Accelerometer-measured daily physical activity related to aerobic fitness in children and adolescents

Abstract

Maximum oxygen uptake ([Vdot]O_2PEAK) is generally considered to be the best single marker for aerobic fitness. While a positive relationship between daily physical activity and aerobic fitness has been established in adults, the relationship appears less clear in children and adolescents. The purpose of this paper is to summarise recently published data on the relationship between daily physical activity, as measured by accelerometers, and [Vdot]O_2PEAK in children and adolescents. A PubMed search was performed on 29 October 2010 to identify relevant articles. Studies were considered relevant if they included measurement of daily physical activity by accelerometry and related to a [Vdot]O_2PEAK either measured directly at a maximal exercise test or estimated from maximal power output. A total of nine studies were identified, with a total number of 6116 children and adolescents investigated. Most studies reported a low-to-moderate relationship (r = 0.10–0.45) between objectively measured daily physical activity and [Vdot]O_2PEAK. No conclusive evidence exists that physical activity of higher intensities are more closely related to [Vdot]O_2PEAK, than lower intensities.     

Scaling of upper-body power output to predict time-trial roller skiing performance

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to establish the most appropriate allometric model to predict mean skiing speed during a double-poling roller skiing time-trial using scaling of upper-body power output. Forty-five Swedish junior cross-country skiers (27 men and 18 women) of national and international standard were examined. The skiers, who had a body mass (m) of 69.3 ± 8.0 kg (mean ± s), completed a 120-s double-poling test on a ski ergometer to determine their mean upper-body power output (W). Performance data were subsequently obtained from a 2-km time-trial, using the double-poling technique, to establish mean roller skiing speed. A proportional allometric model was used to predict skiing speed. The optimal model was found to be: Skiing speed = 1.057 · W ^0.556 · m ^?0.315, which explained 58.8% of the variance in mean skiing speed (P < 0.001). The 95% confidence intervals for the scaling factors ranged from 0.391 to 0.721 for W and from ?0.626 to ?0.004 for m. The results in this study suggest that allometric scaling of upper-body power output is preferable for the prediction of performance of junior cross-country skiers rather than absolute expression or simple ratio-standard scaling of upper-body power output.     

Creating entrepreneurial networks: academic entrepreneurship, mobility and collaboration during PhD education

Network-building activities of PhD students are an important area of study in furthering our understanding of academic entrepreneurship. This paper focuses on PhD students’ participation in network-building activities defined as mobility and collaboration, as well as own interest in and perceived grade of support for commercialisation from various levels of the university hierarchy. The results of a large-scale survey (of 1,126 PhD students at Link?ping University, Sweden, 41% response rate) presented here show that the majority of PhD students are engaged in collaborations with external organisations, though quite few (one quarter) have spent a part of their PhD education outside their home university. PhD students from all faculties are on average interested in commercialisation and in favour of it. However, PhD students from the faculty of Health Sciences state that it is difficult for them to combine research and commercialisation. Furthermore, interest in commercialisation of research results is relatively lowest amongst those PhD students who are undertaking mobility placements at other universities, thus pointing to an experienced incompatibility of research and academic entrepreneurship.     

Some problems encountered by disabled students at the University of Oslo – whose responsibility?

ABSTRACT

A survey was undertaken among students at the University of Oslo in order to include their comments in a recommendation that was being prepared to elucidate the disabled students' situation in the future. Students were requested to write shorter or longer comments concerning their day as a disabled student, in order to expose barriers, weaknesses in the organization of services and other concerns. They were also requested to make recommendations as to improvements. The students’ answers indicated that they encountered several practical problems in their education, including a lack of understanding and cooperation from administrators, faculty staff and lecturers, a lack of adaptive aids and other resources and inaccessibility of grounds and buildings. Students made recommendations to improve the delivery of services. On the background of the information given by the students, the paper reflects on the issue of higher education's responsibility in relation to adjustments. The Reform‐94 within upper secondary education makes the issue of responsibility even more current.     

From Identity to Facility—The New Buildings for the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Copenhagen

This analysis seeks to unite both an architectural and an educational perspective on the transformation of the university into a postmodern institution. Our point of departure is an analysis of the new buildings for the Faculty of Humanities University of Copenhagen which are located on the island area of Amager, to the south of Copenhagen's centre. To put the transformation into perspective we will also consider the respective older buildings that house the universities of Copenhagen and Oslo. The analysis will illustrate how the university as an institution has changed in terms of characteristics, position in society and its understanding of itself. Previously, the university was a clearly defined institution, which had both the process of Bildung (liberal education) and the production of objective knowledge as its goal. Today's university has become a institution, which seeks to develop competence rather than Bildung and to facilitate knowledge in the Network Society. These changes can be explicated by the French philosopher Lyotard's analysis of the position of knowledge within the postmodern sphere.     

Parental governmentality: involving ‘immigrant parents’ in Swedish schools

In Sweden, calls for partnership between state institutions and local communities punctuate discussions of a number of areas of public policy. In this article, the discourse of partnership is analyzed in recent developments in Swedish educational policy, and particularly the involvement of ‘immigrant parents’ as partners collaborating with the school. In the article it is argued that, in partnerships between the school and ‘immigrant parents’, the ‘rules of the game’ are most often dictated by one of the partners (i.e. the Swedish school). Here, ‘immigrant parents’ are by various techniques being ‘measured’ and exhorted to adapt to an imagined ‘Swedish normality’, in order to become a ‘responsible’ parent and equal partner.     

Leisure participation: modelling the decision to engage in sports and culture

Participation in sport and participation in cultural activities are usually studied separately. However, since both activities dominate the leisure time of most individuals, it is reasonable to analyse simultaneously the determinants of participation in both activities. Informed by the economic household theory, this study examined the core factors of time, income, human capital as well as several socio-demographic factors. The results showed that there was as small but significant correlation between sports and cultural participation. Thus, both can be described as complementary and competing activities. Leisure time, gender, education, nationality and subjective well-being were significant predictors of both sports and cultural participation. Differences were found for the variables age and income. This paper also describes the characteristics of those individuals who are not likely to participate in either activity and emphasises the importance of social inclusion programmes.     

Tension Between Visions of Science Education

The aim of this study is to contribute to an understanding of how curricular change is accomplished in practice, including the positions and conflicts of key stakeholders and participants, and their actions in the process. As a case, we study the treatment of energy in Swedish secondary curricula in the period 1962–2011 and, in particular, how the notion of energy quality was introduced in the curricula in an energy course at upper secondary school in 1983 and in physics at lower secondary school in 1994. In the analysis, we use Roberts’ two competing visions of science education, Vision I in which school science subjects largely mirror their corresponding academic disciplines and Vision II that incorporates societal matters of science. In addition, a newly suggested Vision III represents a critical perspective on science education. Our analysis shows how Vision II and III aspects of science education have gained importance in curricula since the 1980s, but in competition with Vision I considerations. Energy quality played a central role in providing Vision II and III arguments in the curricular debate on energy teaching. Subsequent educational research has found that Swedish teachers and students struggle with how to relate to energy quality in physics teaching, which we explain as partly due to the tension between the competing visions.