Predicting Actual Physical Performance with Mental Image Accuracy

The purpose of this study was to tap into and index the motor program that is believed to control human movement, and to use that index in the prediction of future performance on the same task. A total of 75 right-handed undergraduates were tested on the rotor pursuit operating at 45 revolutions-per-minute, subjects were asked to imagine themselves tracking the target with the stylus in their left hand. During the imagery trial or trials, depending on group assignment, the subjects verbalized the word top each time their image made one complete revolution. Each subject received an initial 20 sec of mental imagery which included the top procedure. Following the initial mental imagery, each subject in each group received 12 practice trials. For Group 1 a trial consisted of 20 sec of left handed physical practice, 20 sec of mental imagery, and 40 sec of occupied rest. A trial for Group 2 was 20 sec of left hand physical practice followed by 60 sec of occupied rest, and for group 3 a trial was up of 40 sec of left hand physical practice, followed by 40 sec of occupied rest. Accuracy of the motor program was measured by the number of tops the subject verbalized (the accuracy of their mental image) during each 20 sec imagery trial. Physical performance was measured by the total amount of time the subject kept the stylus over the rotating target during each performance trial. An analysis of variance showed that the three groups did not differ in their level of performance over trials (F=.43, p\u3e.05). This result was unexpected, but could be attributed to the effects of work decrement (Kohl and Roenker, 1980). This analysis of as expected the three groups all performance over practice trials variance also showed that improved their level of (F=60.57, P\u3c.01). A second analysis of variance showed that the three groups did not differ in the accuracy of their initial mental images of the task (F=1.09, P\u3e.05). A third analysis of variance showed that group l\u27s image accuracy changed over trials, that is they improved their accuracy over trials (F=5.86, P\u3c.01). The most important analysis was on the data for group 1. A regression analysis was conducted by use of the Times Series Analysis Parks Method. This regression showed that the number of previous trials and the accuracy of the mental image was a significant model to use to predict future physical performance (Beta values for the two variables were 1.57 for the number of previous trials, and .24 for the accuracy of the mental image, P\u3c.05 for both variables)

A State-Supported, Merit-Based Scholarship Program that Works

The Millennium Scholarship Program, which provides merit-based scholarships for Nevada\u27s students, is designed to increase college participation, college persistence, and the number of in-state students enrolling in state institutions of higher education (IHEs). Data gathered over the past five years reflect that Nevada\u27s Millennium Scholarship Program has successfully met its goals. Further, it has improved student quality in IHEs, as is evident by a lower percentage of students taking college remedial courses. A major focus of this study is to demonstrate how Nevada\u27s merit-based scholarship program may serve as a model for other states attempting to improve college participation

Competitive Balance: Time Series Lessons from the E nglish P remier L eague

Structural break points in the F irst D ivision/ E nglish P remier L eague time series of competitive balance identify an E arly P eriod, a Pre‐ W orld W ar II P eriod, a Post‐ W ar P eriod, and a M odern P eriod. The E arly P eriod corresponds to technology diffusion (defense and tactics) along with important economic structural imposition by leagues. The war periods are common to many time series. The M odern P eriod's sharp decline in balance corresponds to the newest version of the C hampions L eague in 1994/1995 and the B osman R uling of 1995. R ottenberg's invariance principle suggests that it would be the former, rather than the latter, responsible for the historical rate of decline that follows this structural break.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91362/1/sjpe580.pd

The Use of Personal Narrative in Classroom Case Study Analysis to Improve Long-term Knowledge Retention and Cultivate Professional Qualities in Allied Health Students

<p>This study evaluated the use of two different case study formats (clinically-oriented cases versus personally-oriented cases) to determine which was most effective in promoting long-term retention of clinically significant microbiology concepts, developing patient empathy, improving comprehension of patient compliance problems, and facilitating student understanding of transcultural health care concerns. The analysis was conducted in multiple sections of three different introductory microbiology classes targeting specific cohorts: nursing students, pharmacy students and other allied health students (pre-med, pre-PA, CLS, etc.). Retention of course content was determined by evaluation of multiple-choice and short answer examinations at least three weeks after completing case studies. Evaluation of patient empathy, understanding of patient compliance issues and transcultural health care concerns were determined via student surveys. The results of the study indicated that personalized cases significantly improved long-term retention of course content. In addition, student responses indicated that personalized case studies were more effective in developing patient empathy and aiding students in understanding issues patients have with complying with treatment recommendations. Finally, personalized case studies were effective tools for introducing students to the challenges of transcultural health care.</p

Incipient plasticity and fully plastic contact behavior of copper coated with a graphene layer

Cu coated with a graphene layer increases the elastic modulus from 163.4 GPa to 176.7 GPa, as analyzed for the initial elastic loading during nanoindentation by the Hertzian contact theory. This is attributed to stiffening, due to the ultra-high elastic modulus of the graphene layer, and the compressive in-plane residual stresses in the Cu surface volume introduced by the lattice mismatch between graphene and Cu. The graphene layer induces incipient plasticity, manifested by pop-in events during nanoindentation loading, at shallower indentation depths. This could be due to the compressive in-plane residual stress in the Cu surface volume; however, this compressive stress does not significantly change the critical resolved shear stress for the incipient plasticity. Even in the fully plastic contact region, at an indentation depth of 100 nm, the graphene layer affects the stress distribution underneath the indenter, resulting in a lower pile-up height. When considering this reduced pile-up height, the graphene layer is found to enhance elastic modulus by 5%, whereas it has no effect on hardness

Winning In Professional Team Sports: Historical Moments

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146921/1/ecin12702_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146921/2/ecin12702.pd

Preparing Instructional Leaders: Evaluating a Regional Program to Gauge Perceived Effectiveness

An instructional leadership program (ILP) has offered education and support to three cohorts of educational leaders in Nova Scotia, Canada, amounting to approximately 130 participants. Quantitative and qualitative feedback from a convenience sample (n = 90) suggests that the ILP offers an extremely useful practical program; in fact, 95 percent of the sample indicates advances in the categories of professional growth, improved instructional leadership, and tangible progress in administrative effectiveness. Systemic and school environment trends have dictated that educational leaders need a skill set that positions them to respond more aptly to issues of poverty, socioemotional health, and mental health while attending to improved community building both within the school and in the greater public. This study uses surveys, interviews, and focus groups to identify emerging and impending challenges

RECOVERY OF LOW BULL:COW RATIOS OF MOOSE IN INTERIOR ALASKA

During 1996&ndash;1999, hunters killed an estimated 24&ndash;30% of the pre-hunt bull moose (Alces alces) in Game Management Unit 20A. As a result, the 1999 post-hunt bull:cow ratios declined to 24:100, well below the management objective of 30:100. During 2000 and 2001 we shortened the hunting season from 25 to 20 days to reduce the harvest of bull moose, but kill rates of bulls remained high (23&ndash;27%) and ratios remained unacceptably low (22&ndash;26 bulls:100 cows). Subsequently, to recover bull:cow ratios to 30:100, hunters were restricted unit-wide to taking bulls with 1) spike-fork antlers, 2) antlers &ge;50 inches wide, or 3) &ge;3 brow tines on &ge;1 antler. These restrictions were in place from 2002-2007, but results occurred rapidly. After only 2 years of antler restrictions, hunters killed an average of 36% fewer bulls compared with the previous 2-year average harvest rate (x= 715 during 2000&ndash;2001 and 455 during 2002&ndash;2003). Comparing these same 2-year&nbsp; periods, average kill rates of bulls declined from 25% to 12% of the pre-hunt bull population, average number of hunters declined 24% (1,568 to 1,187), and the average hunter success rate declined from 34% to 29%. Bull:cow ratios increased from 26:100 to 32:100 after 2 years of antler restrictions. With an additional 2 years (2004&ndash;2005) of antler restrictions and high harvest of cow moose, bull:cow ratios reached 38:100. Modeling indicated that the bull:cow ratio would have stabilized at 33:100 without the high harvest of cows. The recovery of bull:cow ratios to our objective of 30:100 with 2 years of antler restrictions allowed 1) bull seasons to be lengthened from 20 to 25 days beginning in 2004 and, 2) a limited number of drawing permits for any bull during 2006&ndash;2007. Elsewhere, similar selective harvest strategies should also allow recovery of bull:cow ratios, unless the total kill rate of bulls is higher than estimated here

AGE-RELATED ANTLER CHARACTERISTICS IN AN INTENSIVELY MANAGED AND NUTRITIONALLY STRESSED MOOSE POPULATION

We studied age-related antler characteristics of moose (Alces alces) in Alaska Game Management Unit 20A (during 2007–2010) because of concerns about poor antler development given the population’s high density and unusually low nutritional status. A comparative study was conducted in and near our study area in the early 1970s, when moose density was lower and nutritional status was moderate. Poor antler development was an important concern for 2 reasons: 1) low annual recruitment of bull moose into the harvestable 50-inch (127-cm) antler class in the study area might restrict local harvest when the “Intensive Management” harvest objective was to specifically reduce moose density, and 2) retarded antler growth in yearling and 2-year-old bulls could bias bull:cow and yearling:cow ratios. Regression analysis of antler spread over age indicated that average antler spreads of 50 inches (127 cm) occurred when bulls reached an estimated age of 6.0 years. When using corrected annuli counts of known-age animals, bulls reached antler spreads of 50 inches (127 cm) at 5.6 years of true age in the 1970s versus 6.2 years in this study. We surmised that the difference of &lt;1 year was not a significant management concern, particularly given the wide variation in antler spread in each age class. As a result, we retained a strategy that restricted harvest largely to bulls with antler spreads ≥50 inches (127 cm). During low-level aerial surveys, 22% (11/51) of known-aged, radio-collared yearling bulls, had spiked antlers ≤3 inches (7.6 cm) in length, which likely resulted in their misclassification as females during standard surveys. Presumably, 19% (8/43) of known-age, 2 year-old bulls would probably be misclassified as yearling bulls based solely on brow and main palm separation, the primary characteristic used to distinguish between yearling and 2 year-olds. When antler spread and antler length were used as primary aerial classification criteria, we correctly classified all known-aged, 2 year-old bulls. We recommend survey personnel be trained to scrutinize subadult moose to reduce the likelihood of misclassifying yearling and 2 year-old bulls with retarded antler growth in high-density, nutritionally stressed moose populations