Active recovery of the finger flexors enhances intermittent handgrip performance in rock climbers

This study aimed to (1) evaluate the effect of hand shaking during recovery phases of intermittent testing on the time–force characteristics of performance and muscle oxygenation, and (2) assess inter-individual variability in the time to achieve the target force during intermittent testing in rock climbers. Twenty-two participants undertook three finger flexor endurance tests at 60% of their maximal voluntary contraction until failure. Performances of a sustained contraction and two intermittent contractions, each with different recovery strategies, were analysed by time–force parameters and near-infrared spectroscopy. Recovery with shaking of the forearm beside the body led to a significantly greater intermittent test time (↑ 22%, P?P?P?相似文献   

The efficacy of hospitalization of nonorganic failure-to-thrive children: a meta-analysis

This study ascertained the efficacy of hospitalization of children with nonorganic failure to thrive (NOFTT). A meta-analysis was performed on previously published research findings which met certain criteria for inclusion in the analysis. Two categories of outcome measures, physical growth pattern and psychosocial development, were quantitatively synthesized separately using standard meta-analytic techniques. Hospitalization was found to significantly enhance the probability of sustained catch-up physical growth among NOFTT children, but only a comparatively small effect size for hospitalization on their psychosocial development was documented. There remains need for prospective longitudinal study of effectiveness in treating NOFTT children. But meta-analysis is a powerful technique which introduces scientific rigor to the review of study results, none of which is singularly conclusive.     

Physician assistants as members of social service child protection units.

A nationwide survey of county departments of social services revealed a need for medical services and consultation to child protection units. Over 92% of the 84 counties surveyed stated they had a problem meeting their medical needs and would be willing to hire a physician assistant as medical consultant to their county's child protection team. No county refused to consider a physician assistant, but 7% felt their medical requirements were being met. Needs the counties most commonly identified were providing parent education/anticipatory guidance (69%), interviewing (65.5%), interpreting medical information to a multidisciplinary child protection team (58.3%), review of medical records (45.8%), and physical examinations (42.9%). Over 17% of the counties had money to fund a full-time physician assistant, and over 60% of the counties could provide a partial salary, with 70.5% willing to share a salary with adjacent counties and 76.9% with the county's public health department.     

The relationship of child protection worker attitudes to attrition from the field

Child protection workers in 33 states and the District of Columbia participated in a survey conducted by the C. Henry Kempe National Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect to determine the attitudes and attributes of workers who terminate their careers in child protection. A year after the survey, telephone follow-up was done to identify respondents to the survey who had left the child protection field. Attributes and attitudes were then linked directly to whether workers had terminated or continued child protective service. Just 8.0% (15 of 187) of the workers had left the field. There were few differences between workers that departed and those whose services were retained. Both were generally dissatisfied with their profession at the time of the survey. The shrinking social service labor market and worker investment in the field are discussed as factors impeding turnover among child protection workers.     

Portfolio Assessment: More Than ABCs and 123s

Demands for educational accountability are being called for at all levels: preschool through graduate school. Standardized tests are being widely utilized, but this measurement is not appropriate for young children. Portfolio assessment is a more promising approach to measure children's growth, development, and achievement. This paper outlines criteria that portfolios must have in order to be effective assessment tools. Methods of gathering information and tips for portfolio development are shared and several examples of children's work samples are included     

The effects of 4 weeks normobaric hypoxia training on microvascular responses in the forearm flexor

Intermittent exposure to hypoxia can lead to improved endurance performance. Currently, it is unclear whether peripheral adaptions play a role in improving oxygen delivery and utilization following both training and detraining. This study aimed to characterize skeletal muscle blood flow (mBF), oxygen consumption (mV?O₂), and perfusion adaptations to i) 4-weeks handgrip training in hypoxic and normoxic conditions, and ii) following 4-weeks detraining. Using a randomised crossover design, 9 males completed 30-min handgrip training four times a week in hypoxic (14% FiO₂ ~ 3250m altitude) and normoxic conditions. mBF, mV?O₂ and perfusion were assessed pre, post 4-weeks training, and following 4-weeks detraining. Hierarchical linear modelling found that mV?O₂ increased at a significantly faster rate (58%) with hypoxic training (0.09 mlO₂·min^?1 · 100g^?1 per week); perfusion increased at a significantly (69%) faster rate with hypoxic training (3.72 μM per week). mBF did not significantly change for the normoxic condition, but there was a significant increase of 0.38 ml· min^?1 · 100ml^?1 per week (95% CI: 0.35, 0.40) for the hypoxic condition. During 4-weeks detraining, mV?O₂ and perfusion significantly declined at similar rates for both conditions, whereas mBF decreased significantly faster following hypoxic training. Four weeks hypoxic training increases the delivery and utilisation of oxygen in the periphery.     

Measuring children's retention of skills to resist stranger abduction: use of the simulation technique

This paper describes an evaluation which builds upon an earlier project to measure actual behavioral change in the form of reduction of vulnerability to abduction and abuse by strangers; change attributable to participation in a primary prevention program. Simulations, life-like scenarios previously described, were used to address three key questions: Did children who had demonstrated mastery of prevention skills acquired six months earlier retain those skills? Would reteaching the prevention program result in mastery for those children who failed to demonstrate required skills after the first presentation of the prevention program? Could the experimental group results of the first project be repeated with the previous control group? Several findings validated the earlier work and enhanced the understanding of what can be accomplished through prevention programing. Thirty of the original 44 children who participated six months earlier were again available to take part in the final simulation. Of those, all of the previous experimental group children who had performed successfully when participating in the simulation upon completion of the first project were again successful six months later in resisting the invitation of a stranger to leave their school. Each of the previous control group children were successful in the final simulation after participation in the program. But reteaching of the prevention program was successful for just two of the four children who had earlier failed following participation in the program. These findings document the immediate and continued benefits which may accrue from experientially based prevention programing and suggest an important research agenda to facilitate the further evolution of prevention programing and evaluation.