Integrating Research Proposals Into a Field Seminar: Feedback From Students

Teaching research to social work students continues to be the topic of an ongoing dialog within the profession. The literature suggests that some form of a “real-world” or “hands-on” learning opportunity has many benefits for teaching a subject that students often are reluctant to engage in. Using online survey methods, researchers gathered feedback from graduate students and their field supervisors about their experience of completing a field seminar that integrated an agency-based research proposal as part of the course requirement. Although there were limitations to this approach, many of the same benefits of actually implementing research were reported by students who completed only a proposal.     

Primary teachers’ self‐perceptions concerning implementation of the National Curriculum for science in the UK

This paper reports on selected aspects of data, with special reference to science, derived from a survey of primary school teachers as part of the Leverhulme Primary Project at the University of Exeter.

A national sample of teachers (N = 901) across 152 schools was surveyed in order to ascertain teachers’ perceptions of competence and needs with respect to the new National Curriculum in the UK. Initially, data were collected in relation to ten subject areas and generic teaching skills, with provision made for free‐form responses concerning National Curriculum implementation.

Selected aspects of these data, principally related to the National Curriculum core area of science, were subjected to detailed further analysis and are reported. Variables identified from the survey findings, and of concern to science educators, included early subject specialism, years of teaching and gender. These were probed for relationships and significance. The tension between competing National Curriculum requirements for specialist subject knowledge and generalist teaching skills was explored.

Findings have implications for innovation in approaches to staff development to cater for perceived needs, teacher educators and curriculum alignment.     

Changes in blood lactate and pyruvate concentrations and the lactate-to-pyruvate ratio during the lactate minimum speed test

The aim of this study was to assess the responses of blood lactate and pyruvate during the lactate minimum speed test. Ten participants (5 males, 5 females; mean +/- s: age 27.1 +/- 6.7 years, VO 2max 52.0 +/- 7.9 ml kg -1 min -1 ) completed: (1) the lactate minimum speed test, which involved supramaximal sprint exercise to invoke a metabolic acidosis before the completion of an incremental treadmill test (this results in a ‘U-shaped’ blood lactate profile with the lactate minimum speed being defined as the minimum point on the curve); (2) a standard incremental exercise test without prior sprint exercise for determination of the lactate threshold; and (3) the sprint exercise followed by a passive recovery. The lactate minimum speed (12.0 +/- 1.4 km h -1 ) was significantly slower than running speed at the lactate threshold (12.4 +/- 1.7 km h -1 ) (P < 0.05), but there were no significant differences in VO 2 , heart rate or blood lactate concentration between the lactate minimum speed and running speed at the lactate threshold. During the standard incremental test, blood lactate and the lactate-topyruvate ratio increased above baseline values at the same time, with pyruvate increasing above baseline at a higher running speed. The rate of lactate, but not pyruvate, disappearance was increased during exercising recovery (early stages of the lactate minimum speed incremental test) compared with passive recovery. This caused the lactate-to-pyruvate ratio to fall during the early stages of the lactate minimum speed test, to reach a minimum point at a running speed that coincided with the lactate minimum speed and that was similar to the point at which the lactate-to-pyruvate ratio increased above baseline in the standard incremental test. Although these results suggest that the mechanism for blood lactate accumulation at the lactate minimum speed and the lactate threshold may be the same, disruption to normal submaximal exercise metabolism as a result of the preceding sprint exercise, including a three- to five-fold elevation of plasma pyruvate concentration, makes it difficult to interpret the blood lactate response to the lactate minimum speed test. Caution should be exercised in the use of this test for the assessment of endurance capacity.     

Pre-exercise antioxidant enzyme activities determine the antioxidant enzyme erythrocyte response to exercise

Free radical production increases during exercise and oxidative damage occurs in several tissues. We examined the effects of three different exercise tests on the pattern of change of erythrocyte enzyme antioxidant activities. The tests were a short maximal exercise test, a submaximal prolonged exercise test and a cycling stage during competition. The participants were amateur and professional cyclists with different training statuses and different basal erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities. The maximal test produced no changes in the erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities of amateur sportsmen. The submaximal test, performed at 80% of maximal oxygen uptake, decreased erythrocyte catalase (12%), glutathione peroxidase determined with H₂O₂ (14%) and glutathione reductase (16%); superoxide dismutase activity increased by about 25%. The cycling stage performed by professional cyclists increased erythrocyte catalase (29%) and glutathione reductase (10%) activities. The in vivo changes in glutathione reductase activity were confirmed by in vitro measurements: hydrogen peroxide decreased and the presence of catalase increased the activity of this enzyme. In conclusion, we suggest that the different erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme responses to diverse exercise tests can be explained by the effects of hydrogen peroxide and the superoxide anion on the antioxidant enzyme activities in erythrocytes.     

A comparison of methods to determine maximal accumulated oxygen deficit in running

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare maximal accumulated oxygen deficit (hereafter O₂ deficit) estimated from the methods of Whipp et al. (1986 Whipp, B. J., Ward, S. A. and Wasserman, K. 1986. Respiratory markers of the anaerobic threshold. Advances in Cardiology, 35: 47–64. [Crossref], [PubMed] , [Google Scholar]), Medbo et al. (1988 Medbo, J. I., Mohn, A. C., Tabata, I., Bahr, R., Vaage, O. and Sejersted, O. M. 1988. Anaerobic capacity determined by maximal accumulated O₂ deficit. Journal of Applied Physiology, 64: 50–60. [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), and Hill et al. (1998 Hill, D. W., Ferguson, C. S. and Ehler, K. L. 1998. An alternative method to determine maximal accumulated O₂ deficit in runners. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 79: 114–117. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) to determine whether they agree sufficiently to be used interchangeably. Nineteen moderately to highly trained endurance runners first performed an incremental test to exhaustion for the determination of maximal oxygen uptake ([Vdot]O_2max) and peak treadmill speed, followed by six randomly ordered constant-speed tests at 95, 100, 105, 110, 110, and 120% of peak treadmill speed. All tests were separated by at least 72 h and were performed within 4 weeks. The method of Whipp produced an O₂ deficit estimate that was lower than that derived from the method of Hill or Medbo (bias ± 95% limits of agreement: ?29.6 ± 36.6 and ?26.1 ± 32.8 ml · kg^?1, respectively; P < 0.001). The O₂ deficit did not differ between the methods of Hill and Medbo (bias ± 95% limits of agreement: 3.5 ± 41.6 ml · kg^?1; n.s.). However, poor correlations (0.21 < r < 0.33; n.s.) together with wide limits of agreement between O₂ deficit estimates (70 – 80% of the mean response) clearly question using these methods interchangeably.     

Arm coordination in elite backstroke swimmers

Abstract

In this study, we assessed arm coordination in the backstroke over increasing speeds by adapting the index of coordination originally used in the front crawl. Fourteen elite male backstroke swimmers swam four trials of 25 m at the speeds corresponding to the 400-m, 200-m, 100-m, and 50-m events. The six phases of the arm stroke were identified by video analysis and then used to calculate the index of coordination, which corresponded to the time between the propulsive phases of the two arms. With increases in speed, the elite swimmers increased the stroke rate, the relative duration of their arm pull, and their index of coordination, and decreased the distance per stroke (P < 0.05). Arm coordination was always in catch-up (index of coordination of ?12.9%) because the alternating body-roll and the small shoulder flexibility did not allow the opposition or superposition coordination seen in the front crawl. This new method also quantified the relative duration of the hand's lag time at the thigh, which did not change (～2%) with increasing speed for the elite swimmers. The index of coordination enables coaches to assess mistakes in backstroke coordination, particularly in the hand's lag time at the thigh.     

Development of an accelerometer-based multivariate model to predict free-living energy expenditure in a large military cohort

Abstract

This study developed a multivariate model to predict free-living energy expenditure (EE) in independent military cohorts. Two hundred and eighty-eight individuals (20.6 ± 3.9 years, 67.9 ± 12.0 kg, 1.71 ± 0.10 m) from 10 cohorts wore accelerometers during observation periods of 7 or 10 days. Accelerometer counts (PAC) were recorded at 1-minute epochs. Total energy expenditure (TEE) and physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) were derived using the doubly labelled water technique. Data were reduced to n = 155 based on wear-time. Associations between PAC and EE were assessed using allometric modelling. Models were derived using multiple log-linear regression analysis and gender differences assessed using analysis of covariance. In all models PAC, height and body mass were related to TEE (P < 0.01). For models predicting TEE (r ² = 0.65, SE = 462 kcal · d^?1 (13.0%)), PAC explained 4% of the variance. For models predicting PAEE (r ² = 0.41, SE = 490 kcal · d^?1 (32.0%)), PAC accounted for 6% of the variance. Accelerometry increases the accuracy of EE estimation in military populations. However, the unique nature of military life means accurate prediction of individual free-living EE is highly dependent on anthropometric measurements.     

Sexual dimorphism in the physiques of World Championship divers

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate sexual dimorphism in male (n=43) and female (n=39) springboard and platform divers at the 1991 World Diving Championships in Perth, Western Australia. In addition to recording the age, height and body mass of each diver, measurements were taken of 8 skinfolds, 13 girths, 8 breadths and depths, and 11 lengths. The derived variables were somatotype, sum of 6 skinfolds (SUM6) and height-adjusted proportional z-scores. The mean (±s) values for the males were: age, 22.2±4.6 years; height, 171±9 cm; body mass, 66.7±10.2 kg; somatotype, 2.0–5.3–2.4±0.5–1.0–0.8; SUM6, 45.9 + 11.4 mm. For the females, these values were: age, 20.9±3.8 years; height, 161±6 cm; body mass, 53.7±5.5 kg; somatotype, 2.8–3.8–2.8±0.7–1.0–0.9; SUM6, 65.6±17.0 mm. The males were taller, heavier, more mesomorphic, less endo-morphic and had a smaller SUM6 than the females (P<0.01). A series of discriminant function analyses were applied to groups of variables. Wilks' lambda and the overall F-ratio were highly significant (P<0.001), with correct classification of sex reaching 84–99%. The best combinations of variables were as follows: (1) absolute size, 3 girths + SUM6, or body mass + SUM6 + height (Wilks' lambda=0.17–0.35); (2) relative size, 2 girths + SUM6 + body mass. Combinations of breadths and lengths, skinfolds, or somatotype components, were less successful, with 84–87% classified correctly (Wilks' lambda=0.40–0.48). We conclude that, in addition to the expected absolute size differences, sexual dimorphism between male and female divers can be explained by differences in relative size, skinfolds and somatotype, and that these differences may have implications for coaching and selection in diving.