Organization of attack and other behaviors of White King pigeons exposed to intermittent water presentations

Six water-deprived pigeons were exposed to a fixed-time 90-sec water schedule with and without a conspecific target available. Target contacts and the pigeon’s location in the test chamber during the interreinforcement interval were recorded, and the results were compared with those previously obtained with food reinforcement. Prior to target introduction, water-reinforced birds spent more total time in the front near the reinforcer dispenser and less in the rear than food-reinforced birds and, unlike food-reinforced birds, exhibited postreinforcement drinking-like behaviors near the reinforcer dispenser before moving away from that area. With the target available, the level, topography, and duration of target-directed biting pecks were comparable for food- and water-reinforced pigeons. In contrast, the temporal organization of target pecks reflected the different temporal and spatial organizations of behavior prior to target introduction. For both food- and water-reinforced birds, the time between reinforcers at which a bird was spatially situated halfway between the front and rear of the chamber prior to target presentation was positively correlated with the time at which maximum target contact subsequently occurred.     

Assessment for Effective Intervention: Enrichment Science Academic Program

Israel suffers from a growing problem of socio-economic gaps between those who live in the center of the country and residents of outlying areas. As a result, there is a low level of accessibility to higher education among the peripheral population. The goal of the Sidney Warren Science Education Center for Youth at Tel-Hai College is to strengthen the potential of middle and high school students and encourage them to pursue higher education, with an emphasis on majoring in science and technology. This study investigated the implementation and evaluation of the enrichment science academic program, as an example of informal learning environment, with an emphasis on physics studies. About 500 students conducted feedback survey after participating in science activities in four domains: biology, chemistry, physics, and computer science. Results indicated high level of satisfaction among the students. No differences were found with respect to gender excluding in physics with a positive attitudes advantage among boys. In order to get a deeper understanding of this finding, about 70 additional students conducted special questionnaires, both 1 week before the physics enrichment day and at the end of that day. Questionnaires were intended to assess both their attitudes toward physics and their knowledge and conceptions of the physical concept “pressure.” We found that the activity moderately improved boys’ attitudes toward physics, but that girls displayed decreased interest in and lower self-efficacy toward physics. Research results were used to the improvement of the instructional design of the physics activity demonstrating internal evaluation process for effective intervention.     

A worldwide intercultural network: exploring electronic messaging for instruction

A worldwide international computer network has been developed to provide students from different cultures with opportunities to work cooperatively. Prototype activities have been developed and tested which facilitate and contextualize interactions among secondary and college students. Joint projects in language, science and social studies are carried out using an overnight electronic network to coordinate parallel surveys and to exchange findings of joint research. The instructional utility of these activities and the technical and organizational aspects of the network are discussed. Receiving-end translation as a method for achieving understanding across languages is reported.     

A cost-benefit analysis of industrial training

In spite of the crucial role of company training in developing industrial skills, cost-benefit analysis of company training has lagged behind the state of the art. This paper develops a simple approach requiring commonly obtainable data at the firm level. The applications for apprentice training in Malaysia show generally high rates of return, those for the worker being higher than for the employer. The social rate of return suggests rationalization policies in the form of a shift of training resources from society to companies. The paper briefly appraises institutional training as well.     

The Flipped Classroom as a Tool for Engaging Discipline Faculty in Collaboration: A Case Study in Library-Business Collaboration

This case study focuses on an innovative approach to the flipped classroom as a tool for productive library-discipline faculty collaboration on information literacy instruction. The argument is presented that the flipped classroom can be a pathway into the disciplines that can be used in overcoming the disadvantages of the one-shot and other barriers to collaboration. The case study will outline the reasons for a successful collaboration on integrating information literacy into this undergraduate business course and for its extension to five additional business courses. Practical examples of learning outcomes, in-class activities, and assessment are provided.     

Influence of football match time–motion parameters on recovery time course of muscle damage and jump ability

ABSTRACT

We analysed the time course of recovery of creatine kinase (CK) and countermovement jump (CMJ) parameters after a football match, and correlations between changes in these variables and match time–motion parameters (GPS-accelerometry) in 15 U-19 elite male players. Plasma CK and CMJ height (CMJ_H), average concentric force (CMJ_CON) and average eccentric force (CMJ_ECC) were assessed 2 h before and 30 min, 24 h and 48 h post-match. There were substantially higher CK levels 30 min, 24 h and 48 h (ES: 0.43, 0.62, 0.40, respectively), post-match. CMJ_ECC (ES: ?0.38), CMJ_H (ES: ?0.35) decreased 30 min post, CMJ_CON (ES: ?0.35), CMJ_ECC (ES: ?0.35) and CMJ_H (ES: ?1.35) decreased 24 h post, and CMJ_CON (ES: ?0.41) and CMJ_H (ES: ?0.53) decreased 48 h post. We found correlations between distance covered at velocities ≤21 km · h^?1 and changes in CK at 24 h (r = 0.56) and at 48 h (r = 0.54) and correlations between CK and distance covered >14 km · h^?1 (r = 0.50), accelerations (r = 0.48), and decelerations (r = 0.58) at 48 h. Changes in CMJ_CON 30 min and 24 h post (both r = ?0.68) correlated with impacts >7.1·G. Decelerations >2 m · s^?2 correlated with changes CMJ_CON (r = ?0.49) at 48 h and CMJ_ECC (r = ?0.47) at 30 min. Our results suggest that match GPS-accelerometry parameters may predict muscle damage and changes in components of neuromuscular performance immediately and 24–48 h post-match.