The Development and Implementation of an Environmental Education Liaison-Communication Plan and Program for Teachers of Grades K-5 at Ninety-Fifth Street School Milwaukee, Wisconsin

An Environmental Education Liaison Communication Plan and Program (EELCPP) was developed in hopes of influencing the instructional practices of teachers of grades K-5 at Ninety-Fifth Street School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin regarding environmental education (EE). Prior research revealed that educators face many obstacles when trying to implement EE, the most common obstacle being a lack of training. The EELCPP was designed to assess those obstacles and work around them in order to produce a change in instruction. A survey administered to the Ninety-Fifth Street School K-5 teachers in the fall of 1994, assessed the extent to which EE was occurring and the methods being used. The survey also determined what manner of dissemination of information from the Wisconsin School System Environmental Education Network those instructors would find most beneficial. Finally, the survey determined what form of help those teachers needed and wanted in order to meet DPI mandates concerning EE. Based on the results of the survey the EELCPP was written by the EE committee. The plan's focus was to provide an inservice at which the K-5 teachers of Ninety-Fifth Street School could learn methods for infusing EE into their curriculum. This inservice occurred in the spring of 1995. A final survey in June of 1995 assessed whether the efforts made during the 1994-1995 school year to motivate the teachers about EE influenced their instructional practices. Results of the survey indicated that all efforts made had an influence, particularly the inservice provided

Analysis of Gauntlet Test Performance and Injury Risk in Intercollegiate Division I Female Soccer (Football) Players: A Retrospective Study.

CONTEXT: Injury risk factors and relevant assessments have been identified in women\u27s soccer athletes. Other tests assess fitness (eg, the Gauntlet Test [GT]). However, little empirical support exists for the utility of the GT to predict time loss injury. OBJECTIVES: To examine the GT as a predictor of injury in intercollegiate Division I female soccer athletes. DESIGN: Retrospective, nonexperimental descriptive cohort study. SETTING: College athletic facilities. PARTICIPANTS: 71 female Division I soccer athletes (age 19.6 ± 1.24 y, BMI 23.0 ± 2.19). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: GT, demographic, and injury data were collected over 3 consecutive seasons. GT trials were administered by coaching staff each preseason. Participation in team-based activities (practices, matches) was restricted until a successful GT trial. Soccer-related injuries that resulted in time loss from participation were recorded. RESULTS: 71 subjects met the inclusion criteria, with 12 lower body time loss injuries sustained. Logistic regression models indicated that with each unsuccessful GT attempt, the odds of sustaining an injury increased by a factor of 3.5 (P \u3c .02). The Youden index was 2 GT trials for success, at which sensitivity = .92 and specificity = .46. For successive GT trials before success (1, 2, or 3), the predicted probabilities for injury were .063, .194, and .463, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The GT appears to be a convenient and predictive screen for potential lowerbody injuries among female soccer athletes in this cohort. Further investigation into the appropriate application of the GT for injury prediction is warranted given the scope of this study

DUAL-TASK ASSESSMENT IMPLICATIONS FOR ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INJURY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.

Background: Several systematic reviews have evaluated the role of dual-task assessment in individuals with concussion. However, no systematic reviews to date have investigated dual-task protocols with implications for individuals with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury or ACL reconstruction (ACLR). Purpose: To systematically review the evidence on dual-task assessment practices applicable to those with ACL deficiency/ACLR, specifically with the aim to identify motor-cognitive performance costs. Study Design: Systematic review. Methods: A systematic literature review was undertaken on those with ACL-deficient or ACL-reconstructed knees performing dual-task activities. The following databases were searched from inception to June 8, 2018 including CINAHL, PsychInfo, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, and gray literature. Three primary search categories (knee, cognition, and motor task) were included. Only one reviewer independently performed the database search, data extraction, and scored each article for quality. All studies were assessed for quality and pertinent data were extracted, examined and synthesized. Results: Ten studies were included for analysis, all of which were published within the prior ten years. Performance deficits were identified in those with either ACL deficiency or ACLR while dual-tasking, such as prioritization of postural control at the expense of cognitive performance, impaired postural control in single limb stance, greater number of cognitive errors, and increased step width coefficient of variation while walking. No studies examined those with prior ACL injury or ACLR during tasks that mimicked ACL injury mechanisms such as jump-landing or single-leg cutting. Conclusion: The results of the current systematic review suggests that postural control, gait, and/or cognitive deficits exist when evaluated under a dual-task paradigm in those with ACL deficiency or ACLR. This systematic review highlights the need for future research on dual-task assessment for individuals who have sustained an ACL injury or undergone ACLR, specifically utilizing more difficult athletic movements. Level of Evidence: Level 3a

A Multi-Systems Approach to Human Movement after ACL Reconstruction: The Nervous System

Postoperative rehabilitation of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction mainly focuses on the restoration of strength and range of motion with a long-term goal to return athletes to their prior level of activity. Of those wanting to return to sport, many are either unable and/or experience protracted recovery despite extensive rehabilitation. To holistically care for patients recovering from ACL reconstructions, reframing rehabilitation to consider a comprehensive systems approach (including musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, endocrine, and neurologic systems) may help improve treatment outcomes. The American Physical Therapy Association has adopted a vision statement that embraces the concept of a ‘movement system,’ but validation of the movement system has been challenging. Application of a multi-physiologic systems approach may provide a unique perspective to better understand the nervous system and its interactions after ACL reconstruction. The purpose is to focus on the nervous system contributions to a multi-physiologic system approach to rehabilitation from ACL reconstruction. Level of Evidence 5

INCORPORATING A DUAL-TASK ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL WITH FUNCTIONAL HOP TESTING.

Background: Hop tests are commonly used within a testing battery to assess readiness for return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, yet athletes still experience a high rate of re-injury. Simultaneous performance of a secondary task requiring cognitive processing or decision-making may test the athlete under more realistic contexts. Purpose: To examine a clinically feasible, dual-task assessment paradigm applied during functional hop tests in healthy individuals. Study Design: Repeated measures. Methods: Participants performed the crossover triple hop for distance (XHOP) and medial triple hop for distance test (MHOP) under three separate conditions: standard procedures and two dual-task protocols including the backward digit span memory task and a visuospatial recognition task. The visuospatial task involved briefly displaying an image consisting of 18 randomly placed red and blue circles on a screen, where the participant was asked to identify the number of red circles in each image. The backward digit span task was applied by introducing a sequence of random numbers to the participants, who were required to repeat the sequence in reverse order. Each motor and cognitive task was performed independently and simultaneously, in accordance with the dual-task paradigm. Results: Thirty-four healthy participants (age: 24.0 ± 3.9 years) completed testing procedures. No differences in hop distance were observed with the simultaneous application of a cognitive task, with the exception of the backward digit span memory task resulting in decreased hop distance (p = 0.04, d = 0.14). There were no differences in cognitive accuracy according to hop test type, although the effect size was greater for the XHOP (p = 0.08, d = 0.49) compared to the MHOP (p = 1.0, d = 0.07). The dual-task protocol revealed good-excellent within- (ICC3,1 = 0.85 - 0.99) and between-session (ICC3,k = 0.94 - 0.99) intrarater reliability for hop distance across all dual-task conditions. The addition of a cognitive task to the XHOP and MHOP resulted in a lower standard error of measurement and decreased minimal detectable change, as compared to standard testing procedures. Conclusion: The simultaneous application of a cognitive task did not alter hop distance, with the exception of the backward digit span memory task resulting in decreased hop distance with a trivial effect size. There were no differences in cognitive accuracy according to task type (sitting, XHOP, MHOP). All combinations of dual-task assessment demonstrated good-excellent within- and between-session intrarater reliability among healthy individuals, but measurement precision was deficient. Level of Evidence: 2b

The influence of center line width during the crossover hop test.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the influence of center line width on crossover hop for distance test (XHOP) performance. DESIGN: Repeated measures. SETTING: University laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: 33 physically active females without history of a ligamentous knee injury (age: 22.5 ± 2.3 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hop distance was measured during four XHOP conditions with variations in center line width: 2.54 cm (narrow), 15 cm (standard), 12.5% of the participants\u27 height (HT1), and 25% of the participants\u27 height (HT2). A repeated measures ANOVA was used to evaluate differences in hop distance for XHOP condition (narrow, standard, HT1, and HT2). RESULTS: Differences in hop distance were shown on XHOP condition (p \u3c 0.001). Post hoc tests identified differences in hop distance between narrow and HT2 (p \u3c 0.001, Effect size (ES) = 0.78), standard and HT2 (p \u3c 0.001, ES = 0.57), and HT1 and HT2 (p \u3c 0.001, ES = 0.58) conditions, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: No differences in hop distance were identified between narrow and standard center line width XHOP conditions in healthy females. Decreased hop distance was shown when center line width was normalized to 25% of participant height in comparison to all other XHOP conditions, with medium effect sizes. This study highlights hop distance outcomes based on different XHOP center line widths, normalizing the XHOP according to height, and potential implications for frontal plane knee loading during the XHOP in healthy individuals

DEVELOPMENT OF AN UPPER EXTREMITY \u27SWING COUNT\u27 and Performance Measures in NCAA Division I Volleyball Players over A COMPETITIVE SEASON.

Background: Monitoring the volume of activity (i.e. pitch counts) and tracking upper extremity (UE) performance changes is common in overhead athletes; however, a lack of evidence exists for volleyball players.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in shoulder mobility, strength, and pain, along with UE swing count volume in Division I collegiate female volleyball athletes over a competitive season.Study Design: Observational, longitudinal study. Methods: Swing count data was collected during two separate days of practice during weeks 1, 7, and 14 of the competitive season. Perceived swing counts were collected after each practice from athletes and two coaches. Actual swing counts were tallied by retrospective viewing of video footage. Dominant shoulder internal (IR) and external rotation (ER) range of motion (ROM) and isometric strength, along with UE pain, were assessed on five occasions: baseline, in-season (weeks 1, 7, 14) and post-season (week 22). Results: Five Division I female volleyball athletes participated. Perceived UE swing counts among coaching staff were significantly correlated with actual swing count ( Conclusions: UE swing count estimates by coaching staff demonstrated higher correlation with actual swing counts obtained through video recording, as compared to volleyball athlete self-report. This cohort experienced increased shoulder IR strength and ER ROM over a competitive season. Shoulder IR ROM decreased during the first 14 weeks with a large effect size. Monitoring UE performance changes and swing count volume may have implications for injury prevention and program development for volleyball athletes. Level of Evidence: Level 2B