Factors associated with minimal changes in countermovement jump performance throughout a competitive division I collegiate basketball season

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to assess factors that contribute to countermovement jump (CMJ) performance in women’s basketball athletes. Thirteen female athletes participated and were tested for maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max) and heart rate (HR_max). Athletes were monitored, daily for a total of 21 weeks with heart rate-based wearable devices and CMJ performance and body weight were tested weekly after one day of recovery. 3-jump average height (CMJ_avg), maximum height jump (CMJ_max), and CMJ power (Watts) were calculated and recorded. Playing intensities >85% HR_max, HR_avg, HR_max and training load were averaged for three consecutive days prior to the recovery day. After the season, data was grouped as changes in CMJ power from week one: Large (≤ ?4.39% change), Moderate (?4.4% to ?0.62% change), and Minimal (≥ ?0.61% change) changes. Fixed-effects models revealed a main effect of group (p ≤ 0.05) for CMJ_avg, CMJ_max, VO_2max, weekly percent changes in body weight and for 3-day training load, HR_avg, and playing time at >85% HR_max. When athletes experienced minimal changes in CMJ performance, relative to large changes, they produced greater power, jumped higher, avoided negative changes in weekly body weight, had a greater preseason VO_2max and 3-day average workloads appeared to have an impact on CMJ performance     

The effective reduction of tourniquet application time after minor modification of the CLSI H03-A6 blood collection procedure

Introduction:

The phlebotomists’ procedures are a still source of laboratory variability. The aim of this study was to verify the efficacy of minor modification in procedure for collection of diagnostic blood specimens by venipuncture from CLSI H03-A6 document is able to reduce the tourniquet application time.

Materials and methods:

Thirty phlebotomists were invited to participate. Each phlebotomist was trained individually to perform the new venipuncture procedure that shortens the time of tourniquet release and removal. The phlebotomy training program was delivered over 8h. After training, all phlebotomists were monitored for 20 working days, to guarantee the adoption of the correct new procedures for collection of diagnostic blood specimens. After this time frame the phlebotomists were evaluated to verify whether the new procedure for blood collection derived from CLSI H03-A6 document was effective to improve the quality process by decrease in tourniquet application time. We compared the tourniquet application time and qualitative difference of phlebotomy procedures between laboratories before and after phlebotomy training.

Results:

The overall mean ± SD tourniquet application time before and after this intervention were 118 ± 1 s and 30 ± 1 s respectively. Minor modifications in procedure for blood collection were able to reduce significantly the tourniquet application time (−88 s, P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

The minor modifications in procedure for collection of diagnostic blood specimens by venipuncture from CLSI H03-A6 document were able to reduce the tourniquet application time. Now the proposed new procedure for collection of diagnostic blood specimens by venipuncture could be considered usefulness and should be put into practice by all quality laboratory managers and/or phlebotomy coordinators to avoid preanalytical errors regard venous stasis and guarantee patient safety.     

Initiating running barefoot: Effects on muscle activation and impact accelerations in habitually rearfoot shod runners

Runners tend to shift from a rearfoot to a forefoot strike pattern when running barefoot. However, it is unclear how the first attempts at running barefoot affect habitually rearfoot shod runners. Due to the inconsistency of their recently adopted barefoot technique, a number of new barefoot-related running injuries are emerging among novice barefoot runners. The aim of this study was therefore to analyse the influence of three running conditions (natural barefoot [BF], barefoot with a forced rearfoot strike [BRS], and shod [SH]) on muscle activity and impact accelerations in habitually rearfoot shod runners. Twenty-two participants ran at 60% of their maximal aerobic speed while foot strike, tibial and head impact accelerations, and tibialis anterior (TA), peroneus longus (PL), gastrocnemius medialis (GM) and gastrocnemius lateralis (GL) muscle activity were registered. Only 68% of the runners adopted a non-rearfoot strike pattern during BF. Running BF led to a reduction of TA activity as well as to an increase of GL and GM activity compared to BRS and SH. Furthermore, BRS increased tibial peak acceleration, tibial magnitude and tibial acceleration rate compared to SH and BF. In conclusion, 32% of our runners showed a rearfoot strike pattern at the first attempts at running barefoot, which corresponds to a running style (BRS) that led to increased muscle activation and impact accelerations and thereby to a potentially higher risk of injury compared to running shod.     

A patent portfolio assessment of a Brazilian research university: The case of Universidade Federal Fluminense

Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) are widely acknowledged to be of central importance to research universities worldwide. This article assesses the patent portfolio of Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), which is located in State of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and currently consists of the largest Brazilian research university in terms of the total number of enrolled undergraduate students. More specifically, this study provides robust empirical evidence pointing out that a major university in a developing country is strengthening its patent portfolio by increasing the number of patent applications. In addition, it was also possible to observe that UFF's patent portfolio is dominated by emerging technologies addressing human necessities, such as medical, hygiene, or veterinary products.     

Changes in students’ self-efficacy when learning a new topic in mathematics: a micro-longitudinal study

Educational Studies in Mathematics - Self-efficacy in mathematics is related to engagement, persistence, and academic performance. Prior research focused mostly on examining changes to...     

SCAR分子标记监测菌群中的哈茨木霉

研究目的：开发具有种属特异性序列特征性扩增区域（SCAR）标记物来监测哈茨木霉在其入侵的试验菌群中的定殖和生长,为哈茨木霉应用于生物防治等生态和生物技术中提供支撑。 创新要点：多种木霉属真菌能与各种微观和宏观的生物有机体建立相互作用。利用这些相互作用,木霉可做为原生种群的入侵物种而用于生物防治。本文通过使用试验菌群为研究模型,利用随机扩增多态性DNA（RAPD）技术和序列特征性扩增区域（SCAR）标记物来监测菌群中哈茨木霉的生长状态。 研究方法：利用随机扩增多态性DNA（RAPD）技术,从16个10聚体引物进行多态性筛选,其中1个引物扩增出对应哈茨木霉的条带。对该条带进行克隆测序,并设计5个20-23聚体引物。成功利用引物对2F2／2R2和2F2／2R3278分别特异性地扩增出哈茨木霉BpTloa菌株278bp和448bp的DNA片段。同时,用这两个引物对14个哈茨木霉菌株和几种不同的真菌菌株进行特异性对照试验,也只成功扩增出哈茨木霉菌株。此外,使用真菌DNA混合物和试验真菌群的DNA为模板,采用实时聚合酶链式反应（PCR）对引物对2F2／2R2进行评估。当仅使用100份SCAR标记物或哈茨木霉仅占整个菌群的0．1％时,仍能检测出哈茨木霉。 重要结论：本研究所建立的SCAR分子标记能有效监测菌群中的哈茨木霉的定殖和生长,具有较高特异性、灵敏度和准确度。     

A conceptual framework for unlearning in a homecare setting

Many researchers who have investigated healthcare organizations have indicated that healthcare professionals are likely to be burdened with outdated knowledge. Researchers have argued that knowledge underpins the practices and routines that workers engage in. In some cases, this knowledge is explicit but it may also be embedded in the structure of practices, technological systems, and encoded in the habits and beliefs and assumptions of individuals providing healthcare services. In this paper, we focus on the need for creating an organizational context that enables the questioning of established knowledge, habits, beliefs and assumptions as a prerequisite to identifying inappropriate or obsolete knowledge underpinning and/or embedded in existing practices and routines. The framework is customized and consists of three constituent components: (1) a framework characterizing the lens through which individuals view situations; (2) a framework for characterizing how individual habits change, and (3) a framework for characterizing the manner in which emergent understandings are consolidated into existing knowledge and knowledge structures.     

Teachers Working Cooperatively with Parents and Caregivers when Implementing LGBT Themes in the Elementary Classroom

Many teachers are interested in having a more inclusive multicultural education that includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) themes and gay-themed children's literature; unfortunately, research has found that many teachers do not implement gay themes in their multicultural education curriculum because of fear of criticism from parents and administrators, lack of professional training, and their own negative attitudes. Moreover, the most common topic that surfaces during teacher discussions are concerns over parental objections. This article will detail techniques and strategies when implementing LBGT themes and gay-themed children's literature in the classroom and how to deal positively, cooperatively, and proactively with parents and caregivers.