Short-term optimal load training vs a modified complex training in semi-professional basketball players

This study investigated the effects on neuromuscular performance of a 6-week Optimal Load Training (OLT) and a novel modified Complex Training (MCT) (complex pairs: the same exercise using a moderate and an OL) in basketball players, in-season. Eighteen male athletes were randomly assigned to one of the protocols. Anthropometric measurements were taken to evaluate body composition. Lower- and upper-body maximum dynamic strength, countermovement jump (CMJ), standing long jump (SLJ), 10-m sprint and change of direction (COD) were also assessed. Moderate-to-large strength gains (presented as percentage change ± 90% confidence limits) were obtained for half-squat (OLT: 10.8 ± 5.3%; MCT: 17.2 ± 11.6%) and hip thrust (OLT: 23.5 ± 17.7%; MCT: 28.2 ± 19.0%). OLT athletes achieved likely small improvements in sprint (1.6 ± 1.6%) and COD (3.0 ± 3.2%). Players in the MCT attained likely moderate improvements in COD (3.0 ± 2.0%) and possibly small in SLJ (2.5 ± 4.6%). No protocol relevantly affected CMJ or body composition. An ANCOVA test revealed unclear between-group differences. In conclusion, both protocols increased basketball players’ strength without the use of heavy loads (> 85% 1RM) and without impairing sprint, CMJ and SLJ performance. These findings suggest that basketball strength and conditioning professionals may use either method to counteract strength losses during the season.     

Conservation of historical reinforced concrete structures damaged by carbonation induced corrosion by means of electrochemical realkalisation

Electrochemical realkalisation is a technique aimed at stopping rebar corrosion in carbonated concrete. The alkalinity of the concrete around the rebars is restored, and an environment favourable to the passivation of steel is re-created. The technique is based on the application of a DC current from an anode, placed on the external surface of the concrete, and the rebar. The anode is usually embedded in cellulose pulp soaked with a solution of sodium or potassium carbonate. The rebar and the anode are connected to a DC current feeder, the rebar to the negative terminal and the anode to the positive terminal. The applied current produces alkalinity at the surface of the rebar, while the alkaline electrolyte in which the anode is immersed penetrates from the external surface. In this way the concrete is realkalised, its protective characteristics towards the steel are restored and rebars can return to passive conditions. The treatment is temporary: this feature makes it very attractive in the field of historical buildings and cultural heritage, where the conservation of the original materials and surfaces is often a stringent requirement in the design of the repair. This paper shows the advantages of this technique applied to historical structures by describing the application to a bell tower built in the 1920s. The electrochemical realkalisation treatment was applied to eight columns on the bell tower where a traditional repair (based on the substitution of carbonated concrete with a repair mortar) would have been practically impossible. The application of the treatment followed two steps: initially, a trial was made on two sections of two columns, so as to calibrate the process parameters such as current density, time length and type of anode. Subsequently, the treatment was applied to all the columns. The analyses carried out on the concrete after the application of the treatment showed that the protection to the reinforcement was mainly connected to the alkaline layer produced around the steel, which is expected to prevent further corrosion of the steel.     

Separation by dielectrophoresis of dormant and nondormant bacterial cells of Mycobacterium smegmatis

The dielectrophoretic behavior of active, dead, and dormant Mycobacterium smegmatis bacterial cells was studied. It was found that the 72-h-old dormant cells had a much higher effective particle conductivity (812±10 μS cm⁻¹), almost double that of active cells (560±20 μS cm⁻¹), while that of dead (autoclaved) M. smegmatis cells was the highest (950±15 μS cm⁻¹) overall. It was also found that at 80 kHz, 900 μS cm⁻¹ dead cells were attracted at the edges of interdigitated castellated electrodes by positive dielectrophoresis, but dormant cells were not. Similarly, at 120 kHz, 2 μS cm⁻¹ active cells were attracted and dormant cells were not. Using these findings a dielectrophoresis-based microfluidic separation system was developed in which dead and active cells were collected from a given cell suspension, while dormant cells were eluted.     

The public relations strategy of Alexander Herzen state pedagogical university in St. Petersburg: The dialogue between the heritage and the present of a University

The author begins by outlining the history of Alexander Herzen State Pedagogical University in St. Petersburg, the oldest teacher training institution in the Russian Federation. Given its age (it was founded in 1797) and its location in the historical center of St. Petersburg, the university places its history and traditions at the center of its public relations activities. These activities are the responsibility of a Department of Marketing that has been operating for more than three years. Several public relations activities are outlined. Because the university is a national and public institution, its public relations strategy cannot be overly aggressive.     

Group work: Prospective teachers’ acquisition of transversal competences

The current training model being used in higher education advocates the acquisition of competences aimed at providing students with all-round training that will enable them to tackle their future work responsibilities effectively. This encompasses a number of different competences, most notably the transversal kind, especially in view of the important role they play in shaping the profile of any professional individual. The active learning methods applied to group work have shown to be the most suitable for achieving these competences. From this perspective, and considering their relevance, we present the results of a study that addresses the perceptions held by students from Education Degrees regarding the extent to which transversal competences are acquired by implementing active learning methods. The students perceive group work as a dynamic that teaches them how to be more self-critical and committed to group-oriented tasks, thus encouraging communication skills, personal relationships and motivation. However, a lesser degree of acquisition has been recorded in other equally important competences. As such, it is necessary to promote these learning methods from the start, carefully designing and planning the curriculum structure as well as the tasks to be performed in order to avoid any negative implications that may arise.     

K2 Children's Learning of National Identity in Singapore

In May 1991, a quasi-experimental research study was launched to investigate Singapore K2 children's learning of national identity and the effect of parental involvement in the learning process. A specially designed and pilot-tested 43-item questionnaire was used to interview a sample of 329 K2 children randomly selected from the participating education centres and kindergartens. A 4-week intervention (five 20-min lessons plus one home-based exercise each week) was implemented after the pre-test had taken place in early July 91. The same sample of children was interviewed again in mid August, after the celebration of National Day on 9 Aug 91. The post-test scores showed there was an increase of the awareness as well as fondness of Singapore as their nation among the children in the study. The research design and findings of data analyses are presented and discussed in this paper.     

“So it Takes Extra Time and Effort,Pero, Vale la Pena”: A Bilingual Teacher’s Testimonio Revealing Pedagogical Clarity

The Urban Review - This testimonio examines how a 3rd grade bilingual teacher unpacks the learning process as it relates to her agency in implementing culturally relevant (Ladson-Billings, Am Educ...     

Effects of added elastic tubes on open-chain knee extensor strength training

Attaching elastic tubes (ETs) to resistance training machines can affect the exercise load profile. The purpose of this study was to assess the training effects of added ETs, which were strategically attached to provide additional loads only during the deceleration phase of the knee extension exercise. Twenty-two healthy participants, assigned to either an experimental group (with ETs) or a control group (without ETs), participated in a 12-week strength-training program using a knee extension exercise machine. The acceleration effects were quantified and a method of attaching the ETs to the knee extension machine was developed. The effects of the added ETs were analysed by testing dynamic and isometric maximum contractions at four knee flexion angles (10°, 30°, 50°, and 80°). Analyses of covariance with the initial values as the covariate were used to examine the ET effects. A greater increase in isometric maximum strength was found in the experimental group than in the control group at knee flexion angles of 10° [effect size (ES) = 2.25] and 30° (ES = 1.18). No significant difference in the dynamic maximum strength was found between the groups. The use of ETs increased strength at smaller knee flexion angles with quadriceps that were relatively short.