The Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science: A Tortuous Tryst with Modern Science

The Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) founded by Mahendra Lal Sircar in Calcutta in 1876 was the first large-scale indigenous enterprise in colonial India for the propagation of modern science. The efforts towards the formation of the IACS were marked by a range of ideas and positions which reflected mainstream elite Indian attitudes to western science as also the many paradoxes that the colonial situation imposed on the whole enterprise. The first exposures of the Indian elite to western education had evoked an admiration for modern science, its values, and its infinite possibilities. But the admiration so generated could not run on a momentum of its own because of the limitations of the colonial education system itself. The appreciation of modern science also brought about a soul-searching as to why a civilization with a hoary tradition of science had stagnated. This, in turn, led to vigorous socio-cultural self-criticism aimed at ending what was perceived to be long slumber and degeneration. Science itself was seen as a force for such liberation and the alien colonial government as its chief facilitator. The latter was not too eager to promote science at large. Hence the need for an indigenous initiative. However, the plain existential realities of colonialism dictated that little could be achieved without the support of the government. With all its paradoxes and ironies, the IACS project was yet a grand endeavour, forming a lasting part of the Indian scientific landscape. In fact, given its peculiar circumstances, it would have been very unreal without its paradoxes.     

Acute effects of whole-body vibration on running gait in marathon runners

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a single bout of whole-body vibration (WBV) on running gait. The running kinematic of sixteen male marathon runners was assessed on a treadmill at iso-efficiency speed after 10 min of WBV and SHAM (i.e. no WBV) conditions. A high-speed camera (210 Hz) was used for the video analysis and heart rate (HR) was also monitored. The following parameters were investigated: step length (SL), flight time (FT), step frequency (SF), contact time (CT), HR and the internal work (W_INT). Full-within one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the randomised crossover design indicated that when compared to SHAM conditions, WBV decreased the SL and the FT by ~4% (P < 0.0001) and ~7.2% (P < 0.001), respectively, and increased the SF ~4% (P < 0.0001) while the CT was not changed. This effect occurred during the first minute of running: the SL decreased ~3.5% (P < 0.001) and SF increased ~3.3% (P < 0.001). During the second minute the SL decreased ~1.2% (P = 0.017) and the SF increased ~1.1% (P = 0.02). From the third minute onwards, there was a return to the pre-vibration condition. The W_INT was increased by ~4% (P < 0.0001) during the WBV condition. Ten minutes of WBV produced a significant alteration of the running kinematics during the first minutes post exposure. These results provide insights on the effects of WBV on the central components controlling muscle function.     

Exercise interventions for older adults: A systematic review of meta-analyses

Background:The evidence concerning which physical exercise characteristics are most effective for older adults is fragmented.We aimed to characterize the extent of this diversity and inconsistency and identify future directions for research by undertaking a systematic review of metaanalyses of exercise interventions in older adults.Methods:We searched the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews,PsycInfo,MEDLINE,Embase,CINAHL,AMED,SPORTDiscus,and Web of Science for articles that met the following criteria:(1)meta-analyses that synthesized measures of improvement(e.g.,effect sizes)on any outcome identified in studies of exercise interventions;(2)participants in the studies meta-analyzed were adults aged 65+or had a mean age of 70+;(3)meta-analyses that included studies of any type of exercise,including its duration,frequency,intensity,and mode of delivery;(4)interventions that included multiple components(e.g.,exercise and cognitive stimulation),with effect sizes that were computed separately for the exercise component;and(5)meta-analyses that were published in any year or language.The characteristics of the reviews,of the interventions,and of the parameters improved through exercise were reported through narrative synthesis.Identification of the interventions linked to the largest improvements was carried out by identifying the highest values for improvement recorded across the reviews.The study included 56 meta-analyses that were heterogeneous in relation to population,sample size,settings,outcomes,and intervention characteristics.Results:The largest effect sizes for improvement were found for resistance training,meditative movement interventions,and exercise-based active videogames.Conclusion:The review identified important gaps in research,including a lack of studies investigating the benefits of group interventions,the characteristics of professionals delivering the interventions associated with better outcomes,and the impact of motivational strategies and of significant others(e.g.,carers)on intervention delivery and outcomes.     

Teaching Software Engineering by Reverse Engineering

Teaching software engineering (SE) is a difficult but critical task, whether students are undergraduates, graduates, or professionals. Most designs of undergraduate courses are based on a large project. During this project, students apply methods that have been introduced during lectures. Project schedules usually follow life cycles corresponding to the steps that lead to the creation of new pieces of software. My intention is to analyze the difficulties that occur in SE undergraduate courses and to propose a method to improve course quality and to meet with industrial needs that are more reusability‐ and maintenance‐oriented.

This article outlines a typical course and some of its weaknesses. Then, it proposes changes and discusses a different way of teaching SE based on the following ideas:

• Apply a reverse engineering life cycle that starts by making students deal with code, and, step by step, parts of design, specification, and requirement documents. This phase aims to motivate students, to make them critical of existing software, and to teach them norms, methods, and standards.

• Make students follow the usual feedback‐directed life cycle to complete the software they have analyzed during the first phase.

This article presents an evaluation of the method based on my application of this approach in an introductory course of SE at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Also proposed are some partial methods based on reverse engineering considerations. Partial methods will allow an instructor, who would like to run a project based on the reverse engineering life cycle, to introduce reverse engineering concepts progressively within a SE course.