Does Caffeine Enhance Athletic Performance?

Aim: A plethora of studies have been conducted to examine the effect of caffeine on athletic performance, with conflicting results. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of caffeine on muscle activity, physical training, competitive sports events and short-term physical activity. Methods: For the purpose of the research, a literature review was conducted to determine the optimal dosage of caffeine for athletes, and collected scientific evidence about the caffeine’s effect on athletic endurance. The inclusion criteria contain original articles with primary data collection, both quantitative and qualitative published research studies, and studies with athletic subjects. The exclusion criteria comprises review articles without outcome data, incorrect study type, studies with < 10 subjects, and studies with physical inactive subjects. Results: An issue for dietitians and other sports medicine personnel is that all recommend that exercising athletes should avoid the use of caffeine because it is a diuretic, and that it may exacerbate dehydration and hyperthermia. Evidence indicates that consuming a moderate level of caffeine results in a mild increase of urine production. There is no evidence suggesting that moderate caffeine intake (<456 mg) induces chronic dehydration or negatively affects exercise performance. In addition, pre-exercise feeding may significantly affect plasma caffeine concentrations and the potential for caffeine to improve performance. On the other hand, recent studies suggest that caffeine might indeed have ergogenic potential in endurance events. Also, reports concerning caffeine’s effect on V̇O2 max and exercise performance during incremental exercise are not in agreement. However, few caffeine studies have been published to include cognitive and physiologic considerations for the athlete. Furthermore, the effects of different doses of caffeine play important role on endurance. In addition, exercise time to exhaustion seems to be different between users and nonusers with the ergogenic effect being greater and lasting longer in nonusers. Conclusion: Caffeine consumption may enhance athletic endurance, based on strong evidence, but further research needs to be conducted. High caffeine doses than the optimal, 3-6 mg/kg, before exercise does not confer any additional improvement in athletic performance. Additional, higher caffeine doses may cause side effects in athletes

An Investigation into the Intercultural Development of Anglophone Educators Working in International Schools

At a time when societies are becoming increasingly pluralistic, Anglophone educators continue to come from predominantly mono-cultural backgrounds, with often limited cross-cultural experiences. This study examines the potential of the overseas international school in providing new cross-cultural experiences that may improve the intercultural abilities of Anglophone educators. It explores how the overseas experience contributes to changes in world views, as well as how (or if) these changes translate into professional practice. Whilst ample research exists on overseas experiences and culturally responsive pedagogy as separate areas of study, this research looks to make a distinct contribution by bridging these two areas. Thirty Anglophones educators based across three international schools in the Netherlands and China participated in semi-structured interviews which explored the challenges and opportunities of living and working abroad. Findings highlighted significant transformations in educator attitudes towards difference. These attitudinal changes seemed to be less a result of interactions with the other, than a result of interactions as the other. Changes in attitude were often accompanied by two significant shifts in perspective: an increased ability to withhold judgment, along with a marked effort to understand. These shifting perspectives often allowed educators to contextualize their experiences in such a way that their professional practice was visibly enhanced. Evidence of increased intercultural capacities in professional practice was found in three dominant areas of language, communication styles and religious/gender sensitivity. Educators described specific teaching or management methods utilized in the classroom or school setting that they did not utilize prior to their work abroad. Recognising the limitations of the sample, findings nonetheless supported a strong link between the international school experience and improved intercultural abilities

Understanding the Personal Significance of Our Academic Choices

Savva maps the intrapersonal journey that paralleled her academic journey as an international doctoral student based in Cyprus. She describes changes in her research question and how she used the solitude often associated with the doctoral journey to create a space whereby she looked inwards to better understand her academic choices and her relationship to those choices. Through critical examination, she was able to gain a deeper understanding of the extrinsic and intrinsic factors behind her decision to pursue a doctorate and her selection of research topic. This, in turn, allowed her to harness the qualities of agency and resilience that are so critical to completing the doctoral journey. Finally, she also describes the factors she considered when, midway through the EdD, she decided to switch to a PhD. Her narrative reveals how the research process is not merely an intellectual exercise but is one that both shapes and is shaped by personal life experiences and future aspirations

Belonging and Becoming in Academia: A Conceptual Framework

Establishing the conceptual framework for this book as a whole, this chapter looks at the process of developing an academic identity through the lens of ‘becoming’ a scholar, with particular emphasis on the challenges facing international, part-time EdD students. This process involves not only an intellectual breakthrough, but also an emerging sense of belonging. The inner journey – which intersects with and shapes academic progress – comprises a complex set of interactions between the social groups to which we belong, our beliefs about ourselves that come about through experience, the various contexts in which we operate, the position we hold within those contexts, and the agency we exercise in responding to various pressures. In addition to exploring the relevance of this inner journey, the chapter also situates author experiences within broader educational trends facing universities and key elements of doctoral programs

The ‘Peripheral’ Student in Academia: An Analysis

Pulling together the various themes that emerged within and across the narratives, this chapter explores four broad categories of challenges and opportunities: Demands associated with being a ‘peripheral’ student and the function of social networks in developing a sense of belonging. Issues related to supervisory and other faculty relationships. Struggles related to identity, language and/or culture. The role of expert, novice and ‘impostor’ labels in internalizing a scholarly identity. Each category is unpacked, while also examining the personal characteristics and institutional features that helped the authors along the journey to becoming scholars. After each section, implications for institutional policy and planning are also discussed

Navigating the Pass: Distance, Dislocation and the Viva

Channon examines the challenges of completing a doctoral degree across different geographical locations and changing job roles. His experience illustrates how logistical challenges involved in carrying out research far removed from the research site, political turmoil and changes in employment status can all necessitate changes in the planned research trajectory. He reflects on an emotional journey, including a particularly challenging viva experience, where he struggled to maintain ownership of his work as a result of distance, dislocation and attempting to heed Introduction 7 conflicting sources of advice. Importantly, Channon’s story brings to light a less-studied phenomenon: the role of faculty feedback, beyond the supervisor, and the effect of such feedback on the research trajectories of doctoral students

Direct metabolite detection with an n-type accumulation mode organic electrochemical transistor.

The inherent specificity and electrochemical reversibility of enzymes poise them as the biorecognition element of choice for a wide range of metabolites. To use enzymes efficiently in biosensors, the redox centers of the protein should have good electrical communication with the transducing electrode, which requires either the use of mediators or tedious biofunctionalization approaches. We report an all-polymer micrometer-scale transistor platform for the detection of lactate, a significant metabolite in cellular metabolic pathways associated with critical health care conditions. The device embodies a new concept in metabolite sensing where we take advantage of the ion-to-electron transducing qualities of an electron-transporting (n-type) organic semiconductor and the inherent amplification properties of an ion-to-electron converting device, the organic electrochemical transistor. The n-type polymer incorporates hydrophilic side chains to enhance ion transport/injection, as well as to facilitate enzyme conjugation. The material is capable of accepting electrons of the enzymatic reaction and acts as a series of redox centers capable of switching between the neutral and reduced state. The result is a fast, selective, and sensitive metabolite sensor. The advantage of this device compared to traditional amperometric sensors is the amplification of the input signal endowed by the electrochemical transistor circuit and the design simplicity obviating the need for a reference electrode. The combination of redox enzymes and electron-transporting polymers will open up an avenue not only for the field of biosensors but also for the development of enzyme-based electrocatalytic energy generation/storage devices

The Role of the Side Chain on the Performance of N-type Conjugated Polymers in Aqueous Electrolytes.

We report a design strategy that allows the preparation of solution processable n-type materials from low boiling point solvents for organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs). The polymer backbone is based on NDI-T2 copolymers where a branched alkyl side chain is gradually exchanged for a linear ethylene glycol-based side chain. A series of random copolymers was prepared with glycol side chain percentages of 0, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90, and 100 with respect to the alkyl side chains. These were characterized to study the influence of the polar side chains on interaction with aqueous electrolytes, their electrochemical redox reactions, and performance in OECTs when operated in aqueous electrolytes. We observed that glycol side chain percentages of >50% are required to achieve volumetric charging, while lower glycol chain percentages show a mixed operation with high required voltages to allow for bulk charging of the organic semiconductor. A strong dependence of the electron mobility on the fraction of glycol chains was found for copolymers based on NDI-T2, with a significant drop as alkyl side chains are replaced by glycol side chains

Consensus on drivers of maintenance treatment choice and patterns of care in advanced ovarian cancer

Objectives Maintenance therapies, including poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors and/or bevacizumab, have substantially improved the prognosis of patients with advanced ovarian cancer. Owing to the variability in treatment strategies across Europe, a Delphi study was conducted among European experts to understand the heterogeneity of clinical practice and identify key factors driving maintenance treatment decisions for advanced ovarian cancer.Methods A pragmatic literature review was conducted to identify key questions regarding maintenance treatment strategies in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. Utilizing a Delphi methodology, consensus was assessed among a panel of 16 experts using a questionnaire based on results of the pragmatic literature review.Results Panelists agreed that BRCA mutation and homologous recombination status should be assessed in parallel at diagnosis, and that first-line platinum chemotherapy may be initiated concurrently. There was a consensus that alternative homologous recombination deficiency tests are acceptable provided they are clinically validated. Panelists agreed that Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) and CA-125 elimination rate constant K (KELIM) scores can help assess tumor chemosensitivity and guide treatment-related decisions. Panelists defined high-risk disease as International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IV disease or stage III with residual disease after initial/interval cytoreduction. Risk of disease progression was a key determinant of choice between PARP inhibitor, bevacizumab, or both in combination, as maintenance therapy in advanced ovarian cancer.Conclusions Key drivers for selecting advanced ovarian cancer maintenance treatments include tumor mutational status as a key biomarker and clinician perception of the risk for early disease progression