Edinburgh Napier University

About: Edinburgh Napier University is a education organization based out in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 2665 authors who have published 6859 publications receiving 175272 citations.

Shoulder and hip roll changes during 200-m front crawl swimming

Abstract: Purpose: To determine accurately the magnitude and changes in shoulder roll (SR) and hip roll (HR) throughout a 200-m maximum front crawl swim and whether SR and HR were associated with swimming velocity (V). Bilateral roll asymmetries and timing differences between SR and HR were also investigated. Methods: Ten male swimmers of national/international level performed a maximum 200-m front crawl swim. Performance was recorded with four below- and two above-water synchronized cameras and four nonbreathing stroke cycles (SC) were analyzed (one for each 50 m). SR and HR were calculated separately. Results: Swimmers rolled their shoulders significantly more than their hips (P < 0.001). V generally decreased during the test, and HR was significantly higher in SC4 than in SC1 (P = 0.001). SR had a negative and significant correlation with V in each SC (-0.663 <= r <= -0.634, 0.037 <= P <= 0.049), with the exception of SC4. Although several roll profiles existed, left-side SR dominance was identified, with swimmers rolling their shoulders significantly more to the left than to the right side (0.000 <= P <= 0.022). Despite individual differences in the timings of maximum SR and HR to the left and right sides, no consistent pattern was found for the group. Conclusion: Separate calculation is required for SR and HR to explore their influence on front crawl swimming. Faster swimmers tended to roll their shoulders less than slower swimmers. The increase in HR as the test progressed is possibly associated with a decrease in stroke frequency and increase in SC duration. Given that all swimmers were right-handed and that SR was significantly greater to the left than to the right side, it seems that factors related to handedness might affect SR symmetry in swimming

Five critical questions of scale for the coastal zone

Abstract: Social and ecological systems around the world are becoming increasingly globalized. From the standpoint of understanding coastal ecosystem behavior, system boundaries are not sufficient to define causes of change. A flutter in the stock market in Tokyo or Hong Kong can affect salmon producers in Norway or farmers in Togo. The globalization of opportunistic species and the disempowerment of people trying to manage their own affairs on a local scale seem to coincide with the globalization of trade. Human-accelerated environmental change, including climate change, can exacerbate this sense of disenfranchisement. The structure and functioning of coastal ecosystems have been developed over thousands of years subject to environmental forces and constraints imposed mainly on local scales. However, phenomena that transcend these conventional scales have emerged with the explosion of human population, and especially with the rise of modern global culture. Here, we examine five broad questions of scale in the coastal zone: (1) How big are coastal ecosystems and why should we care? (2) Temporal scales of change in coastal waters and watersheds: Can we detect shifting baselines due to economic development and other drivers? (3) Are footprints more important than boundaries? (4) What makes a decision big? The tyranny of small decisions in coastal regions. (5) Scales of complexity in coastal waters: the simple, the complicated or the complex? These questions do not have straightforward answers. There is no single “scale” for coastal ecosystems; their multiscale nature complicates our understanding and management of them. Coastal ecosystems depend on their watersheds as well as spatially-diffuse “footprints” associated with modern trade and material flows. Change occurs both rapidly and slowly on human time scales, and observing and responding to changes in coastal environments is a fundamental challenge. Apparently small human decisions collectively have potentially enormous consequences for coastal environmental quality, and our success in managing the effects of these decisions will determine the quality of life in the coastal zone in the 21st century and beyond. Vigilant monitoring, creative synthesis of information, and continued research will be necessary to properly understand and govern our coastal environments into the future.

Environmental air pollution.

Abstract: The effects of air pollution on health have been recognized for many hundreds of years. In London, during December 1952, a particularly bad smog, which involved extreme elevations of both SO 2 and black smoke, was associated with more than 1,000 extra deaths during a 5-d period (1). The majority of the pollution responsible for smogs is derived from the domestic and industrial burning of fossil fuels. The introduction of legislation to reduce the burning of fossil fuels in Britain and elsewhere has meant that the make-up of environmental air pollution has changed considerably. However, the decline in fossil fuel-associated pollutants has been replaced by a steady increase in traffic-associated pollutants such as finer, respirable particulates, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), ozone (O 3 ), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

A rheological description of the water vapour sorption kinetics behaviour of wood invoking a model using a canonical assembly of Kelvin-Voigt elements and a possible link with sorption hysteresis

Abstract: The dynamic vapour sorption behaviour of two Malaysian hardwoods, acacia (Acacia mangium Wild) and sesendok (Endospermum malaccense Bent ex Mull. Arg.) was studied over a narrow temperature range (20-408C). The rate of sorption or desorption of water into or out of the wood cell wall was considered to be limited by the viscoelastic behav- iour of the material and the sorption kinetics was accordingly analysed in terms of a canonical series of Kelvin-Voigt ele- ments. A two series and three series model have been applied to the kinetic data and the results are compared. Character- istic times and moisture contents were obtained from the models. The Arrhenius equation was used in conjunction with the reciprocals of the characteristic times to calculate the activation energy and activation entropy of sorption, and the Gibbs free energy of activation for the sorption process was also determined. This is the first time that entropy of activation and Gibbs free energy of activation for sorption processes with wood have been reported. Interpretation of these data invokes a model describing the polymeric relax- ation processes occurring within the cell wall during adsorp- tion or desorption. A possible link between sorption kinetics, polymeric relaxation processes, and sorption hysteresis is discussed.

Kinematic differences between front crawl sprint and distance swimmers at sprint pace

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to use three-dimensional methods to determine whether there are distinct kinematic differences between sprint and distance front crawl swimmers when swimming at a sprint pace. Seven sprint and eight distance specialists performed four 25-m sprints through a 6.75-m3 calibrated space recorded by six gen-locked cameras. The variables of interest were: average swim velocity, stroke length, stroke frequency, upper limb and foot displacement, elbow angle, shoulder and hip roll angles, duration of stroke phases, and the time corresponding to particular events within the stroke cycle relative to hand entry. Differences between sprint and distance swimmers were assessed with an independent t-test for each variable, in addition to effect size calculations. Differences between sprint and distance front crawl swimmers were generally small and not significant when swimming at a sprint pace. Differences were limited to temporal aspects of the stroke cycle. These findings suggest t...