Playground improvement project

Includes bibliographical references

Fixed-term and temporary: teaching fellows, tactics, and the negotiation of contingent labour in the UK higher education system

This paper autobiographically considers the role of teaching-only staff as a contingent labour force in the contemporary Higher Education system in the UK. The aims of this paper are twofold. First, whilst much attention has been paid to the role of the research fellow, there has been less consideration, in the UK context, of the Teaching Fellow as an alternate form of postdoctoral experience. Accordingly, this paper gives voice to the Teaching Fellow – a member of academic staff who is not allocated writing and research time as part of their contract – whose views are often marginalised in on-going debates concerning the plays of power in the neo-liberalised academy. Second, the paper raises these voices to bring into consciousness the impacts of Teaching Fellow experience for the Fellow themselves and the faculties they work in. It is argued that Teaching Fellows face challenging circumstances in view of their onwards career trajectories in the academy. Accordingly, this paper considers the ways in which Fellows, through tactics of place making, presence and visibility, and collaboration, negotiate the challenging structural and institutional conditions that underscore their contracts. It is contended that exploring the teaching-only workforce is vital for critically assessing the workings of the contemporary academy and questioning the unequal power relations that underscore work places in a culture where contingent labour is expanding; becoming less of a fixed-term and temporary feature of the university system, but rather a stable and enduring one

Fluid use in mountain bikers – self-reported practices.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES. Little is known of the fluid replacement habits of participants in mountain bike (MTB)endurance events. This survey set out to determine the current perceptions and practices of this group of endurance athletes. Method. Four hundred and twelve participants in the 3-day 2006 Sani2C (MTB) race completed questionnaires that elicited information regarding their regular fluid intake practices during competitive MTB endurance events. This included their general approach to fluid replacement, their fluid intake practices (type, amount and frequency), urine output and hydration status. RESULTS. While 70% (N = 290) reported that they based their fluid intake practices on personal past experiences, less than half the group (N = 177, 43%) were aware of official sport-specific guidelines. Although 86% (N = 354) reported making use of commercially available sport-specific drinks, consumption of water alone was reported by 34% of respondents (N = 140). The majority (N = 225, 55%) of the mountain bikers reported drinking every 16 - 30 minutes during an endurance ride, while 35% (N =144) reported drinking every 0 - 15 minutes. Fifty-three per cent (N = 182) of the male respondents and 45% (N= 23) of female respondents reported a routine intake of ≥ 750 ml per hour during endurance rides. This included 2 women who reported regular intakes of between 1 500 and 2 000 ml/hr. Only 7 (2%) reported receiving medical care for dehydration following their participation in previous MTB rides. CONCLUSIONS. This survey indicates that although more than half of the mountain bikers did not acknowledge specific awareness of the official fluid replacement guidelines, over 80% reported drinking regularly during a race, and 52% (N = 212) reported a usual intake of ≥ 750 ml/hr during endurance races. Until scientific studies have carefully examined the hydration status and fluid replacement needs of mountain bikers, MTB cyclists are cautioned against the practice of over-hydrating.Web of Scienc

Seven Day E-cigarette Vapor Exposure Does Not Modify Ventilation Patterns in Long-Evans Rats

Electronic nicotine delivery systems or e-cigarettes are devices used to deliver aerosolized liquids often containing nicotine and other chemicals. These devices were originally created as a way to assist with smoking cessation in adults; however, use of these devices is increasing in adolescent and young adult populations. The long and short term effects of vaping are still under active investigation. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 7 days of e-cigarette vapor exposure in adult rats on lung function and lung tissue inflammatory cytokine expression, specifically IL-1. METHODS: Using random assignment, 10 adult male long-evans rats were assigned to vape (experimental) or air (control) groups. The animals were exposed to either air (n = 4) or 5% nicotine vapor (n=6) using a whole-body exposure chamber, twice a day for ten minutes for seven consecutive days. Ventilation recordings were completed on day 0 (before exposure) and day 8 (after exposure) using unrestrained whole-body plethysmography. Minute ventilation, tidal volume, and breathing frequency were assessed. Blood was collected on day 8 to look for the presence of cotinine (a nicotine metabolite). Whole lung tissue was also collected on day 8 for inflammatory cytokine assay, IL-1 ELISA. RESULTS: Cotinine was found to be present in the serum samples of the vape groups (86.6 ng/ml +/- 1.0 ng/mL) but not the air groups (0.0 ng/mL) confirming drug exposure. Baseline ventilation data collected on day 0 and post-exposure ventilation data collected on day 8 were compared between air and vape groups across three different parameters: minute ventilation, frequency, and tidal volume. These parameters were compared resulting in three distinct two-way ANOVAs comparing the variables time and treatment. No significant difference was found among any of the comparisons (p \u3e 0.05 for all). Similarly, no difference in lung inflammatory cytokine IL-1 was observed in the lung tissue of the air (85.6 pg/mL +/- 10.2 pg/mL) or vape (82.7 pg/mL +/- 14.9 pg/mL) exposure groups (p \u3e 0.05, t-test). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, 7 days of e-cigarette vapor exposure did not affect ventilation parameters or increase the presence of inflammatory cytokine, IL-1, in whole lung tissue. Limitations to this study include a small sample size (n = 10) and unreliable negative-pressure which were used to produce the vapor for the e-cigarette exposure. Future studies will modify the vape exposure system and include a larger sample size

Inspired by Real Events: Libraries Transforming Students into Engaged Citizens

In the current political environment, librarians remain committed to the democratic ideals of higher education by encouraging students to become engaged citizens. This panel session will demonstrate the ways in which libraries are critical partners in implementing and assessing service learning programs linked to institutional mission. Librarians from different institutions will share ideas including developing service learning partnerships with the library, executing different models for programs and projects, reshaping library instruction and collection policies, advocating for and receiving library administrative support, and structural opportunities for integrating community information into the mission of academic libraries. The panelists will demonstrate how academic library partnerships on campus enhance and enrich the educational experience of students toward advancing the public good

An Overview of Environmental Risk Factors for Food Allergy

IgE-mediated food allergy is an increasing public health concern in many regions around the world. Although genetics play a role in the development of food allergy, the reported increase has occurred largely within a single generation and therefore it is unlikely that this can be accounted for by changes in the human genome. Environmental factors must play a key role. While there is strong evidence to support the early introduction of allergenic solids to prevent food allergy, this is unlikely to be sufficient to prevent all food allergy. The purpose of this review is to summarize the evidence on risk factors for food allergy with a focus the outdoor physical environment. We discuss emerging evidence of mechanisms that could explain a role for vitamin D, air pollution, environmental greenness, and pollen exposure in the development of food allergy. We also describe the recent extension of the dual allergen exposure hypothesis to potentially include the respiratory epithelial barrier in addition to the skin. Few existing studies have examined the relationship between these environmental factors with objective measures of IgE-mediated food allergy and further research in this area is needed. Future research also needs to consider the complex interplay between multiple environmental factors

Recasting the Parentative: Seeking Balance Amidst the Busyness

What stereotypes about working parents exist within the culture of academic libraries? In what ways are working mothers and fathers impacted by these stereotypes? How can institutions work to challenge these stereotypes and provide support for academic librarians who are balancing career advancement and family obligations? These are the three primary questions this panel will seek to address as part of “Recasting the Parentative: Seeking balance amidst the busyness.” Four panelists will discuss the preliminary results of a study of academic librarian-parent stereotypes and how those stereotypes affect academic library work. They will explore stories from academic librarians about their experiences as mothers and fathers in the workplace: how their roles as caretakers are perceived by their colleagues and how those perceptions impact aspects of academic work, including individual professionalization, institutional efficiency, collegiality, and career advancement. Furthermore, the panelists will offer recommendations for ways in which institutions can address the effects of these stereotypes. Audience members will be encouraged to share their experiences and offer advice to their colleagues. We want this panel to facilitate a brave space for discussing sensitive issues relating to the tension between being both full-time caretakers and full-time academics