Reproducibility of upper leg EMG frequency content during cycling

Reproducibility of frequency content from surface electromyography (sEMG) signals has not been assessed and it is unknown if incremental load testing design could affect sEMG in cycling. The goals of this study were to assess the reproducibility of measures from sEMG frequency content between sessions and to compare these frequency components between a ramp and a step incremental cycling test. Eighteen cyclists performed four incremental load cycling tests to exhaustion. Two tests were performed using a step increment (load started at 100 W for 3 min followed by increments of 30 W every 3 min) and two were performed using a ramp increment (load started at 100 W for 1 min followed by increments of 30 W·min^?1). sEMG was monitored bilaterally for the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis throughout the tests and converted into overall activation (whole signal bandwidth), high- and low-frequency contents. The reproducibility of the frequency content ranged from none to strong (ICC = 0.07–0.90). Vastus lateralis activation was larger at the step compared to the ramp test (P < 0.01), without differences for rectus femoris (P = 0.22–0.91) and for the high-frequency (P = 0.28–0.95) and low-frequency contents (P = 0.13–0.94). sEMG from vastus lateralis and rectus femoris presented none to strong reproducibility. Vastus lateralis is more activated in step test design.     

The role of executive functions in the relation between socioeconomic level and the development of reading and maths skills / El rol de las funciones ejecutivas en la relación entre el nivel socioeconómico y el desarrollo de habilidades lectoras y matemáticas

Executive functions (EF) are a set of processes that allow individuals to plan, monitor and organize tasks and thus play a key role in the development of reading and maths skills. Environmental factors such as socioeconomic level (SEL) influence reading and maths skills as well as EFs. The aim of this study is to explore the extent to which executive functions play a mediating role between SEL and reading and maths performance. To this end, we assessed 286 Chilean primary education students: 86 with a high SEL and 200 with a low level. The results show that the high-SEL group obtained consistently higher scores than their peers with low SEL levels in both reading and maths tasks as well as in EF measurements. This suggests that SEL could influence the development of these variables. The results also showed that EFs partially mediate the relation between SEL and reading and maths skills in primary school students through the specific function of inhibition. The results are discussed in light of the effect of SEL on the development of EFs and school learning.     

Knowledge management taxonomy in the Brazilian automotive industry

Knowledge management (KM) is based on contextual factors of the organization, such as human resources, organizational culture, and organizational structure, developed separately by the organizations. This research aims to identify clusters for the development of these contextual factors. The research was based on an instrument containing questions that evaluate the degree of development of the contextual factors of the organization. We collected data from 78 companies of the Brazilian automotive industry, and analyzed them from multivariate techniques of factor analysis, cluster analysis, and discriminant analysis. The research results present four distinct clusters for the development of the contextual factors that support KM. The mapped clusters indicate that a small group of companies are innovative and explorative of knowledge and lead the industry’s creative process, while the other two groups, called exploitative and retardative companies, follow the development proposed by the companies of the two first groups.     

The Use of Clinical Reasoning Skills in the Setting of Uncertainty: A Case of Trial Femoral Head Migration

Clinical skills and medical knowledge enable physicians to overcome the uncertainty of emergent and rare clinical scenarios. Recently, a growing emphasis on evidence-based medicine (EBM) has flooded medical curricula of universities across the globe with guideline-based material, and while it has given teachers and students new tools to improve medical education, clinical reasoning must be reaffirmed in its capacity to provide physicians with the ability to solve unexpected clinical scenarios. Anatomical education in medical school should have two main objectives: to acquire anatomical knowledge and to develop the skill of applying that knowledge in clinical scenarios. The authors present a clinical scenario in which an unexpected and rare complication occurred during a routine elective hip replacement surgery. The general surgeon presiding over the case, also an anatomy professor, solved the problem using clinical reasoning and anatomical knowledge. It was a clear example of how clinical reasoning is key in approaching unprecedented, rare, or unknown complications. The intention of this scenario is to remind colleagues and medical schools that, although EBM is the standard, educators must uphold sound clinical reasoning to best prepare health care providers for their careers.     

Arrested Motherhood: Parenting,Cognitive Distortions,and Depressive Symptoms in Mothers Being Released from Incarceration

Objective. The present study examines cognitive and emotional problems in mothers being released from incarceration. Design. Participants were 98 mothers who were about to be released or had just been released from incarceration, and 63 comparison mothers from disadvantaged areas with low socioeconomic status, both with young children. Mothers provided self-report data on parenting behaviors, cognitive distortions, depressive symptoms, and socioeconomic difficulties. Results. Mothers being released from incarceration reported less optimal parenting behaviors (i.e., less involvement and poorer monitoring) and higher levels of cognitive distortions and depressive symptoms than comparison mothers. Cognitive distortions and depressive symptoms were related to less optimal reported parenting behaviors. Conclusions. Cognitive distortions, depressive symptoms, and less optimal reported parenting behaviors may be factors in incarcerated and formerly incarcerated mothers, which might put their children at risk, beyond risks associated with low socioeconomic status.     

Students’ misconceptions of statistical inference: A review of the empirical evidence from research on statistics education

A solid understanding of inferential statistics is of major importance for designing and interpreting empirical results in any scientific discipline. However, students are prone to many misconceptions regarding this topic. This article structurally summarizes and describes these misconceptions by presenting a systematic review of publications that provide empirical evidence of them. This group of publications was found to be dispersed over a wide range of specialized journals and proceedings, and the methodology used in the empirical studies was very diverse. Three research needs rise from this review: (1) further empirical studies that identify the sources and possible solutions for misconceptions in order to complement the abundant theoretical and statistical discussion about them; (2) new insights into effective research designs and methodologies to perform this type of research; and (3) structured and systematic summaries of findings like the one presented here, concerning misconceptions in other areas of statistics, that might be of interest both for educational researchers and teachers of statistics.     

Role of the Undergraduate Student Research Assistant in the New Millennium

In this study, we analyze the contribution of the undergraduate student who participates in the process of generating scientific data and developing a research project using Brazilian research as an example. Historically, undergraduate students have performed the critical role of research assistants in developing countries. This aspect has been underappreciated as a means of generating scientific data in Brazilian research facilities. Brazilian educational institutions are facing major age-related generational changes among the science faculty within the next 5–10 yr. A lack of adequate support for graduate students leads to a concern that undergraduates will not be interested in choosing research assistant programs and, subsequently, academic research careers. To remedy this situation it is important to focus on ways to encourage new research careers and enhance university–industry collaborations.     

The Effect of Enrolling in Minority Serving Institutions on Earnings Compared to Non-minority Serving Institutions: A College Scorecard Analysis

Research in Higher Education - As policymakers along with students and families demand information related to the return on investment in postsecondary education, it is critical to empirically...     

The sensitivity of the alternative maximal accumulated oxygen deficit method to discriminate training status

The purpose of the study was to investigate the sensitivity of an alternative maximal accumulated oxygen deficit (MAOD_ALT) method to discriminate the “anaerobic” capacity while comparing: least trained (LT) participants (n = 12), moderately trained (MT) participants (n = 12), endurance trained (ET) participants (n = 16), and rugby (RG) players (n = 11). Participants underwent a graded exercise test on a treadmill and a supramaximal effort for assessing MAOD_ALT. MAOD_ALT was calculated as the sum of oxygen equivalents from the phosphagen and glycolytic metabolic pathways. MAOD_ALT was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in RG (64.4 ± 12.1 mL · kg^?1) than in ET (56.8 ± 5.4 mL · kg^?1; effect size [ES] = 0.77; +13.5%), MT (53.8 ± 5.3 mL · kg^?1; ES = 1.08; +19.8%), and LT (49.9 ± 4.5 mL · kg^?1; ES = 1.50; +36.4%). In addition, the magnitude-based inference analysis revealed that MAOD_ALT was likely (LT vs. MT), very likely (MT vs. RG, and ET vs. RG) and most likely (LT vs. ET, and LT vs. RG) different between all groups, except for MT and ET, which presented an unclear difference. In conclusion, MAOD_ALT was sensitive enough to distinguish the “anaerobic” capacity in individuals with different training status, especially for RG players compared with LT participants and MT participants.