Development of a classification model in disability sport

The principal aim of this study was to develop a classification model in disability sports. Using disability swimming as an example, methods of participant observation, interview, survey and document analysis were undertaken in three empirical studies to develop and clarify the classification model and three elements in swimming classification- (a) the classification process, (b) classifiers and (c) the classification system. First, the swimming classification process was identified as a social process. Members in the classification process socially interacted. The detailed classification process was described, interpreted and discussed. Several features in the classification process were identified. They included interaction among social actors, routinization, rules in the process, resources used by classifiers, power relations among social actors, allocation of rewards and sanctions in the classification process, and conflicts among social actors. Second, the role of classifiers as an agent of social control in disability swimming was examined. Resources used by medical and technical classifiers in the classification process to maintain their role and social order, and the socialization of classifiers in swimming were specifically explored. In addition, the important characteristics of swimming classifiers were identified in the study. Third, classification outcomes in disability swimming were monitored to evaluate the effectiveness of the classification system. Performance and impairment approaches were used in the study. Data of performances and types of impairment of Paralympic swimmers were analysed. The results revealed that the swimming classification system was generally fair but some classes needed to be fine-tuned. In this study elements of the classification model were clarified by integration of the results of the three empirical studies and the classification literature. It is suggested that researchers may use the concepts of the classification model for further investigationin disability sportc lassificationa nd disability sport committees may apply the model to systematicallye valuatet heir own classification systems, processes and classifiers

Determinants of B2C EC Success on Market Performance of Different Sizes of Firms in Taiwan's E-Brokerage Sector

Guided by a financial model, this study is the first to integrate Miles and Snow's (1978) strategic typology as an external industry effect and the resource-based view of the firm as an internal effect to explain market performance of different firm sizes in business-to-consumer e-commerce firms. Factors such as strategy types, CEO commitment to e-commerce, Web site design, and IT system integration capabilities were empirically investigated. Findings showed that prospector strategy utilized by large e-brokers significantly outperformed analyzer, defender, and reactor strategies in online market share. Top managers of small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) should choose defender or analyzer strategies to gain market performance. Large firms indeed outperformed SMEs in online market share. In addition, large firm's CEO commitment to e-commerce, Web site design and IT system integration capabilities and Web age were explanatory factors for online market share but had no effect on both market performances for SMEs. Managerial implications and future study are recommended

Gluon penguin enhancements to inclusive charmless decays of b quark in the 2HDM with flavor changing couplings

We calculate the enhancements to the inclusive charmless decays of b quark, $b \to s g, s q\bar{q}, sgg$, from gluon penguin diagrams induced by the charged and neutral Higgs bosons $(H^{\pm}, h^0, H^0$, and A^0) in the Two-Higgs-Doublet Model with flavor-changing couplings. Within the considered parameter space, the new contributions from charged Higgs boson are dominant. After including the new contributions, the branching ratio $BR(b \to sg)$ (q^2 =0) can be increased form $\sim 0.2$ in the standard model to 4.4% and 2.6% in the two-Higgs-doublet model for $m_{H^+}=100$ and 200 GeV, respectively. The new contribution to the decay mode $b \to s q \bar{q}$ with q=(u,d,s) is, however, numerically small and peaked at the lower q^2 region. The new contribution to $b \to s gg$ can also be neglected.Comment: Latex file, 14 pages with 6 PS or EPS figures. corrected some typos, added new reference

Effects of Ox-LDL on Macrophages NAD(P)H Autofluorescence Changes by Two-photon Microscopy

Ox-LDL uptakes by macrophage play a critical role in the happening of atherosclerosis. Because of its low damage on observed cells and better signal-to- background ratio, two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy is used to observe NAD(P)H autofluorescence of macrophage under difference cultured conditions- bare cover glass, coated with fibronectin or poly-D-lysine. The results show that the optimal condition is fibronectin coated surface, on which, macrophages profile can be clearly identified on NAD(P)H autofluorescence images collected by two-photon microscopy. Moreover, different morphology and intensities of autofluorescence under different conditions were observed as well. In the future, effects of ox-LDL on macrophages will be investigated by purposed system to research etiology of atherosclerosis.Comment: Submitted on behalf of TIMA Editions (http://irevues.inist.fr/tima-editions

A Constitutively Mannose-Sensitive Agglutinating Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Typhimurium Strain, Carrying a Transposon in the Fimbrial Usher Gene stbC, Exhibits Multidrug Resistance and Flagellated Phenotypes

Static broth culture favors Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium to produce type 1 fimbriae, while solid agar inhibits its expression. A transposon inserted in stbC, which would encode an usher for Stb fimbriae of a non-flagellar Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium LB5010 strain, conferred it to agglutinate yeast cells on both cultures. RT-PCR revealed that the expression of the fimbrial subunit gene fimA, and fimZ, a regulatory gene of fimA, were both increased in the stbC mutant when grown on LB agar; fimW, a repressor gene of fimA, exhibited lower expression. Flagella were observed in the stbC mutant and this phenotype was correlated with the motile phenotype. Microarray data and RT-PCR indicated that the expression of three genes, motA, motB, and cheM, was enhanced in the stbC mutant. The stbC mutant was resistant to several antibiotics, consistent with the finding that expression of yhcQ and ramA was enhanced. A complementation test revealed that transforming a recombinant plasmid possessing the stbC restored the mannose-sensitive agglutination phenotype to the stbC mutant much as that in the parental Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium LB5010 strain, indicating the possibility of an interplay of different fimbrial systems in coordinating their expression