Sex on TV: Content and Context

Part of a series that examines the nature and extent of sexual messages conveyed on American television. Focuses on references to contraception, safer sex, and waiting to have sex. Based on a sample of 1997-1998 programs

Momentum Towards Incorporating Global Responsibility in Engineering Education and Accreditation in the UK

CONTEXT Engineering is uniquely placed to help address global challenges such as those surrounding the climate crisis, and the sustainable use and management of resources. However, studies have found UK engineering companies that have adopted sustainability strategies do not have enough staff with the skills to achieve them. There is an urgent need to upskill the current workforce and prepare future generations to operate in a responsible and ethical manner in tackling today\u27s challenges. Recent updates to the standard of engineering accreditation in the UK provide notable opportunities to transform university curricula to create globally responsible engineers. PURPOSE This preliminary study explores the integration of global responsibility areas of learning and skill sets in engineering education accreditation. Recent revisions to accreditation are to be implemented at the end of 2021. The purpose of this study is to highlight how global responsibility principles are integrated and framed in engineering accreditation in the UK today. APPROACH This paper explores patterns within the recent updates made to engineering accreditation in the UK. The previous third edition and newly published fourth edition of the Engineering Council Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP) are central to this research. Forward looking strategies from prominent voices in the sector including the Royal Academy of Engineering (2020-2025) and Engineers Without Borders UK (2021-2030), are viewed through the lens of Bloom’s Taxonomy, a hierarchical model for categorizing learning objectives into levels of complexity, to generate preliminary findings. ACTUAL OUTCOMES Addressing sustainability, global responsibility and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires more complexity in a students’ learning process than engineering curricula currently provide. Sustainability, ethics, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to engineering education and enable inclusive design solutions and outcomes. The most notable change to AHEP is refining how global responsibility is presented and evolving the way it is taught. Changes incorporated in the new AHEP4 recognise the responsibility and skills needed of engineers to create positive change to society and global challenges. Yet by the time AHEP4 is realised the SDGs will be halfway through the Decade of Action. Achieving crucial SDG benchmarks will require both curricular change embedded in accreditation standards and a notable shift in the culture of engineering that embeds a professional commitment to behave more responsibly, individually and collectively. SUMMARY Incorporating global responsibility into engineering accreditation is necessary to prepare students to address global challenges. Newly updated accreditation standards frame engineering education around principles of globally responsible engineering while encouraging more complexity within the curricula, such as through problem-based learning approaches. This provides a strong starting point for engineering curricula and educators to prepare emerging engineers to act responsibly in the face of the urgent and dynamic global challenges

Sex Specific Difference in Rate of Perceived Exertion During Fatigue Induced Resistance Training

While previously literature clearly articulates the OMNI Scale of Perceived Exertion (RPE) as a quality tool for identifying resistance training perceived difficulty, sex-specific RPE differences during fatigue induced resistance training still remain unclear. PURPOSE: The aim of the current investigation was to examine the difference in male and female intrasession and session RPE (sRPE) during fatiguing upper and lower body resistance exercise. METHODS: Fourteen resistance trained individuals (7 males, 7 females, age = 20.93 ± 1.54, height = 68.07 ± 4.16 cm, weight = 78.33 ± 12.86 kg) performed 5 sessions of resistance training. Session 1 involved familiarization of the RPE scales, anthropometric and skinfold measurements, and 1-repetition maximum (1RM) testing of barbell back squat (SQ) and barbell bench press (BP). Sessions 2-5 participants completed a dynamic warm up followed by 1 set of as many repetitions as possible (AMRAP) at 85% 1RM on SQ and BP, with 10 min rest between exercises. Intrasession RPE was recorded immediately after AMRAP set completion for SQ and BP. To simulate a typical resistance training routine, 4 sets of accessory lifts were performed following BP AMRAP sets. Session RPE was recorded 30 min after completion of each session. Between sessions rest incrementally declined (72, 48, 24, and 6 h) to elicit fatigue. A 2 (sex) x 2 (exercise) x 4 (session) mixed factorial ANOVA was employed to examine sex-specific responses to upper and lower body fatigue induced resistance training. A 2 (sex) x 4 (session) factorial ANOVA was used to assess sRPE sex differences. Alpha level set at p \u3c .05. RESULTS: There was no significant main effect or interaction revealed (F (2,27) = 4.467, p = .021). However, a medium effect size was established between sexes during session 1 squat average intrasession RPE (d= -0.33) and session 4 sRPE (d = -0.32). A large effect size was found between males and females in session 3 sRPE (d = -3.31). Intrasession RPE and sRPE were collapsed and female reported substantially lower sRPE than males (d = .49); however, a small magnitude (d = -.18) of difference or no difference was identified between sexes for intrasession RPE. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, these findings suggest that female possess greater fatigue resistance during lower body exercises when assessed utilizing intrasession RPE. Moreover, males and females differ in their perception of exertion as intersession recovery periods decline, illustrated by decreased sRPE reported by females upon completion of sessions 3 and 4 compared to men. These data also indicated intrasession RPE does not markedly vary between sexes; however, retrospectively (sRPE), females appear to be less effected by fatigue induced exercise or females’ recollection of difficulty diminished post exercise. In conclusion, RPE should be interpreted and utilized differently for males and females

Establishing a Predictive Equation for Anaerobic Capacity Utilizing the 300-yard Shuttle Field Test

Anaerobic capacity can be tested through the Running-based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST), Wingate test (gold standard), and the 300-yard shuttle. While each testing is recognized as a valid method of assessing anaerobic capacity, previous investigations found no significant correlation between Wingate test and time to completion of 300-yard shuttle test. The insignificant relationship found between the 300-yard shuttle times and the Wingate outputs insinuate a need for further research investigating the correlations between these two anaerobic tests. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the influence of 300-yard shuttle measures on anaerobic capacity obtained via the Wingate test. METHODS: Twenty-two Division I softball players (20.41 +1.50 yr) completed two anaerobic testing sessions. Session 1 consisted of the 30s all out Wingate test. Sessions 2 was completed 48 hours following session 1 and involved the performance of two 300-yard shuttle run tests separated with 5 minutes rest. The Wingate test data included: anaerobic peak power (PP), average power (AP), power drop (PD), power drop per second (PD/s), maximal speed (MS), and power at maximal speed (PMS). The recorded 300-yard shuttle measures were time and kinetic energy factor (K-factor) (new anaerobic variable) for both attempts, as well as average time and average K-factor. K-factor during the 300-yard shuttle was calculated by utilizing the mass of participants multiplied by speed (distance divided by time elapsed) squared. A backwards stepwise multiple linear regression was employed to examine the influence of 300-yard shuttle on anaerobic capacity measure obtained via Wingate test. RESULTS: Statistical analysis identified the second 300-yard shuttle attempt time (S300) predicting AP as the model of best fit, which S300 explaining 32.7% of the variance of AP; furthermore, generating the following predictive equation: AP = 9.91 – (.049 x S300). Secondly, 84.2% of the variance in PD was explained by Average K-factor (AKF), establishing PD = -.85 + (.098 x AKF) as a predictive equation. Lastly, AKF, also, predicted 84.3% of the variance in PD/s: PD/s = -.028 + (.003 x AKF). CONCLUSION: An aspect of these finding contradicted preview investigations, as the S300 was recognized as a significant predictor of AP, suggesting faster 300-yard shuttle performance may increase AP. The positive significant correlation between the AKF and Wingate PD and PD/s suggest higher AKF may influence greater measures of PD and PD/s. These finding appear to support that calculating K-factor provides a richer understanding of field tested (300-yard shuttle) anaerobic capacity

Sex-Specific Pre-Session PRS Difference between Bouts of Fatiguing Resistance Training

The perceived recovery status (PRS) scale, a valid psychophysiological tool, provides a scalar representation of varying levels of an individualized recovery status before or during various modes of exercise. Previous investigations recognize females as more fatigue resilient, quantified via the PRS scale, than males during repeated sprint performance. To the best of our knowledge, no investigations have examined the sex-specific PRS responses during multi-session resistance training. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare male and female PRS scores for multi-session fatiguing resistance training with incremental decline intersession recovery periods. METHODS: Subjects consisted of 14 trained males (n = 7) and females (n = 7) that participated in five resistance training sessions. Session 1 consisted of one repetition maximum (1RM) testing for barbell back squat (SQ) and barbell bench press (BP); additionally, during session 1, subjects were given standardized instructions explaining how to interpret the PRS scale (familiarization). PRS was collected prior to each training session. Seventy-two hours after session 1, participants completed a standardized dynamic warm up, followed by a comprehensive, fatiguing resistance training session that began with 3 sets of 55%, 65%, and 75% 1RM, followed by 1 set of as many repetitions as possible (AMRAP) at 85% 1RM for SQ. Ten minutes of recovery was provided upon completion of SQ, before completing the same 4 set routine for BP. Upon 5-minute rest, participants completed 4 set of 2 repetitions in reserve (RIR) for barbell reverse lunge, barbell shoulder press, and barbell bent-over row in circuit format with 90 seconds rest between circuits. In order, 72hrs, 48hrs, 24hrs, and 6hrs rest periods were assigned as intersession recovery. A 2 (sex) x 4 (session) mixed factorial ANOVA was used to determine the sex-specific responses to resistance training. RESULTS: No significant main effect was revealed between males and females PRS scores across sets. However, a statistically significant main effect of PRS scores was illustrated across sets [F (2.323, 27.875) =19.363, pCONCLUSION: These results suggest males and females globally recover similarly from fatigue induced resistance training. However, these data also suggest optimal intersession recovery duration may differ between the sexes – males reported significantly less recovered 48hr after training (between set 2 and 3), while female recovery decline after 48hr was an insignificant change; thus, aligning with previous reports of greater fatigue resilience appearing in females versus males

The Relationship between 60-yard sprint, 30-yard sprint, Standardized Base Stealing Sprint, and Offensive Baseball Performance

Athletic performance testing protocols strive to accurately predicting or gain better understanding of an athlete’s performance within a particular sport or game. Regarding baseball, Wolfe and colleagues (2012) examined the predictive validity of the 60-yard shuttle run on pitching performance and concluded that strikeouts and innings pitched were significantly related to elevated kinetic energy factors of pitchers obtained from the shuttle run performance. Concerning for baseball position players, the 60-yard sprint (60YS) is traditionally utilized to showcase “baseball speed”, with minimal empirical evident supporting predictability to baseball specific performance outcomes. PURPOSE: The aim of the current investigation was to have examine the relationship between 60YS and offensive baseball performance outcomes, as well as the 30-yard sprint (30YS) test, and newly created standardized 1st to 2nd sprint (STS) test relationship to offensive baseball performance outcomes. METHODS: Division I baseball position players (n = 17; height: 180.92 ± 5.61 cm; weight: 82.1 ± 11.12 kg) performed three sprinting tests: 60YS, 30YS, and STS. Each test was recorded using the Brower Timing Gate System, with sprint time recorded in second. All testing was completed prior to the first game of the team’s college baseball season. Offensive baseball performance measures were recorded throughout 61 regular season games. The following baseball performance data was collected from the university’s official NCAA game performance website: total stolen bases (SB), stole base attempts (AT), stolen base percentage (SBP), at bats (AB), hits (H), doubles (DB), triples (TR), homeruns (HR), runs (R), base-on-balls (BB), hit by pitch (HBP), on base percentage (OBP), slugging percentage (SLP), touched bases (TB), runs batted in (RBI), and batting average (AVE). Pearson’s product-moment correlation (p \u3c .05) was employed to examine the correlation between sprint tests and offensive baseball performance. RESULTS: The statistical analysis revealed significant correlations between STS (p = .002, r = -.762), 30 yd sprint (p = .048, r = -.556), and 60 yd sprint (p = .038, r = -.578) and SB. Additionally, a significant correlation was identified between OBP and STS (p = .022, r = -.625), 30YS (p = .027, r = -.609), and 60YS (p = .020, r = -.633). Aside from these two baseball performance metrics, 30YS and 60YS had no significant correlation with baseball performance. However, STS, additionally, significantly (p \u3c .05) correlated with AT, AB, H, TR, HR, R, BB, SLP, TB, RBI, and AVE. CONCLUSION: The STS, 30YS, and 60YS had a significant relationship with offensive baseball performance. However, the results of 30YS and 60YS only correlated with two offensive measures, while STS had a significant correlation with all but 3 offensive performance metrics. These findings suggest STS may be a more relevant measure for predicting offensive baseball performance than the traditional 30YS and 60YS tests