The brain and fatigue: new opportunities for nutritional interventions?

It is clear that the cause of fatigue is complex, influenced by events occurring in both the periphery and the central nervous system. Work conducted over the last 20 years has focused on the role of brain serotonin and catecholamines in the development of fatigue, and the possibility that manipulation of neurotransmitter precursors may delay the onset of fatigue. While there is some evidence that branched-chain amino acid and tyrosine ingestion can influence perceived exertion and some measures of mental performance, the results of several apparently well-controlled laboratory studies have not demonstrated a positive effect on exercise capacity or performance under temperate conditions. As football is highly reliant upon the successful execution of motor skills and tactics, the possibility that amino acid ingestion may help to attenuate a loss in cognitive function during the later stages of a game would be desirable, even in the absence of no apparent benefit to physical performance. There are several reports of enhanced performance of high-intensity intermittent exercise with carbohydrate ingestion, but at present it is difficult to separate the peripheral effects from any potential impact on the central nervous system. The possibility that changes in central neurotransmission play a role in the aetiology of fatigue when exercise is performed in high ambient temperatures has recently been examined, although the significance of this in relation to the pattern of activity associated with football has yet to be determined.     

Learning to succeed in a flat world: information and communication technologies for a new generation of business students

This article investigates the relationship of learning and its infrastructure using Web 2.0 technologies to facilitate the acquisition of skills needed to succeed in a global economy. We explore the learning phenomenon as a way to bring forward a process of continuous improvement supported by social software. We use a commonly accepted definition of learning to evaluate different learning theories, since it seems that the definition of learning itself is not a major source of difference between learning theories. Their differences are over issues of interpretation, not over definition. The theories reviewed are used in the design of a framework to assess the infrastructure against expectations of skill proficiency using Web 2.0 tools, i.e., wikis, blogs, social bookmarking, tagging, etc. which must emerge as a result of registering in an introduction to business information and communication technologies (ICT) course in a Canadian university. In this course, we use Friedman’s (The world is flat: a brief history of the twenty-first century release 3.0, Picador, New York, 2007) thesis that the “world is flat” to discuss issues of globalization and the role of ICT. Students registered in the course are usually familiar with some of the tools we introduce and use in the course. The students are members of Facebook or MySpace, regularly check YouTube, and use Wikipedia in their studies. These tools are the tools to socialize. In our course, we broaden the students’ horizons and explore the potential business benefits of such tools and empower the students to use Web 2.0 technologies within a business context.     

Decision boundaries and receiver operating characteristic curves: new methods for determining accelerometer cutpoints

We propose and evaluate the utility of an alternative method (decision boundaries) for establishing physical activity intensity-related accelerometer cutpoints. Accelerometer data collected from seventy-six 11- to 14-year-old boys during controlled bouts of moderate- and vigorous-intensity field physical activities were assessed. Mean values and standard deviations for moderate- and vigorous-intensity activities were obtained and normal equivalents generated. The decision boundary (the point of intersection of overlapping distributions) was used to create a lower-bound vigorous-intensity cutpoint. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves compared the sensitivity and specificity of the new cutpoint and mean values with the actual activity. There was a 96.5% probability that participants performing vigorous-intensity physical activity were accurately classified when using the decision boundary of 6700 counts per minute, in contrast to the 50% accurately classified when the mean value was used. Inspection of the empirical ROC curve indicated that the decision boundary provided the optimal threshold to distinguish between moderate and vigorous physical activity for this dataset. In conclusion, decision boundaries reduced the error associated with determining accelerometer threshold values. Applying these methods to accelerometer data collected in specific populations will improve the precision with which accelerometer thresholds can be identified.     

The Move Towards Managerialism: Perceptions of staff in “traditional” and “new” UK universities

Tertiary Education and Management - The raison d’être of higher education institutions is to educate individuals, undertake research, and disseminate knowledge into the public domain....     

Plagiarism in UK law schools: is there a postcode lottery?

The discussion of issues relating to academic dishonesty in the UK higher education sector has become increasingly intense in recent years and has often been subject to the media spotlight. This study examines the policies, procedures and penalties at law schools across the UK when dealing with allegations of plagiarism. Data were obtained in two stages via questionnaires and structured interviews with members of staff. The considerable degree of diversity which emerges is discussed and the possible implications of such diversity are examined.     

Free primary education policy and pupil school mobility in urban Kenya

This paper examines pupil school mobility in urban Kenya using African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC) household survey data which contain information on pupil transfers between schools. The aim is to identify which school characteristics attract the greatest demand for incoming transfers. The analysis reveals that there are frequent transfers in the slums than in the non-slum settlements; that transfer are in favour of private schools; and that quality is the main motivation for the transfers. Quality schools are perceived to have good discipline and better teacher performance. Given these results, should the Kenya government recognise the ‘low cost’ schools found in the slums which serve nearly half of the pupils and devise mechanisms of funding them?     

Trauma and psychological distress among ethnically diverse community college students

An association has been found between traumatic experiences and psychological distress; however, the impact of ethnicity on psychological distress is less clear. The present study examined the relationship between traumatic experiences and measures of psychological distress among a multiethnic sample of community college students. A total of 389 male and 848 female students completed a questionnaire that included the Distressing Events Questionnaire (DEQ), the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), the Bulimia (BUL), and the Drive for Thinness (DT) subscales of the Eating Disorders Inventory. As predicted, Blacks and Latinos reported higher levels of interpersonal trauma than White students. There was a positive association between trauma exposure and symptoms of depression, eating disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and no ethnic differences were observed in depression and PTSD scores among students exposed to interpersonal trauma. The high levels of trauma among Blacks and Latinos should be of concern to academic institutions because trauma is linked to poor academic performance.     

An exploratory investigation into the factors related to EdTech use among Kenyan girls

This paper contributes to the scarce literature on factors affecting EdTech use in households. These factors were considered through exploratory mixed-methods analyses of cross-sectional data on Kenyan girls and caregivers, captured during the COVID-19 pandemic. Quantitative analysis of the child dataset (n = 544) suggested the importance of both structural factors—such as technology hardware availability—and non-structural factors—including caregiver permission. Findings were supported by a thematic analysis of interview data from girls' caregivers (n = 58), which emphasised the role they play in girls' use of EdTech. Interviews also highlighted numerous caregiver concerns with EdTech, related to the relevance and rigour of educational content, the possibility of children accessing age-inappropriate material and child health (especially eyesight). Policy makers could alleviate these concerns by providing guidance on EdTech use and clearly signalling their approval of verified initiatives.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

• EdTech can benefit girls' education, yet there are various barriers to it being used.
• Existing research shows clearly that EdTech use can be impeded by structural factors (eg, hardware ownership).
• However, we find insufficient empirical evidence on the role of non-structural or behavioural factors.

What this paper adds

• This paper addresses this gap, using a mixed-methods approach to explore the influence of 33 different measures (including non-structural factors) that could affect the number of hours girls spend using EdTech at home.
• Findings from a quantitative sample of girls (n = 544) and a qualitative sample of girls' caregivers (n = 58) highlighted the importance of non-structural factors, especially caregiver permission.
• The variable most strongly associated with girls' EdTech usage in our selected quantitative model concerned whether this was sanctioned by their caregivers.
• Our qualitative data suggested why caregiver permission to use EdTech might be withheld: caregivers emphasised perceived concerns about the risks and rigour of EdTech.

Implications for practice and/or policy

• Our findings suggest the viability of policy interventions that provide EdTech guidance to caregivers.
• Caregivers uncertain about EdTech could be reassured of the appropriateness of verified initiatives, while those already convinced might be aided in their attempts to support EdTech learning.
• Such guidance could provide a low-cost means of further exploiting the benefits that household EdTech learning can provide.