The impact of the secure custodial setting on re-engaging incarcerated children with education and learning – A case study in the UK

As many as 90 % of incarcerated children and young people enter the secure setting disengaged from education. The nature of the secure custodial setting compounds the complex and challenging needs of the children, though efforts to understand this are limited. This paper reports on an ethnographic case study in one secure children’s home in England. Findings show that children can be re-engaged with education, relatively easily within a short space of time, given the right conditions. However, the secure setting was a defining feature, shaping the extent of this engagement. The implications of these findings are discussed and recommendation made.     

Self-determination,stage of readiness to change for exercise,and frequency of physical activity in young people

Abstract

Release velocity and accuracy are vital components of throwing performance. However, there is no published research on these parameters for throwing in cricket. In this study, we investigated the throwing performance of 110 cricket players from six different populations: elite senior males, elite under-19 junior males, elite under-17 junior males, elite senior females, elite under-19 junior females, and sub-elite senior males. Based on a specifically designed cricket throwing test, participants were assessed for (1) maximal throwing velocity and (2) throwing accuracy at maximal velocity and at three sub-maximal velocities. Elite senior males exhibited the highest peak and mean maximal throwing velocities (P≤0.001). Furthermore, the groups of males had significantly higher peak and mean maximal throwing velocities than the groups of females (P≤0.01). A speed–accuracy trade-off existed such that all groups demonstrated improved accuracy scores at velocities between 75% and 85% maximal throwing velocity compared with 50% maximal throwing velocity and 100% perceived maximal exertion. The results indicate that sex, training experience (years training), and training volume (training time per week) may contribute to throwing performance in cricket players. Further research should focus on understanding the mechanisms behind the observed differences between these groups. This is the first study to describe the inherent throwing profiles of different cricket playing populations. Potentially, we have identified stimulus material for future training developments.     

Effects of different types of exercise on muscle mass,strength, function and well-being in elderly

Abstract

Poor muscle strength and physical function have been associated with higher risk of hospitalisation and lower well-being among the elderly. Physical training increases muscle strength, endurance and physical function as well as psychological outcomes. Exercise among older adults is often used to improve these variables, but few have compared the effects of different types of training in parallel independent groups. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of three different types of training on body composition, muscle strength, physical function and well-being in the elderly. A total of 118 community-dwelling older adults (mean age 74.3, s=4.6 years, 68% women) completed a 13-week randomised controlled exercise-trial involving four groups: traditional strength training (STG), functional strength training (FTG), endurance training (ETG) and control (CON). Stair climb with load improved more in FTG than CON (P<0.05), and the two strength groups performed better in the functional upper body test (P<0.05). STG increased strength more than CON in all exercises (P<0.001), while FTG increased strength more than CON in the chest press, shoulder press and knee extension (P<0.05). Lean body mass (LBM) increased in all training groups, which differed significantly from CON (P<0.05). ETG decreased their fat mass compared to CON (P<0.001). The only significant effect on well-being indices was improved life satisfaction in FTG at week 5 (P<0.05). We also observed significant correlations between change in some of the functional tests and change in positive affect.

All three types of training can enhance physical capacity. Functional strength training can be a cost effective form of training in terms of less demand for instructors and equipment and could be an effective way to improve physical function, strength and indices of well-being in the elderly.     

Patterns of accelerometer-derived sedentary time across the lifespan

ABSTRACT

We aimed to describe ST and its patterns on a national level. A hip-worn accelerometer (ActiGraph GT1M) was used to collect data during waking hours from 4575 Portuguese’ participants from 2007–2009 (2683 females) aged 10–102 years old. Data was presented by sex, in 5-years age intervals, and by adolescents (n=2833), adults (n=1122), and older adults (n=620). Lambda-mu-sigma (LMS) smoothed percentile curves were estimated. Girls, women, and older women spent 61, 57, and 64% of wear time in ST, respectively. In males, ST represented 57, 60, and 62% of wear time respectively for boys, men, and older men. Comparing to other age groups, older adults spent a larger amount of ST in bouts ≥30-min (women: 33%, men: 39% of total ST). The number of breaks/ST hour were: 10.6 in girls, 11.7 in women, and 9.6 in older women. In males, the number of breaks/ST hour were: 11.2, 10.5, and 8.5 for boys, men, and older men. In conclusion, ST was not consistently higher at older ages. Instead, we found that the potential critical moments in which ST may be higher are during adolescence and in the transition from adulthood into older adulthood, which represents critical periods for interventions.     

Relative Endurance and Physiological Responses: A Study of Individual Differences in Prepubescent Boys and Adult Men

Abstract

The reliability of individual differences in relative endurance performance and physiological response was studied in prepubescent boys (N = 21) and adult men (N = 21). Subjects were tested twice (test and retest) on a relative endurance test consisting of pedalling a bicycle ergometer for 8 minutes duration at a high initial work-rate. The work-rate averaged 103% ± 1.0% VO₂ max (mean ± S.E.) for the children and 105% ± 1.1% VO₂ max for the adults, p > .05. Except for minute 3, children and adults had similar patterns for consistency of relative endurance performance (RPM). However, in comparison to adults, children had smaller individual difference variation for both VO₂ and HR (p > .05). On the average, children had a greater proportion of total variability in VO₂ (34% vs. 17%) and HR (49% vs. 13%) due to intra-individual variability in comparison to true individual differences. Children-adult differences were attributed to maturity differences.     

社会互动视角下老年人数字贫困的消减行动研究北大核心

在人口老龄化速度加快与数字化社会大发展的背景下,需要重视并尝试解决老年群体的数字贫困问题。本文回答两个问题:(1)如何描述老年人数字化水平的核心要素?(2)数字互动对消减老年人数字贫困的效果如何?面向四川省都江堰市城乡结合部震后修建社区的32位老年人和9位青少年开展两个阶段的研究:第一阶段采用深度访谈法,目的在于挖掘数字化水平的核心要素,尤其是建立数字互动的分类体系;第二阶段采用行动研究法,重点探究数字互动对消减老年人数字贫困其他维度的作用方向。通过田野研究识别出描述老年人数字化水平的六个核心要素,分别为数字接入、数字态度、数字能力、数字努力、数字互动和数字影响,其中数字互动分为数字合作与竞争、数字互助与冲突、数字强制与顺应顺从、数字交换、数字模仿。数字互动对其他核心要素的影响具体表现为:数字合作正向作用于数字接入、数字能力和数字影响;数字竞争负向作用于数字接入;数字互助正向作用于数字态度、数字能力和数字影响,对数字努力有双向作用;数字冲突、数字强制负向作用于数字态度之ICT认知;数字顺应顺从正向作用于数字接入、数字态度之ICT行为倾向、数字能力和数字影响,负向作用于数字态度之ICT认知;数字交换正向作用于数字接入和数字努力;数字模仿正向作用于数字接入和数字能力。本文进一步区分了不同社会网络类型的数字互动,发现基于强关系和弱关系的数字互动对消减数字贫困的作用不同。     

Cognitive development in undergraduate emerging adults: How course-taking breadth supports skill formation

Theories of cognitive development among emerging adults posit that environmental and age-related influences are responsible for individual differences in complex reasoning abilities. Exposure to and engagement with a diverse set of ideas and perspectives is stipulated to provide a context for which individuals are positioned to coordinate, integrate, and form new abstractions. This notion is implicit in the general education and elective requirements of university programs. In this study, we draw upon the cognitive psychology literature on emerging adult development to examine how intellectual breadth via course-taking patterns relates to gains in cognitive skills. Using recently collected longitudinal data of undergraduates enrolled at a large public university, we leverage a unique set of cognitive measures that tap a string of related constructs. We find moderate associations between intellectual breadth and reasoning skills, with notable differences across cognitive dimensions. Additionally, intellectual curiosity moderates the association between course breadth and cognition. Implications for theories of intellectual development are discussed in relation to undergraduate experiences.     

中美公共图书馆少年儿童服务比较研究

在对我国141所公共图书馆的少年儿童服务进行网上调查的基础上,对中美两国公共图书馆少年儿童服务进行比较研究,并对今后完善我国公共图书馆少年儿童服务提出若干建议。