Women\u27s basketball coaches\u27 perceptions of factors influencing decisions to call timeout

A pilot study found that offensive and defensive game events, players\u27 emotional, physical, and attentional states, and strategy were designated as significant game factors. Head coaches of women\u27s university basketball were asked to respond to a questionnaire designed to assess how often these variables were utilized as criteria for calling a timeout. Coaches perceived the physical state of their players to influence the calling of timeouts more significantly than the other five factors. However, university women\u27s basketball coaches supported a three factor structure where only the mistakes made by players, the level of effort given by their players, and strategy were important in calling a timeout. Further analysis indicated no statistically significant main effects and/or interactions for gender, years of experience, and level of team success. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)Dept. of Kinesiology. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1991 .D855. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 31-01, page: 0053. Chairperson: John Corlett. Thesis (M.H.K.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1991

Producing the 'problem of drugs': a cross national-comparison of ‘recovery' discourse in two Australian and British reports

The notion of ‘recovery’ as an overarching approach to drug policy remains controversial. This cross-national analysis considers how the problem of drugs was constructed and represented in two key reports on the place of ‘recovery’ in drug policy, critically examining how the problem of drugs (and the people who use them) are constituted in recovery discourse, and how these problematisations are shaped and disseminated. Bacchi's poststructuralist approach is applied to two documents (one in Britain and one in Australia) to analyse how the ‘problem of drugs’ and the people who use them are constituted: as problematic users, constraining alternative understandings of the shifting nature of drug use; as responsibilised individuals (in Britain) and as patients (in Australia); as worthy of citizenship in the context of treatment and recovery, silencing the assumption of unworthiness and the loss of rights for those who continue to use drugs in ‘problematic’ ways. The position of the organisations which produced the reports is considered, with the authority of both organisations resting on their status as independent, apolitical bodies providing ‘evidence-based’ advice. There is a need to carefully weigh up the desirable and undesirable political effects of these constructions. The meaning of ‘recovery’ and how it could be realised in policy and practice is still being negotiated. By comparatively analysing how the problem of drugs was produced in ‘recovery’ discourse in two jurisdictions, at two specific points in the policy debate, we are reminded that ways of thinking about ‘problems’ reflect specific contexts, and how we are invoked to think about policy responses will be dependent upon these conditions. As ‘recovery’ continues to evolve, opening up spaces to discuss its contested meanings and effects will be an ongoing endeavour

Students' Learning Experiences with the Web 2.0 Tool MyPortfolio: a Case Study of One High School Classroom

Portfolio learning has been utilised in education for many years and a natural development in today's digital environment has been the move from paper to electronic portfolios (e-portfolios). The development of e-portfolios in New Zealand has also been driven by two forces- the emerging view that e-portfolios can be an effective way to support constructivist approaches to learning and help develop students into 'lifelong learners' ; and the beliefs about today's digital environment and the way in which students should and do operate within this. In many ways, e-portfolio research is a relatively young field of study and much of the research that has been conducted has occurred in the tertiary environment and related to the perceptions of the instructor or technologist. In an attempt to add depth to current e-portfolio research, this study made use of a mixed-methods, descriptive case study approach in order to focus on the perceptions of a group of high school students and the way in which they experienced using the e-portfolio application MyPortfolio for the first time. Key findings of this study focus on the way in which students experienced using MyPortfolio and the fact that although it is often claimed that e-portfolio tools can be effective in helping developing reflective thinking in students, overall, the students in this study predominately saw MyPortfolio as a tool to organise and process knowledge rather than something that could help them to engage in 'deep learning'. The experiences and perceptions of the students in this study also challenged ideas about how much students want to use ICT within the school environment and this study suggests that increased use of ICT can lead to students missing the social interaction that usually occurs within the classroom. In a similar vein, the students in this study also challenged the idea of the 'digital native' and their experiences suggest that, as with any area of learning, students' skills with using ICT varied greatly. The way that the students in this study made use of MyPortfolio also demonstrates the fact that although e-portfolio tools such as MyPortfolio offer students the opportunity to engage in reflective learning, they do not necessarily undertake this naturally. Finally, the findings of this study highlight the role of the teacher in supporting effective use of ICT for learning

Diesel Exhaust Activates & Primes Microglia: Air Pollution, Neuroinflammation, & Regulation of Dopaminergic Neurotoxicity

BACKGROUND: Air pollution is linked to central nervous system disease, but the mechanisms responsible are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: Here, we sought to address the brain-region-specific effects of diesel exhaust (DE) and key cellular mechanisms underlying DE-induced microglia activation, neuroinflammation, and dopaminergic (DA) neurotoxicity. METHODS: Rats were exposed to DE (2.0, 0.5, and 0 mg/m3) by inhalation over 4 weeks or as a single intratracheal administration of DE particles (DEP; 20 mg/kg). Primary neuron-glia cultures and the HAPI (highly aggressively proliferating immortalized) microglial cell line were used to explore cellular mechanisms. RESULTS: Rats exposed to DE by inhalation demonstrated elevated levels of whole-brain IL-6 (interleukin-6) protein, nitrated proteins, and IBA-1 (ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1) protein (microglial marker), indicating generalized neuroinflammation. Analysis by brain region revealed that DE increased TNFα (tumor necrosis factor-α), IL-1β, IL-6, MIP-1α (macrophage inflammatory protein-1α) RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products), fractalkine, and the IBA-1 microglial marker in most regions tested, with the midbrain showing the greatest DE response. Intratracheal administration of DEP increased microglial IBA-1 staining in the substantia nigra and elevated both serum and whole-brain TNFα at 6 hr posttreatment. Although DEP alone failed to cause the production of cytokines and chemokines, DEP (5 μg/mL) pretreatment followed by lipopolysaccharide (2.5 ng/mL) in vitro synergistically amplified nitric oxide production, TNFα release, and DA neurotoxicity. Pretreatment with fractalkine (50 pg/mL) in vitro ameliorated DEP (50 μg/mL)-induced microglial hydrogen peroxide production and DA neurotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these findings reveal complex, interacting mechanisms responsible for how air pollution may cause neuroinflammation and DA neurotoxicity

“What About Your Friends?”: How a Collaborative Transdisciplinary Training Approach Supports FAIR Data Sharing Principles in Federally Funded Research

Objective: This paper details a pilot project to establish a baseline for current data management planning activities and offers more targeted data management planning training to researchers.Methods: The authors incorporated a collaborative transdisciplinary approach, leading to the development and delivery of a series of surveys to gain accurate feedback about current workflows, policy adherence, and identifying knowledge gaps.Results: Using formal survey results and informal feedback from researcher interactions to inform targeted training sessions and materials results in a more productive and collaborative experience for researchers and leads to more complete and structured data management plans.Conclusions: Understanding researchers’ current practices and needs is crucial to developing effective training and resources to help improve data management planning and workflows

Clinical academic career pathway for nursing and allied health professionals: clinical academic role descriptors

The clinical academic pathway outlined highlights the range of typical practice and research-focused activities that a practitioner on a clinical academic career pathway might normally engage in at different levels and points along this career path. The activities are intended as a guide for practitioners interested in learning more about the practice and research components of a clinical academic career, as well as those already employed in clinical academic roles. They may also be useful for health care organisations and Higher Education Institutions as a tool for developing clinical academic roles

Co-construction of the family-focused support conversation: a participatory learning and action research study to implement support for family members whose relatives are being discharged for end-of-life care at home or in a nursing home.

BACKGROUND: Many people move in and out of hospital in the last few weeks of life. These care transitions can be distressing for family members because they signify the deterioration and impending death of their ill relative and forthcoming family bereavement. Whilst there is evidence about psychosocial support for family members providing end-of-life care at home, there is limited evidence about how this can be provided in acute hospitals during care transitions. Consequently, family members report a lack of support from hospital-based healthcare professionals. METHODS: The aim of the study was to implement research evidence for family support at the end-of-life in acute hospital care. Informed by Participatory Learning and Action Research and Normalization Process Theory (NPT) we co-designed a context-specific intervention, the Family-Focused Support Conversation, from a detailed review of research evidence. We undertook a pilot implementation in three acute hospital Trusts in England to assess the potential for the intervention to be used in clinical practice. Pilot implementation was undertaken during a three-month period by seven clinical co-researchers - nurses and occupational therapists in hospital specialist palliative care services. Implementation was evaluated through data comprised of reflective records of intervention delivery (n = 22), in-depth records of telephone implementation support meetings between research team members and co-researchers (n = 3), and in-depth evaluation meetings (n = 2). Data were qualitatively analysed using an NPT framework designed for intervention evaluation. RESULTS: Clinical co-researchers readily incorporated the Family-Focused Support Conversation into their everyday work. The intervention changed family support from being solely patient-focused, providing information about patient needs, to family-focused, identifying family concerns about the significance and implications of discharge and facilitating family-focused care. Co-researchers reported an increase in family members' involvement in discharge decisions and end-of-life care planning. CONCLUSION: The Family-Focused Support Conversation is a novel, evidenced-based and context specific intervention. Pilot implementation demonstrated the potential for the intervention to be used in acute hospitals to support family members during end-of-life care transitions. This subsequently informed a larger scale implementation study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: n/a

A proximal sensing cart and custom cooling box for improved hyperspectral sensing in a desert environment

BackgroundAdvancements in field spectrometry have the potential to increase understanding of crop growth and development in response to hot and dry environments. However, as with any instrument used for scientific advancement, it is important to continue developing and optimizing data collection protocols to promote efficiency, safety, and data quality. The goal of this study was to develop a novel data collection method, involving a proximal sensing cart with onboard cooling equipment, to improve deployments of a field spectroradiometer in a hot and dry environment. Advantages and disadvantages of the new method were compared with the traditional backpack approach and other approaches reported in literature.ResultsThe novel method prevented the spectroradiometer from overheating and nearly eliminated the need to halt data collection for battery changes. It also enabled data collection from a significantly larger field area and from more field plots as compared to the traditional backpack method. Use of a custom cooling box to stabilize operating temperatures for the field spectroradiometer also improved stability of white panel data both within and among collections despite outside air temperatures in excess of 30°C.ConclusionsAs compared to traditional data collection approaches for measuring spectral reflectance of field crops in a hot and dry environment, use of a proximal sensing cart with a customized equipment cooling box improved spectroradiometer performance, increased practicality of equipment transport, and reduced operator safety concerns

Diesel Exhaust Activates and Primes Microglia: Air Pollution, Neuroinflammation, and Regulation of Dopaminergic Neurotoxicity

Background: Air pollution is linked to central nervous system disease, but the mechanisms responsible are poorly understood

Portfolio Vol. IV N 3

Benson, Virginia. Rejected. Prose. 3. Phillips, Alison. Lure in April. Poetry. 6. Shields, Margaret. Wedding Morning. Prose. 7. Willett, Thelma. Ex Libris: G.K.W. Poetry. 8. Benson, Virginia. High Note. Poetry. 8. Maxwell, Bob. Discovery. Poetry. 8. Eschman, Karl. The Case for Modern Music. Prose. 8-9. Wyman, John. Dissonance. Prose. 10-11. Hart, Dorothy. The Origin of Memorial Day. Prose. 12. Reed, Roger. Notes on the Drama. Prose. 13. Parker, Mab. Black Girl. Picture. 14. Mather, William. The Pasquin. Prose. 15. Hammer, John. Over the Green Grass. Prose. 16. Maxwell, Bob. Genesis... Poetry. 19. Maxwell, Bob. We Three. Poetry. 19. Stransky, Ed. Concerning The Well-Known \u27Butch.\u27 Prose. 20. Seagrave, Leslie. Memory. Prose. 21