Depression and Anxiety in the Postnatal Period: An Examination of Infants’ Home Language Environment,Vocalizations, and Expressive Language Abilities

This longitudinal study investigated the effects of maternal emotional health concerns, on infants’ home language environment, vocalization quantity, and expressive language skills. Mothers and their infants (at 6 and 12 months; 21 mothers with depression and or anxiety and 21 controls) provided day-long home-language recordings. Compared with controls, risk group recordings contained fewer mother–infant conversational turns and infant vocalizations, but daily number of adult word counts showed no group difference. Furthermore, conversational turns and infant vocalizations were stronger predictors of infants’ 18-month vocabulary size than depression and anxiety measures. However, anxiety levels moderated the effect of conversational turns on vocabulary size. These results suggest that variability in mothers’ emotional health influences infants’ language environment and later language ability.     

Examining the potential of web-based multimedia to support complex fine motor skill learning: An empirical study

Research on the utilization of the Web for complex fine motor skill learning that involves whole body movements is still scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the introduction of a multimedia web-based learning environment, which was targeted at a rhythmic gymnastics routine consisting of eight fine motor skills, into an undergraduate course in a physical education department, as a complementary tool to campus-based instruction. The impact was evaluated in terms of: acquisition of knowledge regarding the routine skills by students, improvement of students’ ability to execute the routine, and students’ responses to the environment. The study followed a pretest/posttest experimental design and involved 76 students randomly split into two groups: The Multimedia Web-based Learning Group (MWLG) students (N?=?38), who attended campus-based instruction on the routine and also used the environment in their own space and time, and the Traditional On-site Instruction Group (TOIG) students (N?=?38), who only attended campus-based instruction. The research data were gathered through student questionnaires and ratings of students’ performances. It was found that the use of the environment as a supplement to campus-based instruction increased the effectiveness of this instruction as regards the cognitive component of motor skill learning (i.e. acquisition of knowledge regarding the routine skills) and was well-accepted by the students, although it did not have any significant contribution to the physical component of motor skill learning (i.e. performance of the routine skills). These findings partially support the future wider adoption of multimedia web-based learning environments within physical education and other academic disciplines that involve complex fine motor skill learning. Relevant implications are discussed.     

Exploratory Analysis to Identify Concepts,Skills, Knowledge,and Tools to Educate Business Analytics Practitioners

Recent technological advancements in data storage and processing have changed how companies conduct their business. An increasing number of firms have started putting their efforts in extracting information from their databases to improve profitability and reduce costs using quantitative approaches. Thus, the job market has been experiencing a rapidly growing demand for business analytics (BA) practitioners, and universities across the globe are increasingly responding to this newly emerged field by offering both undergraduate and graduate level degrees as well as certificate programs. Thus, this research aims to provide a framework for academic institutions to develop a state‐of‐the‐art master's in business analytics (MSBA) curriculum by identifying concepts, skills, knowledge, and tools (CSKT) that industry seeks in BA practitioners. Our data‐driven methodology utilizes peer institution analysis, indeed.com web scraping, and focus group analysis with mid‐ and senior‐level analytics leaders from major companies. Our contribution to the literature and recommendations to institutions developing MSBA programs are offered at the end.     

Effect of a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu-simulated tournament on strength parameters and perceptual responses

This study aimed to analyse the effects of a simulated Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) tournament on vertical jump performance, grip strength test and perceived effort responses. 22 male BJJ athletes participated in a simulated tournament consisting of three 7 min matches separated by 14 min of rest. Kimono grip strength test (KGST), counter movement jump (CMJ) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured before and after each match, while RPE of specific areas was assessed after three matches. ANOVA for repeated measures was used to compare strength parameters after each match with the level of significance set at 5%. The key results showed a significant decrease of jump height (p = 0.001) and net vertical impulse in the CMJ (p = 0.031), as well as a reduction of the number of reps in the KGST (p < 0.001). A significant increase of RPE was found throughout the matches (p < 0.001). Considering the RPE in specific areas, no differences were observed between the upper and lower body (p = 0.743). We conclude that the BJJ simulated tournament generated a decrease of performance in both upper and lower limbs and provoked a progressive increase in the effort perception over the matches.     

Work–family conflict,relational turbulence mechanisms,conflict tactics and marital satisfaction*

ABSTRACT

This study examined how work–family conflict (WFC) is associated with mechanisms of relational turbulence, conflict tactics, and marital satisfaction. Six hundred and thirty-three married workers completed an online survey. Family interference with work and spouses’ work interfering with one’s family predicted greater relational uncertainty and interference from partners, whereas one’s own work interfering with family did not predict these mechanisms of turbulence. All three sources of relational uncertainty, and interference from partners, predicted increased avoidance and distributive tactic use. Facilitation from partners predicted increased use of integrative tactics. Finally, relational uncertainty, interference from partners, and distributive conflict tactics partially mediated the associations of WFC with marital satisfaction.     

The role of parents and peers in understanding female adolescent sexuality – testing perceived peer norms as mediators between some parental variables and sexuality

Previous research has confirmed peers and parents as significant agents of socialisation with respect to young people’s sexuality. The aim of this cross-sectional cohort study was to examine how parental and peer variables predict young women’s sexual behaviour and sexuality-related thoughts and emotions, and whether perceived peer influences mediate the relationship between parental variables and young person sexuality. A total of 560 female high school students of 1st (mean age 15.56 years) and 3rd grade (mean age 17.55 years), selected by means of two-stage stratified probability sampling participated in the research. Results confirmed that peer variables explained considerably more variance in participant sexuality than parental variables. Indirect parental communication about sexuality was a significant positive predictor of sexual behaviour and sexuality-related thoughts and emotions in both subsamples. The strength of direct and indirect influences of parents and peers on young people’s sexuality is determined by the age of the young person and specific aspects of adolescent sexuality. Perceived percentage of sexually active peers was the only mediator in older participants, while in the younger subsample, additional peer variables mediated the association between some parental and sexuality variables. In the discussion, special attention is given to implications of these results for planning future forms of comprehensive sexual education.     

Zero,single, or multi? Genre of web pages through the users’ perspective

The goal of the study presented in this article is to investigate to what extent the classification of a web page by a single genre matches the users’ perspective. The extent of agreement on a single genre label for a web page can help understand whether there is a need for a different classification scheme that overrides the single-genre labelling. My hypothesis is that a single genre label does not account for the users’ perspective. In order to test this hypothesis, I submitted a restricted number of web pages (25 web pages) to a large number of web users (135 subjects) asking them to assign only a single genre label to each of the web pages. Users could choose from a list of 21 genre labels, or select one of the two ‘escape’ options, i.e. ‘Add a label’ and ‘I don’t know’. The rationale was to observe the level of agreement on a single genre label per web page, and draw some conclusions about the appropriateness of limiting the assignment to only a single label when doing genre classification of web pages. Results show that users largely disagree on the label to be assigned to a web page.     

Combining entrepreneurial and scientific performance in academia: towards a compounded and reciprocal Matthew-effect?

The increase of entrepreneurial activity within academia has raised concerns that the research orientation of universities might become ‘contaminated’ by the application-oriented needs of industry. Empirical evidence on this concern is scarce and ambiguous. We examine whether entrepreneurial and scientific performance in academia can be reconciled. Our empirical findings (KU Leuven, Belgium) suggest that both activities do not hamper each other; engagement in entrepreneurial activities coincides with increased publication outputs, without affecting the nature of the publications involved. As resources increase, this interaction becomes more significant, pointing towards a Matthew-effect. We finally suggest that balancing both activities further depends on the institutional policies deployed.     

罗兰·加洛斯之外的巴黎

如果有人能够以网球为线索做一本旅行手册的话,巴黎一定会占据浓墨重彩的部分。罗兰·加洛斯是一个极具法兰西风情的名字,英雄主义色彩包裹着怀旧的腔调,但她并不是巴黎为球迷们提供的唯一礼遇。既然我们已经来到了巴黎,就没有理由错过这里的景致,你可以从横纵的街道找出她与法网的关联,也能从咖啡馆里飘窗的馥郁醇香,品出红土之外的迷人气息。