specific training experience might influence the outcomes of this assessment and hinder a fair interpretation. Consequently, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the training experience (i.e. quantity and quality) and the perceptuo-motor skills assessment outcomes in youth table tennis players. For this purpose, data were collected during the national association’s talent days in the Netherlands (2010-2015). In total, 372 young table tennis players (8-10 years) were assessed by a perceptuo-motor skills questionnaire covering current training (hours/week), total training volume (hours) and quality of the trainer (high versus low). Non-parametric partial correlation analyses showed that training quantity outcomes (i.e. current training and training volume) are significantly associated with the test items of speed while dribbling, aiming at target and eye-hand coordination in both sexes with small to medium effect sizes. The multivariate GLM analyses revealed no significant differences between players receiving high versus low quality training regarding the perceptuo-motor skills assessment. The results indicated only a small transfer of skill and a substantial amount of task specificity; as such it seems legitimate to use the perceptuo-motor skills assessment as part of a talent identification programme. However, it seems sensible to take the training volume into account for a fair interpretation of the estimation of potential, especially when large differences exist between players regarding the training experience. Future studies using a longitudinal design could reveal more about the effect of training

The evolution of delayed dispersal and different routes to breeding in social birds

Many animals live in stable groups, where sexually mature individuals delay dispersal and stay as nonbreeding subordinates, seemingly counter to their own evolutionary interests. Revealing what circumstances drive the evolution of delayed dispersal is central to understanding sociality, family living and cooperative breeding across the animal kingdom, but there is as yet no general consensus about the relative importance of the various ecological and social conditions and the reproductive benefits proposed to drive delayed dispersal. We argue that two components may facilitate further progress in this respect: firstly, full consideration of the various routes that individuals can follow to obtain an independent breeding position. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of these routes: inheritance of a natal territory, budding off part of the natal territory, shifting to a neighboring vacancy, making temporary prospecting trips throughout the population; or permanently leaving to float in search of a breeding position or to stage as subordinate in a non-natal territory. Second, we illustrate that in order to understand delayed dispersal, we need to consider that the fitness consequences of these different routes apply across the lifetime: as subordinate (e.g., benefits of philopatry and indirect fitness); while waiting or searching for a position; and after obtaining a breeding position. Overall, we conclude that by which route and under what circumstances individuals can obtain a breeding position must be considered in order to make more comprehensive inferences about the evolution of delayed dispersal, cooperative breeding and animal sociality as a whole.</p

More than kin:Subordinates foster strong bonds with relatives and potential mates in a social bird

Social interactions shape relationships between individuals in complex societies. Affiliative interactions are associated with benefits and strengthen social bonds, while aggressive interactions are costly and negatively affect social bonds. Individuals may attempt to reduce aggressive encounters through submissive displays directed at higher-ranking individuals. Thus, fine-scale patterns of affilia-tive, aggressive, and submissive interactions may reflect costly and beneficial social relationships within groups, providing insight into the benefits of group living and the mechanisms of conflict resolution. So far, however, most studies have looked at social interactions and benefits of group living in isolation. We investigated how the strength of social bonds (affiliative vs. aggressive interactions) and submissive displays varied with kin-selected and potential mating benefits, and with reproductive conflict in the cooperatively breeding purple-crowned fairy-wren, Malurus coronatus. Our results revealed that subordinates formed equally strong social bonds with kin and potential mates (unrelated opposite-sex individuals) while they formed antagonistic relationships with reproductive competitors that offered no kin-selected or mating benefits (unrelated same-sex individuals). Submissive displays were directed exclusively at same-sex breeders, regardless of relatedness. Affiliation and submission were associated with reduced foraging time when food was limited, indicating a cost to maintaining positive relationships. Together, our results suggest that the strength of social bonds is determined by (potential) benefits obtained from group members, while submission likely serves to reduce conflict. Our findings highlight the importance of time-costly social interactions for maintaining relationships with group members, providing insight into how social groups of individuals with (partly) divergent interests can remain stable.</p

The main and interactive effects of biological maturity and relative age on physical performance in elite youth soccer players

Abstract The main and interactive effect of biological maturity and relative age upon physical performance in adolescent male soccer players was considered. Consistent with previous research, it was hypothesised that participants of greater maturity or born earlier in the selection year would perform better in terms of physical performance tests. This cross-sectional study consisted of 84 male participants aged between 11.3 – 16.2 years from a professional soccer academy in the English Premier League. Date of birth, height, weight and parental height were collected. Sprint, change of direction, counter-movement jump and reactive strength index was considered for physical performance. Relative age was based on birth quarter for the selection year. Maturity status was based upon percentage of predicted adult height attained. Linear regression models highlighted that maturation was associated with performance on all but one of the physical performance tests, reactive strength index. In contrast, relative age only served as a significant predictor of performance on the countermovement jump. This study showed that physical performance (in the tests studied) seems to be related to the biological maturity status of a player but not their relative age. This finding is important because the paper suggests early maturing players perform better in the majority of physical performance tests, and the commonly held belief that relative age effect influences performance may be overstated

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy is a new treatment modality for patients with inoperable or metastasised neuroendocrine gastroenteropancreatic tumours. After the successful implementation of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy in daily clinical practice, the next logical step was to increase the radiation dose of the administered radiolabelled somatostatin analogue in an attempt to induce tumour shrinkage. Since then, an increasing number of patients has been successfully treated with this approach, resulting in a substantial numbers of patient with objective tumour shrinkage. Serious side-effects have been rare. This article reviews the effectiveness of the different radiolabelled somatostatin analogues used, the currently known side-effects and the survival data available. Furthermore, clinical issues, including indication and timing of therapy, are discussed. Finally, important directions for future research are briefly mentioned to illustrate that, although the currently available results already suggest a favourable outcome compared with other systemic therapies, new strategies are being developed to increase efficacy

Similarities and differences between sports subserving systematic talent transfer and development : the case of paddle sports

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate similarities and differences for 18 sports toward canoe/kayak in order to identify donorsport and/or multisports, based upon a systematic analysis of the task constraints per sport that are assumed to be either crucial or less important from the coaches' viewpoint. Design: Descriptive survey analysis. Methods: 891 certified coaches from 19 sports valued (0-10; not important at all-very important) 15 characteristics by a questionnaire (Flemish Sports Compass) within their sport. Unique sport-profiles (discriminant analysis - DA) were constructed for 19 sports based on these characteristics. Similarities and differences between canoe/kayak and the other 18 sports were analyzed by means of MANOVAs on anthropometric, physical and motor coordination characteristics. Results: Cross validated DA (rcan = 0.660, Wilks' Lambda = 0.564, p < 0.001) showed that 72.1% of the canoe/kayak coaches were correctly assigned to their sport. For canoe/kayak seven characteristics were valued crucial; dynamic balance (8.51 1.69), core stability (8.45 2.27), pulling power (8.12 +/- 1.68), speed (7.54 +/- 2.07), endurance (7.27 +/- 2.03), stature (6.43 +/- 1.41) and rhythm (6.01 +/- 3.01). Least important characteristics were: flexibility (6.16 +/- 1.75), agility (4.27 +/- 3.10), catching (3.90 +/- 3.22), climbing (2.45 +/- 3.05), jumping (1.81 +/- 2.11), throwing (1.60 +/- 2.24), hitting (.94 +/- 1.77) and kicking (.61 +/- 1.04). Conclusions: This novel approach to determine important characteristics per sport makes identifying similarities and differences between sports possible. Similarities might enlarge talent-pools for possible talent transfers. Differences can help identify sports based on complementary characteristics for the construction of broad motor development programs. From this viewpoint gymnastics can serve as potential donorsport (similarities) for canoe/kayak, while handball and tennis can subserve broad development for young canoe/kayak athletes. (C) 2020 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license

Intrathecal Morphine for Laparoscopic Segmental Colonic Resection as Part of an Enhanced Recovery Protocol: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background and Objectives: Management of postoperative pain after laparoscopic segmental colonic resections remains controversial. We compared 2 methods of analgesia within an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program. The goal of the study was to investigate whether admin

T-Cell Receptor γδ Bearing Cells in Normal Human Skin

T-cell antigen receptors (TCR) are divided into common αβ and less common γδ types. In the murine skin, TCR γδ+ cells have been reported to form the great majority of epidermal T lymphocytes. We have examined the relative contribution of TCR αβ+ and TCR γδ+ cells to the T-cell population in normal human skin. Serial sections of freshly frozen skin specimens were acetone fixed, incubated with anti-CD3, βF 1 (anti-TCR αβ, anti-TCR γδ-1 and anti-TCR δ1 (anti-TCR γδ) monoclonal antibodies (MoAb), and stained with a highly sensitive method. Over 90% of the T cells of normal human skin are localized around the postcapillary venules of the dermis, while less than 5% are present within the epidermis. In papillary dermis, TCR γδ+ cells formed on average 7% (anti-TCR γδ-1) or 9% (anti-TCR γ1) of the total number of CD3+ cells, while TCR αβ+ cells constituted up to 80%. In epidermis, these percentages were 18% and 29% for TCR γδ+ cells, and up to 60% for TCR γδ+ cells. It is concluded that there is no preferential immigration or in situ expansion of TCR γδ+T cells in normal human skin, because the relative percentages found for the TCR and TCR αβ+ populations in skin are comparable to those found in lymphoid organs and peripheral blood. However, the percentage of TCR γδ+ cells in epidermis seemed on average higher than in papillary dermis. Therefore, there may still be a difference in migration patterns of TCR γδ+ v TCR γβ+ cells, but this does not result in their preferential localization in human epidermis. The hypothesis that TCR γδ+ T cells have a specialized function in immunosurveillance of epithelia may thus not be valid for human epidermis

Accuracy of maturity prediction equations in individual elite football players

Background Equations predicting age at peak height velocity (APHV) are often used to assess somatic maturity and to adjust training load accordingly. However, information on the intra-individual accuracy of APHV in youth athletes is not available. Aim The purpose of this study is to assess the accuracy of predication equations for the estimation of APHV in individual youth male football players. Subjects and methods Body dimensions were measured at least every three months in 17 elite youth male football players (11.9 +/- 0.8 years at baseline) from the 2008-2009 through the 2011-2012 seasons. APHV was predicted at each observation with four suggested equations. Predicted APHV was compared to the player's observed APHV using one-sample-t-tests and equivalence-tests. Longitudinal stability was assessed by comparing the linear coefficient of the deviation to zero. Results Predicted APHV was equivalent to the observed APHV in none of the players. A difference with a large effect size (Cohen'sd > 0.8) was noted in 87% of the predictions. Moreover, predictions were not stable over time in 71% of the cases. Conclusions None of the evaluated prediction equations is accurate for estimating APHV in individual players nor are predictions stable over time, which limits their utility for adjusting training programmes