Acute citrulline-malate supplementation improves maximal strength and anaerobic power in female,masters athletes tennis players

Citrulline-malate (CM) is a precursor to nitric-oxide (NO) in the NO synthase (NOS) pathway and is suggested to increase exercise performance in younger individuals. With age, NO production decreases and augmented NO production may provide beneficial effects on sports performance among masters athletes (MAs). Purpose: To examine the effects of acute CM supplementation on grip strength, vertical power, and anaerobic cycling performance in female, MA tennis players. Methods: Seventeen female MA (51?±?9 years) completed two double-blind, randomized trials consuming CM (12?g dextrose?+?8?g CM) and placebo (PLA) (12?g dextrose). One hour after consumption, subjects completed grip strength, vertical power, and Wingate anaerobic cycling assessments in respective order. Maximal and average grip strength, peak and average vertical power, anaerobic capacity, peak power, explosive power, and ability to sustain anaerobic power were calculated from the tests. Results: When consuming CM, participants exhibited greater maximal (p?=?.042) and average (p?=?.045) grip strength compared to PLA. No differences existed between trials for peak (p?=?.51) or average (p?=?.51) vertical power. For the Wingate, peak power (p?p?p?Conclusions: These data suggest that consuming CM before competition has the potential to improve tennis match-play performance in masters tennis athletes. However, this study utilized a controlled laboratory environment and research evaluating direct application to on-court performance is warranted.     

The 2018 Guidelines for Initial IFT Approval of undergraduate food science and food technology programs

IFT Approval of undergraduate food science and technology programs has continued to evolve since its inception in the 1960s. This report provides rationale and outlines key changes in the latest revisions of the IFT Approval Guidelines that were approved by the IFT Board of Directors in 2018. The 2018 Guidelines retained the previously established outcomes‐based assessment model, but includes changes to Program Goals, redefined Standards, and measurable Essential Learning Outcomes. In addition, this report describes a new online submission platform. The report also provides insights into the training and review systems employed by the Higher Education Review Board.     

Emotional and behavioral characteristics over a six-year period in youths with persistent and nonpersistent dyscalculia

The authors examined behavior problems in a matched sample of 58 youths with persistent dyscalculia (PD) and nonpersistent dyscalculia (NPD). Participants were classified as having dyscalculia at age 10-11 years. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist for their children at ages 10-11, 13-14, and 16-17 years, while the youths did so at the last two age periods. Only at age 16-17 years were there significantly more problems, particularly attention problems and externalizing problems, reported by parents for PD youths compared to NPD youths. A higher percentage in the PD group than in the NPD group received scores in the clinical range for externalizing problems. However, the mean levels of behavior problems at this age and the earlier ages were within the normal range for both groups. For youth-reported problems, the only significant difference was for attention problems at 16-17 years. Therapeutic interventions should focus on the academic domain and improving and altering behavioral patterns.     

A Theoretical Model for Examining the Link between Governance and Philosophy in Higher Education

Nearly all of the literature and research surrounding the idea of a university attempts to define and explain the role of the university in our current times. One area of burgeoning interest in this field is the precarious relationship among the provincial governments, the private sector, and the universities. As these stakeholders develop more involved relationships, university administrators must clearly define that institution's academic philosophy so that they can maintain a distinction between internal educational objectives and external socio-political and economic mandates. In order to accomplish this, it is essential that university administrators clearly understand the link between educational philosophy and administrative practice. This paper develops a theoretical model which describes the importance of recognizing the link between philosophy and administrative practice in university institutions.     

Controlled processing in pigeons

This paper investigates whether rehearsal, or posttrial processing, of information about an event can be modulated by instructions in infrahuman organisms. Using pigeons, a procedure was developed for establishing a stimulus as a cue to disengage rehearsal, or posttrial processing, of a food reinforcer. Specifically, the stimulus instructed the animals to behave on a subsequent choice test as if food had not, in fact, been presented. Results are reported that suggest that this training was successful in establishing the stimulus as a cue to forget the occurrence of the food. These findings are interpreted as providing tentative support for the view that the cognitive repertoire of infrahuman organisms does include controlled processing strategies.     

Lessons learned from a decade implementing Comprehensive Sexuality Education in resource poor settings: The World Starts With Me

Today, more than half of the world population is under the age of 25 years and one in four is under age 18. The urgency of expanding access to Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) notably for children and young people in Africa and Asia is greater than ever before. However, many challenges to the implementation and delivery of CSE in resource poor settings have been identified in the literature. CSE’s effectiveness could be strongly improved if these challenges were better met. This paper aims to contribute to those much-needed improvements by sharing lessons learned from a decade of implementation of one particular CSE programme, The World Starts With Me, among various populations in 11 low income countries in Africa and Asia. The aims, content, reach and effectiveness of the programme are described. Next, the challenges for implementation and delivery at student, teacher, school and context level are discussed with reference to the wider knowledge base in this area. Finally, suggestions are provided for ways forward including the increased sensitivity of programmes for normative and practical barriers to sexual health, further advancement towards gender transformativity, a far-reaching expansion of comprehensive forms of teacher training and coaching, and a serious stepping-up of multilevel ‘whole school’ approaches.     

Measuring general and specific stress causes and stress responses among beginning secondary school teachers in the Netherlands

The main aim of this study was to adjust the Questionnaire on the Experience and Evaluation of Work (QEEW) in order to measure stress causes and stress responses of beginning secondary school teachers in the Netherlands. First, the suitability of the original QEEW stress scales for use in the beginning teachers (BTs) context was investigated using a sample of 356 beginning teachers from 52 different secondary school locations in the Netherlands. Confirmatory Factor Analyses, Principal Component Analyses and Mokken scaling item reduction was applied to create high concise and precise scales. Hereafter, based on the teacher stress literature, additional teacher specific stress items were added, resulting in the adjusted version of the measure, the Questionnaire on the Experience and Evaluation of Work – Beginning Teachers (QEEW-BT, study 1). To cross-validate the results and to examine the internal consistency and validity of the adjusted instrument a different sample of 143 beginning teachers from 61 different secondary school locations in the Netherlands was used (study 2). The present findings provide adequate support that the QEEW-BT is a reliable and valid instrument to measure stress causes and responses for beginning secondary school teachers in the Netherlands.     

Just add hours? An assessment of pre-service teachers’ perception of the value of professional experience in attaining teacher competencies

This study compared pre-service teachers’ perceptions of their professional competencies at two campuses of a large regional teacher education university, where one campus provided students 22% more hours of professional placement in schools and related educational settings. Students who had experienced more hours in schools and such settings were more positive about their, ability to apply their knowledge of students and how they learn, classroom management, professional knowledge and practice, and community engagement; however, when students felt well supported during professional experience, such differences diminished. Additional hours were not associated with pre-service teachers’ perceptions of their ability to apply subject content and teaching; plan, assess and report; and effective student communication. Researchers argued that this pointed to the crucial role of good classroom mentors in teacher professional experience but also the value of students’ tertiary teacher education in preparing them for classroom teaching.     

Understanding Sleep Disorders in a College Student Population

College students' sleep habits are changing dramatically, and related sleep problems are increasing. The author reviews the current literature on sleep problems, focusing on the college student population. An explanation of the basics of sleep is provided as a base for understanding sleep disorders. The unique challenges of college settings are discussed as they apply to understanding sleep problems, and suggestions are made for professionals who work with college students.