Situational coupling at the ruck and its effects on phase momentum and success in international men’s and women’s rugby sevens

One of the most frequent contests for possession associated with rugby sevens is the ruck. There has been no research on the patterns of rucks in rugby sevens. The aim of this study was to examine the link between coupling at the ruck, phase momentum and success. Footage from all men’s (N=63) and women’s (N=35) IRB Sevens World Series Cup knockout matches played during 2014 were analysed. Situational coupling at the ruck was divided into four categories based on the location of players. These were wide rucks (4&0); mid to wide rucks (3&1); mid rucks (2&2) and foiled rucks for all other situations. Comparisons between winning and losing teams were examined. Winning women’s teams crossed the advantage line resulting in positive momentum significantly more than losing teams (W 64.37% v L 49.59%). Situational analysis identified that wide rucks were most commonly used. Winning women created significantly more positive momentum from wide rucks (W 59.49% v L 42.36%) and scored more tries from wide rucks (W 0.91 v L 0.26) and mid rucks (W 0.53 v L 0.2). Winning men showed that attacking from mid rucks led to positive phases (W 79.17% v L 54.6%). Winners also scored significantly more tries from wide rucks (W 0.69 v L 0.39). Positive phase momentum is associated with three or more passes in men’s rugby sevens and four or more passes in women’s rugby sevens. Phase momentum has been shown to be an important aspect of success in rugby sevens. Situational analysis has identified that wide rucks are most commonly used and winning women use wide rucks whilst winning men use mid rucks to gain positive phase momentum. This study may assist coaches in developing strategies for creating positive phases in rugby sevens

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Supporting the use of learning objects in the K-12 environment

In recent years there has been an international agenda to make electronic resources, in the form of learning objects, freely available to teachers and students via on-line databases or repositories. To date, much of the work on these resources has focused on the development of learning objects and the technical aspects of the storage and retrieval processes. Less attention has been paid to the way the learning objects are disseminated and how teachers incorporate the objects into teaching and learning activities. Several researchers (Bennett, Lockyer, & Agostinho, 2004; Hand et al., 2004; Kang, Lim, & Kim, 2003; Koper, 2001b; Laurillard & McAndrew, 2003; Lukasiak et al., 2004; Wiley, 2003) suggest that using generic pedagogical frameworks, known as learning designs, may support teachers who wish to make use of these learning objects. This research study sought out to investigate these claims by designing, developing and evaluating a support system to aid K-12 teachers as they attempt to incorporate learning objects into learning designs. The theories underlying this support system approach are linked to Vygotsky’s (1978) concept of the zone of proximal development and the notion of scaffolding to assist a learners in making progress on tasks that would otherwise be out of their reach (Davis & Linn, 2000; Edelson, Gordin, & Pea, 1999; Quintana, Eng, Carra, Wu, & Soloway, 1999; Reiser, 2002). Using these ideas as a base it was theorised that a cognitive tool in the form of an Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS) could provide the necessary scaffolding to aid teachers through the process of integrating learning objects within pedagogically effective frameworks (i.e., learning designs). The specific learning design used in this study was a WebQuest. This framework was selected because WebQuests are widely known within the K-12 community (Dodge, 1995) and because WebQuests require the use of online resources (i.e., learning objects). To investigate the integration of learning objects within a learning design, a research approach that could encompass the design, development and evaluative nature of the study was needed. One such approach that has been proven to solve similar broad based, complex, real world problems, while at the same time maintaining a commitment to theory construction and explanation, is Reeves’ development research model (Reeves, 2000; Reeves, Herrington, & Oliver, 2004). Using the development research procedures outlined by Reeves, this study initially involved a needs analysis to identify the issues that K-12 teachers faced when they attempted to incorporate learning objects within a specific learning design. Considering the findings from the needs analysis with current peer reviewed literature, a series of design principles were generated. These principles were then used to inform the design, development and testing of a web-based EPSS. The findings of the study suggest that when K-12 teachers attempt to incorporate learning objects within a learning design they face issues in four main areas: 1) limitations in their own technological competency when developing WebQuests; 2) issues relating to how teachers manage the time available to create WebQuests; 3) difficulties in searching for and identifying appropriate learning objects; and 4) maintaining the pedagogical quality within the learning designs. The web-based EPSS developed in this study addressed these issues by supporting the teachers as they incorporated learning designs into their teaching and learning experiences. The EPSS accomplished this by combining specific information, guidance, online tutorials, and a range of pedagogically effective learning design taxonomies into an all encompassing support structure. The study revealed that there are still more opportunities to develop the support system further, particular in relation to managing the time taken to develop WebQuests and to maintaining the pedagogical quality of the teaching and learning experience