Determination of a quantitative parameter to evaluate swimming technique based on the maximal tethered swimming test

The aim of this study was to propose a new force parameter, associated with swimmers’ technique and performance. Twelve swimmers performed five repetitions of 25 m sprint crawl and a tethered swimming test with maximal effort. The parameters calculated were: the mean swimming velocity for crawl sprint, the mean propulsive force of the tethered swimming test as well as an oscillation parameter calculated from force fluctuation. The oscillation parameter evaluates the force variation around the mean force during the tethered test as a measure of swimming technique. Two parameters showed significant correlations with swimming velocity: the mean force during the tethered swimming (r = 0.85) and the product of the mean force square root and the oscillation (r = 0.86). However, the intercept coefficient was significantly different from zero only for the mean force, suggesting that although the correlation coefficient of the parameters was similar, part of the mean velocity magnitude that was not associated with the mean force was associated with the product of the mean force square root and the oscillation. Thus, force fluctuation during tethered swimming can be used as a quantitative index of swimmers’ technique.     

Does intensity really matter regarding aerobic exercise reductions in wave reflection and central hemodynamics? Commentary on "The effect of acute aerobic exercise on central arterial stiffness,wave reflections,and hemodynamics in adults with diabetes: A randomized cross-over design"by Way et al.

We read with great interest the study by Way et al.1 pub-lished in this journal, which described and compared the acute changes in central arterial stiffness (A...     

Performance evaluation of the high sensitive troponin I assay on the Atellica IM analyser

IntroductionThe Fourth Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction Global Taskforce recommends the use of high sensitive troponin (hs-Tn) assays in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. We evaluated the analytical performance of the Atellica IM High-sensitivity Troponin I Assay (hs-TnI) (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc., Tarrytown, USA) and compared its performance to other hs-TnI assays (Siemens Advia Centaur, Dimension Vista, Dimension EXL, and Abbott Architect (Wiesbaden, Germany)) at one or more sites across Europe.Materials and methodsPrecision, detection limit, linearity, method comparison, and interference studies were performed according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute protocols. Values in 40 healthy individuals were compared to the manufacturer’s cut-offs. Sample turnaround time (TAT) was examined.ResultsImprecision repeatability CVs were 1.1–4.7% and within-lab imprecision were 1.8–7.6% (10.0–25,000 ng/L). The limit of blank (LoB), detection (LoD), and quantitation (LoQ) aligned with the manufacturer’s values of 0.5 ng/L, 1.6 ng/L, and 2.5 ng/L, respectively. Passing-Bablok regression demonstrated good correlations between Atellica IM analyser with other systems; some minor deviations were observed. All results in healthy volunteers fell below the 99th percentile URL, and greater than 50% of each sex demonstrated values above the LoD. No interference was observed for biotin (≤ 1500 µg/L), but a slight bias at 5.0 g/L haemoglobin and 50 ng/L Tn was observed. TAT from was fast (mean time = 10.9 minutes) and reproducible (6%CV).ConclusionsReal-world analytical and TAT performance of the hs-TnI assay on the Atellica IM analyser make this assay fit for routine use in clinical laboratories.     

A DGS gesture dictionary for modelling on mobile devices

Interactive or Dynamic Geometry System (DGS) is a tool that help to teach and learn geometry using a computer-based interactive environment. Traditionally, the interaction with DGS is based on keyboard and mouse events where the functionalities are accessed using a menu of icons. Nevertheless, recent findings suggest that such a traditional model of interaction has a steep learning curve and is inadequate to develop DGS for devices with multi-touch screens. Thus, we propose a new interaction model for DGS based on a gesture dictionary which enables the construction and manipulation of geometric objects without the need of accessing a menu of icons. The dictionary is divided into three types: (i) kernel gestures: which are the basis for defining gestures; (ii) navigation gestures: related to the manipulation and editing of geometric objects; and (iii) basic gestures of construction: to construct geometric objects. To validate our interaction model, a DGS for mobile device, GeoTouch, has been developed using the proposed dictionary. Usability tests were performed comparing GeoTouch with three other DGS for mobile devices. The results indicate that the GeoTouch interface has fewer usability problems than the other three DGS software and it is easier to learn and interact with.     

Letter name knowledge and the ability to learn to read by processing letter–phoneme relations in words: Evidence from Brazilian Portuguese-speaking children

Previous studies [Scott & Ehri (1990) Journal of Reading Behavior22: 149–166; de Abreu & Cardoso-Martins (1998) Reading and Writing:An Interdisciplinary Journal 10: 85–104] have shown thatprereaders who know the names of the lettersuse a visual–phonological strategy to learn toread words in which the names of one or moreletters can be clearly detected in thepronunciation of the words. The present resultsextend these findings by showing that BrazilianPortuguese-speaking prereaders who know thenames of the letters can process letter–soundrelations to learn to read spellings in whichthe letters correspond to phonemes, not toletter names. Following Ehri & Wilce'sprocedure [(1985) Reading Research Quarterly 20:163–179], Brazilian preschool childrenlearned to read two types of simplifiedspellings: phonetic spellings, that is,spellings in which the letters corresponded tophonemes in the pronunciation of the words(e.g., SPT for sapato), and visualspellings, that is, spellings in which theletters did not correspond to sounds in thepronunciation of the words, but which werevisually more salient (e.g., VST for pijama). The children learned to read thephonetic spellings more easily than the visualspellings, suggesting that they recognized theletter–phoneme relations in learning to readthe phonetic spellings. This interpretation isbolstered by the results of correlationalanalyses between knowledge of letter sounds andperformance on the two word-learning tasks.While knowledge of letter–phonemecorrespondences did not correlate withperformance on the word-learning task with thevisual spellings, it correlated significantlyand positively with the children's ability tolearn to read the phonetic spellings.     

Honor Codes and Other Contextual Influences on Academic Integrity: A Replication and Extension to Modified Honor Code Settings

Research has shown that traditional academic honor codes are generally associated with lower levels of student academic dishonesty. Utilizing data obtained from students at 21 colleges and universities, this study investigated the influence of modified honor codes, an alternative to traditional honor codes, that is gaining popularity on larger campuses. It also tested the model of student academic dishonesty previously suggested by McCabe and Treviño in a more diverse sample of campuses. Results suggest that modified honor codes are associated with lower levels of student dishonesty and that the McCabe and Treviño model appears to be reasonably robust.     

Strategies d'orientation scolaire et insertion sociale: Contexte general et cas des jeunes marocains en belgique francophone

Résumé L'insertion scolaire est un facteur qui conditionne les différentes formes d'intégration. Elle est mesurée par la qualité, la quantité et le contenu des études suivies. Les structures de formation et leur accessibilité aux familles immigrées sont la base d'une insertion réussie ou, selon les cas, d'une relégation sociale. Des données récentes démontrent qu'en Belgique francophone, l'école est plus un lieu d'échec qu'un lieu de réussite pour les jeunes issus de l'immigration: les imperfections du système scolaire et en particulier, son incapacité à gérer la pluralité éthnique et sociale produisent un échec massif avec tous les risques de marginalisation socio-économique que cette situation comporte. Notons cependant que l'hypothèse principale de l'enquête présentée ici porte sur l'environnement socio-culturel, le niveau de vie du ménage, l'histoire migratoire de la famille d'origine et l'histoire individuelle, fruits d'une multi-détermination sociale et pouvant influencer la scolarisation, l'orientation des jeunes lors de ce processus et, enfin, la réussite. Il apparaît que l'hypothèse se vérifie à travers quatre facteurs globaux expliquant la réussite et l'insertion à l'école. Il s'agit du niveau de formation scolaire des parents, de la catégorie socio-professionnelle de ceux-ci, du niveau de la pratique de la langue française au sein de la famille et de la nationalité des parents. Dans ce compte rendu, certains points touchant la formation scolaire des étrangers sont développés; une analyse plus détaillée du cas des Marocains de Belgique est tentée.

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Successful schooling is a factor which significantly influences integration in its various forms. It is measured by the quality, quantity and content of what is studied. Educational structures and their accessibility to immigrant families are at the heart of successful schooling, or social failure. Recent data show that in French-speaking Belgium, school is more a place of failure than of success for immigrants. The imperfections of the school system and, in particular, its inability to manage ethnic and social plurality, produce massive failure, with all the attendant risks of socio-economic marginalisation. However, the main hypothesis of the study presented here concerns the socio-cultural environment, the standard of living of the home, the migration history of the family of origin, and the history of the individual. These are determined by many social factors, and can in turn influence school performance, young people's attitudes to school, and ultimately their success. It appears that the hypothesis is true, there being four global factors which explain school performance and success. These are the level of the parents' schooling, their socio-professional class, the level of use of the French language in the family, and the nationality of the parents. In this report, certain points relevant to the schooling of foreigners are touched on, and a more detailed analysis of the case of Moroccans in Belgian is attempted.

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Zusammenfassung Die schulische Eingliederung ist ein Faktor, der die unterschiedlichen Arten von Integration bedingt. Sie wird nach Qualität, Quantität und Inhalt der absolvierten Studien bemessen. Bildungsstrukturen und ihre Zugänglichkeit für Immigrantenfamilien sind die Basis einer erfolgreichen Eingliederung bzw. eines sozialen Mißerfolgs. Kürzlich zusammengetragene Daten zeigen, daß Immigranten im französischsprachigen Belgien die Schule eher als einen Ort des Mißerfolgs als des Erfolgs empfinden. Die Unzulänglichkeiten des Schulsystems und insbesondere dessen Unfähigkeit, ethnische und soziale Pluralität zu meistern, führen zu massivem Mißerfolg und den dazugehörigen Risiken sozialer Ausgrenzung. Die Haupthypothese der hier präsentierten Studie betrifft jedoch die sozialkulturelle Umgebung, den Lebensstandard und die Migrationsgeschichte der Familie, sowie die persönliche Geschichte des individuellen Familienmitglieds. Diese werden durch viele soziale Faktoren bestimmt und können umgekehrt die schulischen Leistungen, die Einstellung junger Menschen zur Schule und schließlich ihren Erfolg beeinflussen. Es scheint, daß die Hypothese über die Existenz vier globaler Faktoren, die Schulleistungen und den Erfolg bestimmen, zutrifft. Zu diesen Faktoren gehören der Grad der elterlichen Schulbildung und deren sozialer und beruflicher Status, der Grad der Anwendung der französischen Sprache in der Familie und die Nationalität der Eltern. Dieser Bericht zeigt gewisse, für die Schulbildung von Ausländern relevante Kriterien auf, und versucht eine detaillierte Analyse über die Situation von Marokkanern in Belgien.

     

Attitudes towards sexuality information for adolescents: what parents should and should not say

The goal of this study was to investigate the attitudes of Colombians with respect to what can and what must not be said to young people of different ages and genders regarding sexuality. A convenience sample of 329 adults, aged 18–64 years, living in Bogotá participated in the study. They were presented with a set of 36 vignettes describing situations in which either a young girl or a young boy seemed to be concerned about sexuality and sexual relationships. Each scenario contained three items of information: the child’s gender, age and the parent’s decision (e.g. not to say anything regarding sexuality). Through cluster analysis, seven qualitatively different sets of attitudes were found. The five most common ones were: (i) it is never appropriate to talk about sexual matters (6%); (ii) delegate this responsibility to the school nurse (4%); (iii) provide incomplete information restricted to the biology of sexuality (11%); (iv) provide comprehensive information but with a recommendation of abstinence (28%); and (v) provide comprehensive information and a recommendation of pre-marital sexual experience (36%). Although it was expected that attitudes would vary as a function of the young person’s gender and age, such variations proved to be limited in their extent.