The novel use of a SenseCam and accelerometer to validate training load and training information in a self-recall training diary

Self-recall training diaries are a frequently used tool to quantify training load and training information. While accelerometers are predominantly used to validate training diaries, they are unable to validate contextual training information. Thus this study aimed to examine the novel use of data fusion from a wearable camera device (SenseCam) and accelerometer to validate a self-recall training diary. Thirty participants filled in a training diary for 1 day while simultaneously wearing a SenseCam and accelerometer. The training diary was validated using Bland–Altman plots, Spearman’s rank-order correlation, percentage agreement and κ measure of agreement between the diary and the SenseCam and accelerometer. The results demonstrated overall agreement, and no bias, between the training diary and the accelerometer for training intensity, and the SenseCam for duration of activity and travel time. A positive correlation was found for duration (r = 0.82, P < 0.001) and intensity (r = 0.67, P < 0.001). Hundred per cent agreement was found between the SenseCam and training diary for activity, training surface and footwear (κ = 1, P < 0.0001), with a lower agreement noted for sports played (97.3%, κ = 0.91, P < 0.0001). The self-recall training diary was found to be a valid measure of capturing training load and training information using the combined wearable camera device and accelerometer.     

Protective personality characteristics among adolescent victims of maltreatment.

The purpose of this research was to examine whether personality characteristics, locus of control orientation, and self-esteem were protective against depression among female adolescent victims of maltreatment and to examine whether the presence of these characteristics was related to the age of the victim when maltreatment began. Thirty-three maltreated adolescent females and a comparison group of 112 nonmaltreated female adolescents were administered a questionnaire containing scales measuring locus of control orientation, self-esteem, and depression. Results revealed that personality characteristics interacted with maltreatment status in predicting depression, suggesting that they are protective factors. Results also revealed that adolescents who first experienced maltreatment during childhood were significantly less likely than those who first experienced maltreatment during adolescence to have these protective personality characteristics.     

Expressions of the Attachment Relationship Outside of the Strange Situation

41 preterm infants and 38 full-term infants and their mothers were observed at home at 8 and 12 months of age and in the Strange Situation at 18 months in order to compare expressions of attachment relationships in these 2 settings. There was 84% concordance in the distinctions between secure and nonsecure classifications of the mother-infant relationship made at home at 12 months and in the Strange Situation. Classifications of avoidant relationships also displayed high concordance, but only 6 of the 15 dyads classified at home as ambivalent were classified in the same way in the Strange Situation. Mothers in secure relationships as assessed in the Strange Situation were rated as more sensitive at both 8 and 12 months than mothers in either avoidant or ambivalent relationships, whereas the sensitivity of mothers in these two nonsecure relationships did not differ significantly. Infants in secure relationships in the Strange Situation were characterized by more effective secure base behavior and more affective sharing and enjoyment of physical contact, and they were less fussy or difficult during the 12-month home observations.     

Designing classroom spaces: Making the most of time

Research has shown that children's perception of the space around them is related to the quality of their play behaviors. Summaries of three research studies with preschoolers show that when children perceive themselves large, they enter complex play more quickly and stay for longer periods of time. The quality of children's play behavior changed when children played in small spaces. In these three studies, space was altered by: (a) creating a screened structure in the classroom, (b) changing the scale of the patterns on the wall of a learning center, and (c) altering the size of the block center. Each study is summarized and suggestions for designing classroom spaces are included. Implications of this program of research for increasing attention span and augmenting complex play and problem solving are discussed.     

Early Friendships: Does a Friend’s Presence in Daycare Promote Toddlers’ Prosocial Behavior Toward Peers?

The current study examined the effect of a friend’s presence on toddlers’ behavior in high child-to-staff-ratio daycare settings. Toddlers (N?=?38) were video-observed in the presence or absence of a verified friend in two situations that burden staff: morning separation and lunchtime (overall, 152 video observations). Higher levels of positive social engagement, fewer agonistic behaviors toward peers, and fewer occurrences of distress were observed in the friend’s presence. The duration of morning separations decreased by half and toddlers contacted the caregiver less during separations and exhibited more prosocial behaviors. Overall, toddlers demonstrated greater empathic concern when their friend was present. During lunchtime, they also displayed greater concern toward peers other than their friend. Friendship, even at a very young age, can constitute a meaningful emotional resource for soothing and security.     

Northeast wisconsin science forum,an example of cooperative effort in upgrading science education

Conclusions In view of growing national concern over the decline in scientific literacy among students and the need to attract more students to science and engineering, it is incumbent upon college and precollege science faculties to work together to find ways to help solve these problems. To this end, college and precollege science teachers and administrators established the NEW Science Forum and its dinner-and-lecture series and Science Teacher Day field trips. These activities stimulate teacher interest in science, upgrade scientific understanding, and provide new insights and information for classroom use. In addition, the Forum is an opportunity for discussion among techers and between teachers and university science faculty members. The continued high level of participation by teachers and professors during the seven years since the founding of the NEW Science Forum attests to its value to area educators. Our experience prompts us to encourage our colleagues at other colleges and universities to explore the feasibility of establishing a similar program in their regions. The rewards of strengthening ties with area school science teachers far outweigh lost time from research and the trepidation of operating with a zero budget.     

Collaborative action research and project work: Promising practices for developing collaborative inquiry among early childhood preservice teachers

Excerpts from case studies of two preservice teaching teams exemplify a new approach for merging research and practice within an introductory early childhood methods course. Through participation in cycles of collaborative action research focused on the joint task of implementing long-term projects, preservice teachers evidenced change in the ways they participated in and developed an inquiry-oriented teaching stance. In particular, changes included (1) an increased awareness of the value and need to share responsibility with teammates for making curriculum decisions, (2) early attempts to self-regulate teaching behaviors through reflection-in-action, and (3) an appreciation for and use of documentation in making visible and public the relationship between teacher thinking, practice, and children's learning. While changes in level of reflectivity and practice are noted and valued, the ways in which preservice teachers’ participation begins to change may be as valuable an indicator of preservice teacher development as the possession of new knowledge and skills.     

The global expansion of children’s television: a case study of the adaptation of Sesame Street in Spain

The landscape of children’s programming is changing because of the increased exportation of children’s television programs created in the USA. Networks have been aggressively marketing programs to an international audience through individual program sales and satellite network expansion. Some see problems as a result of the potential shift in cultural norms and values in areas where these programs are broadcast. An important alternative to this exportation is the co‐production process pioneered by Sesame Workshop. The results of a case study into the localization process of Sesame Street in Spain indicate that the production of Barrio Sésamo/Barri Sésam can be looked to as an example of not only the co‐production process, but also as exemplifying a process of ‘glocalization’ whereby a Spanish program has been influenced by both global and local realities imbedded in the program. The negotiation of what it means to be Spanish is constantly pushed against a global template, even in a program for preschool‐age children.     

An investigation of the Stroop effect among deaf signers in English and Japanese: automatic processing or memory retrieval?

Most studies on the Stroop effect (unintentional automatic word processing) have been restricted to English speakers using vocal responses. Little is known about this effect with deaf signers. The study compared Stroop task responses among four different samples: deaf participants from a Japanese-language environment and from an English-language environment; and hearing individuals from Japan and from Australia. Color words were prepared in both English and Japanese and were presented in three conditions: congruent (e.g., the word red printed in red), incongruent (e.g., red printed in blue), and neutral. The magnitude of the effect was greater with the deaf participants than with the hearing participants. The deaf individuals experienced more interference in English than in Japanese.     

An Introductory Environmental Science Course for Non-Science Students

Abstract

In 1975 and 1985, 500 randomly selected K—12 Indiana teachers were polled regarding their physical environment and related energy problems. Participants completed three instruments that had been designed for the project and dealt with (a) word recognition, (b) concept understanding, and (c) attitudes. Analysis of results indicated that teachers had limited environmental literacy but had higher marks in 1985 than in 1975.