Grasping at laws:Speed-accuracy trade-offs in manual prehension

Most of human performance is subject to speed-accuracy trade-offs. For spatially constrained aiming, the trade-off is often said to take the specific form of Fitts' law, in which movement duration is predicted from a single factor combining target distance and target size. However, efforts to extend this law to the three-dimensional context of reaching to grasp (prehension) have had limited success. We suggest that there are potentially confounding influences in standard grasping, and we introduce a novel task to regularize the direction of approach and to eliminate the influences of nearby surfaces. In six participants, we examined speed-accuracy trade-offs for prehension, manipulating the depth (in the plane of the reach), height (orthogonal to the reach), and width (the grasped dimension) of the target object independently. We obtained lawful relationships that were consistent at the group and individual levels. It took longer to reach for more distant objects, and more time was allowed when placing the fingers on a contact surface smaller in either depth or height. More time was taken to grasp wider objects, but only beyond a critical width that varied between individuals. These speed-accuracy trade-offs showed substantial departures from Fitts' law, and were well described by a two-factor model in which reach distance and object size have separate influences on movement duration. We discuss empirical and theoretical reasons for preferring a two-factor model, and we propose that this may represent the most general form of speed-accuracy trade-off, not only for grasping but also for other spatially constrained aiming tasks. (PsycINFO Database Record [Abstract copyright: (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Upaya Meningkatkan Minat dan Hasil Belajar Siswa Menggunakan Model Kooperatif Tipe Make A Match Pada Mata Pelajaran Quran Hadist Kelas IV di MI Darul Ulum Lemah Putih Wringinanom Gresik

The effective learning model is a cornerstone of learning practices that make it easy for students to learn and give students knowledge, values ​​and skills. One learning model is the Make a match type cooperative learning model. Make a match gives students the opportunity to ask questions, have opinions and interact with students who are active in class. The teacher acts as a facilitator. Make a match model is a technique to find a partner using a card that contains the answers to these questions. Therefore, learning the Quran hadith makes it easy for students to memorize the meanings and verses of the Holy Qur'an, one of them by the method of Make a match. The focus of this research is on: a) How is the application of the Make a match cooperative learning model? b) What is the student's interest in learning? c) What are the student learning outcomes? and d) What is the response of students ?. This type of research uses Classroom Action Research, a means for researching, perfecting and evaluating the implementation of teacher assignments. The method for initiating this research data, observation sheets, tests and questionnaires. The results of this study indicate that the interests and learning outcomes of students of the Quran hadith subjects in class IV students are said to be still lacking, indicated by the results of observations in class IV students from pre-cycle 61.15%, after the first cycle of 74.07% and the second cycle increased 85.00%. The application of the Make a match type of cooperative learning model for grade IV students at MI Darul Ulum, Wringinom Gresik, was positive because it was seen from the questionnaire percentage of 88%. With this method, student learning outcomes from pre-cycle of 61.15% then increased by 73.9% in the first cycle and held the second cycle increased by 80.5% seen from an increase in each cycle of student learning outcomes has been maximized because it exceeds the target Minimum completeness criteria (KKM). The learning implementation procedure using the Make a match method has been running smoothly and in accordance with the planned learning implementation (RPP)

The relationship between manual coordination and mental health

Motor coordination impairments frequently co-occur with other developmental disorders and mental health problems in clinically referred populations. But does this reflect a broader dimensional relationship within the general population? A clearer understanding of this relationship might inform improvements in mental health service provision. However, ascertainment and referral bias means that there is limited value in conducting further research with clinically referred samples. We, therefore, conducted a cross-sectional population-based study investigating children’s manual coordination using an objective computerised test. These measures were related to teacher-completed responses on a behavioural screening questionnaire [the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)]. We sampled 298 children (4–11 years old; 136 males) recruited from the general population. Hierarchical (logistic and linear) regression modelling indicated significant categorical and continuous relationships between manual coordination and overall SDQ score (a dimensional measure of psychopathology). Even after controlling for gender and age, manual coordination explained 15 % of the variance in total SDQ score. This dropped to 9 % after exclusion of participants whose SDQ responses indicated potential mental health problems. These results: (1) indicate that there is a clear relationship between children’s motor and mental health development in community-based samples; (2) demonstrate the relationship’s dimensional nature; and (3) have implications for service provision.</p

Moving to capture children's attention:Developing a methodology for measuring visuomotor attention

Attention underpins many activities integral to a child's development. However, methodological limitations currently make large-scale assessment of children's attentional skill impractical, costly and lacking in ecological validity. Consequently we developed a measure of 'Visual Motor Attention' (VMA) - a construct defined as the ability to sustain and adapt visuomotor behaviour in response to task-relevant visual information. In a series of experiments, we evaluated the capability of our method to measure attentional processes and their contributions in guiding visuomotor behaviour. Experiment 1 established the method's core features (ability to track stimuli moving on a tablet-computer screen with a hand-held stylus) and demonstrated its sensitivity to principled manipulations in adults' attentional load. Experiment 2 standardised a format suitable for use with children and showed construct validity by capturing developmental changes in executive attention processes. Experiment 3 tested the hypothesis that children with and without coordination difficulties would show qualitatively different response patterns, finding an interaction between the cognitive and motor factors underpinning responses. Experiment 4 identified associations between VMA performance and existing standardised attention assessments and thereby confirmed convergent validity. These results establish a novel approach to measuring childhood attention that can produce meaningful functional assessments that capture how attention operates in an ecologically valid context (i.e. attention's specific contribution to visuomanual action).</p

Roman mining on Exmoor: a geomorphological approach at Anstey's Combe, Dulverton

A survey of valley fills in south-facing combes (headwater valleys) along the south side of the Exmoor massif revealed an anomalously deep infill in one valley. This infill of up to 5 m depth had been gullied revealing a complex stratigraphy. Studies of the stratigraphy, clast orientation and shape suggested several accumulation episodes under different environmental conditions commencing in a periglacial climatic regime. Later units included sandy silts which can be dated using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) of quartz grains. The OSL dates, indicate that the inter-gravel silts accumulated in two periods, the Romano-British period and the 16th-17th centuries AD. A survey of the very small valley catchment revealed a linear trench of a type associated with early iron mining. Given the anomalously high volume of accumulated sediment from such a small catchment and evidence of mining on the slope above the site, the geomorphic mechanism is almost certainly the downslope transport of mining debris from the slope to the valley floor. This study suggests that the systematic survey of headwater valleys in metalliferous uplands may be one way of locating areas of early mining activity and that such deposits could provide a chronology of working and abandonment

Exploring spatial patterns of vulnerability using linked health data

Introduction & Background The types of challenges police and ambulance services deal with often overlap, for instance supporting those who suffer from mental ill-health. Research has shown that emergency service problems often concentrate, but also that some individuals who come to the attention of one service may not be as visible to another despite their overlap in roles. Objectives & Approach This study explored how routinely collected 999 data may reveal insights into how these services support potentially vulnerable populations. We argue that better understanding the nature and distribution of vulnerability-related calls may help to inform future preventative or harm reduction-based interventions. We analysed administrative data provided by Yorkshire Ambulance Service for the Bradford region through the Connected Bradford research database, posing the following questions: (1) can 999 call data provide insights into vulnerability-related incidents attended by ambulances?; (2) where and when are these incidents most prevalent?; and (3) what are the spatial patterns of calls and patient home locations associated with them? Relevance to Digital Footprints We first select calls associated with nine callout reasons indicative of vulnerability. Patients can choose to share their data with each healthcare service they use, so we harnessed this digital footprint to analyse the spatial distribution of call locations (at postcode sector level) and patient home location (at MSOA level). Results Results indicate substantial concentrations of vulnerability-related calls in multiple postcode sectors including the City Centre (where we estimate 18% of calls may be vulnerability-related) and several other areas which are associated with deprivation. Exploring flows of people from their home location to incident location we also see substantial spatial variation in the locations in which patients involved in these types of incidents reside. Conclusions & Implications These analyses represent initial efforts to better understand how vulnerable groups are supported by public services, and have the potential to inform future resource allocation and targeting of upstream interventions

A systematic review of high quality randomized controlled trials investigating motor skill programmes for children with developmental coordination disorder

Objective: To identify effective motor training interventions for children with developmental coordination disorder from research graded as high quality (using objective criteria) for the purpose of informing evidence-based clinical practice. Data sources: We followed the guidance for conducting systematic reviews issued by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination. Six OvidSP electronic databases (AMED, All EBM reviews (including Cochrane), Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, PsychARTICLES Full Text, PsycINFO) were searched systematically. We aimed to retain only randomized control trials and systematic reviews of randomized control trials, defined as the highest level of evidence by the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. We searched reference lists of retained articles to identify further appropriate articles. Review methods: Two reviewers critically appraised and categorized articles by effect size (including confidence intervals), inclusion of power calculations and quality using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. Only studies scoring seven or more on the PEDro scale (classed by the PEDro as high reliability) were retained. Results: No systematic reviews met our criteria for inclusion from 846 articles yielded by the systematic search. Nine randomized control trials investigating 15 interventions to improve motor skills met our inclusion criteria for 'high quality'. Nevertheless, not all included studies were adequately powered for determining an effect. Conclusion: Large effect sizes associated with 95 % confidence intervals suggest that 'Neuromotor Task Training', 'Task-oriented Motor Training' and 'Motor Imagery + Task Practice Training' are the most effective reported interventions for improving motor skills in children with developmental coordination disorder.</p

What insights can ambulance data provide on vulnerable groups?

Linking administrative data from Yorkshire Ambulance Service with primary health care data, this research project aims to answer the question, “What can YAS data tell us about how vulnerable populations interact with the service in Bradford?” We selected 9 primary callout reasons as recorded in the data that could be vulnerability-related, and explored patterns of these both spatially and temporally, with comparison to all other callout reasons. The data also includes a pseudonymised NHS number which allows linkage with other datasets for which the patient has shared this identifier. In this case, we took their home LSOA to create a rudimentary gravity model visualising flows of people from their home location to their ambulance incident location. Key findings include that vulnerability-related callouts were more frequent in the evenings and overnight on weekends, and concentrated on specific areas, both in terms of where incidents occur and areas from which callers originate. In terms of the individuals behind the calls, we found that while callers from both subsets were more likely to be female, the average age of callers for vulnerability-related incidents was almost 20 years younger than callers for all other reasons. Additionally, we discovered which callout reasons were most likely to see individuals requiring an ambulance multiple times. This research provides valuable policy-relevant insights into emergency service demand relating to vulnerable populations in the Bradford region, highlighting the importance of understanding the needs of vulnerable populations to ensure that emergency services are allocated effectively and efficiently