title: Failing a Generation: What literacy is and why it matters

authors: Derby, Melissa

abstract: The concept of literacy and its ownership sparks diverse perspectives, with some viewing it through a Western lens of reading and writing, while others argue for a culturally relative understanding encompassing various forms of expression. However, the author contends that broadening the definition recklessly, potentially excluding essential reading and writing skills, may have dire consequences, particularly for marginalized children. The transformative power of traditional literacy (reading and writing) is emphasized, influencing health, economic, civic, and educational outcomes. The author asserts that insistent expansion of literacy definitions risks harming children, urging a steadfast commitment to traditional literacy to ensure equitable opportunities and societal advancement. With extensive research supporting the pivotal role of literacy, the article advocates for a clear stance on what constitutes literacy to prevent the potential neglect of foundational skills for future generations.

text: Failing a Generation: What literacy is and why it matters The concept of literacy and its ownership sparks diverse perspectives, with some viewing it through a Western lens of reading and writing, while others argue for a culturally relative understanding encompassing various forms of expression. However, the author contends that broadening the definition recklessly, potentially excluding essential reading and writing skills, may have dire consequences, particularly for marginalized children. The transformative power of traditional literacy (reading and writing) is emphasized, influencing health, economic, civic, and educational outcomes. The author asserts that insistent expansion of literacy definitions risks harming children, urging a steadfast commitment to traditional literacy to ensure equitable opportunities and societal advancement. With extensive research supporting the pivotal role of literacy, the article advocates for a clear stance on what constitutes literacy to prevent the potential neglect of foundational skills for future generations.

year: 2023-11-16

title: Heating Up to Keep Cool: Benefits and Persistence of a Practical Heat Acclimation Protocol in Elite Female Olympic Team-Sport Athletes

authors: Fenemor, Stephen Paul

subjects: Olympic sport

abstract: PURPOSE: Although recommendations for effective heat acclimation (HA) strategies for many circumstances exist, best-practice HA protocols specific to elite female team-sport athletes are yet to be established. Therefore, the authors aimed to investigate the effectiveness and retention of a passive HA protocol integrated in a female Olympic rugby sevens team training program. METHODS: Twelve elite female rugby sevens athletes undertook 10 days of passive HA across 2 training weeks. Tympanic temperature (TTymp), sweat loss, heart rate, and repeated 6-second cycling sprint performance were assessed using a sport-specific heat stress test Pre-HA, after 3 days (Mid-HA), after 10 days (Post-HA), and 15 days post-HA (Decay). RESULTS: Compared with Pre-HA, submaximal TTymp was lower Mid-HA and Post-HA (both by -0.2 [0.7] °C; d ≥ 0.71), while resting TTymp was lower Post-HA (by -0.3 [0.2] °C; d = 0.81). There were no differences in TTymp at Decay compared with Pre-HA, nor were there any differences in heart rate or sweat loss at any time points. Mean peak 6-second power output improved Mid-HA and Post-HA (76 [36] W; 75 [34] W, respectively; d ≥ 0.45) compared with Pre-HA. The observed performance improvement persisted at Decay by 65 (45) W (d = 0.41). CONCLUSIONS: Ten days of passive HA can elicit some thermoregulatory and performance benefits when integrated into a training program in elite female team-sport athletes. However, such a protocol does not provide a sufficient thermal impulse for thermoregulatory adaptations to be retained after 15 days with no further heat stimulus.

text: Heating Up to Keep Cool: Benefits and Persistence of a Practical Heat Acclimation Protocol in Elite Female Olympic Team-Sport Athletes PURPOSE: Although recommendations for effective heat acclimation (HA) strategies for many circumstances exist, best-practice HA protocols specific to elite female team-sport athletes are yet to be established. Therefore, the authors aimed to investigate the effectiveness and retention of a passive HA protocol integrated in a female Olympic rugby sevens team training program. METHODS: Twelve elite female rugby sevens athletes undertook 10 days of passive HA across 2 training weeks. Tympanic temperature (TTymp), sweat loss, heart rate, and repeated 6-second cycling sprint performance were assessed using a sport-specific heat stress test Pre-HA, after 3 days (Mid-HA), after 10 days (Post-HA), and 15 days post-HA (Decay). RESULTS: Compared with Pre-HA, submaximal TTymp was lower Mid-HA and Post-HA (both by -0.2 [0.7] °C; d ≥ 0.71), while resting TTymp was lower Post-HA (by -0.3 [0.2] °C; d = 0.81). There were no differences in TTymp at Decay compared with Pre-HA, nor were there any differences in heart rate or sweat loss at any time points. Mean peak 6-second power output improved Mid-HA and Post-HA (76 [36] W; 75 [34] W, respectively; d ≥ 0.45) compared with Pre-HA. The observed performance improvement persisted at Decay by 65 (45) W (d = 0.41). CONCLUSIONS: Ten days of passive HA can elicit some thermoregulatory and performance benefits when integrated into a training program in elite female team-sport athletes. However, such a protocol does not provide a sufficient thermal impulse for thermoregulatory adaptations to be retained after 15 days with no further heat stimulus.

year: 2023-03-01

title: Impact of tephra fall and environmental change: a 1000 year record from Matakana Island, Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand.

authors: Giles, Teresa M.

abstract: Palynological evidence was used to determine the development of vegetation communities on Matakana Island, North Island, New Zealand, over the last 1000 radiocarbon years. The pollen record indicates that changes occurred in the vegetation immediately following fallout deposition of the Kaharoa Tephra approximately 100 km from source at c. 665 years BP. Such changes may be a direct response to the impact of tephra fall, although the possibility of anthropogenic disturbance cannot be discounted. As a result of the eruption some taxa (Leucopogon fasciculatus and Tupeia antarctica) became at least temporarily extinct from the area. Two phases of anthropogenic influence on the environment are recorded in the pollen record: Polynesian, followed by European inhabitation of the island, giving a detailed history of human influence in the area for the millennium.

text: Impact of tephra fall and environmental change: a 1000 year record from Matakana Island, Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand. Palynological evidence was used to determine the development of vegetation communities on Matakana Island, North Island, New Zealand, over the last 1000 radiocarbon years. The pollen record indicates that changes occurred in the vegetation immediately following fallout deposition of the Kaharoa Tephra approximately 100 km from source at c. 665 years BP. Such changes may be a direct response to the impact of tephra fall, although the possibility of anthropogenic disturbance cannot be discounted. As a result of the eruption some taxa (Leucopogon fasciculatus and Tupeia antarctica) became at least temporarily extinct from the area. Two phases of anthropogenic influence on the environment are recorded in the pollen record: Polynesian, followed by European inhabitation of the island, giving a detailed history of human influence in the area for the millennium.

year: 1999-01-01