No effect of HMB or α-HICA supplementation on training-induced changes in body composition

β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (calcium: HMB-Ca and free acid: HMB-FA) and α-hydroxyisocaproic acid (α-HICA) are leucine metabolites that have been proposed to improve body composition and strength when combined with resistance exercise training (RET). In this double-blind randomized controlled pragmatic trial, we evaluated the effects of off-the-shelf supplements: α-HICA, HMB-FA and HMB-Ca, on RET-induced changes in body composition and performance. Forty men were blocked randomized to receive α-HICA (n?=?10, fat-free mass [FFM]?=?62.0?±?7.1?kg), HMB-FA (n?=?11, FFM?=?62.7?±?10.5?kg), HMB-Ca (n?=?9, FFM?=?65.6?±?10.1?kg) or placebo (PLA; n?=?10, FFM?=?64.2?±?5.7?kg). The training protocol consisted of a whole-body resistance training routine, thrice weekly for 8 weeks. Body composition was assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and total body water (TBW) by whole-body bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS), both at baseline and at the end of weeks 4 and 8. Time-dependent changes were observed for increase in trunk FFM (p?相似文献   

Boys go fishing,girls work at home: gender roles,poverty and unequal school access among semi-nomadic fishing communities in South Western Madagascar

Drawing from data gathered in South Western Madagascar in 2011, the work explores the combination of poverty and traditional gender roles as a critical factor in determining unequal school access among young people from semi-nomadic fishing communities. It demonstrates that from the age of early puberty, most boys go fishing with their fathers and brothers whilst most girls from the same families work at home. In contrast to the school systems observed in many developing society contexts, which demonstrate female marginalisation, in South Western Madagascar both boys and girls are marginalised. Instruments of global policy designs, such as positive discrimination for girls, seem ill-suited to resolve the problem. Instead, the authors call for a more tailored and context-specific approach to address the particular challenges amongst semi-nomadic fishing communities in Madagascar.     

Anthropometric profiles of elite older triathletes in the Ironman Brazil compared with those of young Portuguese triathletes and older Brazilians

The objective of this study was to describe the anthropometric profiles of elite older triathletes participating in the 2009 Ironman Brazil and to compare their somatotype, anthropometric and body composition characteristics with those of elite young triathletes and older non-athletes. The sample consisted of 64 males, divided into three groups: (1) older triathletes (n = 17), (2) young triathletes (n = 24), and (3) older non-athletes (n = 23). Somatotype was analysed according to the Carter and Heath ( 1990 ) method. Body mass index, sum of four skinfolds, percentage body fat, body fat mass, and fat-free mass were also estimated. Older non-athletes had higher endomorphy, sum of four skinfolds, fat percentage, and body fat mass than the athletes. Older athletes who participated in the Ironman and elite young triathletes had higher fat-free mass than older non-athletes. Older triathletes and older non-athletes were considered mainly endomorphic mesomorphs and young triathletes mainly ectomorphic mesomorphs. The findings that characterize the anthropometric profile of athletes in this sports modality could be used as a reference.     

Does Temperament Moderate the Relation between Preschool Parenting and School-Age Self-Regulation? Contrasting Diathesis-Stress and Differential Susceptibility Models

Objective. Children vary in how sensitive they are to environmental influences. Child temperament is an individual difference factor that appears to moderate the impact of environment on early child development. This study contrasts the “diathesis-stress/dual risk” and “differential susceptibility” models in examining difficult temperament as a moderator of the relation between preschool parenting and school-aged child persistence. Design. A longitudinal design included 61 typically developing Portuguese children (31 girls) assessed when they were toddlers (Time 1 at 1–3 years), preschoolers (Time 2 at 4–6 years), and school aged (Time 3 at 8–10 years). At Time 1, parents were recruited and interviewed. At Time 2, semi-structured mother–child interactions were observed, and preschool teachers rated children’s temperament. At Time 3, children’s task persistence was rated by their elementary teachers. Results. Difficult temperament moderated the association between mother–child interactions and child persistence, with stronger associations for children with more difficult temperaments. Conclusions. Consistent with the diathesis-stress model, results reveal that high levels of positive parenting reduce the risk of low self-regulation associated with difficult temperament.     

Education recoded: policy mobilities in the international ‘learning to code’ agenda

Abstract

Education policy increasingly takes place across borders and sectors, involving a variety of both human and nonhuman actors. This comparative policy paper traces the ‘policy mobilities,’ ‘fast policy’ processes and distributed ‘policy assemblages’ that have led to the introduction of new computer programming practices into schools and curricula in England, Sweden and Australia. Across the three contexts, government advisors and ministers, venture capital firms, think tanks and philanthropic foundations, non-profit organizations and commercial companies alike have promoted computer programming in schools according to a variety of purposes, aspirations, and commitments. This paper maps and traces the evolution of the organizational networks in each country in order to provide a comparative analysis of computing in schools as an exemplar of accelerated, transnationalizing policy mobility. The analysis demonstrates how computing in schools policy has been assembled through considerable effort to create alignments between diverse actors, the production and circulation of material objects, significant cross-border movement of ideas, people and devices, and the creation of strategic partnerships between government centres and commercial vendors. Computing in schools exemplifies how modern education policy and governance is accomplished through sprawling assemblages of actors, events, materials, money and technologies that move across social, governmental and geographical boundaries.     

Experience-Driven Semantic Differentiation: Effects of a Naturalistic Experience on Within- and Across-Domain Differentiation in Children

Organized semantic networks reflecting distinctions within and across domains of knowledge are critical for higher-level cognition. Thus, understanding how semantic structure changes with experience is a fundamental question in developmental science. This study probed changes in semantic structure in 4–6 year-old children (N = 29) as a result of participating in an enrichment program at a local botanical garden. This study presents the first direct evidence that (a) the accumulation of experience with items in a domain promoted increases in both within- and across-domain semantic differentiation, and that (b) this experience-driven semantic differentiation generalized to nonexperienced items. These findings have implications for understanding the role of experience in building semantic networks, and for conceptualizing the contribution of enrichment experiences to academic success.     

Leucine metabolites do not attenuate training-induced inflammation in young resistance trained men

ABSTRACT

Leucine metabolites may reduce training-induced inflammation; however, there is scant evidence for this assertion. We conducted a double-blind randomized controlled pragmatic trial where 40 male participants were allocated into 4 groups: α-hydroxyisocaproic acid group ([α-HICA], n = 10, Fat-free mass [FFM] = 62.0 ± 7.1 kg), β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate free acid group ([HMB-FA], n = 11, FFM = 62.7 ± 10.5 kg), calcium β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate group ([HMB-Ca], n = 9, FFM = 65.6 ± 10.1 kg) or placebo group ([PLA]; n = 10, FFM = 64.2 ± 5.7 kg). An 8-week whole-body resistance training routine (3 training sessions per week) was employed to induce gains in skeletal-muscle thickness. Skeletal muscle thickness (MT), one repetition maximum (1RM), interleukin-6 (IL-6), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were assessed at baseline and at the end of weeks 4 and 8. Time-dependent increases were detected from baseline to week 8 for MT (vastus lateralis: p = 0.009; rectus femoris: p = 0.018), 1RM (back squat: α-HICA, 18.5% ± 18.9%; HMB-FA, 23.2% ± 16%; HMB-Ca, 10.5% ± 13.8%; PLA, 19.7% ± 9% and bench press: α-HICA, 13.8% ± 19.1%; HMB-FA, 15.5% ± 9.3%; HMB-Ca, 10% ± 10.4%; PLA, 14.4 ± 11.3%, both p < 0.001), IL-6, hsCRP (both p < 0.001) and TNF-α (p = 0.045). No differences were found between groups at any time point. No leucine metabolite attenuated inflammation during training. Additionally, backwards elimination regressions showed that no circulating inflammatory marker consistently shared variance with the change in any outcome. Using leucine metabolites to modulate inflammation cannot be recommended from the results obtained herein. Furthermore, increases in inflammatory markers, from training, do not correlate with any outcome variable and are likely the result of training adaptations.     

Examining the use of e-assessment in higher education: teachers and students’ viewpoints

The combination of teaching and information technologies is at the origin of a more embracing, flexible and accessible approach to learning. Assessment is considered an integral part of the learning process, but it has always been considered challenging for teachers. Through the adoption of information technologies, it is possible to create new opportunities to improve assessment. Despite its numerous advantages, e-assessment remains a topic of much discussion for many, due to doubts that arise about its efficiency and effectiveness. In order to understand this issue, this study aims to explore e-assessment in higher education, from the viewpoint of teachers and students. Four online surveys were distributed among teachers and students in Portugal and other countries. While the results show that Portugal is slightly behind in terms of adoption, there is a strong awareness of the importance of e-assessment. Internationally, e-assessment has higher adoption rates, and both teachers and students believe that this method of assessment is advantageous.     

Physical activity and music to support pre-school children’s mathematics learning

In order to give all children equal opportunities in school, methods to prevent early differences are needed. The overall aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of two structured teaching methods: Math in Action, characterised by physical activity and music, and common numerical activities. Children (28 girls, 25 boys) were assigned to 1 of the 2 conditions during a period of 3 weeks (2 times a week for a 30-minute session). The results show that children who learn mathematics in an environment characterised by physical activity and music develop their mathematical abilities significantly more than children who learn mathematics through common number activities. We have also shown that children with different motor skill abilities benefit from learning mathematics in an environment characterised by physical activity and music.     

Fifteen years looking at the mirror: On the presence of PISA in education policy processes (Portugal, 2000‐2016)

This article describes and discusses what happens when knowledge for policy generated within PISA is received by its target audience: what have the Portuguese policy actors been doing with PISA data and analysis when they consider, express and justify their choices? Drawing on previous and current studies, using interview materials and formal and informal policy documents, as well as texts published in the written press, the article analyses two main phenomena related to the reception of PISA and how this has evolved between 2001 and 2012 in Portugal: the consolidation of PISA's credibility as a source for policy processes and texts; the emergence of new actors and modes of intervention in the production of knowledge for national policy, drawing on PISA. Finally, it presents an analysis of the reception of PISA 2015 in the Portuguese media, focusing on the interventions by political actors in the Portuguese daily and weekly written press. Two main elements emerge from our content analysis as the main common elements of that reception: the consecration of PISA's credibility; and the practices of qualification and disqualification of educational policies and perspectives. The article concludes by emphasising the regulatory role of PISA in Portuguese policy processes and the relevant contribution played by the politics of reception in legitimising this role.