Interdisciplinary therapy changes superoxide dismutase activity and adiponectin in obese adolescents: a randomised controlled trial

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of interdisciplinary therapy in the parameters of the oxidative stress and the anti-inflammatory responses of obese adolescents. We selected 57 participants, who were randomly divided into 2 groups: interdisciplinary therapy group and a control group. After 6 months of intervention, 17 participants of the interdisciplinary therapy group and 8 of the control group returned for re-evaluation. The interdisciplinary therapy group participated in a treatment with 4 weekly sessions of exercise, a weekly group therapy session and a weekly nutritional education session. Blood parameters of oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory response were evaluated. The results demonstrated that there were significant increases in the interdisciplinary therapy group for superoxide dismutase activity (6.56 ± 3.22 to 11.40 ± 7.49) and ferric-reducing antioxidant potential concentration (532.91 ± 106.48 to 573.25 ± 112.57), although adiponectin levels did not reduce (40.9 ± 29.34 to 49.05 ± 41.22). A significant decrease in nitrite levels was also found (14.23 ± 8.48 to 11.45 ± 6.05). In the control group, significant reduction was found in adiponectin (31.56 ± 18.88 to 18.01 ± 11.66). This study suggests that interdisciplinary therapy for 6 months was effective in improving the anti-inflammatory responses and the antioxidant defences in obese adolescents.     

A comparison of special education teacher and psychologist scoring of the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test

Ten learning disabilities resource room teachers were provided with inservice training in the administration of the Bender visual Motor Gestalt Test (BVMGT) and the Koppitz (1964) scoring system. Following this training the teachers administered the BVMGT to students in grades 1–6 and scored each protocol using the Koppitz scoring system. Two certified school psychologists then independently scored a random selection of teacher-administered and scored BVMGT protocols. Results of these ratings were used to analyze the interrater consistencies for the groups of raters. The reported correlations between teachers and school psychologists compared favorably to correlations between school psychologists as well as to interrater reliabilities reported in the literature. The results of this investigation indicate that the Koppitz scoring system may be reliably used by special education teachers who are provided appropriate inservice training.     

Horizontal ground reaction forces to stationary running performed in the water and on dry land at different physiological intensities

The aim of the present study was to compare the peak anterior–posterior (Fy) and medio–lateral (Fx) ground reaction forces (GRFs) of women performing stationary running at different intensities in aquatic and dry land environments. Fourteen young women performed the stationary running exercise at three cadences (first ventilatory threshold, second ventilatory threshold and maximum effort, as determined during exercise in water) in aquatic and dry land environments. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyse the data (α?=?.05). As a result, significantly lower peak Fy anterior, Fy posterior, Fx medial and Fx lateral values were observed for the aquatic environment, except for the Fy posterior at the first ventilatory threshold. Significant differences were observed between cadences in the peak Fy anterior, Fy posterior, Fx medial and Fx lateral values, with higher values for the cadence corresponding to maximum effort compared to the first ventilatory threshold, except for the Fy posterior and Fx medial in the aquatic environment. The results indicate that the horizontal GRFs are reduced in the aquatic environment and depend on the intensity of stationary running exercise performance.     

Hatching Butterflies and Other Mysteries: A Story of a Teacher Learning to “Let Go”

As a teacher deals with the frustrations of classroom management and her fears concerning control, she finds what it means to let go to the process of living and learning with young children. Her method of dealing with issues of classroom community involves teacher reflection on action, listening to stories of children, and telling stories of her own.     

Peers and Spheres of Influence: Situating Rob Kling

In this article we employ a number of bibliometric techniques to capture Rob Kling's intellectual impact and influences over the course of his varied career. We analyze his many publications in terms of type, topic, impact, and rate of co-authorship. We provide a detailed deconstruction of his citation identity (all those scholars whom he cited) and also his citation image makers (all those scholars who cited his work). In addition, we analyze acknowledgment data to gain deeper insights into the sociocognitive networks that sustained, and were sustained by Kling throughout his career.     

Gender-inclusive science teaching: A feminist-constructivist approach

The underrepresentation of women in science is an extensively studied yet persistent concern of our society. Researchers have identified numerous educational and social factors thought to be responsible for this underrepresentation (Kahle, 1990a; Kelly, 1987). One of the dominant explanations, used by many researchers for years to discuss gender differences in science and mathematics achievement as well as interest, has been the differences in the cognitive abilities of men and women. This explanation, however, has been discarded in recent years (Linn & Hyde, 1989; Linn 1990). On the basis of their meta-analyses of various studies. Linn and Hyde (1989) concluded that gender differences in cognitive skills have declined and those that remain are largely explained by experiential differences. Women may not have different cognitive abilities, but they may have a different way of learning rooted in their role in society. The epistemic differences between men and women stemming from their standpoint in life can help us understand their differential interaction with the nature of science, and hence their participation in the field. In the following section, we will briefly discuss the feminist critique of science and extend the implication to science education.     

An innovative academic seminar model

This paper describes a collaboration between an urban antipoverty agency, Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD), and a private higher education institution, Lesley College. This collaboration is providing a bachelor's degree program for adults associated with human service agencies. The introductory course, which is the focus of this paper, served to validate the students' experiential learning, helped them gain needed skills, and empowered them to make positive changes in both their perceptions and behaviors. Within a remarkable short period, the individuals in this group made significant changes in their lives. The program described can serve as a model in creating nontraditional partnerships to address the needs of underserved adult populations.     

Identifying individual- and family-level coping strategies as sources of resilience and thriving for undocumented youth of Mexican origin

Drawing from resilience theory, we explored the strategies that Mexican immigrant youth used to cope with stressors from being undocumented. On the basis of semi-structured interviews with 30 high school students who emigrated from Mexico to the United States, we identified several stressors from being undocumented, including having limited opportunities, fear of deportation, and exposure to negative reminders of their undocumented status. To manage such stressors, students utilized individual coping strategies (e.g. diversion, reframing, normalizing). In addition, the families of undocumented youth employed various coping strategies to help buffer their children against stressors from being undocumented (e.g. protecting the family unit, positive future, emotional support, limited communication). From our findings, we developed a preliminary model that describes the stress and coping of the undocumented youth in this study, which can extend past theorizing on resilience and thriving, as well as inform the design of community-based programs and policies for undocumented youth and their family.