Effects of AM3 (Inmunoferon) on increased serum concentrations of interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor receptors I and II in cyclists

The aims of this study were to examine the changes in plasma concentrations of inflammatory cytokines induced by training and competition in professional cyclists. We report the serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a), tumour necrosis factor receptors I and II (TNFR-I and -II) in a prospective, randomized, double-blind trial involving the administration of AM3 (Inmunoferon), an oral booster immunomodulator, or placebo to 16 professional cyclists (n = 8 in each group) for 65 consecutive days. Serum was collected just before treatment began (baseline), at the end of pre-competition training, before the mountain stage of the competition (60 days), 4 h after finishing this stage (62 days), and 18 h after the fifth and last day of competition (65 days). To determine the normal levels of cytokines and soluble TNF receptors, individual samples from 14 moderately trained healthy controls were studied. After 60 days of training, the serum concentrations of IL-6 did not differ significantly from those at the beginning of the study for either group of cyclists (placebo and AM3). A significant rise was seen in IL-6 concentrations in both the AM3 and placebo groups at 62 days, 4 h after finishing the mountain stage. The increase was significantly greater in the placebo group than in the AM3 group. At 65 days of treatment, 18 h after the fifth and last day of competition, IL-6 concentrations were similar to those recorded at the end of the training, but were significantly higher in the placebo group than in the AM3 group. At the end of training, serum TNFR-I concentrations in both groups of cyclists were significantly lower than at baseline. The concentrations of serum TNFR-I and -II both 4 h after finishing the mountain stage and 18 h after the fifth and last day of competition were significantly higher than those recorded after training in both groups. Professional cycling competition is associated with increases in serum IL-6 and TNFR-I and -II concentrations. Inmunoferon treatment reduced significantly the concentrations of IL-6 but not those of TNFR-I and -II.     

Mini-languages: a way to learn programming principles

Mini-languages are a visually intuitive, simple and powerful way to introduce students to programming. They are a good foundation for general computer science instruction, provide insight into programming for the general population, and teach algorithmic thinking. The goal of the paper is to provide an extensive review of the mini-language approach to teaching programming. For different audiences and in different countries, the authors have extensive experience in design and application of mini-languages. We outline the problems that motivate the application of this approach, present a brief history, review several existing mini-languages, and provide discussion of lessons learned. In particular, we discuss how to choose a mini-language for a particular group of students and list some requirements for a successful application of a mini- language. We conclude with a discussion of possible future directions of the mini-language approach development     

Locus and nature of perceptual phonological deficit in Spanish children with reading disabilities

The aims of this study were (a) to determine whether Spanish children with reading disabilities (RD) show a speech perception deficit and (b) to explore the locus and nature of this perceptive deficit. A group of 29 children with RD, 41 chronological age-matched controls, and 27 reading ability-matched younger controls were tested on tasks of speech perception. The effect of linguistic unit (word vs. syllable) and type of phonetic contrast (voicing, place and manner of articulation) were analyzed in terms of the number of errors and the response time. The results revealed a speech perception deficit in Spanish children with RD that was independent of the type of phonetic contrast and of linguistic unit.     

3-min all-out effort on cycle ergometer is valid to estimate the anaerobic capacity by measurement of blood lactate and excess post-exercise oxygen consumption

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of a single 3-min all-out maximal effort to estimate anaerobic capacity (AC) through the lactate and excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) response methods (AC_{[La^?]+EPOCfast}) on a cycle ergometer. Eleven physically active men (age?=?28.1?±?4.0?yrs, height?=?175.1?±?4.2?cm, body mass?=?74.8?±?11.9?kg and ?O_2max?=?40.7?±?7.3?mL?kg^?1?min^?1), participated in the study and performed: i) five submaximal efforts, ii) a supramaximal effort at 115% of intensity of ?O_2max, and iii) a 3-min all-out maximal effort. Anaerobic capacity was estimated using the supramaximal effort through conventional maximal accumulated oxygen deficit (MAOD) and also through the sum of oxygen equivalents from the glycolytic (fast component of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) and phosphagen pathways (blood lactate accumulation) (AC_{[La^?]+EPOCfast}), while during the 3-min all-out maximal effort the anaerobic capacity was estimated using the AC_{[La^?]+EPOCfast} procedure. There were no significant differences between the three methods (p?>?0.05). Additionally, the anaerobic capacity estimated during the 3-min all-out effort was significantly correlated with the MAOD (r?=?0.74; p?=?0.009) and AC_{[La^?]+EPOCfast} methods (r?=?0.65; p?=?0.029). Therefore, it is possible to conclude that the 3-min all-out effort is valid to estimate anaerobic capacity in physically active men during a single cycle ergometer effort.     

Correlations between serum and salivary hormonal concentrations in response to resistance exercise

The aim of present study was to examine the relationships between serum and salivary values of free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and cortisol before and after a session of resistance exercise. Twenty-eight healthy men (mean age 40 years, s = 4) participated in the present study. Serum and salivary samples were collected at rest and after a multiple-sets resistance exercise protocol, of approximately 25 minutes duration. Concentrations of free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and cortisol were measured using radioimmunoassay kits. No significant correlation was observed between serum free testosterone and salivary testosterone (r = 0.22 to 0.26, P > 0.05). Serum cortisol was significantly correlated with salivary cortisol before (r = 0.52, P = 0.005) and after (r = 0.62, P = 0.001) the exercise protocol. Serum and salivary concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone were significantly correlated before (r = 0.68, P < 0.001) and after (r = 0.7, P < 0.001) exercise. The results of the present study suggest that even under exercise conditions, the salivary values of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone can reflect the behaviour of these hormones in blood. However, further studies are necessary to verify if salivary testosterone reflects the behaviour of serum free testosterone during resistance exercise.     

Optimal sampling frequency in recording of resistance training exercises

The purpose of this study was to analyse the raw lifting speed collected during four different resistance training exercises to assess the optimal sampling frequency. Eight physically active participants performed sets of Squat Jumps, Countermovement Jumps, Squats and Bench Presses at a maximal lifting speed. A linear encoder was used to measure the instantaneous speed at a 200 Hz sampling rate. Subsequently, the power spectrum of the signal was computed by evaluating its Discrete Fourier Transform. The sampling frequency needed to reconstruct the signals with an error of less than 0.1% was f_99.9 = 11.615 ± 2.680 Hz for the exercise exhibiting the largest bandwidth, with the absolute highest individual value being 17.467 Hz. There was no difference between sets in any of the exercises. Using the closest integer sampling frequency value (25 Hz) yielded a reconstruction of the signal up to 99.975 ± 0.025% of its total in the worst case. In conclusion, a sampling rate of 25 Hz or above is more than adequate to record raw speed data and compute power during resistance training exercises, even under the most extreme circumstances during explosive exercises. Higher sampling frequencies provide no increase in the recording precision and may instead have adverse effects on the overall data quality.     

The changing nature of agricultural information and the conflictive global developments shaping extension 1

Abstract

The modernisation of potato production in the Ecuadorian highlands is related to an intensive use of pesticides. In this context, by means of ethnographic methodologies and discourse analysis tools, this study was aimed to determine the influence of household arrangements, local institutions and social differentiation in the management of potato production and pesticide use. Potato production involves all household members and generates occupational risks, but also household-level accidents. This study has determined that children and teenagers form the group most vulnerable to intoxication with pesticides. Four social dimensions that integrate pesticides in the local social dynamics were determined: health-beliefs, gender identity, social identity, and economical progress reliance by means of potato production. Intense potato production and comoditisation of nature is contributing to a progressive social stratification, which is causing a group of peasant households to emerge as the poorest group and vulnerable to occupational risks by chronic pesticide exposure.     

Concept learning by pigeons: Matching-to-sample with trial-unique video picture stimuli

Pigeons were trained to match-to-sample with several new methodologies: a large number of stimuli, computer-drawn color picture stimuli, responses monitored by a computer touch screen, stimuli presented horizontally from the floor, and grain reinforcement delivered onto the picture stimuli. Following acquisition, matching-to-sample concept learning was assessed by transfer to novel stimuli on the first exposure to pairs of novel stimuli. One group (trial-unique), trained with 152 different pictures presented once daily, showed excellent transfer (80% correct). Transfer and baseline performances were equivalent, indicating that the matching-to-sample concept had been learned. A second group (2-stimulus), trained with only two different pictures, showed no evidence of transfer. These results are discussed in terms of the effect of numbers of exemplars on previous failures to find concept learning in pigeons, and the implications of the positive finding from this experiment on abstract concept learning and evolutionary cognitive development.     

Effects of student-facilitated learning on instructional facilitators

We investigated perceptions about learning strategy use and instructional roles among a sample of high needs adolescents (n = 230) who acted as near-peer instructional facilitators. The sample was drawn from science and mathematics classes in nonselective public secondary schools in New York City. Students participated in an inschool intervention that draws on social constructivism, theory and research on metacognition and learning strategies, role theory, and empirical findings from the peer-to-peer learning literature to promote advanced achievement among students who act as facilitators. Using a pre- and post-test single group design, we surveyed student instructional facilitators before and after program participation and related their perceptions about learning strategy use and perceptions about teaching roles to data about academic achievement. We found no survey gains in student perceptions about learning strategies or instructional roles between pre-survey (fall) and post-survey (spring). We found small but significant effects of individual perceptions about learning strategies and teaching roles on academic gains among instructional facilitators. The study also suggests that an in-school near-peer facilitated learning program can be an effective means to raise achievement in urban high schools. The study provides partial support for theories that hold that metacognition and role perceptions are involved in the academic gains of instructional facilitators, as gains in these dimensions were small compared to achievement gains.     

An investigation into turn-away among information technology professionals in Brazil

Two important problems have been observed fairly frequently among information technology (IT) professionals, namely turn-over – where the IT professional moves to another company but still remains in the IT sector – and turn-away, in which the IT professional abandons the area in order to occupy a position in a different area, either in the same company or in another, sometimes assuming a managerial function. Few research papers were found with respect to the latter phenomenon. Based on that, the main thrust of this work is to understand how and why IT professionals in Brazil abandon their area, identifying typical characteristics in their career transition. Thus, from a literature review about career development and the analysis of the data collected, eight research hypotheses were developed in order to be analyzed by the researchers. A multiple case study method with several units of analysis was applied in two large companies in Brazil. In-depth interviews were conducted with IT professionals who had migrated to other areas within their organizations, they being considered the unit of analysis. The results accrued from this research reveal that IT professionals in Brazil need to have more growth opportunities than either their companies have been able to offer them or it is possible to offer within the technical arena.