The Practitioner\u27s Corner: An exploration of municipal active living charter development and advocacy

Background: Numerous municipal active living-­‐related charters have been adopted to promote physical activity in Canada throughout the past decade. Despite this trend, there are few published critical examinations of the process through which charters are developed and used. Purpose: Thus, the purpose of this study was to establish greater understanding of active living charter development and advocacy. Methods: Semi-­‐structured interviews were conducted with eight primary contributors to different active living-­‐related charters across Ontario, Canada. Interview questions explored participants’ experiences developing and advocating for an active living charter. Interviews were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Results and Conclusions: Participants consistently described a process whereby an impetus triggered the development of a charter, which was subsequently adopted by regional or municipal council. Continued advocacy to develop awareness of the charter and to promote desired outcomes in the community was valued and the capacity of the working group as well as the local political context played pivotal roles in determining how the charter was implemented. Outcomes were, however, only objectively evaluated in one case that was described – evaluation being a process that many participants thought was omitted in regard to their own charter. This work provides practical guidance for health professionals developing regional active living charters as a component of broader advocacy efforts

Minnesota State Records for Osmia georgica, Megachile inimica, and Megachile frugalis (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae), Including a New Nest Description for Megachile frugalis Compared with Other Species in the Subgenus Sayapis

In this note, we report the first Minnesota state records of Osmia (Helicosmia) georgica Cresson 1878,Megachile (Sayapis) inimica Cresson 1872, and Megachile (Sayapis) frugalis Cresson 1872, which were collected in 2018. We also provide the first description of the nest structure of M. frugalis. All three species typically have more southern distributions. The nest of M. frugalis shows similar structure to other species in the subgenus Sayapis Titus, such as M. inimica and M. pugnata, particularly in that the longitudinal nest cell walls lack a lining of leaf pieces, and the cell partitions are made from a layer of leaf pieces followed by a layer of masticated vegetation and soil particles

Investigating perceptions of cohesion, performance, and satisfaction in sport officiating groups

Since sport officials constitute instrumental groups, their perceptions of, and interactions with, group members likely influence their performance, satisfaction, and retention. This warrants investigation into sport officiating groups. Rationale/Purpose: (1) Examine the relationship between sport officials’ cohesion, satisfaction, and performance; (2) Investigate sport officials’ perceptions of cohesion across sports; and (3) Explore sport officials’ perceptions of group processes. Design/Methodology/Approach: Using a cross-sectional design, participants (N = 228) completed a survey measuring perceptions of cohesion, performance, and satisfaction. Findings: Responses demonstrated consistent positive relationships between cohesion, performance, and satisfaction. Path analysis found that task cohesion predicted performance and satisfaction. Participants rated task cohesion higher than social cohesion, with American football highest and Association football lowest. Practical implications: Officiating organizations can use these results to reconsider assigning practices and develop strategies that improve cohesion, leading to increased performance and retention. Research contribution: Results highlight the need for sustained research to further understand how group processes influence sport officials and their performances. This study is novel as there is a dearth of research on how group dynamics influence sport officials’ performances and retention.</p

Study of Neutron-Induced Ionization in Helium and Argon Chamber Gases

Ion chambers used to monitor the secondary hadron and tertiary muon beam in the NuMI neutrino beamline will be exposed to background particles, including low energy neutrons produced in the beam dump. To understand these backgrounds, we have studied Helium- and Argon-filled ionization chambers exposed to intense neutron fluxes from PuBe neutron sources ($E_n=1-10$ MeV). The sources emit about 10$^8$ neutrons per second. The number of ion pairs in the chamber gas volume per incident neutron is derived. While limited in precision because of a large gamma ray background from the PuBe sources, our results are consistent with the expectation that the neutrons interact purely elastically in the chamber gas.Comment: accepted for publication in NIM

High dispersion spectroscopy of two A supergiant systems in the Small Magellanic Cloud with novel properties

We present the results of a spectroscopic investigation of two novel variable bright blue stars in the SMC, OGLE004336.91-732637.7 (SMC-SC3) and the periodically occulted star OGLE004633.76-731204.3 (SMC-SC4), whose photometric properties were reported by Mennickent et al. (2010). High-resolution spectra in the optical and far-UV show that both objects are actually A + B type binaries. Three spectra of SMC-SC4 show radial velocity variations, consistent with the photometric period of 184.26 days found in Mennickent et al. 2010. The optical spectra of the metallic lines in both systems show combined absorption and emission components that imply that they are formed in a flattened envelope. A comparison of the radial velocity variations in SMC-SC4 and the separation of the V and R emission components in the Halpha emission profile indicate that this envelope, and probably also the envelope around SMC-SC3, is a circumbinary disk with a characteristic orbital radius some three times the radius of the binary system. The optical spectra of SMC-SC3 and SMC-SC4 show, respectively, HeI emission lines and discrete Blue Absorption Components (BACs) in metallic lines. The high excitations of the HeI lines in the SMC-SC3 spectrum and the complicated variations of FeII emission and absorption components with orbital phase in the spectrum of SMC-SC4 suggests that shocks occur between the winds and various static regions of the stars' co-rotating binary-disk complexes. We suggest that BACs arise from wind shocks from the A star impacting the circumbinary disk and a stream of former wind-efflux from the B star accreting onto the A star. We dub these objects prototype of a small group of Magellanic Cloud wind-interacting A + B binaries.Comment: To be published in MNRA

A probabilistic analysis of argument cogency

This paper offers a probabilistic treatment of the conditions for argument cogency as endorsed in informal logic: acceptability, relevance, and sufficiency. Treating a natural language argument as a reason-claim-complex, our analysis identifies content features of defeasible argument on which the RSA conditions depend, namely: change in the commitment to the reason, the reason’s sensitivity and selectivity to the claim, one’s prior commitment to the claim, and the contextually determined thresholds of acceptability for reasons and for claims. Results contrast with, and may indeed serve to correct, the informal understanding and applications of the RSA criteria concerning their conceptual dependence, their function as update-thresholds, and their status as obligatory rather than permissive norms, but also show how these formal and informal normative approachs can in fact align

On-axis spectroscopy of the z=0.144 radio-loud quasar HE 1434-1600: an elliptical host with a highly ionized ISM

VLT on-axis optical spectroscopy of the z=0.144 radio-loud quasar HE 1434-1600 is presented. The spatially resolved spectra of the host galaxy are deconvolved and separated from those of the central quasar in order to study the dynamics of the stars and gas as well as the physical conditions of the ISM. We find that the host of HE 1434-1600 is an elliptical galaxy that resides in a group of at least 5 member galaxies, and that most likely experienced a recent collision with its nearest companion. Compared with other quasar host galaxies, HE 1434-1600 has a highly ionized ISM. The ionization state corresponds to that of typical Seyferts, but the ionized regions are not distributed in a homogeneous way around the QSO, and are located preferentially several kiloparsecs away from it. While the stellar absorption lines do not show any significant velocity field, the gas emission lines do. The observed gas velocity field is hard to reconcile with dynamical models involving rotating disk, modified Hubble laws or power laws, that all require extreme central masses (M > 10^9 M_sun) to provide only poor fit to the data. Power law models, which best fit the data, provide a total mass of M(< 10 kpc)=9.2 10^10 M_sun. We conclude that the recent interaction between HE 1434-1600 and its closest companion has strongly affected the gas velocity and ionization state, from the center of the galaxy to its most external parts.Comment: 11 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

The next detectors for gravitational wave astronomy

This paper focuses on the next detectors for gravitational wave astronomy which will be required after the current ground based detectors have completed their initial observations, and probably achieved the first direct detection of gravitational waves. The next detectors will need to have greater sensitivity, while also enabling the world array of detectors to have improved angular resolution to allow localisation of signal sources. Sect. 1 of this paper begins by reviewing proposals for the next ground based detectors, and presents an analysis of the sensitivity of an 8 km armlength detector, which is proposed as a safe and cost-effective means to attain a 4-fold improvement in sensitivity. The scientific benefits of creating a pair of such detectors in China and Australia is emphasised. Sect. 2 of this paper discusses the high performance suspension systems for test masses that will be an essential component for future detectors, while sect. 3 discusses solutions to the problem of Newtonian noise which arise from fluctuations in gravity gradient forces acting on test masses. Such gravitational perturbations cannot be shielded, and set limits to low frequency sensitivity unless measured and suppressed. Sects. 4 and 5 address critical operational technologies that will be ongoing issues in future detectors. Sect. 4 addresses the design of thermal compensation systems needed in all high optical power interferometers operating at room temperature. Parametric instability control is addressed in sect. 5. Only recently proven to occur in Advanced LIGO, parametric instability phenomenon brings both risks and opportunities for future detectors. The path to future enhancements of detectors will come from quantum measurement technologies. Sect. 6 focuses on the use of optomechanical devices for obtaining enhanced sensitivity, while sect. 7 reviews a range of quantum measurement options

A systematic review of intrapersonal coach development programs: Examining the development and evaluation of programs to elicit coach reflection

The current approaches used to develop coaches within many sport organisations extend beyond merely the professional knowledge related to sport-specific aspects. Effective coaching notably entails intrapersonal skills related to learning through experience and developing one’s own approach, and these skills are often targeted in coach development. Recognising that researchers have delivered Coach Development Programs (CDPs) that use strategies like reflective practice to foster coaches’ strategies and attitudes toward reflection, reviewing research in this domain could inform the development of our field. We conducted the current review to examine nonformal intrapersonal CDPs within the academic literature with goals of summarising existing CDPs, while also identifying factors related to their implementation. Method: The PRISMA guidelines informed our search strategy, including a database search along with supplemental strategies to identify studies. In addition to describing the CDPs generally, each study was also coded for: (a) potential to be implemented and maintained in sport contexts, (b) behaviour change techniques (BCTs), and (c) risk of bias. Results: After screening the full-texts of studies, we identified 10 unique intrapersonal CDPs. Most CDPs entailed pilot investigations of small samples, involving both qualitative and quantitative methods focused on coaches’ experiences when using reflective strategies. The majority of CDPs were conducted in-person and in one-on-one contexts. The most frequently used BCT was self-monitoring of behaviour, and low-to-moderate information was reported regarding internal and external validity. Conclusions: Whereas reflective practice may enable coach development, researchers must seek opportunities to design higher-quality intervention studies that are designed to enhance both internal and external validity