Impact of Warrior Poses on Quadricep Muscle Activation

Yoga is an alternative form of exercise that improves health and fitness through the integration of the mind, body, and spirit. The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of three warrior poses on quadricep muscle activity. The null hypothesis stated that no significant differences would be found in quadriceps muscle activation between Warrior poses I, II, and IV. Six college-aged females (average age of 20.67 ± 0.62) with at least two years of experience participated in the study. Surface electromyography (sEMG) was recorded during maximum voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs) of the right and left vastus medialis (VM), and vastus lateralis (VL) to analyze muscle activity. Participants performed the selected poses and held each pose for ten seconds and performed each pose three times. A 60-second break was given between each pose. Results are currently being analyzed for statistical significance. ANOVA repeated tests are currently being conducted to compare quadriceps muscle activation between the selected Warrior poses: I, II, and IV

Implementation of a Human-Computer Interface for Computer Assisted Translation and Handwritten Text Recognition

A human-computer interface is developed to provide services of computer assisted machine translation (CAT) and computer assisted transcription of handwritten text images (CATTI). The back-end machine translation (MT) and handwritten text recognition (HTR) systems are provided by the Pattern Recognition and Human Language Technology (PRHLT) research group. The idea is to provide users with easy to use tools to convert interactive translation and transcription feasible tasks. The assisted service is provided by remote servers with CAT or CATTI capabilities. The interface supplies the user with tools for efficient local edition: deletion, insertion and substitution.Ocampo Sepúlveda, JC. (2009). Implementation of a Human-Computer Interface for Computer Assisted Translation and Handwritten Text Recognition. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/14318Archivo delegad

Capital-Account and Counter-Cyclical Prudential Regulations in Developing Countries

cycles, capital flows, prudential regulation, counter-cyclical policies

RECASTING THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL AGENDA

This paper argues that the agenda for international financial reform must be broadened in at least two senses. First of all, it should go beyond the issues of financial prevention and resolution to those associated with development finance for poor and small countries, and to the “ownership” of economic and development policies by countries. Secondly, it should consider, in a systematic fashion, not only the role of world institutions but also of regional arrangements and the explicit definition of areas where national autonomy should be maintained. These issues should be tabled in a representative, balanced negotiation process. In the area of financial crisis prevention and resolution, a balance must be struck between the need to improve the institutional framework in which financial markets operate and the still insufficient attention to the design of appropriate schemes to guarantee the coherence of macroeconomic policies worldwide, the enhanced provision of emergency financing during crises, and the creation of adequate debt standstill and orderly debt workout procedures. In the area of development finance, emphasis should be given to the need to increase funding to low-income countries. The role of multilateral development banks in counter-cyclical financing – including support to social safety nets during crises – must also be emphasized. The enhanced provision of emergency and development financing should be accompanied by a renewed international agreement on the limits of conditionality and a recognition of the central role of the “ownership” of development and macroeconomic policies by developing countries. Regional and subregional institutions should play an essential role in the supply of “global public goods” and other services in international finance. The required financial architecture should in some cases have the nature of a network of institutions that provide the services required in a complementary fashion (in the areas of emergency financing surveillance of macroeconomic policies, prudential regulation and supervision of domestic financial systems, etc.), and in others (particularly in development finance) should exhibit the characteristics of a system of competitive organizations. The fact that any new order would continue to have the characteristics of an incomplete “financial safety net” implies both that national policies would continue to play a disproportionate role in crisis prevention and that certain areas should continue to be realms of national autonomy, particularly capital account regulations and the choice of exchange rate regimes.

Market, Social Cohesion, and Democracy

This paper offers three guiding principles for a better relationship between the economy and democracy: democracy as the extension of citizenship; democracy as diversity; and democracy as complementary to clear, strong macroeconomic rules. This view, it is argued, implies that economic and social institutions must be subject to democratic political choice. In this context, it analyses the role of both national and international institutions in improving the complementarity of the market, social cohesion and democracy. The central role of economic and social rights serves as the overarching framework for the analysis.citizenship, democracy, social cohesion, market economy, inequality, property rights

The exploitation of children as soldiers in the Philippines : an analysis of issues and challenges in social work practice : a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

This study aims to explore and analyze how social workers directly working with child soldiers perceive the child soldier phenomenon in the Philippines. Specifically, it aims to come up with a picture of the child soldier phenomenon in the country, analyze the various factors or conditions contributory to the participation of children in armed conflict, explore the issues and challenges the child soldier phenomenon poses in social work practice and draw lessons or insights that can contribute to the improvement of current social work practice. This qualitative study used personal interview and instrumental case study methods in data gathering. Selected regional social workers of the government's welfare department, who have handled cases of children involved in armed conflict, served as the main source of information. They were selected through purposive sampling. Likewise, instrumental case study method was used to strengthen and enrich the data gathered using 31 selected case files of child soldiers. The information was analyzed using an ecological and structural framework. This research has shown that the child soldier phenomenon in the country is multidimensional and connected with various factors internal and external to the child. The existence of the phenomenon could not be attributed solely to a single factor but rather to combination of factors in the child's environment, which serve as a cumulative force that pushes the child to participate in the armed group. This study put forth the need for a multifaceted approach in social work practice with child soldier where all systems - micro, meso, exo, macro - in the child's immediate and distant environment are considered in the entire helping process. Likewise, it stressed the need for social work actions that provides not only immediate relief to individual child and her/his family, but also longer-term solutions that targets oppressive and unjust institutional and structural order in the society. It affirmed the importance of transformative social work practice where interventions go beyond mere palliative care and the importance of reflective practice where reflection-in-action is integral to the performance of social work profession

Designer: a tool to design and model workflows

This work presents the methodological and technical issues for the Designer tool in the OBJECTFLOW Workflow Management System. This tool provides to the user the possibility to model and design workflow diagrams from Business Process of a corporation. This project is the result of an industry-university cooperation.Postprint (published version