Comparing introductory course planning among full-time and part-time faculty

Using data from a nationally representative survey of faculty teaching introductory college courses, this exploratory study compares course planning procedures of full-time and part-time faculty teaching courses in eight academic fields. The choice of variables examined was guided by a general model of course design developed from earlier studies of course planning. To control for discipline-related differences in faculty planning assumptions, separate analyses were conducted for the eight fields. No key differences were found between full-time and part-time faculty on the primary factors under investigation: substantive content-related influences on courses, strength of influence within the instructional environment, and planning steps and content arrangements faculty preferred.     

A kinematic comparison between long-line and cross-court top spin forehand in competitive table tennis players

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present study was to compare the biomechanical characteristics of the table tennis top spin shot when played cross-court (CC) or long-line (LL) in competitive table tennis players. Seven national level players respectively completed 10 long-line and 10 cross-court top spin shots responding to a standard ball machine. A stereophotogrammetric system was used to track body segments while executing the motion. Significantly more flexed right knee and elbow angles were measured at the moment of maximum velocity of the racket (MMV) in LL. In addition, significantly greater angles between the feet and the table and between the shoulders and the table at the MMV, indicated more pronounced rotation angles of the lower upper and upper-body in LL compared to CC with respect to the table. A higher inclination of the racket at the MMV was found in LL. The elbow flexion and the racket inclination may be associated to the direction of the shot. The present findings show that kinematic differences exist between the LL and the CC topspin forehand in competitive table tennis players. Coaches should be aware of these differences to adopt the optimal teaching strategies and to reproduce proper joint angles during training.     

A shower before bedtime may improve the sleep onset latency of youth soccer players

During the competitive season, soccer players are likely exposed to numerous factors that may disrupt the process of sleep. The current investigation looked to evaluate a practical sleep hygiene strategy (10-min showering at ～40°C before lights out), within a group of 11 youth soccer players in comparison to normal sleeping conditions (control). Each condition consisted of three days within a randomised crossover trial design. Sleep information was collected using a commercial wireless bedside sleep monitor. Measures of skin temperature were evaluated using iButton skin thermistors to establish both distal and proximal skin temperatures and distal to proximal gradient. The shower intervention elevated distal skin temperature by 1.1°C (95% CI: 0.1–2.1°C, p?=?.04) on average prior to lights out. The elevation in distal temperature was also present during the first 30-min following lights out (1.0°C, 95% CI: 0.4–1.6°C, p?<?.01). The distal to proximal gradient also showed a significant effect between the conditions within the first 30-min after lights out (0.7°C, 95% CI: 0.3–1.2°C, p?<?.01). On average the sleep latency of the youth soccer players was ?7-min lower (95% CI: ?13 to ?2?min, p?<?.01) and sleep efficiency +2% higher (95% CI: 1–3%; p?<?.01) in the shower condition. These findings demonstrate that a warm shower performed before lights out may offer a practical strategy to promote thermoregulatory changes that may advance sleep onset latency and improve sleep efficiency in athletes.     

Islam,Jews and Eastern Christianity in Late Medieval Pilgrims’ Guidebooks: Some Examples from the Franciscan Convent of Mount Sion

The Holy Land was described, not just in the accounts of the pilgrims who visited the most sacred land of Christianity, but also in several compilations and collections of texts conceived as guidebooks for clerics and pilgrims. From the fourteenth century onwards, many of these collections are clearly linked to the Franciscan Convent of Mount Sion. These assemblages often include texts on customs and religious beliefs of the peoples of the Near East and on the history of the Holy Land. One of the aims of the compilers seems to have been to prepare the reader to meet unorthodox practices and beliefs, emphasising the contrast between Latin Christianity and Eastern Christianity or Islam.     

Comparison of split double and triple twists in pair figure skating

In this study, we compared the kinematic variables of the split triple twist with those of the split double twist to help coaches and scientists understand these landmark pair skating skills. High-speed video was taken during the pair short and free programmes at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and the 2003 International Skating Union Grand Prix Finals. Three-dimensional analyses of 14 split double twists and 15 split triple twists from eleven pairs were completed. In spite of considerable variability in the performance variables among the pairs, the main difference between the split double twists and split triple twists was an increase in rotational rate. While eight of the eleven pairs relied primarily on an increased rotational rate to complete the split triple twist, three pairs employed a combined strategy of increased rotational rate and increased flight time due predominantly to delayed or lower catches. These results were similar to observations of jumps in singles skating for which the extra rotation is typically due to an increase in rotational velocity; increases in flight time come primarily from delayed landings as opposed to additional height during flight. Combining an increase in flight time and rotational rate may be a good strategy for completing the split triple twist in pair skating.     

The relationship between selected body composition variables and muscular endurance in women

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if muscular endurance is affected by referenced waist circumference groupings, independent of body mass and subcutaneous abdominal fat, in women. This study also explored whether selected body composition measures were associated with muscular endurance. Eighty-four women were measured for height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and abdominal skinfold thickness (SFAB) and performed 60-s sit-ups (SU) and maximal push-ups (PU) tests. Mean differences in SU and PU scores were tested across three groups based on WC as follows: WCG1 < 70 cm; WCG2 between 70 and 89 cm; WCG3 > or = 90 cm. There were no significant differences in SU and PU scores between WCG1 and WCG2. WCG3 had significantly lower SU and PU scores compared to the other groups. After adjusting for the influence of SFAB, BMI, and weight, the differences disappeared. The regression analysis revealed a two-variable (BMI and SFAB) model that accounted for the variation in SU performance. For PU, only BMI loaded into the regression model. The results of this study suggest that women with a WC > or = 90 cm have decreased muscular endurance compared to their lower WC counterparts. This difference is related to higher body masses.     

Self-citations as strategic response to the use of metrics for career decisions

There is limited knowledge on the extent to which scientists may strategically respond to metrics by adopting questionable practices, namely practices that challenge the scientific ethos, and the individual and contextual factors that affect their likelihood. This article aims to fill these gaps by studying the opportunistic use of self-citations, i.e. citations of one’s own work to boost metric scores. Based on sociological and economic literature exploring the factors driving scientists’ behaviour, we develop hypotheses on the predictors of strategic increase in self-citations. We test the hypotheses in the Italian Higher Education system, where promotion to professorial positions is regulated by a national habilitation procedure that considers the number of publications and citations received. The sample includes 886 scientists from four of science’s main disciplinary sectors, employs different metrics approaches, and covers an observation period beginning in 2002 and ending in 2014. We find that the introduction of a regulation that links the possibility of career advancement to the number of citations received is related to a strong and significant increase in self-citations among scientists who can benefit the most from increasing citations, namely assistant professors, associate professors and relatively less cited scientists, and in particular among social scientists. Our findings suggest that while metrics are introduced to spur virtuous behaviours, when not properly designed they favour the usage of questionable practices.