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Purpose: Past literature has suggested that benign joint hypermobility is related to reduced strength, reduced proprioception and greater risk of musculoskeletal injury. This study aimed to determine any relationship between benign joint hypermobility and hand grip strength in young adults. Methods: A convenience sample of 12 adults aged 18–35 were tested for joint hypermobility using the nine-point Beighton Hypermobility Criteria. Their hand grip strength was also tested using a dynamometer. To achieve 0.8 power and < 0.05 significance, 120 participants were required. Results: The results determined that benign joint hypermobility and hand grip strength were not related. Many participants demonstrated hypermobility in joints other than those tested by the Beighton criteria. Conclusion: Benign joint hypermobility, according to the Beighton criteria, and hand grip strength were not related. Hypermobility of the shoulders and interphalangeal joints were not assessed, and these joints may be hypermobile even when an individual's results are negative by the Beighton criteria.

Background: Plantar fasciitis, the impairments include pain, changed skin blood flow (SBF) and temperature, changed plantar fascia (PF) and flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) thickness, and affected foot function index. However, the association is still unknown.

Objective: The study aimed to determine the association among pain, SBF and temperature, PF and FDB thickness, and foot function index in individuals with plantar fasciitis.

Methods: Thirty-two individuals with unilateral plantar fasciitis were interviewed for demographic data and assessed for pain at the first step in the morning (Pain${}_m$), pain at rest (Pain${}_r$), and pain at 80 N/cm² pressure (Pain${}_{80}$) by visual analog scale (VAS), SBF, and skin temperature (ST) by laser dropper flowmetry (LDF), PF and FDB thickness by ultrasound imaging (USI), and foot function by foot functional index (FFI). The association was analyzed by the Spearman correlation coefficient.

Results: A significant correlation was found among Pain${}_m$ and Pain${}_r$, Pain${}_{80}$, SBF, PF, and FFI. Pain${}_r$ was correlated with SBF, and FFI. Pain${}_{80}$ was also correlated with FFI. SBF was correlated with ST and FFI.

Conclusions: The association among pain, PF thickness, and FFI was reported in individuals with plantar fasciitis, which can be meaningful relationship between clinical outcomes and ultrasonographic evidence.

In recent years, human support robots have been receiving attention. Especially, object recognition task is important in case that people request the robots to transport and rearrange an object. We consider that there are four necessary properties to recognize in domestic environment as follows. (1) Robustness against occlusion. (2) Fast recognition. (3) Pose estimation with high accuracy. (4) Coping with erroneous correspondences. As conventional object recognition methods using 3-dimensional information, there are model-based recognition methods such as the SHOT and the Spin Image. The SHOT and the Spin Image do not satisfy all four properties for the robots. Therefore, to satisfy the four properties of recognition, we propose a 3-dimensional object recognition method by using relationship of distances and angles in feature points. As per our approach, the proposed method achieves to solve problems of conventional methods by using not only the feature points but also relationship between feature points. To achieve this purpose, firstly, the proposed method uses a curvature as a feature in a local region. Secondly, the proposed method uses points having high curvature as feature points. Finally, the proposed method generates a list by listing relationship of distances and angles between feature points and matches lists.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) is a noninvasive, economic, and convenient detecting tool in myocardial ischemia (MI), and its clinical appearance is mainly exhibited by ST-T complex changes. Recently, QRS complex characters in detecting MI were proposed by an increasing number of researchers. In this paper, various QRS complex characters were extracted in ECG, and their relationship was analyzed systematically. As a result, these characters were divided into two groups, and there was good correlation among them in each group, while the correlation between the groups was poor. Finally, these QRS complex characters were applied to myocardial ischemia, and five characters had significant differences after 59 normal ECG recordings verification, which were: QRS upward and downward slopes, transient heart rate, angle R and angle Q in a triangle QRS. Experimental results showed it was apparent that the trend changes of these five characters when MI events occurred were consistent with their relationship. The conduction velocity of action potentials in ventricular depolarization is slower in MI states than in normal states.

The aim of our study is to analyse competitive dynamics in an emerging sector of the wider agri-food industry, namely the fresh-cut business (fruit and vegetable products that are minimally processed and ready to eat). Our work is based on case study research. We propose an interpretive model that we term the cognitive-relational framework. Our framework explains the development dynamics of the emergent fresh -cut business and outlines structural links among resources, relationships, and innovation processes, which are basic and critical elements for the continued growth of the traditional agri-food industry.

Our proposed cognitive-relational approach allowed us to understand how the studied firms radically transformed the ways they manage their business and develop new products. Using this approach, we now understand why these firms have become market leaders in this innovative sector of the food industry.

The aim of this paper is to review and analyse the connection of entrepreneurship with open innovation (OI) through a systematic literature review (SLR) over the 2003–2022 period. To this end, a sample of 152 articles obtained through a systematic process was used. This SLR provides analytical data on the studies that were processed and identifies different areas and levels of study such as the spatial, institutional, firm, individual, and organisational levels relating to the relationship between entrepreneurship and OI. The review concludes with a discussion of the results and with the presentation of the main conclusions along with contributions aimed at scholars and practitioners and provides insights for future research.

The corona virus outbreak, which originated in China, has infected lakhs of people. Its spread has left businesses around the world counting costs. The corona virus is going global, and it could bring the world economy to a standstill. COVID-2019 that began in the depths of China’s Hubei province is spreading rapidly, persuading the World Health Organization to declare it as a pandemic. There are now significant outbreaks from South Korea to Italy and Iran, from America to Britain. The ongoing spread of the new corona virus has become one of the biggest threats to the global economy and financial markets. The economic impact of the COVID-2019 pandemic has introduced extraordinary volatility in global financial markets, as participants are obliged to reassess their valuations of all investments and associated derivatives as the situation develops. In an environment where uncertainty makes it unusually hard to price assets and for market-makers to operate, exchanges are providing the only way to establish consensus on these valuations in real time. Volatility has reached levels comparable with the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, with one-day losses not seen since 1987. The situation is made more challenging by high levels of indebtedness and already low interest rates. The financial markets are all integrated into one as global markets in the current era of globalization. It is important that financial markets remain able to perform their role — providing investors with liquidity, facilitating price discovery, and allowing for risk transfer and the transmission of monetary policy. This study aims at examining the performance of the selected Asian stock markets amidst the times of COVID-2019. This study intends to examine the interlinkages of Asian stock markets selected and to observe the impact of COVID-2019 on these markets. The period of study is from 1st December, 2019 to 31st March, 2020. The tools adopted for the study are correlation, regression, ANOVA and paired sample $t$ test.

Industry 4.0 though launched less than a decade ago, has revolutionized the way technologies are being used. It has found its application in almost every field of manufacturing, cybersecurity, health, banking, and other services. Industry 4.0 is heavily dependent on interconnectivity and data. Machine learning (ML) acts as a foundation for building industry 4.0 applications. In this paper, we have provided a broad view of how ML is necessary to accomplish the benefits of industry 4.0. The paper includes ML usage in companies and the limitations of ML, which need to be mitigated. There are also some instances of the failure of ML algorithms and their repercussions. Though industry 4.0 requires a lot more inputs and capital than normal processes, the long-run benefits outweigh the initial costs. ML is gaining popularity, and extensive research is happening to exploit its potential and develop full smart applications.

The aim of this chapter is to refine some questions regarding AI, and to provide partial answers to them. We analyze the state of the art in designing intelligent systems that are able to mimic human complex activities, including acts based on artificial consciousness. The analysis is performed to contrast the human cognition and behavior to the similar processes in AI systems. The analysis includes elements of psychology, sociology, and communication science related to humans and lower level beings. The second part of this chapter is devoted to human-human and man-machine communication, as related to intelligence. We emphasize that the relational aspects constitute the basis for the perception, knowledge, semiotic and communication processes. Several consequences are derived. Subsequently, we deal with the tools needed to endow the machines with intelligence. We discuss the roles of knowledge and data structures. The results could help building "sensitive and intelligent" machines.

This exploratory study identifies relationships between mathematics anxiety and test anxiety and analyses whether boys show greater mathematics anxiety and test anxiety than girls among 621 Secondary 2 students. Mathematics anxiety was measured using the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Anxiety Scale (MAS) (Fennema & Sherman, 1978) which consisted of 12 items while Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) was adopted for assessing test anxiety. The results showed a relationship between mathematics anxiety and test anxiety with a correlation coefficient of 0.39. The girls had significantly higher mathematics anxiety than boys, but there was no evidence that the girls had higher test anxiety than boys.

Based on proposals by both established marketing and customer relationship management (CRM) theories, this chapter seeks to present concise and objective analyses, which recommend them, their characteristics, implications, and recommendations to facilitate the work of the managers and prevent them from wasting resources. So, the manager is invited to reflect on the best way to use the concepts proposed to facilitate the work of management. It follows stating that there is no absolute standard and only one way to manage the marketing and CRM in a company, leaving him to reflect and think how to adapt to the market where he operates, as well as what is the most effective way of using these theories.

This chapter closes the book with a personal perspective that addresses issues directly related to the sentiments of cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead who said, “If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognise the whole gamut of human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social fabric, one in which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place.”

Like a handwoven tapestry, it is hoped that you will find inspiration, beauty, and wisdom woven through these words and images. We acknowledge they are formed by human hands, meaning there will be imperfections as well. Using the Mereon Matrix as the loom, these strands are ideas that when woven together reveal connections that let you think about how conscience arises, and leads to the blossoming of conscious awareness. A perspective is presented regarding why only in the presence of coherence and human willingness to act does that which we consider ‘Divine’ willingly participate in the work of regeneration. This chapter’s design uses the natural scaling of the golden ratio to further define the relationship between a system’s ‘invironment’, and its local and global environments, its micro and macro field of ‘Consciousness’.

Like our understanding of everything, including the Mereon Matrix, these thoughts are subject to time and these ideas will most surely evolve.

A major contributing factor to the inefficiency in the construction industry is the adversarial relationships that exist within the industry. The strategic importance of relationship style contracting is hence getting recognized. Both public and private sector clients are stipulating more integrated and collaborative forms of procurement. The avoidance of traditional business-as-usual thinking and effective participation in relationship development have the potential to significantly enhance project outcomes. This chapter is limited to non-contractual agreement and behaviours, which are not defined in the contractual documents. Because contracting parties can practice to a different extent according to their will, non-contractual agreements and behaviours can better demonstrate the shared perceptions regarding practices that affect relationships in construction projects. This chapter adopts the concept of psychological contract (PC), which is defined as “individual beliefs in reciprocal obligations between employees and employers” and, refers to unwritten agreements and behaviours between a construction firm and its upstream or downstream procurement partners. This paper aims to investigate the impacts of contracting parties’ relationships arising from PC in two distinct procurement systems, including the upgrading project of Beijing Subway Lines 1 and 2 and the improvement project of Fuk Man Road Nullah in Sai Kung, Hong Kong. The Beijing project was procured traditionally while the Hong Kong project adopted the Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC) Option C of New Engineering Contract (i.e. a collaborative contracting approach). Regardless of the procurement methods, findings suggest PCs are present in construction delivery teams.