Old Mr. Borden: An Unforgettable Teacher

BIOGRAPHY: Across The Busy Years by Nicholas Murray Butler. Volume 11. Charles Scribner's Sons. 452 pp. $3.75.

I Remember: The Autobiography of Abraham Flexner. Simon and Schuster. 414 PP. 3-75

Jimmy Hare, News Photographer by Cecil Carnes. The Macmillan Company. 293 pp. $3.00.

Jonathan Swift: Giant in Chains by Frank Stier Goodwin. Liveright Publishing Corp. 450 pp. $3.00.

Prince Metternich: Statesman and Lover by Roaul Auernheimer. Alliance Book Corporation. 365 pp. $3.50. Translated from the German by James A. Galston.

The Art of Biography in Eighteenth Century England by Donald A. Stauffer. Princeton University Press. 572 pp. $5-00.

Who Was This Nazarene? by Albert F. Gilmore. Prentice-Hall, Inc. 325 pp. $2.75.

EDUCATION: History and Philosophy of Education, Ancient and Medieval by Frederick Eby and Charles Flinn Arrow-wood. Prentice-Hall, Inc. 940 pp. $3.75.

Modern Philosophies of Education by John S. Brubacher. McGraw-Hill Book Company. 370 PP.

New Zealand Observer: A Schoolmaster Looks at America by J. E. Strochan. Columbia University Press, 128 pp. $1.50.

Student Teaching by Charles W. San-ford, William Habberton, and Liesette J. McHarry. College of Education, University of Illinois, 164 pp. $1.70.

FICTION: Delilah by Marcus Goodrich. Farrar and Rhinehart. 496 pp. $2.75.

English History in English Fiction by Sir John Marriott. E. P. Dutton and Co. 308 pp. $2.75.

Mighty Mountain by Archie Binns. Charles Scribner's Sons. 440 pp. $2.75.

GENERAL LITERATURE: A P: The Story of News by Oliver Gramling. Farrar and Rinehart, Inc. 493 PP. $3.50.

Bellevue by Lorraine Maynard in collaboration with Laurence Miscall. Julian Messner, Inc. 280 pp. $2.50.

The Rape of The Masses by Serge Chakotin. Translated by E. W. Dickes. Alliance Book Corporation. 310 pp. $3.00.

There Shall Be No Night by Robert E. Sherwood. Charles Scribner's Sons. 178 pp. $2.00.

Why Men Behave Like Apes and Vice Versa by Earnest Albert Hooton. Illustrated. Princeton University Press. 234 pages. $3.00.

HISTORY: Greek And The Greeks by Walter Miller. Illustrated. The Macmillan Co. 508 pp. $3.00.

Women And The West by William F. Sprague. The Christopher Publishing House. 294 pp. $3.50.

PHILOSOPHY: The Ways of Things by William Pepperell Montague. Prentice-Hall. 712 pp. $4.00.

Wars of Families of Minds by William Lowe Bryan. Yak University Press. 143 pp. $2.00.     

A Study of the Professional Personnel of Wisconsin

The study was conducted to determine if students graded by the contract method (experimental group) would retain, for a 5-week period, the knowledge level possessed at the end of a 9-session venereal disease unit and if the contract students would retain as much, or more, knowledge than students graded by the traditional method (control group) . Ss for the grade contract group (n = 27) were drawn from two junior high school health classes and Ss for the traditional grading group ( n = 30) were drawn from two other health classes. Results of the ANOVA tests conducted at the .05 alpha level indicated that 1.) the grade contract students, as well as the traditional grading students, retained the knowledge level possessed at the end of the unit, and that 2.) the contract students did not retain any more, or less, knowledge than the traditional grading students.     

A qualitative investigation of the temporal patterning of the precompetitive anxiety response

The aim of this study was to examine retrospective perceptions and causal beliefs about temporal experiences of competitive anxiety and related symptoms in the lead up to competition. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 9 elite performers to examine the interaction of intensity, frequency and direction of symptoms associated with competitive anxiety before competition. Data analysis identified six causal networks that supported theoretical predictions suggesting that intensity of cognitive anxiety symptoms remained relatively stable in the lead up to competition, whereas somatic anxiety peaked sharply at the onset of performance. Frequency of anxiety symptoms increased as the competition approached and changes in interpretation of anxiety symptoms were also reported, with self-confidence identified as a moderating variable. The findings highlight the dynamic properties of the stress response and emphasize the need to consider the idiosyncratic nature of the level, frequency and interpretation of performers' precompetitive experiences.     

Health-enhancing physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents

We provide a wide-ranging review of health-related physical activity in children and adolescents using a behavioural epidemiology framework. In contrast to many other reviews, we highlight issues associated with true sedentary behaviours alongside physically active behaviours. Specifically, we review the evidence concerning the links between physical activity and cardiovascular disease, overweight and obesity, psychosocial measures, type II diabetes, and skeletal health. Although the evidence is unconvincing at times, several factors lead to the conclusion that promoting physical activity in youth is desirable. A review of the prevalence of physical activity and sedentary behaviours shows that many young people are active, but this declines with age. A substantial number are not adequately active for health benefits and current trends in juvenile obesity are a cause for concern. Prevalence data on sedentary behaviours are less extensive but suggest that total media use by young people has not changed greatly in recent years. Most children and adolescents do not exceed recommended daily hours of TV viewing. Physical activity is unrelated to TV viewing. We also identified the key determinants of physical activity in this age group, highlighting demographic, biological, psychological, behavioural, social and environmental determinants. Interventions were considered for school, family and community environments. Finally, policy recommendations are offered for the education, governmental, sport and recreation, health, and mass media sectors.     

The Physical Education Predisposition Scale: Preliminary development and validation

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to develop and test psychometrically the Physical Education Predisposition Scale, to assess secondary school students' cost–benefit assessment of physical education (PE) participation (PE attitude affective and attitude cognitive) and self-perceptions (PE perceived competence and self-efficacy). Secondary aims were to explore how the two variables were related, and to investigate age and gender differences. Altogether, 315 Year 8 and 9 students (aged 12–14 years) from four North West England schools completed the Physical Education Predisposition Scale. Principal components analysis revealed the presence of a simple two-factor solution explaining 60.7% of the variance. Factor 1 (labelled Perceived PE Worth) reflected attitude affective and attitude cognitive (α = 0.91), and factor 2 (Perceived PE Ability) represented perceived competence and self-efficacy (α = 0.89). Significant positive correlations were observed between the factors (r = 0.67 to 0.71, P < 0.001). Boys scored significantly higher than girls on Perceived PE Worth (P < 0.001) and Perceived PE Ability (P = 0.02). Similarly, Year 8 students scored significantly higher than Year 9 students on Perceived PE Worth (P = 0.005) and Perceived PE Ability (P < 0.001). Our results support the potential of the Physical Education Predisposition Scale as a concise measurement tool for use in the PE setting, for both teachers and researchers.     

The effect of induced alkalosis and submaximal cycling on neuromuscular response during sustained isometric contraction

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine if inducing metabolic alkalosis would alter neuromuscular control after 50 min of standardized submaximal cycling. Eight trained male cyclists (mean age 32 years, s = 7; [Vdot]O_2max 62 ml · kg^?1 · min^?1, s = 8) ingested capsules containing either CaCO₃ (placebo) or NaHCO₃ (0.3 g · kg^?1 body mass) in eight doses over 2 h on two separate occasions, commencing 3 h before exercise. Participants performed three maximal isometric voluntary contractions (MVC) of the knee extensors while determining the central activation ratio by superimposing electrical stimulation both pre-ingestion and post-exercise, followed by a 50-s sustained maximal contraction in which force, EMG amplitude, and muscle fibre conduction velocity were assessed. Plasma pH, blood base excess, and plasma HCO₃ were higher (P < 0.01) during the NaHCO₃ trial. After cycling, muscle fibre conduction velocity was higher (P < 0.05) during the 50-s sustained maximal contraction with NaHCO₃ than with placebo (5.1 m · s^?1, s = 0.4 vs. 4.2 m · s^?1, s = 0.4) while the EMG amplitude remained the same. Force decline rate was less (P < 0.05) during alkalosis-sustained maximal contraction and no differences were shown in central activation ratio. These data indicate that induced metabolic alkalosis can increase muscle fibre conduction velocity following prolonged submaximal cycling.     

Relative Effects of Isokinetic and Plyometric Training on Vertical Jumping Performance

Forty-eight volunteer males were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Group I trained with isokinetic exercises, Group II trained with plyometric exercises, and Group III was the control. Subjects in the training groups trained three times per week for 8 weeks. The isokinetic group performed three sets of 10 repetitions per set of leg presses each training session. The plyometric group performed three sets of 10 repetitions per set of depth jumps from a height of 34 inches, with added resistance beginning with weeks 3, 5, and 7 of 10, 15, and 20 pounds, respectively. Prior to and at the end of the training period, all subjects were given a vertical jump-and-reach test. Covariance analysis was used to compare posttest scores with the effect of pretest differences removed. Results showed both training groups improved significantly in vertical jump capacity; however, no significant difference existed between training groups.