Influence of ACTN3 R577X polymorphism on ventilatory thresholds related to endurance performance

The purpose of this study was to verify the association between ACTN3 polymorphism and physiological parameters related to endurance performance. A total of 150 healthy male volunteers performed a maximal incremental running test to determine the speeds corresponding to ventilatory threshold (VT) and respiratory compensation point (RCP). Participants were genotyped and divided into terciles based on the analysed variables. Genotype frequencies were compared through χ² test between lower and higher terciles, with the lowest or highest values of each analysed variable. ACTN3 XX genotype was over-represented in higher tercile for VT and RCP. Odds ratio also showed significantly higher chances of XX individuals to be in higher tercile compared to RR (7.3) and RR + RX (3.5) for VT and compared to RR genotype (8.1) and RR + RX (3.4) for RCP. Thus, XX individuals could attain the VT and RCP at higher speeds, suggesting that they are able to sustain higher running speeds in lower exercise intensity domains. It could result in higher lipid acids oxidation, saving muscle glycogen and delaying the fatigue during prolonged exercises, which could be the advantage mechanism of this genotype to endurance performance.     

大学要努力成为社会先进生产力的开拓者

大学要贯彻和落实“三个代表“的重要思想,在工作中坚持和体现“三个代表“的内在要求,首要的一条就是要始终站在促进社会生产力发展的潮头,成为社会先进生产力的开拓者.为此,要注重人才培养质量,真正培养一批具有知识创新与技术创新的拔尖人才和大批高素质的普通劳动者,为社会生产力的发展贡献力量.同时大学要关注世界科技前沿,大力推进知识创新和科技创新,发挥主力军作用,为社会生产力的发展引路导航.     

Self-Harm: A Challenge for Pastoral Care

Deliberate self-harm (DSH) has received a considerable deal of recent publicity in the press and through the creation of a National Inquiry into Self-Harm and Young People, and there are grounds for believing that it is on the increase. Little is known about how DSH impacts upon schools or how teachers and support staff respond. This paper begins with seven extracts from 34 research interviews undertaken in 2003/4, which illustrate the experiences of DSH in educational contexts. The complex nature of DSH is examined, and the challenges that it poses for pastoral casework, the pastoral curriculum and the school as a community are considered. Issues raised include the need for training and support for teachers, problems of confidentiality and the boundaries between professional and personal involvement. The paper ends by considering the implications for schools that wish to make better pastoral and curricular provision in response to this disturbing phenomenon.     

Educational psychotherapy: an approach to working with children whose learning is impeded by emotional problems

This article describes the theory and practice of educational psychotherapy, an approach to working with children whose learning is hindered by emotional problems. The theoretical foundations in the work of Irene Caspari, Wilfred Bion, Melanie Klein, John Bowlby and D. W. Winnicott are outlined, and the approach is exemplified in two short case studies. The application of this approach in therapeutic story groups is briefly described. The article concludes with some comments on the potential for, and constraints facing, the introduction of educational psychotherapy in schools.     

Factors related to the reporting of childhood rape.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine whether there would be differences in reported versus unreported cases of childhood rape on incident characteristics including life threat, physical injury, identity of the perpetrator, frequency of assault(s), and rates of posttraumatic stress disorder or major depression. METHOD: In a telephone interview, a national probability sample of 4,008 (weighted) adult women was screened for a history of completed rape in childhood. Respondents were also assessed for DSM-III-R diagnoses of major depressive episode and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Three hundred forty-one (8.5%) of these women were victims of at least one rape prior to the age of 18, for a total of 437 completed rapes. Of these 437 rape incidents, 52 (11.9%) were reported to the police or other authorities. RESULTS: Significant differences were obtained between reported versus nonreported cases on incident characteristics, including life threat, physical injury, identity of the perpetrator. Reported cases were more likely to involve life threat and/or physical injury, and were more likely to have been committed by a stranger than nonreported cases. No significant differences between reported and nonreported cases were found concerning whether the rape involved a single incident versus series of events, or rates of PTSD or major depression. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that different characteristics are associated with reported versus unreported cases of childhood rape. Since few cases of childhood rape are actually reported to the authorities, it appears that we may be missing valuable information. Implications for research and clinical intervention are discussed.     

The Accuracy of Dixon’s Formula for Obtaining Critical F-Values

The F-distribution approximation suggested by Dixon was investigated at various combinations of alpha and degrees of freedom. Tabled values were compared with values computed utilizing the suggested formula. The results indicate that while the formula is not useful in all cases, the adequacy of the approximation generally increases as alpha, v₁, and v₂ increase. It is suggested that the approximation may be utilized when certain restrictions regarding alpha, v1, and v2 are met.