Combining issues of “girl-suited” science teaching,STS and constructivism in a physics textbook

This paper outlines the design of a physics textbook that addresses issues of gender-inclusive physics teaching, STS and constructivism. Difficulties of addressing these issues in a textbook for normal classes, which has to compete with other textbooks on the market will be discussed. Specializations: constructivist approaches in science education research and practice. Specializations: gender issues in science instruction. Specializations: primary education, integrated science. Specializations: STS, phenomenological oriented physics instruction. Specializations: peace education within science education.     

Non-traditional higher education: An “outsider's” view

A rank-and-file professor's attendance at a non-traditional higher education conference led to some salient observations: (1) Contrary to the odd-ball image they may have on some campuses, non-traditional programs can trace their lineage back to the very origins of Western universities; (2) At the same time, they represent a break with recent American University history, in that they appear to serve adult needs more than adolescent/young adult needs; (3) They are able to recognize true learning as occurring outside the parochial boundaries of grades, semester hours, etc; (4) They not only can individualize education, but they can make it an active (rather than passive) process; (5) These programs apparently strive to teach judgement and understanding,not just information; and (6) Such programs may be a functional arm of the so-called women's movement.     

Mandated team participation: Implications for psychologists working in the schools

Public Law 94-142, Education for All Handicapped Children Act, has had a dramatic impact on the schooling of exceptional children. Yet, rather limited attention has been directed to the one section of the law that mandates a particular decision-making approach for both the diagnosis and intervention tasks. The implications for the training and practice of applied psychologists who work with school-age children could be significant. This paper examines three areas of concern that impact the psychologist's role in working with exceptional children: (a) conditions that are considered crucial for the development of teams, (b) the literature regarding psychologists' input to school-based teams, and (c) reactions of school-based team members to such an approach. Related issues of importance to both trainers and practitioners in the field of psychology are then presented.     

Preparing Performance Technologists: The Role of a University

It has been several years since the concept of performance technology was introduced in the literature. This article describes how the Instructional Systems program at Florida State University has responded to the changes that are required to expand its orientation from instructional technology to performance technology. Gradual changes in several existing courses and the implementation of two new courses in performance systems analysis and electronic performance support systems are described. In the new courses, students interact with clients to determine needs, examine processes, design solutions, and determine returns on investments. Consideration is also given in the article to ways other universities might respond to the changes in the direction of the field.     

Reflections on obesity,exercise,and musculoskeletal health

Obesity is a disease that has become an epidemic in economically developed countries,and manifests itself at increasing rates in economically developing countries.Obesity is associated with a variety of comorbidities,such as metabolic disease,diabetes,cardiovascular diseases,and musculoskeletal disorders,all resulting in tremendous costs to health care systems around the world,a reduced capacity for work,and reduced quality of life for people with obesity,coupled with physical inactivity,thereby producing a vicious circle of inactivity-induced diseases that enhances obesity.     

Impact of age on host responses to diet-induced obesity:Development of joint damage and metabolic set points

Background:Osteoarthritis is one of the leading causes of pain and disability worldwide,and a large percentage of patients with osteoarthritis are individuals who are also obese.In recent years,a series of animal models have demonstrated that obesity-inducing diets can result in synovial joint damage(both with and without the superimposition of trauma),which may be related to changes in percentage of body fat and a series of low-level systemic inflammatory mediators.Of note,there is a disparity between whether the dietary challenges commence at weaning,representing a weanling onset,or at skeletal maturity,representing an adult onset of obesity.We wished to evaluate the effect ofthe dietary exposure time and the age at which animals are exposed to a high-fat and high-sucrose(HFS) diet to determine whether these factors may result in disparate outcomes,as there is evidence suggesting that these factors result in differential metabolic disturbances.Based on dietary exposure time,we hypothesized that rats fed an HFS diet for 14 weeks from weaning(HFS Weanling) would demonstrate an increase in knee joint damage scores,whereas rats exposed to the HFS diet for 4 weeks,starting at 12 weeks of age(HFS Adult) and rats exposed to a standard chow diet(Chow)would not display an increase in knee joint damage scores.Methods:Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either an HFS diet for 14 weeks from weaning(HFS Weanling) or an HFS diet for 4 weeks,starting at 12 weeks of age(HFS Adult).At sacrifice,joints were scored using the modified Mankin Criteria,and serum was analyzed for a defined subset of inflammatory markers(Interleukin-6,leptin,monocyte chemoattractant protein-1,and tumor necrosis factorα).Results:When the HFS Weanling and HFS Adult groups were compared,both groups had a similar percent of body fat,although the HFS Weanling group had a significantly greater body mass than the HFS Adult group.The HFS Weanling and HFS Adult animals had a significant increase in body mass and percentage of body fat when compared to the Chow group.Although knee joint damage scores were low in all 3 groups,we found,contrary to our hypothesis,that the HFS Adult group had statistically significant greater knee joint damage scores than the Chow and HFS Weanling groups.Furthermore,we observed that the HFS Weanling group did not have significant differences in knee joint damage scores relative to the Chow group.Conclusion:These findings indicate that the HFS Weanling animals were better able to cope with the dietary challenge of an HFS diet than the HFS Adult group.Interestingly,when assessing various serum proinflammatory markers,no significant differences were detected between the HTS Adult and HFS Weanling groups.Although details regarding the mechanisms underlying an increase in knee joint damage scores in the HFS Adult group remain to be elucidated,these findings indicate that dietary exposure time maybe less important than the age at which an HFS diet is introduced.Moreover,increases in serum proinflammatory mediators do not appear to be directly linked to knee joint damage scores in the HFS Weanling group animals but may be partially responsible for the observed knee joint damage in the adults over the very short time of exposure to the HFS diet.     

Does eccentric exercise stimulate sarcomerogenesis?

Eccentric exercise has been associated with an increase in serial sarcomere number in some studies,1 but not in others.2 Similarly,increasing excursion of muscles resulted in sarcomerogenesis in some studies using growing animals,3 but not in others using skeletally mature animals.4 However,chronic elongation and chronic shortening appears to be a strong regulator of sarcomere number increase5,6 and decrease,5,7 respectively,in animal models.Despite an abundance of research on the regulation of sarcomerogenesis under a variety of conditions,the mechanisms underlying in series sarcomere number adaptations in skeletal muscles remain a puzzle,especially in non-invasive human studies where measurements of sarcomerogenesis following interventions have not been possible to date.