Benefits of achieving vigorous as well as moderate physical activity recommendations: evidence from heart rate complexity and cardiac vagal modulation

The aim of this study was to examine differences in traditional heart rate variability measurements and heart rate complexity (sample entropy) in young adults grouped by objectively measured achievement of either moderate or both moderate and vigorous physical activity recommendations. Of 168 young adults tested (86 females, 82 males; age 20.5 ± 1.2 years), 119 achieved only recommendations for moderate physical activity (moderate group) and 49 achieved recommendations for both moderate and vigorous physical activity (vigorous group). Analysis of covariance controlling for sex, weekly minutes of moderate physical activity, and percentage of body fat was used to assess between-group differences in heart rate variability and heart rate complexity. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the group characteristics that best predicted high heart rate complexity and vagal indices of heart rate variability. The majority of the autonomic measures were higher (P < 0.05) in the vigorous group, and regression analysis showed that vigorous physical activity was the only multivariate predictor of higher heart rate complexity and higher heart rate variability. Young adults engaged in regular vigorous physical activity were more than twice as likely to have high heart rate complexity than those involved in predominantly moderate exercise. These findings suggest that vigorous physical activity is more closely associated with high heart rate complexity than moderate physical activity in young adults.     

Im perfect tools for a difficult job: colposcopy, 'colpocytology' and screening for cervical cancer in Brazil

The quasi-totality of social scientists who studied screening for cervical tumours identified such screening with a single method: the Pap smear (exfoliative cytology). This article explains that this method was not valid everywhere. The history of screening for cervical cancer in Brazil displays an alternative method for detecting cervical malignancies: a direct observation of the cervix with a specific instrument--the colposcope. The development of this method in Brazil in the 1940s and 1950s reflected a complex mixture of professional interests, government policies, and regional, local and charitable initiatives. While the use of colposcopy for cervical tumour screening was phased out in the 1970s and 1980s, the long lifespan and widespread diffusion of this method illuminates the irreducible contingency of specific developments in science, technology and medicine. Seen from the vantage point of Brazil, the Western model for preventing cervical malignancies no longer appears self-evident Alternative choices might have led to the development of different material and visual cultures of medicine, stimulated different patterns of medical specialization and division of medical labour, produced different links between malignancies, women, gynaecologists, epidemiologists and public health experts, and shaped different health policies.     

Popular press and forensic genetics in Portugal: expectations and disappointments regarding two cases of missing children

Two cases of missing children in Portugal (Joana and Maddie) have recently highlighted the dilemmas and contingencies associated with the technology of "genetic fingerprinting" for forensic purposes in the context of criminal investigations. The purpose of this article is to analyze the popular press's discourses and representations around forensic genetics in the context of those two highly mediatized criminal investigation cases. The symbolical construction and representation of forensic genetics by the media presents a form of public exposure to beliefs on forensic genetics' characteristics and potential. These are blended with popular cultural contexts that are constructed with reference to images of a super-science which may carry consequences in the public understanding of forensic science. The media coverage of both cases and their actual disclosure resembles the patterns ofa CSI effect, insofar as real science's capabilities and limitations are placed against fictionalized representations of forensic science.     

Correlation Between Organizational Culture and Compensation Strategies Using Charles Handy's Typology

Alignment between management strategies, policies, and practices with organizational cultures holds great potential to meet the challenges of retaining professionals and maintaining their commitment. In this article, authors consider that when it is aligned with company strategy, compensation acts as an incentive for developing common visions within organizational culture.     

The whens and hows of learning to rank for web search

Web search engines are increasingly deploying many features, combined using learning to rank techniques. However, various practical questions remain concerning the manner in which learning to rank should be deployed. For instance, a sample of documents with sufficient recall is used, such that re-ranking of the sample by the learned model brings the relevant documents to the top. However, the properties of the document sample such as when to stop ranking—i.e. its minimum effective size—remain unstudied. Similarly, effective listwise learning to rank techniques minimise a loss function corresponding to a standard information retrieval evaluation measure. However, the appropriate choice of how to calculate the loss function—i.e. the choice of the learning evaluation measure and the rank depth at which this measure should be calculated—are as yet unclear. In this paper, we address all of these issues by formulating various hypotheses and research questions, before performing exhaustive experiments using multiple learning to rank techniques and different types of information needs on the ClueWeb09 and LETOR corpora. Among many conclusions, we find, for instance, that the smallest effective sample for a given query set is dependent on the type of information need of the queries, the document representation used during sampling and the test evaluation measure. As the sample size is varied, the selected features markedly change—for instance, we find that the link analysis features are favoured for smaller document samples. Moreover, despite reflecting a more realistic user model, the recently proposed ERR measure is not as effective as the traditional NDCG as a learning loss function. Overall, our comprehensive experiments provide the first empirical derivation of best practices for learning to rank deployments.     

From exclusion to inclusion: Collaborative work contributions to more inclusive learning settings

There have been deep changes in societies during the last decade. As a result, schools face new challenges, such as avoiding exclusion by promoting inclusion. In this paper we present the findings of our efforts to use collaborative work as a mediation tool in order to achieve more inclusive learning settings. This work starts from the assumption that learning should be seen as a communicative process. This builds on the ideas of Vygotsky, who stressed the importance of social interactions in the development of complex functions and of working in the zone of proximal development in order to promote children’s development. The study used a critical and ethnographic approach and thus peer interactions were implemented as a daily practice. Data were collected through participant observation (audio and videotaped), questionnaires, tasks inspired in projective techniques, interviews, reports, and sets of materials gathered by the teachers. The findings illuminate the role of collaboration in facilitating more positive attitudes towards academic learning and mathematics, promoting students’ socialisation, their socio-cognitive and affective development, and their school achievement.     

A methodological approach to short-term tracking of youth physical fitness: the Oporto Growth,Health and Performance Study

In this paper, three different statistical approaches were used to investigate short-term tracking of cardiorespiratory and performance-related physical fitness among adolescents. Data were obtained from the Oporto Growth, Health and Performance Study and comprised 1203 adolescents (549 girls) divided into two age cohorts (10–12 and 12–14 years) followed for three consecutive years, with annual assessment. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed with 1-mile run/walk test; 50-yard dash, standing long jump, handgrip, and shuttle run test were used to rate performance-related physical fitness. Tracking was expressed in three different ways: auto-correlations, multilevel modelling with crude and adjusted model (for biological maturation, body mass index, and physical activity), and Cohen’s Kappa (κ) computed in IBM SPSS 20.0, HLM 7.01 and Longitudinal Data Analysis software, respectively. Tracking of physical fitness components was (1) moderate-to-high when described by auto-correlations; (2) low-to-moderate when crude and adjusted models were used; and (3) low according to Cohen’s Kappa (κ). These results demonstrate that when describing tracking, different methods should be considered since they provide distinct and more comprehensive views about physical fitness stability patterns.     

The peak velocity derived from the Carminatti Test is related to physical match performance in young soccer players

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the peak velocity derived from the Carminatti Test (T-CAR) (PV_T-CAR) and physical match performance in young soccer players. Thirty-three youth soccer players were recruited from 2 non-professional clubs. Friendly matches and small-sided game were performed. Physical match demands were assessed using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. On a separate occasion, the players were submitted to the T-CAR. Players were categorised into 3 groups based on their T-CAR performance: Low (PV_T-CAR ≤ P33), Intermediate (P33 > PV_T-CAR < P66) and High (PV_T-CAR ≥ P66). The PV_T-CAR (15.5 ± 0.7 km·h^?1) was significantly related to high-intensity activities (HIA; r = 0.78, P < 0.001), high-intensity running (HIR; r = 0.66, P < 0.001), sprinting (r = 0.62, P < 0.001) and total distance (TD) covered (r = 0.47, P < 0.01) during friendly matches. The PV_T-CAR was strongly correlated with the amount of HIA (r = 0.81, P < 0.001), HIR (r = 0.85, P < 0.001) and TD covered (r = 0.81, P < 0.001) during small-sided game. No significant correlation was observed between the PV_T-CAR and distance of sprinting (r = 0.49, P = 0.067) during small-side game. Furthermore, players in the High group covered significantly more TD (10%) and did more HIA (42%), sprinting (31%) and HIR (25%) during friendly matches compared to the players classified as having Low performance on the T-CAR. These differences still remained after adjusting for chronological age (CA), maturity and body size. In conclusion, the current study gives empirical support to the ecological and construct validity of this novel field test (T-CAR) as an indicator of match-related physical performance in young soccer players during pubertal years.     

Physical characteristics that predict involvement with the ball in recreational youth soccer

This study examined the relative contribution of age, stage of puberty, anthropometric characteristics, health-related fitness, soccer-specific tests and match-related technical performance to variance in involvements with the ball during recreational 5-a-side small-sided (32 × 15 m) soccer matches. Using a cross-sectional design, 80 healthy male students (14.6 ± 0.5 years of age; range 13.6–15.4) who played soccer recreationally were randomly divided into 10 teams and played against each other. Measurements included height, body mass, pubertal status, health-related fitness (12-min walk/run test, standing long jump, 15-m sprint and sit-ups in 30 s), soccer-specific tests (kicking for speed, passing for accuracy and agility run with and without a ball), match-related technical performance (kicks, passes and dribbles) and involvements with the ball during matches. Forward multiple regression analysis revealed that cardiorespiratory fitness (12-min walk/run test) accounted for 36% of the variance in involvements with the ball. When agility with the ball (zigzag running) and power (standing long jump) were included among the predictors, the total explained variance increased to 62%. In conclusion, recreational adolescent players, regardless of their soccer-specific skills, may increase participation in soccer matches most through physical activities that promote improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle power and agility.     

Excessively Long Editorial Decisions and Excessively Long Publication Times by Journals: Causes,Risks, Consequences,and Proposed Solutions

Editors have very complex tasks and high responsibilities. In general, they are chosen leaders and experts in a field of study. Thus, they are expected to lead a sector of that scientific community, and their function is to serve as gate-keepers of the quality of submissions to journals whose editorial boards they serve because of their ethical and professional image, and positive and open engagement with their peers. Publishing a scientific paper can be an arduous task and in some cases a lengthy one. However, any delay in this process not only serves as a form of stress for authors, it may also disadvantage them by giving their competition an unfair advantage with a head start in the publishing rat race. Consequently, editors who oversee a process that takes an excessive or unreasonable amount of time should be held accountable. In this paper, we propose some suggested time limits for each stage of the publishing process. These should be carefully monitored by the editors, in close collaboration with the publisher, to ensure a fair and timely process that is realistic and reasonable. With clearer guidelines, authors can thus reduce their stress levels by knowing when to expect decisions, and can thus make their journal selection by keeping such factors in mind, and thus hedge their risks and better manage their time. Authors who wait almost indefinitely, or for excessively long periods of time, are victims of a lack of professionalism. Furthermore, editors who fail to communicate delays, effectively or at all, or who fail to offer any sufficient or heartfelt apology should be characterized as acting with professional negligence, if not misconduct. Only when the rules of engagement are fair, strict, clear and well defined can authors expect the publishing system to progress smoothly and professionally.