Post-exercise ingestion of a unique, high molecular weight glucose polymer solution improves performance during a subsequent bout of cycling exercise

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of post-exercise ingestion of a unique, high molecular weight glucose polymer solution, known to augment gastric emptying and post-exercise muscle glycogen re-synthesis, on performance during a subsequent bout of intense exercise. On three randomized visits, eight healthy men cycled to exhaustion at 73.0% (s = 1.3) maximal oxygen uptake (90 min, s = 15). Immediately after this, participants consumed a one-litre solution containing sugar-free flavoured water (control), 100 g of a low molecular weight glucose polymer or 100 g of a very high molecular weight glucose polymer, and rested on a bed for 2 h. After recovery, a 15-min time-trial was performed on a cycle ergometer, during which work output was determined. Post-exercise ingestion of the very high molecular weight glucose polymer solution resulted in faster and greater increases in blood glucose (P < 0.001) and serum insulin (P < 0.01) concentrations than the low molecular weight glucose polymer solution, and greater work output during the 15-min time-trial (164.1 kJ, s = 21.1) than both the sugar-free flavoured water (137.5 kJ, s = 24.2; P < 0.05) and the low molecular weight glucose polymer (149.4 kJ, s = 21.8; P < 0.05) solutions. These findings could be of practical importance for athletes wishing to optimize performance by facilitating rapid re-synthesis of the muscle glycogen store during recovery following prolonged sub-maximal exercise.     

The effects of computer-assisted instruction and locus of control upon preservice elementary teachers' acquisition of the integrated science process skills

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) versus a text mode of programmed instruction (PI), and the cognitive style of locus of control, on preservice elementary teachers' achievement of the integrated science process skills. Eighty-one preservice elementary teachers in six sections of a science methods class were classified as internally or externally controlled. The sections were randomly assigned to receive instruction in the integrated science process skills via a microcomputer or printed text. The study used a pretest-posttest control group design. Before assessing main and interaction effects, analysis of covariance was used to adjust posttest scores using the pretest scores. Statistical analysis revealed that main effects were not significant. Additionally, no interaction effects between treatments and loci of control were demonstrated. The results suggest that printed PI and tutorial CAI are equally effective modes of instruction for teaching internally and externally oriented preservice elementary teachers the integrated science process skills.     

The stroke has only a minor influence on direction consistency in golf putting among elite players

In the golf instructional literature, the putting stroke is typically given higher priority than green reading and aiming. The main purpose of this study was to assess the importance of the putting stroke for direction consistency in golf putting. Kinematic stroke parameters were recorded from 71 elite golf players (mean handicap = 1.8, s = 4.2) on 1301 putts from about 4 m. Of the different factors deciding stroke direction consistency, face angle was found to be the most important (80%), followed by putter path (17%) and impact point (3%). This suggests that improvements in consistency of putter path and impact point will have very little effect on overall putting direction consistency and should not be prioritized in the training of elite players. In addition, mean stroke direction variability for an elite player (European Tour) was found to be 0.39 degrees, which is good enough to hole about 95% of all 4-m putts. In practice, however, top professionals in tournaments only hole about 17% of 4-m putts. We conclude that the putting stroke of elite golfers has a relatively minor influence on direction consistency.     

Coloniality and Education: Negotiating Discourses of Immigration in Schools and Communities Through Border Thinking

In this article, we examine the discursive construction of knowledge about immigration in two geographic spaces whose “border” many students navigate: a school context meant to support English Language Learners and an out-of-school faith based organization serving immigrant communities. We draw on the concept of “border thinking” (Mignolo, 2000, p. 18) to understand how colonial histories continue to influence contemporary educational contexts. Through examples from students’, community members’, and educators’ interactions with available discourses of immigration, we elaborate on the implications of community knowledge for revising school practices to represent a fuller complexity of immigration experiences.     

Helping out or hanging out: the features of involvement and how it relates to university adjustment

This study examined the nature of students’ out-of-class involvements with a view to identifying the kinds of involvement that are most conducive to positive adjustment to university. Students from five Canadian universities completed questionnaires in November of their first-year at university assessing the quality of their out-of-class involvements and the extent to which such activities were structured (i.e., supervised, performed regularly, had a goal or purpose). Measures of adjustment to university were administered in November and March of their first-year. Results indicated that the amount of structure present in out-of-class activities was positively related to university adjustment. Activity quality was found to mediate the relationship between activity structure and university adjustment; it seems that activities that are highly structured are related to more positive outcomes because they tend to provide participants with a high-quality experience. Results are discussed in terms of the transition to university, and first-year transition intervention programs.     

Sexual abuse in the national incidence study of child abuse and neglect: An appraisal

The National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect was a major, government sponsored effort to collect data on reported and unreported child abuse. It used a systematic representative sample methodology and very precisely developed definitions of child abuse. This paper reviews some of the main limitations of the study in regard to findings on sexual abuse. First, there is probably less “new” data in the study on sexual abuse than on other forms of abuse, since so many of the study cases of sexual abuse were “officially reported” cases. In addition, the study limited its definition of sexual abuse only to cases where a caretaker was the perpetrator, a definition that is much more restrictive than what is used in many treatment programs. Finally, the data on perpetrators has a number of problems that stem from the study's definitions of sexual abuse. The paper makes suggestions for future incidence type studies of sexual abuse.     

Comparison of Views of the Nature of Science between Natural Science and Nonscience Majors

Science educators have the common goal of helping students develop scientific literacy, including understanding of the nature of science (NOS). University faculties are challenged with the need to develop informed NOS views in several major student subpopulations, including science majors and nonscience majors. Research into NOS views of undergraduates, particularly science majors, has been limited. In this study, NOS views of undergraduates in introductory environmental science and upper-level animal behavior courses were measured using Likert items and open-ended prompts. Analysis revealed similarities in students'' views between the two courses; both populations held a mix of naïve, transitional, and moderately informed views. Comparison of pre- and postcourse mean scores revealed significant changes in NOS views only in select aspects of NOS. Student scores on sections addressing six aspects of NOS were significantly different in most cases, showing notably uninformed views of the distinctions between scientific theories and laws. Evidence-based insight into student NOS views can aid in reforming undergraduate science courses and will add to faculty and researcher understanding of the impressions of science held by undergraduates, helping educators improve scientific literacy in future scientists and diverse college graduates.     

从守护者到领路人:全球图书馆界的新角色

随着信息在人们生活和社会发展中的作用发生变化,图书馆和图书馆员的角色也经历从守护者向门户再向领路人的转变。历史上,图书馆和图书馆员作为守护者为保护和传承人类文化做出了贡献,但在社会服务方面主要是为少数精英阶层提供服务;信息、知识、学习被认为是精英阶层的特权,社会大众被认为没有必要获取信息。第二次工业革命时期,人们普遍认识到基本文化素养的必要性,西方社会也逐渐形成共识,即确保每个社会成员至少接受过初等教育;此后,随着技术进步,印刷成本降低,信息能被更多人获取和利用;公共图书馆开始普及并向社会公众开放,图书馆和图书馆员发挥门户的作用,帮助人们克服获取信息的障碍;进入数字时代,图书馆仍然发挥门户的作用,确保任何人无论其身份、财富、背景如何,都不应被排除在信息获取之外。人类社会进入信息时代,信息极大丰富与信息稀缺一样,给信息获取带来了种种问题,人们需要使用批判性思维来面对海量的信息资源;图书馆需充分发挥领路人的作用,帮助社会公众提升信息素养,实现对丰富信息的有效利用,助力创建更强大、更公平、更具创新性的社会。