It’s Not Just the What but the How

White House Task Force to Protect Students From Sexual Assault looked to Prevention Innovations Research Center to evaluate efficacy of strategies for prevention and response to sexual violence on campus

Comparison of velocity-based and traditional 1RM-percent-based prescription on acute kinetic and kinematic variables

Purpose: This study compared kinetic and kinematic data from three different velocity-based training (VBT) sessions and a 1-repetition maximum (1RM) percent-based training (PBT) session using full-depth, free-weight back squats with maximal concentric effort. Methods: Fifteen strength-trained men performed four randomized resistance-training sessions 96-hours apart: PBT session involved five sets of five repetitions using 80%1RM; load-velocity profile (LVP) session contained five sets of five repetitions with a load that could be adjusted to achieve a target velocity established from an individualized LVP equation at 80%1RM; fixed sets 20% velocity loss threshold (FSVL20) session that consisted of five sets at 80%1RM but sets were terminated once the mean velocity (MV) dropped below 20% of the threshold velocity or when five repetitions were completed per set; variable sets 20% velocity loss threshold (VSVL20) session comprised 25-repetitions in total, but participants performed as many repetitions in a set as possible until the 20% velocity loss threshold was exceeded. Results: When averaged across all repetitions, MV and peak velocity (PV) were significantly (p<0.05) faster during the LVP (MV: ES=1.05; PV: ES=1.12) and FSVL20 (MV: ES=0.81; PV: ES=0.98) sessions compared to PBT. Mean time under tension (TUT) and concentric TUT were significantly less during the LVP session compared to PBT. FSVL20 session had significantly less repetitions, total TUT and concentric TUT than PBT. No significant differences were found for all other measurements between any of the sessions. Conclusions: VBT permits faster velocities, avoids additional unnecessary mechanical stress but maintains similar measures of force and power output compared to strength-oriented PBT

Transition between educational sectors and discontinuities of ICT resource and pedagogy

Technologically supported education has introduced benefits but also challenges to the transition across school levels of education. While resolving some traditional issues, these technologies have in some instances created a new set of discontinuities at both the resource and pedagogic level. These discontinuities arise due to variance between primary and secondary school access and practice, and also between pupils' experiences of access and practice at previous institutions. In this paper evidence is presented from interview, questionnaire, and classroom observation data collected from 48 schools during two projects investigating the impact of high-speed Internet access (broadband) in English schools. Findings indicate that schools offer different levels of access to technology, and also different activities when using technology facilities. While differences in practice have always been present across and within levels of education, the introduction of high-speed Internet access has increased the gap between those using the technology as an add-on to existing resources and those embedding the technological facilities into the fabric of the learning environment. A key issue explored is the impact of the discontinuity that occurs when primary (elementary school) education becomes technically richer than partner secondary (high school) institutions

The impact of globalisation on building surveying in Europe

This research examined the impact of globalisation on building surveying in Europe. Globalisation has resulted in the emergence of three large trading blocs or a global economy depending on the view one takes. This has impacted on property in two ways, by creating transnational companies who operate in many countries but require branding of their property, and companies who wish to invest in property markets other than their country of origin.Building Surveyors have professional expertise and knowledge valued in the UK since the 1960 and 1970s but until recently not recognised in Europe, partly due to poor awareness of Building Surveying (BS) expertise, legal constraints, and practises relating to the employment of professionals. This is changing with the establishment of European Surveying associations and the globalisation of the RICS.The results showed four factors provided the reasons for the globalisation of BS skills. These were that Building Surveyors provided a consistent level of service for their clients. Secondly that English is the language of business. Thirdly, clients perceive Europe as a single trading bloc with a need for technical representation in each investment centre, providing them with a fast, knowledgeable service. Fourthly, clients perceive that UK Building Surveyors know what international, or transnational, investors want.The finding on the current demand for the BS services in Europe is that though demand is large, few Building Surveyors are located in Europe. Secondly, both investors and occupiers require the services of Building Surveyors, and local companies / individuals are beginning to use their professional services. Finally, there is a diverse range of demand for the many BS skills.Five key barriers to the practice of BS skills in Europe emerged from the research. Firstly, there was the problem of limited local legal and technical knowledge possessed by outsiders. Secondly, there are legal barriers to practice in some cases. Thirdly, other professionals can, and do, offer the services of the Building Surveyor. Fourthly, there can be cultural differences between &lsquo;values&rsquo; and &lsquo;norms&rsquo; required in business that constitute barriers. Finally there can be &lsquo;communication&rsquo; problems when the Building Surveyor is not located in the country where the service is required.<br /

The impact of broadband in schools

The report reviews evidence for the impact of broadband in English schools, exploring; Variations in provision in level of broadband connectivity; Links between the level of broadband activity and nationally accessible performance data; Aspects of broadband connectivity and the school environment that contribute to better outcomes for pupils and teachers; Academic and motivational benefits associated with educational uses of this technology

Discriminating talent identified junior Australian footballers using a fundamental gross athletic movement assessment

© Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. Talent identification (TID) is a pertinent component of the sports sciences, affording practitioners the opportunity to target developmental interventions to a select few; optimising financial investments. However, TID is multi-componential, requiring the recognition of immediate and prospective performance. The measurement of athletic movement skill may afford practitioners insight into the latter component given its augmented relationship with functional sport specific qualities. It is currently unknown whether athletic movement skill is a discriminant quality in junior Australian football (AF). This study aimed to discriminate talent identified junior AF players from their non-talent identified counterparts using a fundamental gross athletic movement assessment. From a total of 50 under 18 (U18) AF players; two groups were classified a priori based on selection level; talent identified (n = 25; state academy representatives) and non-talent identified (n = 25; state-based competition repre-sentatives). Players performed a fundamental gross athletic movement assessment based on the Athletic Ability Assessment (AAA), consisting of an overhead squat, double lunge (left and right legs), single leg Romanian deadlift (left and right legs), and a push up (six movement criterions). Movements were scored across three assessment points using a three-point scale (resulting in a possible score of nine for each movement). A multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant between group effects on four of the six movement criterions (d = 0.56 – 0.87; p = 0.01 – 0.02). Binary logistic regression models and a receiver operating characteristic curve inspection revealed that the overhead squat score provided the greatest group discrimination (β(SE) = -0.89(0.44); p < 0.05), with a score of 4.5 classifying 64% and 88% of the talent identified and non-talent identified groups, respectively. Results support the integration of this assessment into contemporary talent identification approaches in junior AF, as it may provide coaches with insight into a juniors developmental potential

Giving psychology away: how George Miller’s vision is being realised by psychological literacy

In George Miller’s famous address to the APA he explored the aims and future direction of psychology. Psychology could develop as a professional elite that develops specialised knowledge that experts can hold on to or it could aim to “give psychology away” and to allow the general public access to psychological knowledge that will be of benefit to them. In so doing it will create “a new and different public conception of what is humanly possible and humanly desirable.” This vision is being realised 50 years on by the wide dissemination of psychology knowledge through, for example, university school courses in the subject, and the growth of psychological literacy in the general public. This paper discusses issues raised by this and the implications for the profession of psychology and the perception of psychology in the general public are discussed

Personality disorders and their relation to treatment outcomes in cognitive behavioural therapy for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Previous reviews indicate that depressed patients with a comorbid personality disorder (PD) tend to benefit less from psychotherapies for depression and thus personality pathology needs to be the primary focus of treatment. This review specifically focused on studies of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for depression examining the influence of comorbid PD on post-treatment depression outcomes. Methods This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies identified through PubMed, PsychINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus. A review protocol was pre-registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42019128590). Results Eleven eligible studies (N = 769) were included in a narrative synthesis, and ten (N = 690) provided sufficient data for inclusion in random effects meta-analysis. All studies were rated as having “low” or “moderate” risk of bias and there was no significant evidence of publication bias. A small pooled effect size indicated that patients with PD had marginally higher depression severity after CBT compared to patients without PD (g = 0.26, [95% CI: 0.10, 0.43], p = .002), but the effect was not significant in controlled trials (p = .075), studies with low risk of bias (p = .107) and studies that adjusted for intake severity (p = .827). Furthermore, PD cases showed symptomatic improvements across studies, particularly those with longer treatment durations (16–20 sessions). Conclusions The apparent effect of PD on depression outcomes is likely explained by higher intake severity rather than treatment resistance. Excluding these patients from evidence-based care for depression is unjustified, and adequately lengthy CBT should be routinely offered

'Lad culture' in higher education: agency in the sexualisation debates

This paper reports on research funded by the National Union of Students, which explored women students’ experiences of ‘lad culture’ through focus groups and interviews. We found that although laddism is only one of various potential masculinities, for our participants it dominated social and sexual spheres of university life in problematic ways. However, their objections to laddish behaviours did not support contemporary models of ‘sexual panic’, even while oppugning the more simplistic celebrations of young women’s empowerment which have been observed in debates about sexualisation. We argue that in their ability to reject ‘lad culture’, our respondents expressed a form of agency which is often invisibilised in sexualisation discussions and which could be harnessed to tackle some of the issues we uncovered