The Kick-Smart Program: A Randomised Feasibility Trial Evaluating the Feasibility and Efficacy of a Primary-School Based Martial Arts Program Integrating Mathematics, Physical Fitness and Well-Being

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of the ‘Kick-Smart’ martial arts programme using a randomised controlled-trial conducted in one Australian primary school. Kick-Smart involved children 9-11yrs (n= 46) randomised into treatment or wait-list control conditions. Kick-Smart consisted of 2x60min curriculum sessions/week for 6-weeks during school hours. Positive feedback was received from students and teachers regarding program enjoyment, perceived benefits and future plans. Significant treatment effects favouring the Kick-Smart group for muscular fitness and mathematics achievement demonstrates preliminary efficacy. Findings indicate Kick-Smart is feasible for delivery in a primary school setting and effective for improving selected fitness and academic outcomes. Further evidence for the effectiveness of Kick-Smart via a larger randomised control trial is recommended

Can continuing professional development utilizing a game-centered approach improve the quality of physical education teaching delivered by generalist primary school teachers?

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a continuing professional development (CPD) intervention in producing changes in physical education (PE) teaching practice and PE teaching quality by generalist primary school teachers when the CPD addressed the use of a game-centred approach. A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in seven primary schools in the Hunter Region, New South Wales, Australia. One year six teacher from each school was randomized into the Professional Learning for Understanding Games Education (PLUNGE) intervention ( n = 4 teachers) or the 7-week wait-list control ( n = 3) condition. The PLUNGE intervention (weeks 1–5) used an instructional framework to improve teachers’ knowledge, understanding and delivery of a game-centred curriculum, and included an information session and weekly in-class mentoring. The intervention was designed to enhance content and pedagogical knowledge for the provision of pedagogy focused on a broad range of learning outcomes. Teaching quality was assessed at baseline and follow-up (weeks 6 and 7) via observation of two consecutive PE lessons using the Quality Teaching Lesson Observation Scales. Linear mixed models revealed significant group-by-time intervention effects ( p &lt; 0.05) for the quality of teaching (effect size: d = 1.7). CPD using an information session and mentoring, and a focus on the development of the quality of teaching using a game-centred pedagogical approach was efficacious in improving the quality of PE teaching among generalist primary school teachers. </jats:p

The PLUNGE randomized controlled trial:Evaluation of a games-based physical activity professional learning program in primary school physical education

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of the Professional Learning for Understanding Games Education (PLUNGE) program on fundamental movement skills (FMS), in-class physical activity and perceived sporting competence. Methods: A cluster-randomized controlled trial involving one year six class each from seven primary schools (n = 168; mean age = 11.2 years, SD = 1.0) in the Hunter Region, NSW, Australia. In September (2013) participants were randomized by school into the PLUNGE intervention (n = 97 students) or the 7-week wait-list control (n = 71) condition. PLUNGE involved the use of Game Centered curriculum delivered via an in-class teacher mentoring program. Students were assessed at baseline and 8-week follow-up for three object control FMS (Test of Gross Motor Development 2), in-class physical activity (pedometer steps/min) and perceived sporting competence (Self-perception Profile for Children). Results: Linear mixed models revealed significant group-by-time intervention effects (all p < 0.05) for object control competency (effect size: d = 0.9), and in-class pedometer steps/min (d = 1.0). No significant intervention effects (p > 0.05) were observed for perceived sporting competence. Conclusions: The PLUNGE intervention simultaneously improved object control FMS proficiency and in-class PA in stage three students

Ly-alpha Emission-Line Galaxies at z = 3.1 in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South

We describe the results of an extremely deep, 0.28 deg^2 survey for z = 3.1 Ly-alpha emission-line galaxies in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South. By using a narrow-band 5000 Anstrom filter and complementary broadband photometry from the MUSYC survey, we identify a statistically complete sample of 162 galaxies with monochromatic fluxes brighter than 1.5 x 10^-17 ergs cm^-2 s^-1 and observers frame equivalent widths greater than 80 Angstroms. We show that the equivalent width distribution of these objects follows an exponential with a rest-frame scale length of w_0 = 76 +/- 10 Angstroms. In addition, we show that in the emission line, the luminosity function of Ly-alpha galaxies has a faint-end power-law slope of alpha = -1.49 +/- 0.4, a bright-end cutoff of log L^* = 42.64 +/- 0.2, and a space density above our detection thresholds of 1.46 +/- 0.12 x 10^-3 h70^3 galaxies Mpc^-3. Finally, by comparing the emission-line and continuum properties of the LAEs, we show that the star-formation rates derived from Ly-alpha are ~3 times lower than those inferred from the rest-frame UV continuum. We use this offset to deduce the existence of a small amount of internal extinction within the host galaxies. This extinction, coupled with the lack of extremely-high equivalent width emitters, argues that these galaxies are not primordial Pop III objects, though they are young and relatively chemically unevolved.Comment: 45 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Ion‐scale structure in Mercury’s magnetopause reconnection diffusion region

The strength and time dependence of the electric field in a magnetopause diffusion region relate to the rate of magnetic reconnection between the solar wind and a planetary magnetic field. Here we use ~150 ms measurements of energetic electrons from the Mercury Surface, Space Environment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft observed over Mercury’s dayside polar cap boundary (PCB) to infer such small‐scale changes in magnetic topology and reconnection rates. We provide the first direct measurement of open magnetic topology in flux transfer events at Mercury, structures thought to account for a significant portion of the open magnetic flux transport throughout the magnetosphere. In addition, variations in PCB latitude likely correspond to intermittent bursts of ~0.3–3 mV/m reconnection electric fields separated by ~5–10 s, resulting in average and peak normalized dayside reconnection rates of ~0.02 and ~0.2, respectively. These data demonstrate that structure in the magnetopause diffusion region at Mercury occurs at the smallest ion scales relevant to reconnection physics.Key PointsEnergetic electrons at Mercury map magnetic topology at ~150 msFirst direct observation of flux transfer event open‐field topology at MercuryModulations of the reconnection rate at Mercury occur at ion kinetic scalesPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/133575/1/grl54476_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/133575/2/grl54476.pd

Can physical education and physical activity outcomes be developed simultaneously using a game-centered approach?

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a pilot intervention using a gamecentered approach for improvement of physical activity (PA) and physical education (PE) outcomes simultaneously, and if this had an impact on enjoyment of PE. A group-randomized controlled trial with a 7-week wait-list control group was conducted in one primary school in the Hunter Region, NSW, Australia. Participants (n = 107 students; mean age = 10.7 years, SD 0.87) were randomized by class group into the Professional Learning for Understanding Games Education (PLUNGE) pilot intervention (n = 52 students) or the control (n = 55) conditions. PLUNGE involved 6 x 60 min PE lessons based on game-centered curriculum delivered via an in-class teacher mentoring program. Students were assessed at baseline and 7-week follow-up for fundamental movement skills (FMS) of throw and catch, game play abilities of decision making, support and skill performance; in-class PA; and enjoyment of PA. Linear mixed models revealed significant group-by-time intervention effects (p < 0.05) for throw (effect size: d = 0.9) and catch (d = 0.4) FMS, decision making (d = 0.7) and support (d = 0.9) during game play, and in-class PA (d = 1.6). No significant intervention effects (p > 0.05) were observed for skills outcome during game play (d = -0.2) or student enjoyment (d = 0.1). Game-centered pedagogy delivered via a teacher professional learning program was efficacious in simultaneously improving students' FMS skills, in-class PA and their decision making and support skills in game play

Clinical application of a complex of blood pressure profile, arterial stiffness and albuminuria for cardiorenal risk assessment in diabetic patients

Background: In modern epidemiology, risk assessment is a crucial step in diabetes care. Clinic blood pressure reading though is not a good measurement for this purpose since both uncontrolled hypertension and white coat hypertension (WCH) are frequent among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Given the problems with clinical application of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), in this study we evaluated clinical utility of home self measurement (HSM) with a wrist-cuff device in DM patients with hypertension to make a BP profile. Also, the clinical application of a complex of arterial study, albuminuria and blood pressure profile, in DM risk assessment was investigated. Methods and Materials: Seventy-eight adult DM patients with labile or uncontrolled hypertension were randomly assigned to 24 hour ABPM or HSM for 4 consecutive days and their BP profiles were evaluated in conjunction with an assessment of arterial stiffness and renal function as well as lipid profile. Results: The two groups were of comparable age, gender, BP, DM duration and control, smoking, lipids, renal function, arterial compliance and antihypertensive medication use. ABPM detected 33% WCH and 17.6% evening/night-time dipping, compared to 32% and 16% respectively for HSM, with overlapping 95% confidence intervals for day versus night BP regression coefficients. WCH patients had more compliant arteries as well as less albuminuria compared to the sustained hypertensive group. Conclusion: A complex of BP profile (by either ABPM or HSM), arterial compliance and albuminuria is a reliable and economical alternative to current methods for risk assessment in hypertensive diabetic patients

[In Press] Evaluating the feasibility of the Education, Movement, and Understanding (EMU) program : a primary school-based physical education program integrating Indigenous games alongside numeracy and literacy skills

Purpose : The aim of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate a 16-lesson integrated physical education program focusing on Indigenous games: Education, Movement, and Understanding (EMU). Method : The study aligned with current physical education, English, and mathematics syllabi and involved 105 children (9–12 years) from two primary schools (Awabakal Country, Australia; 2020). Children participated in sixteen 45–60 min EMU lessons over 8 weeks, with feasibility and preliminary efficacy outcomes assessed via mixed methods. Results : EMU was delivered successfully by the research team, with excellent student and teacher evaluations ( M  = 4.36–5.0 across 20 items). Improvements resulted for children’s cardiorespiratory fitness ( d  = 0.37, p  = .001), enjoyment of sport ( d  = 0.27, p  = .024), physical self-perceptions ( d  = 0.27, p  = .043), and academic achievement (spelling d  = 0.91, addition d  = 0.40, subtraction d  = 0.53, and division d  = 0.68). No significant changes in well-being or multiplication scores resulted. Conclusion : Our results provide support for the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of EMU as a beneficial and enjoyable integrated primary school physical education program