Sociological Knowledge and Transformation at ‘Diversity University’, UK

This chapter is based on a case study of one UK university sociology department and shows how sociology knowledge can transform the lives of ‘non-traditional’ students. The research from which the case is drawn focused on four departments teaching sociology-related subjects in universities positioned differently in UK league tables. It explored the question of the relationship between university reputation, pedagogic quality and curriculum knowledge, challenging taken-for-granted judgements about ‘quality’ and in conceptualising ‘just’ university pedagogy by taking Basil Bernstein’s ideas about how ‘powerful’ knowledge is distributed in society to illuminate pedagogy and curriculum. The project took the view that ‘power’ lies in the acquisition of specific (inter)disciplinary knowledges which allows the formation of disciplinary identities by way of developing the means to think about and act in the world in specific ways. We chose to focus on sociology because (1) university sociology is taken up by all socio-economic classes in the UK and is increasingly taught in courses in which the discipline is applied to practice; (2) it is a discipline that historically pursues social and moral ambition which assists exploration of the contribution of pedagogic quality to individuals and society beyond economic goals; (3) the researchers teach and research sociology or sociology of education - an understanding of the subjects under discussion is essential to make judgements about quality. ‘Diversity’ was one of four case study universities. It ranks low in university league tables; is located in a large, multi-cultural English inner city; and, its students are likely to come from lower socio-economic and/or ethnic minority groups, as well as being the first in their families to attend university. To make a case for transformative teaching at Diversity, the chapter draws on longitudinal interviews with students, interviews with tutors, curriculum documents, recordings of teaching, examples of student work, and a survey. It establishes what we can learn from the case of sociology at Diversity, arguing that equality, quality and transformation for individuals and society are served by a university curriculum which is research led and challenging combined with pedagogical practices which give access to difficult-to-acquire and powerful knowledge

The DART-Europe project: towards developing a European theses portal

This paper will report on the new European theses project DART-Europe. The purpose of this project is to align institutional and national e-theses developments across Europe with the wider open archives movement by the construction of a European portal for research theses, thus enabling a global view of European institutional research assets. This project is driven through an innovative partnership between an information provider and an international body of university libraries and open access consortia. The project’s goal is to explore the creation of a European model for the deposit, discovery, use and long-term care of research theses in an open access environment. The paper will outline the projected outcomes of DART-Europe, which is an active group of institutions in addition to a technical service. To this end, DART-Europe is engaged with disciplines and institutions that are widening the definition of research by redefining the formats of theses. For institutions and countries without a repository infrastructure, DART-Europe will enable the creation of a depository. Institutions and countries with a repository infrastructure can engage with DART-Europe to deliver their e-theses. DART-Europe acts as a technology bridge for researchers between those who have existing infrastructures and those who do not. The DART-Europe architecture assumes free at point of use access to full text theses, whether held on the DART-Europe server or by institutional repositories. This paper will provide session attendees with the current progress of this initiative, including a report on the 5 strands of the project, including: architecture; creation of a management tool kit; content acquisition; digital preservation and an investigation of business models

Investigating the Effect of Hand Position on Hand Force and Rotation Time When Performing a Freestyle Flip-Turn

Havriluk (2004) found that an increase in hand force will increase a swimmer’s velocity. While the effect of hand force on a swimmer’s velocity has been studied, the forces produced by the hands as well as the effect of forearm position on hand force production during a freestyle flip-turn has not been investigated. PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of forearm orientation on freestyle flip-turn performance. METHODS: A convenience sample of ten experienced swimmers (6 Female, 4 Male, 20 ± 1.15 years) was recruited to participate. Prior to data collection, participants completed an accommodation session to familiarize them with the techniques and protocol. Freestyle flip-turns were performed with both a swimming approach and a kicking only approach under two forearm position conditions: (1) pronated so that the palms faced upward and (2) supinated so that the palms faced downward. Rotation time in the turn, defined from initial downward movement of the feet prior to the turn to the instant the feet contact the wall, was measured using underwater video collected at 50 Hz during the trials using a swimming approach. Peak hand force was measured using a differential pressure transducer system (Aquanex, Inc.) during the trials using a kicking approach. A paired samples t-Test was used to compare rotation time between hand conditions. Hand force data were analyzed using a 2x2 (forearm position x hand) repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: The mean (sd) rotation times were 0.849 (0.075) s and 0.885 (0.094) s for the pronated condition and supinated condition, respectively. Rotation time was significantly faster under the pronated condition (p = 0.046). The mean (sd) peak force measurements were 6.76 (3.02) lbs, 5.67 (2.82) lbs, 4.82 (2.41) lbs, and 4.60 (2.51) for the left and right hand under the pronated and supinated condition, respectively. No significant main effect on hand force was found for forearm position (p = 0.146), and hand (p = 0.071). No significant interaction was found between forearm position and hand (p = 0.300). CONCLUSION: This study provides novel evidence that performing a freestyle flip-turn with the hands in the pronated position will lead to a faster rotation time and that there is no significant effect of hand position on hand force production during a freestyle flip-turn. As a majority of the participants felt more comfortable performing freestyle flip-turns with their hands in the pronated position, it is possible that additional accommodation to the novel technique is required to comfortably perform freestyle flip-turns with supinated forearms

The Effects of Prior Caffeine Ingestion on Respiratory and Cardiovascular Responses During Submaximal Exercise in Trained and Untrained Women

Introduction: Caffeine consumption prior to exercise has been shown to produce beneficial effects during subsequent exercise in trained men. These benefits include decreased RPE, reduced respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and decreased oxygen deficit. While these effects have been demonstrated in men, little work has been done to evaluate the effects of prior caffeine ingestion on exercise responses in untrained women. Methods: Twelve women (6 trained, 6 untrained) completed two submaximal bouts of cycling, at 60% of maximal HR, 45 min after consuming either caffeine (3 mg/kg) or a placebo. During these bouts, RPE, RER, VO2, and HR were measured, and oxygen deficit was calculated post-exercise. Data were analyzed using a mixed model ANOVA with two independent groups, trained and untrained, and two caffeine conditions repeated across participants. Results: Caffeine was found to significantly decrease RER values during exercise (F(1,10)=22.62, p\u3c0.01) across groups with caffeine being responsible for about 69% (η2=0.69) of the change in RER. Although not significant, all participants reported lower RPE values during exercise after caffeine ingestion (F(1,10)=4.42, p=0.06), caffeine being responsible for about 31% (η2=0.306) of the change seen in RPE. Caffeine was not found to have a significant effect on VO2 (F(1,10)=2.00, p=0.19) or HR (F(1,10)=2.40, p=0.15) during exercise, or on measures of oxygen deficit (F(1,10)=0.48, p=0.51); however, the trained group did have a significantly higher oxygen deficit than the untrained group (F(1,10)=5.35, p=.04). There were no significant interactions between the caffeine treatment and group for any dependent variable. Conclusion: These results indicate that ingesting caffeine 45 min prior to exercise can lead to increased fat oxidation and lowered RPE without affecting VO2 or HR during submaximal exercise

Social, Environmental, and Racial/Ethnic Factors in Diabetes Prevalence in the U.S.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which socioeconomic status, race/ ethnicity, and disparities in neighborhood environmental factors affect diabetes prevalence among U.S. adults. METHODS: County-level data were collected from the 1000 U.S. counties with the highest diabetes incidence and the 1000 U.S. counties with the lowest diabetes incidence using the 2014 USDA Food Environmental Atlas. The dependent measure was diabetes prevalence. Independent measures were median household income, percentage of people with no car, percentage of population that was black, white, or Hispanic, and the number of fitness centers, fast food restaurants, farmer’s markets, and grocery stores. Stepwise multiple linear regression was used to assess the relationship of these independent variables to diabetes incidence. RESULTS: Of the nine independent measures evaluated, seven explained a significant amount of the variance in diabetes prevalence (Table 1). Median household income accounted for the largest proportion of variance (38%) with the non-white population percentages collectively accounting for an additional 19%. The specific indicators of commercial entities accounted for small (≤1%) but significant proportions of variance. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate socioeconomic and racial/ethnic factors account for the majority of variance in prevalence of diabetes in the U.S. However, not only availability but access to healthy foods and lifestyle choices also seem to play a role in the magnitude of the incidence of diabetes. There is an apparent need for local and federal programs to focus on these high-risk areas of concentrated poverty and minority populations in order to educate communities, increase social support, and improve access to factors related to developing healthy lifestyles

Effects of Warm Up Intensity on Factors Related to Subsequent Performance of Submaximal Exercise

Introduction: Athletes often warm up (WU) prior to exercise to improve performance. However, there are no clear directives regarding the intensity of the WU that is most effective in improving physiological responses related to enhanced aerobic performance. Methods: Nine college-aged men (age, ht, mass, 20.6 yr, 1.7 m, 84.8 kg, respectively) performed WU of varying intensities, 60% ventilatory threshold (VT), 100%VT, and 120%VT prior to performing 5 min of steady state exercise at 80%VT on a cycle ergometer. O2 deficit, RPE, steady state heart rate (HRss), and steady state VO2 (VO2ss) were measured during the exercise bout. Results: There was a significant decrease in O2 deficit as WU intensity increased ((2,9)= 9.15, p = .002, 2=0.53) with the deficit being lowest after WU at 120%VT. RPE were significantly lower after WU at 120%VT than both 60% and 100%VT (=(2,9)=6.88, p=.007, 2=0.46). However, WU intensity did not significantly affect either HRss (F(2,9)=0.48, p=0.63) or VO2ss (F(2,9)=1.10, p=0.36) during the exercise bout. Conclusion: The findings suggest that a higher intensity WU improves factors related to improved aerobic performance, i.e. decreased O2 deficit and RPE, without adversely affecting factors that could lead to a decline in performance, i.e. increased HRss and VO2ss

Comparison of Hamstring and Quadriceps Muscle Activity in Men and Women Performing a Body Weight Squat

Multiple studies support the idea that women use a more quadriceps dominant activation pattern at the knee during stabilizing movements which may predispose them to a greater risk of ACL injury. A body weight squat is a common exercise used to strengthen knee musculature in attempt to minimize the risk of ACL injury. However, it is not clear whether this exercise activates the knee musculature in a manner that would not exacerbate the quadriceps dominance often observed in women. PURPOSE: To determine if women are more quadriceps dominant than men when performing a two-legged body weight squat. METHODS: Seven male and seven female Division III collegiate athletes (20.5±1.0 yrs, 176.2± 12.6 cm, and 79.7± 16.6 kg) provided informed consent and participated in this study. Surface EMG collected at 1000 Hz was used to measure the muscle activity of the vastus lateralis (VL) and the biceps femoris (BF), and normalized to the respective maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) for each muscle. Participants performed eight repetitions of a two-legged body weight squat at a cadence of 54 bpm. RMS EMG was computed across a 200 ms window and analyzed for the middle six repetitions at 15°, 45° and 60° of knee flexion during the movement. Hamstrings and quadriceps activity for the concentric phase of movement were evaluated separately, with two 2x3 (gender x joint position) mixed model ANOVAs. RESULTS: No interaction was observed between gender and joint position for either quadriceps (F(1,11) = 0.64, p = 0.54) or hamstring activity (F(1,11) = 1.24, p = .31). As knee flexion decreased, both quadriceps and hamstrings activity significantly decreased. Quadriceps activity, decreased from 41.7± 24.9%MVIC at 60° to 37.6± 21.7% at 45° to 34.2± 22.7% at 15° (F(1,11) = 5.74, p = 0.01). Likewise, hamstring activity decreased from 26.7± 28.9%MVIC at 60° to 20.6± 20.6% at 45° and to 18.2± 19.1% at 15° (F(1,11) = 3.92, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Gender-specific muscular imbalances do not occur during the performance of a bodyweight squat suggesting that such an exercise is appropriate as a part of strength training program designed to reduce ACL risk in women. However, knee angle is a relevant factor to consider when examining muscular characteristics of dynamic movements and injury mechanisms

Book Reviews

Book 1Book Title: Health Care as Human RightBook Author: Ed. by Anton van NiekerkPp. 115. Stellenbosch: Unit for Bioethics, University of Stellenbosch. 1993. ISBN 0-79720429- 6.Book 2Book Title: Psychosis and its ManagementBook Author: A.E. GangatPp. xvii + 169. Durban: Valentine Bedford. 1992. ISBN 0-620-16940-0.Book 3Book Title: Health Care in South Africa: Structure and DynamicsBook Authors: H.C.J. van Rensburg, A. Fourie & E. PretoriusPp. xix + 438. lllustrated. Pretoria: Academica. 1992. ISBN 0-86874-471-9Book 4Book Title: Guidelines for Cholera ControlBook Author: WHOPp. vi + 61. (in English; French and Spanish in preparation). $16,20. Geneva: WHO. 1993. Order No. 1150398. ISBN 92-4-15444-9X

Functional outcomes with handsewn versus stapled anastomoses in the treatment of ultralow rectal cancer

Adequate oncological outcomes have been demonstrated with rectal resection and handsewn coloanal anastomosis (CAA) in tumours in close proximity to the internal anal sphincter. Our aim was to assess functional differences between handsewn CAA and ultralow stapled anastomosis. Participants were identified from a single-surgeon series. Included participants underwent anorectal physiology testing of anal sphincter function, in addition to completion of several questionnaires: Wexner Incontinence Score (WIS); Birmingham Bowel, Bladder and Urinary Symptom Questionnaire (BBUSQ); Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS) Score; SF36. Non-parametric data compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. 20 participants were included; 11 stapled and 9 handsewn. Mean follow-up was 2.95 ± 1.97 years. The mean LARS score was 21.9 ± 1.97 years in the stapled group versus 29.4 ± 9.57 in the handsewn group (p = 0.133). The Wexner incontinence score was significantly higher in the handsewn group (p = 0.0076), with a mean score of 4.6 ± 3.69 versus 10.9 ± 4.76. The incontinence domain of the BBUSQ was also significantly worse in patients with a handsewn anastomosis (p = 0.001). With the exception of general health (p = 0.035) and social functioning (p = 0.035), which were worse in the handsewn groups, the other six domains of the SF-36 showed no statistical difference between groups. Anorectal physiology scores were not significantly different. Handsewn CAA anastomosis is known to be safe and oncologically feasible. Patient selection should be vigorous, with preoperative counseling regarding the likelihood of incontinence to manage patients' expectations and promote comparable quality of life in the long-term

Effects of Wearing an ACL Brace on Hamstring and Quadriceps Muscle Activity When Performing a Body Weight Squat

After surgical repair of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) a functional knee brace is used to support the injured knee. Of importance, would be the reduction of actions that would promote anterior tibial translation relative to the femur. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of a functional ACL brace proportionally reduces quadriceps relative to hamstring muscle activity during a body weight squat. METHODS: Seven collegiate athletes (20.5±1.0 yrs, 183.9±9.58 cm and 91.77±11.95 kg) provided informed consent and participated in this study. Two gel bipolar surface Ag-AgCl electrodes were placed on each of the muscle bellies of the vastus lateralis (VL) and the biceps femoris (BF) of the dominant leg. Participants performed eight repetitions of a two-legged bodyweight squat with and without a functional knee brace at a cadence of 54 bpm. RMS EMG was computed across a 200 ms window and analyzed for the middle six repetitions at 45° and 60° of knee flexion during the movement. EMG data were collected at 1000Hz and normalized to the respective maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) for each muscle. Hamstrings and quadriceps activity for the upward phase of movement were evaluated separately, with two 2x2 (Muscle x Brace Condition) repeated measures ANOVAs. RESULTS: No interaction between muscle and brace condition was observed at 45° (F(1,6) = 5.369, p = 0.06) or 60° (F(1,6) = 5.241 p = 0.062). At 45° and 60° quadriceps activity tended to increase and hamstrings activity tended to decrease when wearing the brace (Table 1) but these differences were not significant (F(1,6)=2.54, p=0.16; F(1,6)=2.90, p=0.14, respectively). CONCLUSION: The trend in muscle activity surprisingly suggests that the movement was more quadriceps dominant while wearing the brace. The quadriceps group had 4.6x and 1.7x more muscle activity than the hamstring during the braced squat and non-braced squat respectively. This data suggests that after the initial healing period, when rehabilitating an ACL injury the functional brace should be used sparingly so the hamstrings may be adequately strengthened