Crossing the Line: Sport and the Limits of Civil Rights Protest

Scholars have ably considered the extent to which sport has been, and continues to be, a force for racial progress. What has been less comprehensively explored, however, are the unique difficulties encountered by athletes who have attempted to use sport to promote civil rights activism. Black athletes, and sympathetic white teammates, have faced considerable obstacles as sportsmen who supported the civil rights struggle. Sport has restricted the ability of sportsmen to successfully engage in civil rights activism. In the belief that it has provided an example of racial progress for the rest of society, in fact, sport has resisted the civil rights movement. This article explores the difficulties faced by athletes who attempted to be part of that movement.     

Effect of combined carbohydrate-protein ingestion on markers of recovery after simulated rugby union match-play

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the effect of ingesting carbohydrate alone or carbohydrate with protein on functional and metabolic markers of recovery from a rugby union-specific shuttle running protocol. On three occasions, at least one week apart in a counterbalanced order, nine experienced male rugby union forwards ingested placebo, carbohydrate (1.2 g · kg body mass^?1 · h^?1) or carbohydrate with protein (0.4 g · kg body mass^?1 · h^?1) before, during, and after a rugby union-specific protocol. Markers of muscle damage (creatine kinase: before, 258 ± 171 U · L^?1 vs. 24 h after, 574 ± 285 U · L^?1; myoglobin: pre, 50 ± 18 vs. immediately after, 210 ± 84 nmol · L^?1; P < 0.05) and muscle soreness (1, 2, and 3 [maximum soreness = 8] for before, immediately after, and 24 h after exercise, respectively) increased. Leg strength and repeated 6-s cycle sprint mean power were slightly reduced after exercise (93% and 95% of pre-exercise values, respectively; P < 0.05), but were almost fully recovered after 24 h (97% and 99% of pre-exercise values, respectively). There were no differences between trials for any measure. These results indicate that in experienced rugby players, the small degree of muscle damage and reduction in function induced by the exercise protocol were not attenuated by the ingestion of carbohydrate and protein.     

Touching practice and physical education: deconstruction of a contemporary moral panic

This paper explores the insecurities and discursive moral panics elicited by the discussion of intergenerational touch in education, and their subsequent manifestation in ‘classroom panopticism’. In a number of contexts, public hysteria has grown around the interaction between adult and child, and whether this interaction stays within the narrow parameters of a generally consensual ‘acceptability’. Crossing these boundaries carries grave consequences for those deemed to be exploiting their position and this has had significant implications for the self-identity of practitioners. This climate of preventative fear has also served to manipulate regulatory method, realigning conceptions of practitioner independence. Drawing on interviews with Physical Education teachers in English secondary schools, and applying a Foucauldian theoretical framework, with particular reference to his interpretation of panopticism, this paper investigates the conceptual transformation of contemporary education. Whilst school spaces were once representative of stability, in which roles were clearly defined, the hierarchical dynamic has changed. The teacher, who previously presided with relative professional freedom and autonomy, is now subject to myriad pressures associated with ‘appropriate’ behaviour and the avoidance of any ‘problematic’ interactional incident. Foucault's treatment of panopticism is apt here, as teachers must conduct themselves with an acceptance that they are now governed by an unpredictable yet persistent practical scrutiny.     

Hydrodynamics of undulatory underwater swimming: A review

Undulatory underwater swimming (UUS) occurs in the starts and turns of three of the four competitive swimming strokes and plays a significant role in overall swimming performance. The majority of research examining UUS is comparative in nature, dominated by studies comparing aquatic animals' undulatory locomotion with the UUS performance of humans. More recently, research directly examining human forms of UUS have been undertaken, providing further insight into the factors which influence swimming velocity and efficiency. This paper reviews studies which have examined the hydromechanical, biomechanical, and coordination aspects of UUS performance in both animals and humans. The present work provides a comprehensive evaluation of the key factors which combine to influence UUS performance examining (1) the role of end-effector frequency and body amplitudes in the production of a propulsive waveform, (2) the effects of morphology on the wavelength of the propulsive waveform and its subsequent impact on the mode of UUS adopted, and (3) the interactions of the undulatory movements to simultaneously optimise propulsive impulse whilst minimising the active drag experienced. In conclusion, the review recommends that further research is required to fully appreciate the complexity of UUS and examine how humans can further optimise performance.     

Kinematics and kinetics of the bench-press and bench-pull exercises in a strength-trained sporting population

Understanding how loading affects power production in resistance training is a key step in identifying the most optimal way of training muscular power – an essential trait in most sporting movements. Twelve elite male sailors with extensive strength-training experience participated in a comparison of kinematics and kinetics from the upper body musculature, with upper body push (bench press) and pull (bench pull) movements performed across loads of 10–100% of one repetition maximum (1RM). 1RM strength and force were shown to be greater in the bench press, while velocity and power outputs were greater for the bench pull across the range of loads. While power output was at a similar level for the two movements at a low load (10% 1RM), significantly greater power outputs were observed for the bench pull in comparison to the bench press with increased load. Power output (P _max) was maximized at higher relative loads for both mean and peak power in the bench pull (78.6 ± 5.7% and 70.4 ± 5.4% of 1RM) compared to the bench press (53.3 ± 1.7% and 49.7 ± 4.4% of 1RM). Findings can most likely be attributed to differences in muscle architecture, which may have training implications for these muscles.     

Development of a supported self-directed learning approach for anatomy education

The ability to deliver sufficient core anatomical knowledge and understanding to medical students with limited time and resources remains a major challenge for anatomy educators. Here, we report the results of switching from a primarily didactic method of teaching to supported self-directed learning for students studying anatomy as part of undergraduate medicine at the University of Edinburgh. The supported self-directed approach we have developed makes use of an integrated range of resources, including formal lectures and practical sessions (incorporating gross anatomy specimens, medical imaging technologies, anatomical models, clinical scenarios, and surface anatomy workstations). In practical sessions, students are provided with a custom-made workbook that guides them through each session, with academic staff, postgraduate tutors, and near-peer teaching assistants present to deal with misunderstandings and explain more complicated topics. This approach retains many of the best attributes of didactic teaching but blends them with the advantages associated with self-directed learning approaches. The switch to supported self-directed learning-initially introduced in 2005-resulted in a significant improvement in anatomy examination scores over the subsequent period of five years, manifesting as an increase in the average anatomy practical spot examination mark, less students failing to obtain the pass mark and more students passing with distinction. We conclude that the introduction of supported self-directed learning improved students' engagement, leading to deeper learning and better understanding and knowledge of anatomy.     

Novel on-demand droplet generation for selective fluid sample extraction

A novel microfluidic device enabling selective generation of droplets and encapsulation of targets is presented. Unlike conventional methods, the presented mechanism generates droplets with unique selectivity by utilizing a K-junction design. The K-junction is a modified version of the classic T-junction with an added leg that serves as the exit channel for waste. The dispersed phase fluid enters from one diagonal of the K and exits the other diagonal while the continuous phase travels in the straight leg of the K. The intersection forms an interface that allows the dispersed phase to be controllably injected through actuation of an elastomer membrane located above the inlet channel near the interface. We have characterized two critical components in controlling the droplet size-membrane actuation pressure and timing as well as identified the region of fluid in which the droplet will be formed. This scheme will have applications in fluid sampling processes and selective encapsulation of materials. Selective encapsulation of a single cell from the dispersed phase fluid is demonstrated as an example of functionality of this design.     

Preparing novice principals in Australia and Turkey: How similar are their needs?

Part of a 13-nation, cross-cultural study of the extent to which principals perceive their pre-appointment experiences had prepared them for the job, the International Study of Principal Preparation (ISPP), this paper compares the responses of novice principals in Turkey and Western Australia. Using a survey based on data from case studies of principals in their first 3 years, the views of 50 Western Australian and 60 Turkish principals were examined in terms of the difficulty of the problems they faced and the extent to which they felt prepared for these problems. Responses were analysed by sex, qualification, age at appointment, school size, and school location. Respondents from both countries found that managing the budget and achieving work/life balance presented challenges for them while working with parents and acquiring adequate resources were not challenging. For Turkish respondents, building positive relationships with staff was more challenging than it was for the Australian respondents. Surprisingly respondents felt well prepared for the tasks they faced, with Australians, females, principals of small schools in rural and remote locations reporting significantly more positive views about their preparation than their counterparts.     

Social Characteristics of Belgian Primary Teachers in the Twentieth Century

It is often claimed, both in the literature and by public opinion, that the status of teachers has declined sharply compared with the situation in the past. This article takes a more detailed look at the complex phenomenon of the ‘status’ of teachers. It does so on the basis of seven variables which ‘operatiohalise’ the process of social approval: the level of feminisation of the teaching corps, its social background, education, legal position and salary, the degree to which control has been obtained over the profession and its degree of social integration. Although a certain loss of prestige has undeniably occurred in comparison with other professions, it is evident that the status issue is not as clear cut as sometimes implied. In the first place, several contradictory trends were detected amongst the factors studied, indicating that the process of status acquisition and/or loss has not developed in a uniform manner. Moreover, statements concerning the relative status of this particular professional group always have to be related to other professions, regarding which the necessary basic data is not always present. It is evident, nonetheless, that the old (and not always very realistic) image of the ‘schoolmaster’ or ‘mistress’ with a ‘noble vocation’ to fulfil has faded nowadays, without the new ideal of the ‘education specialist’ yet establishing itself in the social context.