The scope for using international indicators of inclusive education in Kuwait and GCC countries: A preliminary study involving special education teachers

In both the literature on inclusive education and in international policy development, there has been considerable interest in the use of sets of indicators for the implementation of inclusive education at national and local levels. Drawing on sets of indicators developed in Europe and the Pacific Islands, this study proposes a set of such indicators for Kuwait. These indicators are then presented in a survey of 161 special education teachers working in public elementary mainstream schools across Kuwait. Analysis of the results is used to explore how such indicators could play a role in promoting policy implementation for inclusive education in Kuwait and more widely in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.     

“Things your history teacher won't teach you: Science edition”: Black women science teachers as anti-racist teachers

Marginalized communities cannot and do not have decontextualized experiences with how socioscientific issues, such as exposure to COVID-19 as frontline essential workers, high Black infant mortality rates, air pollution leading to respiratory problems, and other issues, affect their communities. As PreK-12 science teachers and teacher educators strive to dismantle oppressive practices in their classrooms and curriculum, it would be helpful to learn from Black women science teachers who have been engaging in anti-racist practices before the racial awakenings of Summer 2020. In this study, three different virtual focus groups, or Sista Circles, were conducted with 18 Black women secondary science teachers. Ranging from 1 to 22 years of experience, Black women teachers across the country and international participants in Canada and Qatar participated in the Sista Circles. From intersectional qualitative analysis and narrative inquiry, the findings of the study reveal that Black women science teachers enact anti-racist science teaching by bringing something new to the community; using NGSS standards within the context of the community; teaching at the intersection of history, culture, and science learning and teaching; and building critical consciousness in the science classroom. Furthermore, the findings of the study have implications for the use of anti-racist frameworks within the context of science education that were authentically the practices of the Black women in the study. This study offers insights into how the critical consciousness of Black women teachers can be represented in the science classroom even in times of nonsupport from peers and administration. The power and necessity of Black women teachers are paramount in science classrooms specifically because of the neutral, apolitical ways science teaching has been approached in the past. The narratives and stories shared here exemplify how Black women science teachers transform science teaching and learning by displaying various acts of Criticality.     

Why would medical publishers not incorporate core bioethical values into their Ethics Guidelines?

It is quite universally acknowledged by bioethicists, at least in the western world, that respect for the patients’ autonomy, non-malevolence, beneficence, and justice (also called equity) are four core ethical values in medicine. The Ethics Guidelines of key journals in laboratory medicine are not explicit about the first three of these values, and even implicitly, they seem to miss values of justice. Health equity being one of the main objectives of public health policy across the world, we suggest that values of equity explicitly become part of the Ethics Guidelines of laboratory medicine journals. Biochemia Medica could show the way to other medical publishers by incorporating into its Ethics Guidelines these very important core bioethical values.     

Lower extremity power during the squat jump with various barbell loads

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to determine the barbell load that maximised the system power as well as the ankle, knee, and hip joint powers during the squat jump, and (2) to compare the system powers computed from two different methods: the centre of mass (COM) method and the barbell method. Seven male throwers were recruited in this study. The system power (COM method) and the ankle, knee, and hip joint powers were determined with the load incrementally set at 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and 90% of one repetition maximum. The largest system power was observed at the load of 30% (p < 0.008) while the largest ankle and knee powers were observed at 70% and 0% (p < 0.05). The barbell method overestimated the system power (p < 0.001) when compared to the COM method. It was concluded that the barbell method could influence load optimisation in squat jump. The optimal barbell load which maximised the system power did not maximise the ankle, knee, or hip power simultaneously.     

Musculoskeletal stiffness during hopping and running does not change following downhill backwards walking

Eccentric contractions that provide spring energy can also cause muscle damage. The aim of this study was to explore leg and vertical stiffness following muscle damage induced by an eccentric exercise protocol. Twenty active males completed 60 minutes of backward-walking on a treadmill at 0.67 m/s and a gradient of ? 8.5° to induce muscle damage. Tests were performed immediately before; immediately post; and 24, 48, and 168 hours post eccentric exercise. Tests included running at 3.35 m/s and hopping at 2.2 Hz using single- and double-legged actions. Leg and vertical stiffness were measured from kinetic and kinematic data, and electromyography (EMG) of five muscles of the preferred limb were recorded during hopping. Increases in pain scores (over 37%) occurred post-exercise and 24 and 48 hours later (p < 0.001). A 7% decrease in maximal voluntary contraction occurred immediately post-exercise (p = 0.019). Changes in knee kinematics during single-legged hopping were observed 168 hours post (p < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in EMG, creatine kinase activity, leg, or vertical stiffness. Results indicate that knee mechanics may be altered to maintain consistent levels of leg and vertical stiffness when eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage is present in the lower legs.