Improving cognitive and physical function through 12-weeks of resistance training in older adults: Randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT

We performed a randomized, controlled trial to analyse the effects of resistance training (RT) on cognitive and physical function among older adults. Fifty participants (mean age 67 years, ~60% woman) were randomly assigned to an RT program or a control group. Participants allocated to RT performed three sets of 10-15RM in nine exercises, three times per week, for 12-weeks. Control group did not perform any exercise. Variables included cognitive (global and executive function) and physical function (gait, mobility and strength) outcomes. At completion of the intervention, RT was shown to have significantly mitigated the drop in selective attention and conflict resolution performance (Stroop test: -494.6; 95%CI: -883.1; ?106.1) and promoted a significant improvement in working memory (digit span forward: -0.6; 95%CI: ?1.0; ?0.1 and forward minus backward: -0.9; 95% CI: ?1.6; ?0.2) and verbal fluency (animal naming: +1.4, 95%CI 0.3, 2.5). No significant between-group differences were observed for other cognitive outcomes. Regarding physical function, at completion of the intervention, the RT group demonstrated improved fast-pace gait performance (?0.3; 95% CI: ?0.6; ?0.0) and 1-RM (+21.4 kg; 95%CI: 16.6; 26.2). No significant between-group differences were observed for other mobility-related outcomes. In conclusion, RT improves cognitive and physical function of older adults.     

High-Quality Metadata and Repository Staffing: Perceptions of United States–Based OpenDOAR Participants

Digital repositories require good metadata, created according to community-based principles that include provisions for interoperability. When metadata is of high quality, digital objects become sharable and metadata can be harvested and reused outside of the local system. A sample of U.S.-based repository administrators from the OpenDOAR initiative were surveyed to understand aspects of the quality and creation of their metadata, and how their metadata could improve. Most respondents (65%) thought their metadata was of average quality; none thought their metadata was high quality or poor quality. The discussion argues that increased strategic staffing will alleviate many perceived issues with metadata quality.     

Ghosts as rhetorical devices in children's fiction

The relationship of past and present and the linking of characters through time and place are themes that underlie the work of many writers for children. This article considers the use of the Ghost as a literary device to allow the exploration of what is, what has been, and what might have been, particularly in the 1973 Carnegie Medal Winner,The Ghost of Thomas Kempe, by Penelope Lively.Judith Armstrong was brought up in Lancashire. She has travelled widely, and taught young children in England and Ethiopia. She is currently working on themes associated with the supernatural in children's books.     

New maps of learning for quality art education: what pre-service teachers should learn and be able to do

It would be a rare thing to visit an early years setting or classroom in Australia that does not display examples of young children’s artworks. This practice serves to give schools a particular ‘look’, but is no guarantee of quality art education. The Australian National Review of Visual Arts Education (, 2009) has called for changes to visual art education in schools. The planned new National Curriculum includes the arts (music, dance, drama, media and visual arts) as 1 of the 5 learning areas. Research shows that it is the classroom teacher that makes the difference, and teacher education has a large part to play in reforms to art education. This paper provides an account of one foundation unit of study (Unit 1) for first year university students enrolled in a 4-year Bachelor degree program who are preparing to teach in the early years (0–8 years). To prepare pre-service teachers to meet the needs of children in the twenty-first century, Unit 1 blends old and new ways of seeing art, child and pedagogy. Claims for the effectiveness of this model are supported with evidence-based research, conducted over the 6 years of iterations and ongoing development of Unit 1.     

Submaximal exercise and maturation in 12-year-olds

The aim of this study was to examine the maturation responses of young people to submaximal treadmill exercise. Body mass was controlled using both the conventional ratio standard and allometric modelling. Ninety-seven boys and 97 girls with a mean age of 12.2 years completed a discontinuous, incremental exercise test to voluntary exhaustion. We measured peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and VO2 when running at 8, 9 and 10 km x h(-1). Sexual maturation was assessed visually using Tanner's indices of pubic hair. Peak VO2 was significantly higher in boys (P<0.001); this was still the case when the influence of body mass was covaried out. During submaximal exercise, no significant differences in absolute VO2 were observed between the sexes (P>0.05); however, values of VO2, expressed both in ratio with body mass and adjusted for body mass using allometry, were significantly greater in boys than in girls (P<0.001). For absolute VO2, significant main effects (P<0.05) were seen for maturity at each exercise stage. With the influence of body mass controlled using either the ratio standard or allometry, no significant main effects (P>0.05) for maturity were observed. Our results indicate that boys are less economical than girls while running at 8-10 km x h(-1) and that, independently of body mass, maturation does not influence the VO2 response to submaximal exercise.     

Effects of cooperative vs individualistic learning experiences on interpersonal attraction between learning-disabled and normal-progress elementary school students

The effects of cooperative and individualistic learning experiences were compared on (1) interpersonal attraction between nonhandicapped fifth- and sixth-grade elementary school students and learning-disabled peers and (2) achievement. Students participated in a language arts class lasting 90 min a day for 17 days. The results indicate that greater interpersonal attraction between the learning-disabled and normal-progress students and higher achievement resulted in the cooperative than in the competitive condition.     

Developing a Common Model? Comparing Effective School Improvement Across European Countries

Applicability of research models across contexts is often viewed as desirable. This article discusses 6 issues faced by members of the Effective School Improvement (ESI) project research teams as they explored themes emerging in case studies carried out in 8 different countries, as part of a process of trying to generate a model that would be valid and applicable across contexts. After posing questions that need further resolution, the conclusion at this particular stage of the research was that caution was advisable before transferring the findings from one context to another.