Assessing the wider implementation of the SHARP principles: increasing physical activity in primary physical education

To assess the wider application of the SHARP (Stretching whilst moving, High repetition of skills, Accessibility, Reducing sitting and standing, and Promotion of physical activity) Principles intervention on children's moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in physical education (PE), when applied by teachers and coaches. A quasi-experimental intervention was employed in nine primary schools (experimental, n = 6: control, n = 3) including teachers (n = 10), coaches (n = 4), and children (aged 5 to 11 years, n = 84) in the West Midlands, UK. Practitioners applied the SHARP Principles to PE lessons, guided by an innovative behaviour change model. The System for Observing Fitness and Instruction Time (SOFIT) was used to measure children's MVPA in 111 lessons at pre- (n = 60) and post-intervention (n = 51). Seven interviews were conducted post-intervention to explore practitioners' perceptions. Two-way ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) revealed that teachers increased children's MVPA by 27.7%. No statistically significant change in children's MVPA was observed when taught by the coaches. The qualitative results for teachers were 'children's engagement', a 'pedagogical paradigm shift', and 'relatedness'; and for coaches 'organisational culture' and 'insufficient support and motivation'. The SHARP Principles intervention is the most effective teaching strategy at increasing MVPA in primary PE when taught by school based staff (rather than outsourced coaches), evidencing increases almost double that of any previously published study internationally and demonstrating the capacity to influence educational policy and practice internationally.Published versio

A CRITIQUE OF THE CONSTANT ELASTICITY OF TRANSFORMATION (CET) LINEAR SUPPLY SYSTEM

An elusive restriction maintained in earlier CET supply models with three or more products is shown to result in a potentially serious misspecification. Its impact on empirical estimates is found to be substantial, and an alternative formulation is presented which overcomes the problem while still maintaining the CET hypothesis.Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

How Multinational Companies Gain a Competitive Advantage Through the Effective Use of Knowledge Management

During the past two decades, domestic American business has undergone massive changes in the way commerce is both planned and conducted. Intense competition; the advent of high technology and its commercial applications; the reduction of global trade barriers; the effects of changing worker demographics; concern for environmental and employee welfare; and the resulting downsizing, reengineering and other efforts at cost-containment have all combined to make the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge within corporations paramount as firms struggle to find their way in a setting of ever-increasing uncertainty. The management of corporate knowledge, including intellectual capital, R&D efforts, and management and worker expertise has become so crucial that many firms now employ full-time Knowledge Management (KM) specialists to better facilitate the development and sharing of knowledge across departmental and divisional barriers. What began in the late 1980s as an intense effort to help firms become more cost-efficient domestically has become a major force for productivity-enhancement in the global operations of multinational (MNCs). In fact, this one factor alone contributes in a significant way to understanding why the domestic American economy has experienced the longest peacetime expansion in our nation\u27s history, and why American MNCs have not succumbed to the recent economic problems which befell our trading partners in Europe and Asia. Simply put, America\u27s global firms are better-prepared to deal with the volatile business environment than are our competitors. This is largely due to a sea-change in attitude and philosophy with respect to the acquisition, distribution and storage of knowledge and expertise, commonly called knowledge management. This paper will explore the relationship between KM and competitive advantage; analyze how certain successful domestic and foreign MNCs have used KM techniques to their advantage; and address the future implications of KM in an international setting

Cobb-Douglas Utility - Eventually!

Consider the following two opinions, both of which can be found in the literature of consumer demand systems: (a) As the real income of a consumer becomes indefinitely large, re-mixing the consumption bundle becomes irrelevant: having chosen the ultimately satisfying budget shares at any given set of relative prices, the superlatively wealthy continue to allocate additional income in the same proportions. With very large and increasing per capita income, ultimately the utility function becomes indistinguishable from Cobb-Douglas. (b) Consumer demand systems in which the income elasticities monotonically approach one (from above, in the case of luxuries; from below, in the case of necessities) are unsatisfactory both theoretically and empirically. For instance, a necessity with a low (consumer demand system; applied general equilibrium; separability; implicitly directly additive preferences; effectively global regularity; Cobb-Douglas, calibration; AIDADS.

Change of Oscillation Modes of Circular Underexpanded Jet by Impingement on a Small Plate

The frequency characteristics of the discrete tones generated by the impingement of a circular underexpanded jet on a small circular plate were studied experimentally. When the plate was moved along the jet axis at fixed pressure ratios, it was found that the frequencies could basically be divided into two groups. These groups belong to the categories of the impinging tones and the screech tones. Furthermore, it was observed that three types of frequency changes of the screech tones, (sawtooth, stepwise and intermittent ones), are realized periodically with the increasing nozzle-to-plate distance. Therefore, it is considered that the frequency change of the screech tone by the insertion of a small plate into the jet is associated with the self-sustained oscillation of the circular underexpanded free jet. The most interesting phenomenon discovered is the stepwise change of the frequencies of discrete tones. The pressure ratio range of the stepwise change of the frequencies overlaps that for the helical oscillation mode of the free jet and that for the radiation of the strong hole tone

Primary care professionals and social marketing of health in neighbourhoods: A case study approach to identify, target and communicate with ‘at risk’ populations

Aim: In this article the authors illustrate using a case study approach how primary care professionals can use the combination of geodemographic data with hospital episode statistics (HES) to predict the location of people yat risk’ of diabetes mellitus (Type 2 diabetes) in the population of England. This approach facilitates social marketing of those yat risk'. Method: Geodemographic segmentation data for all households was combined with HES for 2001–2002, to predict population groups yat risk’ of Type 2 diabetes. Using a case study approach and quantitative data analysis techniques a profile of the undiagnosed and yat risk’ population of Slough Primary CareTrust was created at town, ward and street levels. Recent literature on social marketing was applied to predicate a discussion of the theory and practice of social marketing that was most likely to succeed in dealing with the prevention of Type 2 diabetes, via the reduction of obesity and overweight in the population. Discussion: The increase in lifestyle-related diseases, such as,Type 2 diabetes that are linked with the rise in overweight and obesity and create large disease management costs for the National Health Service (NHS) are of great concern to primary healthcare professionals and governments throughout the westernized world. Until recently, public and government responses have been very reactive in respect of population groups most in need of lifestyle change. Approaches to the identification of ‘sub-populations' most at risk of Type 2 diabetes and targeting of these is of direct relevance to the preventive work of primary care professionals. Conclusion: Geodemographic data overlaid onto official NHS and other routinely collected data, can aid the identification and targeting of groups most vulnerable to over-weight and obesity, through social marketing approaches including direct mail, telephone canvassing and door-to-door communication channels. © 2007, Cambridge University Press. All rights reserved