Reliability of near-infrared spectroscopy for determining muscle oxygen saturation during exercise

Near-infrared spectroscopy is currently used to assess changes in the oxygen saturation of the muscle during exercise. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of near-infrared spectroscopy in determining muscle oxygen saturation (StO2) in the vastus lateralis during cycling and the gastrocnemius during running for exercise intensities at lactate threshold and maximal effort. Test-retest reliability was determined from an intraclass correlation coefficient obtained from a one-way analysis of variance. Reliability of muscle StO2 for the gastrocnemius at lactate threshold was R = .87, and R = .88 at maximal effort. Reliability of muscle StO2 for the vastus lateralis at lactate threshold was R = .94 and R = .99 at maximal effort.     

Abusive histories in youth/young adult students

A survey of a college student population indicates that psycical abuse is prevalent in our society. The self-reported data was found to be similar to that occurring in the literature on parent-reported child abuse, documenting that approximately one-third of college students had a history of moderate abuse and 5 to 10 percent had a history of a severe abuse during their developmental years. Through an awareness of its high prevalence, the health care provider will question a history of physical violence when evaluating a student with a medical or psychosocial complaint and appropriately plan a management program inclusive of therapeutic counseling to decrease the effect of the prior or current physical abuse.     

Effectiveness of the Clinical Supervision Strategy as a Tool for Improving Teaching Quality: Perceptions of South African School-Based Managers and Educators

Research was undertaken to find ways of resolving implementation challenges of supervision and evaluation systems by examining the perceptions of South African school-based managers and educators regarding the effectiveness of the clinical supervision strategy as a tool for improving the quality of teaching in compliance with the total quality management (TQM) principle of empowerment as related to the integrated quality management system (IQMS). The article reports on part of the findings of a formal study designed to investigate the effectiveness of the developmental supervision model as a tool for improving the quality of teaching in Gauteng, South Africa The findings from using a mixed method approach, comprising a quantitative phase in the form of questionnaires and a qualitative phase in the form of three focus group interviews, indicated that the clinical supervision strategy complied with the TQM principle of empowerment, which was perceived to have a positive influence on the quality of teaching. In contrast, the IQMS evaluation process was perceived to lack compliance with empowerment due to characteristics related to the traditional inspection approaches to professional development.     

Experiencing Radio at the Interface: Preserving the Past and Designing the Future of Radio

In this short essay, I discuss various meanings of “interface,” borrowing from fields such as software design, human/computer interaction, and music technology, and I consider ways in which the metaphor of “interface” could benefit the study of radio. As radio shifts from the one-to-many, temporally dependent medium of terrestrial broadcasting to the many-to-many, play-on-demand media of podcasts, Internet radio, and other emerging forms, considering the variety of interfaces at play in radio will help scholars and archivists to study, preserve, and perhaps recreate the phenomenological experience of radio in its various forms and transmutations.     

Geographical migration,psychological adjustment,and re‐formation of professional identity: the double‐culture shock experience of international pharmacy graduates in Ontario (Canada)

The experience of migrants with qualifications in health professions is of significance given current and projected skills shortages in western countries. The situation of pharmacy practice in Ontario (Canada) is unique in demonstrating an unusually high reliance on foreign‐trained professionals. This qualitative study examined the experience of migrant‐pharmacists in Ontario as they enculturate both personally and professionally. In negotiating re‐professionalisation and re‐licensure, these individuals reported instrumental use of professional qualifications to facilitate personal life goals, primary reliance upon mono‐cultural (rather than professional networks), an idealisation of the professional practice environment in their home country, and a diminishing social identification as a pharmacist. Most participants reported lack of engagement with the pharmacist community and a declining interest in their own professional status and development. Participants described a ‘double‐culture shock’ experience: adapting to both a new national and a new professional culture simultaneously. Addressing these issues is of importance in attracting and retaining immigrants with health professional qualifications and to engage them more fully in the professional community and their ongoing professional development.     

The conceptualisation and impact of a post-graduate course in lesson and learning study

ABSTRACT

This paper tells a story about the design, development and impact of a post-graduate Masters-level module aimed at (1) enabling groups of teachers within schools to develop innovative approaches to teaching and learning on the basis of their own Lesson Studies and (2) creating a school network of excellence for Lesson Study in the area as a context for building a cumulative evidence-base, which focuses on identifying and resolving enduring problems of teaching and learning in schools.

The first part of the paper outlines the curriculum for the module and sets the innovative conceptual framework that underpins its design . This framework is innovative because it connects and unifies a number of distinct pedagogical perspectives. It links the methodology of Japanese Lesson Study with Stenhouse’s idea of ‘the teacher as a researcher’ and his ‘process model’ of curriculum development as an alternative to the globally dominant ‘objectives model’. Then in turn, the framework incorporates Marton and Booth’s pedagogical theory of ‘variation’.

The paper argues that linking and fusing Lesson Study methodology with this wider context of pedagogical ideas unambiguously renders teacher research as learning study.     

Role of Calcium-Independent Phospholipase A<Subscript>2</Subscript> VIA in Mediating Neurological Disorder and Cancer

Calcium-independent phospholipase A₂ (iPLA₂) belongs to the group VI family of phospholipase superfamily (PLA₂) that catalyses the hydrolysis of glycerophospholipids at the sn-2 ester bond, producing unesterified fatty acids and 2-lysophospholipids. Research interests on iPLA₂ have not been as significant as those on secretary PLA₂ and cytosolic PLA₂. However, more efforts have been made recently on understanding the expression, regulation and biological function of iPLA₂. iPLA₂ plays important roles in several biological processes, including signal transduction, phospholipid remodelling, eicosanoid formation, cell proliferation, cell differentiation and apoptosis. Modulation of iPLA₂ activity can have prominent effects on cellular metabolism, central nervous system and cardiovascular functions. Thus, dysregulation iPLA₂ can play a vital role in the pathogenesis of several diseases. The aim of this review is to provide the current understanding of the structure, function and regulation of group VI iPLA₂ and highlight its potential mechanisms of action in mediating several neurological disorders and cancer.     

The Role of Campus Traditions in Campus Life at Christian Colleges and Universities

This article presents the preliminary findings of an ongoing Traditions Research Project (TRP) study on the impact of campus traditions on campus life within the context of Christian postsecondary institutions. In this initial phase, the researchers conducted 63 interviews with faculty, student development educators, and staff members, in addition to gathering data from 12 student focus groups at three institutional members of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. In the future, the researchers intend to identify several additional colleges that have tradition-rich environments in order to expand the qualitative database related to this topic. The initial process of data analysis identified three major themes, along with several subthemes, regarding the role of traditions in contributing to campus life. These themes provide valuable information regarding the characteristics of campus traditions, the important role they play in creating and maintaining campus culture, and the role of these events in the lives of participants and institutions. In addition to presenting and discussing the themes and subthemes, the authors provide implications for practice that may be helpful to higher education leaders as they seek to provide meaningful campus traditions that foster students’ holistic development.