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The Catholic publishing undertaking in China experienced significant growth in the first half of the twentieth century, both in the scale and in the form of organization. This effort's importance is twofold: for the Church in China back then, publications facilitated communications both inside and outside the Church; for researchers today, these files contain a vast amount of information on Catholic life, valuable for the enrichment of historical understanding. This paper uncovers the internal driving mechanism of this process through three Shanghai general meetings: the Plenary Council in 1924, the All-China General Congress of Catholic Action in 1935 and the Catholic Press Convention in 1947. The co-ordination fostered by these meetings generated resilience and efficiency for publishing activities allowing them to be sustained and to prosper during an unsettling period. The Council heralded cross-congregational and cross-national co-operation by standardizing publishing practices and forming designated central organizations. Inheriting these guidelines, Catholic journalist delegates of the Catholic Action Congress in 1935 gathered to discuss practical methods, leading to a proliferation of Catholic publications. Despite setbacks during the Sino-Japanese War, Catholic publishing quickly resumed following the Press Convention held in 1947, which reinforced collaboration regardless of affiliations through a central organization. The three general meetings not only showcase the historical trajectory of Catholic publishing, but also the constant endeavor to bridge gaps between communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Catholic publishing undertaking in China experienced significant growth in the first half of the twentieth century, both in the scale and in the form of organization. This effort’s importance is twofold: for the Church in China back then, publications facilitated communications both inside and outside the Church; for researchers today, these files contain a vast amount of information on Catholic life, valuable for the enrichment of historical understanding. This paper uncovers the internal driving mechanism of this process through three Shanghai general meetings: the Plenary Council in 1924, the All-China General Congress of Catholic Action in 1935 and the Catholic Press Convention in 1947. The co-ordination fostered by these meetings generated resilience and efficiency for publishing activities allowing them to be sustained and to prosper during an unsettling period. The Council heralded cross-congregational and cross-national co-operation by standardizing publishing practices and forming designated central organizations. Inheriting these guidelines, Catholic journalist delegates of the Catholic Action Congress in 1935 gathered to discuss practical methods, leading to a proliferation of Catholic publications. Despite setbacks during the Sino-Japanese War, Catholic publishing quickly resumed following the Press Convention held in 1947, which reinforced collaboration regardless of affiliations through a central organization. The three general meetings not only showcase the historical trajectory of Catholic publishing, but also the constant endeavor to bridge gaps between communities.

It is estimated that by 2030, 24 million people worldwide will develop cancer, and 13 million will die annually, with 75% of deaths in low- and middle-income countries. The management and effective control of care have not been fully achieved due to a lack of material and human resources exacerbated by poor governance and co-ordination of the services. The study aimed to explore barriers to accessing oncology services for effective cancer care in the public health institutions in Limpopo province. The study was conducted in the five district hospitals in Limpopo province. A qualitative exploratory descriptive and contextual approach was used to collect data that employed focus group discussions amongst healthcare professionals in different disciplines. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to sample participants from various sections contributing to oncology care. Five focus group discussions were conducted at the selected hospitals. The data were analysed using the eight steps of Tesch’s method. The findings revealed that Limpopo province has a shortage of high-technology medical equipment, poor coordination, and a lack of oncological and allied expertise. Governments should ensure that patients receive the care required as stated in the constitution to navigate cancer care pathways to improve patient health outcomes, particularly in rural areas where care is fragmented and poorly financed. Recommendations to support oncology patients involve psychosocial work and palliative care of the multidisciplinary teams to be put forward. The identified barriers regarding oncology care may contribute to changing the departments’ outlook and effective functioning by including interdisciplinary oncology teams at all levels of care.

It is estimated that by 2030, 24 million people worldwide will develop cancer, and 13 million will die annually, with 75% of deaths in low- and middle-income countries. The management and effective control of care have not been fully achieved due to a lack of material and human resources exacerbated by poor governance and co-ordination of the services. The study aimed to explore barriers to accessing oncology services for effective cancer care in the public health institutions in Limpopo province. The study was conducted in the five district hospitals in Limpopo province. A qualitative exploratory descriptive and contextual approach was used to collect data that employed focus group discussions amongst healthcare professionals in different disciplines. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to sample participants from various sections contributing to oncology care. Five focus group discussions were conducted at the selected hospitals. The data were analysed using the eight steps of Tesch's method. The findings revealed that Limpopo province has a shortage of high-technology medical equipment, poor coordination, and a lack of oncological and allied expertise. Governments should ensure that patients receive the care required as stated in the constitution to navigate cancer care pathways to improve patient health outcomes, particularly in rural areas where care is fragmented and poorly financed. Recommendations to support oncology patients involve psychosocial work and palliative care of the multidisciplinary teams to be put forward. The identified barriers regarding oncology care may contribute to changing the departments' outlook and effective functioning by including interdisciplinary oncology teams at all levels of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Health systems are complex, consisting of multiple interacting structures and actors whose effective coordination is paramount to enhancing health system goals. Health sector coordination is a potential source of inefficiency in the health sector. We examined how the coordination of the health sector affects health system efficiency in Kenya. Methods We conducted a qualitative cross-sectional study, collecting data at the national level and in two purposely selected counties in Kenya. We collected data using in-depth interviews (n = 37) with national and county-level respondents, and document reviews. We analyzed the data using a thematic approach. Results The study found that while formal coordination structures exist in the Kenyan health system, duplication, fragmentation, and misalignment of health system functions and actor actions compromise the coordination of the health sector. These challenges were observed in both vertical (coordination within the ministry of health, within the county departments of health, and between the national ministry of health and the county department of health) and horizontal coordination mechanisms (coordination between the ministry of health or the county department of health and non-state partners, and coordination among county governments). These coordination challenges are likely to impact the efficiency of the Kenyan health system by increasing the transaction costs of health system functions. Inadequate coordination also impairs the implementation of health programmes and hence compromises health system performance. Conclusion The efficiency of the Kenyan health system could be enhanced by strengthening the coordination of the Kenyan health sector. This can be achieved by aligning and harmonizing the intergovernmental and health sector-specific coordination mechanisms, strengthening the implementation of the Kenya health sector coordination framework at the county level, and enhancing donor coordination through common funding arrangements and integrating vertical disease programs with the rest of the health system. The ministry of health and county departments of health should also review internal organizational structures to enhance functional and role clarity of organizational units and staff, respectively. Finally, counties should consider initiating health sector coordination mechanisms between counties to reduce the fragmentation of health system functions across neighboring counties.

Background: Health systems are complex, consisting of multiple interacting structures and actors whose effective coordination is paramount to enhancing health system goals. Health sector coordination is a potential source of inefficiency in the health sector. We examined how the coordination of the health sector affects health system efficiency in Kenya. Methods: We conducted a qualitative cross-sectional study, collecting data at the national level and in two purposely selected counties in Kenya. We collected data using in-depth interviews (n = 37) with national and county-level respondents, and document reviews. We analyzed the data using a thematic approach. Results: The study found that while formal coordination structures exist in the Kenyan health system, duplication, fragmentation, and misalignment of health system functions and actor actions compromise the coordination of the health sector. These challenges were observed in both vertical (coordination within the ministry of health, within the county departments of health, and between the national ministry of health and the county department of health) and horizontal coordination mechanisms (coordination between the ministry of health or the county department of health and non-state partners, and coordination among county governments). These coordination challenges are likely to impact the efficiency of the Kenyan health system by increasing the transaction costs of health system functions. Inadequate coordination also impairs the implementation of health programmes and hence compromises health system performance. Conclusion: The efficiency of the Kenyan health system could be enhanced by strengthening the coordination of the Kenyan health sector. This can be achieved by aligning and harmonizing the intergovernmental and health sector-specific coordination mechanisms, strengthening the implementation of the Kenya health sector coordination framework at the county level, and enhancing donor coordination through common funding arrangements and integrating vertical disease programs with the rest of the health system. The ministry of health and county departments of health should also review internal organizational structures to enhance functional and role clarity of organizational units and staff, respectively. Finally, counties should consider initiating health sector coordination mechanisms between counties to reduce the fragmentation of health system functions across neighboring counties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa faces the triple burden of malnutrition, high poverty levels, unemployment, and inequality. “Wicked problems” such as these require innovative and transdisciplinary responses, multi-stakeholder coordination and collaboration, managing complex synergies and trade-offs, and achieving sustainable outcomes. Through qualitative content analysis of national and provincial sector-based policies, we explored the interlinkages between the agriculture, environment, and health sectors in South Africa in the context of sustainable food and nutrition security and the extent to which these interlinkages are integrated into policy and planning. A systemic analysis of the review outcomes was performed to identify its main learning outcome, the status quo in the policy process. The nature of feedback loops was identified, and a leverage point was suggested. The review highlighted that policymakers in the agriculture, environment and health sectors are aware of, and have understood, the relationships among the three sectors. They have also made attempts to address these interlinkages through collaboration and coordination. Unfortunately, this has been met with several challenges due to fragmented sector-specific mandates and targets and a lack of resources for integrated solutions. This creates implementation gaps and unintended duplication of activities, leading to poor service delivery. Transitioning to sustainable and healthy food systems will only be possible after these gaps have been closed and implementation optimization has been achieved. Focusing on meta-level problem-framing, functional collaboration through transdisciplinary approaches, and integrated targets are critical to successful policy implementation and progressive realization of national goals related to sustainable food and nutrition security, unemployment, poverty, and inequality.

The present research is to evaluate the psychomotor skills of kabaddi and kho-kho players in the district of Chhattisgarh. Thirty players from Kabaddi and another thirty from Kabaddi were chosen on purpose for the selected study. Ages of participants were from 18 to 22. The gathered data was calculated using the T-test. The results of this investigation confirmed the obvious differences between kabaddi and khokho players. The following variables were determined to be significant at the 0.05 level. Conclusions have been made, and the study's findings on speed indicate that participants have significant difference in this area. Players with a Kabaddi: Mean score of 7.67 outperformed those with a kho-kho score :6.09 in every way. The end outcome is agility. The study's findings on agility indicate that participants differed significantly in this area. The Kabaddi Mean players (21.20) outperformed the kho-kho Mean (10.64) players. The study's findings indicate that there were substantial differences among players when it came to balance. Players with a Kabaddi Mean of 28.74 outperformed those with a Kho-kho Mean of 10.71. The study's findings indicate that players differed significantly in terms of flexibility. Players with a Kabaddi Mean of 20.16 outperformed those with a kho-kho Mean of 15.66. The study's findings regarding eye-hand coordination indicate that there were substantial differences between players in this area. Kho-kho Mean (21.02) players weren't as good as Kabaddi Mean (22.71) players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Co-ordination assessment plays a pivotal role in evaluating motor function, particularly in adolescents, where impairments can have significant implications for daily activities and overall well-being. By providing standardised benchmarks, the reference value may have a potential effect to identify the optimal co-ordination among ideally developing young adolescents. Aim: To establish normative reference values for the Heel on Shin Test (HST) among healthy young adolescents aged 12-19 years. Materials and Methods: Weighing machine (healthgenie®), Anthropometer, Measuring tape, Stopwatch, other stationary items. The sample size for this test was 110 according to the formula: N=[(1.96*0.13) / (0.025)]2 =110. The anthropometric measurement was then taken for the selected participants. The selected participants were asked to be in supine lying position to perform “heel on shin test”, with eyes open and close for each side simultaneously with both limbs right limb following the left limb. They were instructed to place the heel of one foot onto the knee of the other leg and then slide the heel down the shin from the knee to the ankle and back up to the knee respectively. Results: The mean±SD, GM for HTS_R_EO was (2.39±0.17,2.39), HTS_R_EC was (2.36±0.16,2.35) and for left side mean±SD, GM is HTS_L_EO was (2.44±0.19,2.41), HTS_L_EC was (2.42±0.18,2.41) respectively. Conclusion: The normative values for the HST in adolescents provide crucial benchmarks for assessing motor function. These findings aid in identifying co-ordination impairments [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the problem of expediency of allocating conjunctionless phrases as an independent type of co-ordinate constructions. The main approaches to the consideration of conjunctionless units at the syntactic level of language are outlined. The specifics of the expression of the asyndetic connection in the plane of the phrase compared to the sentence are considered. The main means of connection between the components of a co- ordinate conjuntionless phrase – intonation and the order of constituents are described. Co-ordinate conjunctionless phrases include those that correlate with co-ordinate conjunctional phrases, the components of which are connected with co-ordinating conjunctions «і», «й», «та» or opposite «a». It is found out that at the formal-grammatical level, such asyndetic and syndetic syntaxemes are synonymous, but semantically differ in expressiveness. In addition, extended (polycomponent) and narrowed (two-component) series with homogeneous and heterogeneous constituents are typical for conjunctionless phrases, which in most cases tend to interchange positions. A distinctive feature of the extended series is that the last component can be connected with cumulative conjunction, thus imposing a shade of limitation of the series. Therefore, the set of such specific features represents the highest level of independence and equality between words, which form a co-ordinate conjunctionless phrase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socio-economically, South Africa is a grossly unequal country. For the indigent there is a clear need for legal aid services to enable meaningful access to the legal system as a mechanism to promote greater social justice. This article proposes mechanisms to meet two aims: to promote high-level free legal service provision through much improved coordination between legal service providers; and to inculcate a co-operative and integrated approach to legal aid services for satisfactory standards of legal aid provision. This research has a qualitative focus in contrast to almost all research on legal aid in South Africa, which has concentrated on the expansion of legal aid services quantitatively- ie in terms of increasing the number of clients being assisted. If legal aid service provision is not of an adequate standard, it puts into serious question the value of the service delivery. A high quality and co-ordinated legal aid network is well positioned to act as a conduit for the realisation of legal rights and entitlements for a better standard of living for all. This article proposes various means for a more cohesive legal aid system in South Africa as well as the advantages which such cohesion would inevitably have for both legal service providers and those whom they serve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims The dynamics of plant architecture is a central aspect of plant and crop models. Most models assume that whole shoot development is orchestrated by the leaf appearance rate, which follows a thermal time schedule. However, leaf appearance actually results from leaf extension and taking it as an input hampers our ability to understand shoot construction. The objective of the present study was to assess a modelling framework for grasses, in which the emergence of leaves and other organs is explicitly calculated as a result of their extension. Methods The approach builds on a previous model, which uses a set of rules co-ordinating the timing of development within and between phytomers. We first assessed rule validity for four experimental datasets, including different cultivars, planting densities and environments, and accordingly revised the equations driving the extension of the upper leaves and of internodes. We then fitted model parameters for each dataset and evaluated the ability to simulate the measured phenotypes across time. Finally, we carried out a sensitivity analysis to identify the parameters that had the greatest impact and to investigate model behaviour. Key Results The modified version of the model simulated correctly the contrasting maize phenotypes. Co-ordination rules accounted for the observations in all studied cultivars. Factors with major impact on model output included extension rates, the time of tassel initiation and initial conditions. A large diversity of phenotypes could be simulated. Conclusions This work provides direct experimental evidence for co-ordination rules and illustrates the capacity of the model to represent contrasting phenotypes. These rules play an important role in patterning shoot architecture and some of them need to be assessed further, considering contrasting growth conditions. To make the model more predictive, several parameters could be considered in the future as internal variables driven by plant status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on an experimental investigation of the emergence of Spontaneous Order, the idea that societies can co-ordinate, without government intervention, on a form of society that is good for its citizens, as described by Adam Smith. Our experimental design is based on a production game with a convex input provision possibility frontier, where subjects have to choose a point on this frontier. We start with a simple society consisting of just two people, two inputs, one final good and in which the production process exhibits returns to specialisation. We then study more complex societies by increasing the size of the society (groups of 6 and 9 subjects) and the number of inputs (6 and 9 inputs respectively), as well as the combinations of inputs that each subject can provide. This form of production can be characterised as a cooperative game, where the Nash equilibrium predicts that the optimal outcome is achieved when each member of this society specialises in the provision of a single input. Based on this framework, we investigate whether Spontaneous Order can emerge, without it being imposed by the government. We find strong evidence in favour of the emergence of Spontaneous Order, with communication being an important factor. Using text classification algorithms (Multinomial Naive Bayes) we quantitatively analyse the available chat data and we provide insight into the kind of communication that fosters specialisation in the absence of external involvement. We note that, while communication has been shown to foster coordination in other contexts (for example, in public goods games, market entry games and competitive coordination games) this contribution is in the context of a production game where specialisation is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acquiring good serving skills is prerequisite for placement of special need students undergoing vocational training in hospitality and catering department in vocational school. Many studies have been done on balance and coordination on Down's syndrome and Autistic children, but there are no studies done so far on serving skills in these special need students. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of occupational therapy (OT) program incorporating rehabilitation balance and coordination training exercises in improving serving skills of special need children in catering and hospitality department, as effective serving skills was the prerequisites for securing a placement for internship in the hospitality industry. Study Design: A prospective one-arm interventional study was chosen for the research. Methods: A total of 15 students with special needs in the age group of 17-23 years who were to be graduated and had to secure internships were assessed. The study was conducted from June 2018 to March 2019. All students were assessed on Static Balance Test, Standing on Right Leg Scale (SORL) and Standing on Left Leg Scale (SOLL), and Hand to Wall Toss Test (HTWTT) for coordination. They were also assessed by the teachers' feedback form of serving skills which were recorded pre and post rehabilitation training. After the baseline scores were recorded, Phase 1 exercises of balance and coordination were given separately on stable surface for 12 weeks; first follow-up scores were recorded. Then, Phase 2 exercises started after 12 weeks which included combination of balance and coordination given on unstable surface and after 24 weeks the second follow readings were recorded. Results: An OT intervention exercises in the combination of balance and coordination was given to students on unstable surface to improve the serving skills of the students. At the end of 12 weeks post-exercises training it showed that SORL improved significantly (P < 0.001), 95% confidence interval (8.79-24.70). The SOLL also improved significantly (P < 0.009), 95% CI (7.59-24.14). Even the HTWTT improved significantly (P < 0.001), 95% CI (12.63-18.83); therefore, the training was significantly helpful in improving balance/coordination at the end of 12 weeks. At 24 weeks also post exercises training the SORL improved significantly (P < 0.009), 95% CI (13.34-33.06). The SOLL also improved significantly (P < 0.001), 95% CI (11.10-30.90). Similarly, HTWTT also improved significantly (P < 0.001), 95% CI (15.96-22.44). Therefore, the training was significantly helpful in improving balance/coordination at the end of 24 weeks. Teachers' feedback questionnaire showed significant improvement (P < 0.000), 95% CI (18.81-22.93). Conclusion: This study shows that OT intervention exercises in the combination of balance and coordination exercise given on unstable surface improve the serving skills of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the system of application of European Union coordination regulations on the payment of family allowances. It focuses on comparing selected controlable family benefits, namely parental allowance, to compare the duration of parental leave in the EU Member States between 2010 and 2016 with respect to the Slovak Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mono- and dinuclear ruthenium(II) complexes were synthesised. • Coordination sphere of the complexes controlled by the dicarboxamide ligands. • The ruthenium(II) complexes were active in transfer hydrogenation of ketones. • Catalytic activities influenced by the identity of the ligand backbone and co-ligands. • Monohydride inner-sphere mechanistic route was proposed. Reactions of ligand N,N -(1,4-phenylene)-dipicolinamide (H 2 L1), with [Ru(PPh 3) 3 (CO)HCl] produced the dinuclear complex [Ru 2 (H 2 L1)(PPh 3) 4 (CO) 2 H 2 ]2+[2Cl−]− (Ru1). On the other hand, treatments of ligand N,N -(1,2-phenylene)-dipicolinamide (H 2 L2) , with two and one molar equivalents of [Ru(PPh 3) 3 (CO)HCl] afforded the dinuclear and mononuclear complexes [ Ru 2 (H L2)(PPh 3) 3 (CO) 3 HCl 2 ] (Ru2) and [Ru(HL2)(PPh 3) 2 (CO)H] (Ru3) respectively. The identities and structures of complexes Ru1-Ru3 were established using NMR, FT-IR spectroscopic techniques, mass spectrometry, and elemental analyses. The complexes Ru1-Ru3 displayed high catalytic activities in the transfer hydrogenation of a wide range of ketones. The hydride complex Ru1 was the most active, while the dinuclear complex Ru2 was more active than the analogous mononuclear complex Ru3. 31P NMR spectroscopic analyses of the reaction intermediates was used to propose a monohydride pathway in the transfer hydrogenation reactions involving dissociation of one PPh 3 ligand. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Switching costs and network effects bind customers to vendors if products are incompatible, locking customers or even markets in to early choices. Lock-in hinders customers from changing suppliers in response to (predictable or unpredictable) changes in efficiency, and gives vendors lucrative ex post market power—over the same buyer in the case of switching costs (or brand loyalty), or over others with network effects.Firms compete ex ante for this ex post power, using penetration pricing, introductory offers, and price wars. Such “competition for the market" or “life-cycle competition" can adequately replace ordinary compatible competition, and can even be fiercer than compatible competition by weakening differentiation. More often, however, incompatible competition not only involves direct efficiency losses but also softens competition and magnifies incumbency advantages. With network effects, established firms have little incentive to offer better deals when buyers’ and complementors’ expectations hinge on non-efficiency factors (especially history such as past market shares), and although competition between incompatible networks is initially unstable and sensitive to competitive offers and random events, it later “tips" to monopoly, after which entry is hard, often even too hard given incompatibility. And while switching costs can encourage small-scale entry, they discourage sellers from raiding one another’s existing customers, and so also discourage more aggressive entry.Because of these competitive effects, even inefficient incompatible competition is often more profitable than compatible competition, especially for dominant firms with installed-base or expectational advantages. Thus firms probably seek incompatibility too often. We therefore favor thoughtfully pro-compatibility public policy.

Early childhood education is the basis upon which all levels of education are anchored. The main purpose of this study was to assess co-ordination as a management strategy and its effects on efficacies in the administration of finances in public ECDE centers in Uasin-Gishu County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The sample size was based on Krejcie and Morgan formula. Schools were stratified to their quotas. Furthermore, 224 ECDE teachers, 55 headteachers, 55 SMC chairpersons, 1 QASO, 1 County chief education officer and 1 County auditor were sampled using stratified, simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Data was collected using interviews and questionnaires. The instruments were piloted in Nandi County and Cronbach Alpha coefficient was used to test the reliability of the instruments. Data was analyzed using frequencies, percentages, and Pearson Correlation Coefficient analysis. This study found out that Infrastructural development funds for ECDE schools in the county were mainly from the County government and parents. In addition, the study found a significant correlation between coordination strategies and financial management efficacies. The study recommends that there is need for ECDE management committee to: plan for resources early enough before spending to curb waste. It is hoped that the findings will be of great significance to policy makers on understanding the best strategies which if implemented will promote efficacies in the administration of ECDE funds.

The article presents some essential characteristics of collaboration between the school counselling service and individuals or institutions in the community. The role of school counselling in Slovenia is not limited merely to counselling and providing direct assistance to students with learning and their personal development. Rather, it includes the encouragement of all participants in the educational process to create adequate learning environments. The role, however, should also be understood in broader terms as organizational and content collaboration with external environments, institutions and individuals in the community. The authors begin by proposing some starting points for collaboration between the school counselling service and the local community and, in the second part of the article, they move on to the findings of their empirical research study, conducted on a representative sample of school counsellors working in Slovenian primary schools. The results prove the need for collaboration between the school counselling service and different institutions or individuals in the community. The authors primarily focus on examining the obstacles and drawbacks to the collaboration, while they simultaneously highlight examples of good practice that enable constructive collaboration, without which schools and school-based counselling would not be able to contribute to educational processes. The described examples demonstrate that collaboration between schools/school counsellors and institutions/individuals in the community is crucial to solving the problems that students and their families face.

In this paper, we propose a meta-learning model to hierarchically integrate individual learning and social learning schemes. This meta-learning model is incorporated into an agent-based model to show that Herbert Scarf's famous counterexample on Walrasian stability can become stable in some cases under a non-tâtonnement process when both learning schemes are involved, a result previously obtained by Herbert Gintis. However, we find that the stability of the competitive equilibrium depends on how individuals learn—whether they are innovators (individual learners) or imitators (social learners), and their switching frequency (mobility) between the two. We show that this endogenous behavior, apart from the initial population of innovators, is mainly determined by the agents' intensity of choice. This study grounds the Walrasian competitive equilibrium based on the view of a balanced resource allocation between exploitation and exploration. This balance, achieved through a meta-learning model, is shown to be underpinned by a behavioral/psychological characteristic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been well reported that fatigue is an important factor which hinders performance. The resultant effect of it is loss of co-ordination and efficiency. The main aim of this investigation was to find out the effect of fatigue on muscular coordination among rifle shooters. Ten rifle shooters aged between 22-28 years were selected as subjects. The index of muscular co-ordination was tested with three series. A steadiness tester was used with the diameters of 0.5, 0.31, 0.25, 0.18, 0.15, 0.12, 0.10, 0.09, 0.07 inches and stylus of 0.062. Grip dynamometer was utilized for measuring local fatigue. The results indicated that 50% of rifle shooters were adversely affected by local fatigue of the arm, 80% of the subjects stated alteration in their muscular co-ordination after overall fatigue was induced. It was concluded that performance was substantially reduced when general fatigue was induced compared to local fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background In 2011, the UK physical activity guidelines were updated to include recommendations for muscle strengthening and balance & coordination (at least two sessions of relevant activities per week). However, monitoring and policy efforts remain focussed on aerobic activity. This study aimed to assess differences by gender and age in the a) prevalence of muscle strengthening and balance & co-ordination guidelines, and b) participation in guideline-specific activities. Methods The sample for the muscle strengthening analyses was 10,488 adult (16–64 years) and 3857 older adult (≥65 years) 2012–2014 Scottish Health Survey respondents. The balance & co-ordination analyses used only the older adult responses. Differences by gender and (where possible) age in guideline prevalence and activity participation were assessed using logistic regression and t-tests. Results Thirty-one percent of men and 24 % of women met the muscle strengthening guideline, approximately half that of published figures for aerobic physical activity. Nineteen percent of older men and 12 % of older women met the balance & co-ordination guidelines. The oldest age groups were less likely to meet both guidelines compared to the youngest age groups. Differences by gender were only evident for muscle strengthening: more men met the guidelines than women in all age groups, with the largest difference amongst 16–24 year olds (55 % men compared with 40 % women). Participation in relevant activities differed by gender for both guidelines. ‘Workout at gym’ was the most popular activity to improve muscle strength for men (18 % participated), while swimming was for women (15 % participated). Golf was the most popular activity to improve balance & co-ordination for older men (11 % participated) and aerobics was for older women (6 % participated). Participation decreased in most muscle strengthening activities for both men and women. One exception was golf, where participation levels were as high amongst older men as in younger age groups, although overall levels were low (3 % of all men). Conclusions Physical activity policy should aim to increase prevalence of these ‘forgotten’ guidelines, particularly amongst young women (for muscle strengthening) and older age groups (both guidelines). Gender and age participation differences should be considered when designing population-level interventions.

Modular robots are capable of forming primitive shapes such as lattice and chain structures with the additional flexibility of distributed sensing. The biomimetic structures developed using such modular units provides ease of replacement and reconfiguration in co-ordinated structures, transportation etc. in real life scenarios. Though the research in the employment of modular robotic units in formation of biological organisms is in the nascent stage, modular robotic units are already capable of forming such sophisticated structures. The modular robotic designs proposed so far in modular robotics research vary significantly in external structures, sensor-actuator mechanisms interfaces for docking and undocking, techniques for providing mobility, coordinated structures, locomotions etc. and each robotic design attempted to address various challenges faced in the domain of modular robotics by employing different strategies. This paper presents a novel modular wheeled robotic design - HexaMob facilitating four degrees of freedom (2 degrees for mobility and 2 degrees for structural reconfiguration) on a single module with minimal usage of sensor-actuator assemblies. The crucial features of modular robotics such as back-driving restriction, docking, and navigation are addressed in the process of HexaMob design. The proposed docking mechanism is enabled using vision sensor, enhancing the capabilities in docking as well as navigation in co-ordinated structures such as humanoid robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents some essential characteristics of collaboration between the school counselling service and individuals or institutions in the community. The role of school counselling in Slovenia is not limited merely to counselling and providing direct assistance to students with learning and their personal development. Rather, it includes the encouragement of all participants in the educational process to create adequate learning environments. The role, however, should also be understood in broader terms as organizational and content collaboration with external environments, institutions and individuals in the community. The authors begin by proposing some starting points for collaboration between the school counselling service and the local community and, in the second part of the article, they move on to the findings of their empirical research study, conducted on a representative sample of school counsellors working in Slovenian primary schools. The results prove the need for collaboration between the school counselling service and different institutions or individuals in the community. The authors primarily focus on examining the obstacles and drawbacks to the collaboration, while they simultaneously highlight examples of good practice that enable constructive collaboration, without which schools and school-based counselling would not be able to contribute to educational processes. The described examples demonstrate that collaboration between schools/school counsellors and institutions/individuals in the community is crucial to solving the problems that students and their families face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa faces the triple burden of malnutrition, high poverty levels, unemployment, and inequality. "Wicked problems" such as these require innovative and transdisciplinary responses, multi-stakeholder coordination and collaboration, managing complex synergies and trade-offs, and achieving sustainable outcomes. Through qualitative content analysis of national and provincial sector-based policies, we explored the interlinkages between the agriculture, environment, and health sectors in South Africa in the context of sustainable food and nutrition security and the extent to which these interlinkages are integrated into policy and planning. A systemic analysis of the review outcomes was performed to identify its main learning outcome, the status quo in the policy process. The nature of feedback loops was identified, and a leverage point was suggested. The review highlighted that policymakers in the agriculture, environment and health sectors are aware of, and have understood, the relationships among the three sectors. They have also made attempts to address these interlinkages through collaboration and coordination. Unfortunately, this has been met with several challenges due to fragmented sector-specific mandates and targets and a lack of resources for integrated solutions. This creates implementation gaps and unintended duplication of activities, leading to poor service delivery. Transitioning to sustainable and healthy food systems will only be possible after these gaps have been closed and implementation optimization has been achieved. Focusing on meta-level problem-framing, functional collaboration through transdisciplinary approaches, and integrated targets are critical to successful policy implementation and progressive realization of national goals related to sustainable food and nutrition security, unemployment, poverty, and inequality., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

In order to be successful in a given environment a plant should invest in a vein network and stomatal distribution that ensures balance between both water supply and demand. Vein density (Dv) and stomatal density (SD) have been shown to be strongly positively correlated in response to a range of environmental variables in more recently evolved plant species, but the extent of this relationship has not been confirmed in earlier diverging plant lineages. In order to examine the effect of a changing atmosphere on the relationship between Dv and SD, five early-diverging plant species representing two different reproductive plant grades were grown for seven months in a palaeo-treatment comprising an O2:CO2 ratio that has occurred multiple times throughout plant evolutionary history. Results show a range of species-specific Dv and SD responses to the palaeo-treatment, however we show that the strong relationship between Dv and SD under modern ambient atmospheric composition is maintained following exposure to the palaeo-treatment. This suggests strong inter-specific co-ordination between vein and stomatal traits for our study species even under relatively extreme environmental change. This co-ordination supports existing plant function proxies that use the distance between vein endings and stomata (Dm) to infer plant palaeo-physiology.

The results of research of physiological intensity of exercises of table tennis are presented. 36 students of basic group took part in research (age 17-19 years). Exercises were used with a ball and racket, teaching applied on the initial stage. Registration of frequency of heart-throbs was carried out each 5 seconds by the monitor of cardiac rhythm of Garmin Forerunner 305. The reactions of the cardiovascular system of organism of students and indexes of intensity of loading are certain. Classification of exercises is offered on the level of coordinating complication. The orientation of loading and its dependence is analysed on coordinating complication of motive task. It is set that physiological intensity of exercises of table tennis with the «low» and «middle» level of coordinating complication is characterized the aerobic orientation of loading.

The features of the special physical training of archers are considered from a bow on the stage of the specialized base training. To research 45 sportsmen (24 youths and a 21 girls) were brought over from the anchorwomen of sporting schools of Ukraine (Lvov, Kharkov). Testing of leading physical qualities is conducted for archery. It is set that the special physical training of sportsmen is characterized prevailing of displays of power qualities. It is not discovered differences for the displays of co-ordinating capabilities (complex display, feelings of the bow) and separate power qualities (force of bow, multiple traction of bow) on gender features. It is set that skilled sportsmen do not show the proper level of contiguous development of co-ordinating and power qualities. Recommended for the training process of skilled sportsmen is an increase of volume of exercises with the directed development of co-ordinating capabilities.

A question is considered about the necessity of the use of factor of co-ordinating inclination to swimming locomotion by lower extremities. The criterion of differentiation of process of the elementary training swimming of students is indicated. The features of inclinations of students are certain to mastering of method of swimming. These features of ontogenetic show up in form bear dynamic and kinematics inclinations. They are related to two types of formation of motive forces in swimming: shake and shove. Described and recommended one choice of sporting methods of swimming (breast-stroke or crawl).

Despite the sustained effort of about forty years to analyze Subjacency, to date, there has been no principled account, with the most recent attempts faring not much better than the initial proposals. It is also significant that the seeming arbitrariness of Subjacency has been used to argue that syntax could not have evolved gradually: One does not see why evolution would target a grammar with Subjacency, when its contribution to grammar is not transparent, let alone its contribution to survival. As put in Lightfoot (1991), “Subjacency has many virtues, but … it could not have increased the chances of having fruitful sex”. This article turns the argument around, and proposes that subjecting syntax to a gradualist evolutionary approach can in fact shed light on the existence of Subjacency effects. It thereby offers a reconstruction of how communicative benefits may have been involved in shaping the formal design of language.

In order to be successful in a given environment a plant should invest in a vein network and stomatal distribution that ensures balance between both water supply and demand. Vein density (Dv) and stomatal density (SD) have been shown to be strongly positively correlated in response to a range of environmental variables in more recently evolved plant species, but the extent of this relationship has not been confirmed in earlier diverging plant lineages. In order to examine the effect of a changing atmosphere on the relationship between Dv and SD, five early-diverging plant species representing two different reproductive plant grades were grown for 7 months in a palaeo-treatment comprising an O2:CO2 ratio that has occurred multiple times throughout plant evolutionary history. Results show a range of species-specific Dv and SD responses to the palaeo-treatment, however, we show that the strong relationship between Dv and SD under modern ambient atmospheric composition is maintained following exposure to the palaeo-treatment. This suggests strong inter-specific coordination between vein and stomatal traits for our study species even under relatively extreme environmental change. This co-ordination supports existing plant function proxies that use the distance between vein endings and stomata (Dm) to infer plant palaeo-physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the necessary mechanisms for coordination in complex industrial networks which are temporary in nature, known as temporary organisations (TOs). Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on two in-depth case studies conducted in the UK construction industry. Findings – The paper outlines the necessary mechanisms for coordination in TOs – referred to as “scaffolding practices” – which ensure consistency (stability in terms of thinking and action), consensus (agreement) and co-constitutiveness (personal pledges and commitments). Research limitations/implications – The study provides practical implications for situations where actors create temporary organisational specific logics. This “logic” helps explain how actors are able to undertake tasks of finite duration where members lack familiarity and have competing loyalties. Originality/value – The paper is novel in that it represents the first extant attempt to examine “temporary industrial organizations” where individuals from different (often competing) organisations collaborate on a task for a defined period and suggests how coordination may be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hungarian company structure in the meat industry is very different from the structures in the major meat industrial EU countries. While in the latter ones the concentration and specialization have strengthened, in Hungary these processes did not happen or in just a limited way. Therefore the Hungarian companies face handicaps concerning economies of scale and specialization compared to the EU companies.