A descriptive analysis of motor learning contexts within a netball season of sport education

Time spent successfully engaged in motor skill activity has been found to have a high correlation with skill learning and achievement (Metzler, 1989). This study describes the different activities and key behaviours in which students are engaged and which ones provide opportunities to make motor skill responses. These key behaviours are described as they occur within a year eight netball class incorporating the sport education curriculum model. Selected students were observed in the natural setting to determine how their time was spent in a sport education unit. The method incorporated systematic observation, checklist recording and the use of interviews in an attempt to describe the learning opportunities used by high and low skilled participants in a sport education netball unit. Analysis of engaged time and skill responses performed were the major sources of data generation. Student perceptions of their sport education experiences were also revealed to indicate what the students actually think of their motor skill development and their level of performance. The overall purpose of the study is, therefore, to describe student behavioural experiences of motor learning and game-playing skills within a sport education season. This involves highlighting the types of opportunities students are given to perform motor skills and the way they use these opportunities. The students perceptions of their opportunities are also considered to highlight their opinions and thoughts of the sport education unit. Major findings revealed that students generally prefer sport education classes to traditional physical education classes. Motor skill development does occur within the sport education setting and social developmet is greatly enhanced. This study provides new information on motor skill learning within sport education context and can be used as a basis for future research in sport education and motor skill development within physical education

Pidgin Plait: fashioning cross-cultural communication through craft

Abstract: Through this research, I examine how new, natural, socially and environmentally sustainable materials for western couture millinery may be sourced from a group of marginalized women in south-eastern Uganda, underlining the continued relevance of craft as a mode of production that is both flexible and inclusive. Post-colonial, western perceptions of ‘African’ aesthetics are deconstructed and reconstructed through plaited, palm leaf braids that reflect the irregular surface texture found in traditional African artefacts. These create both a metaphorical and visual ‘pidgin’ language that holds meaning for craftspeople in the developed world as well as for the makers. In the process, questions have been asked about western requirements for product uniformity and how the ‘hand of the maker’ - as signified by irregularity – may be positioned in the markets of industrialized and post-industrialized societies. By creating a product with the potential for longevity and versatility, I have attempted to minimize some problems inherent in sourcing from small-scale craft development projects. The research has been practice-led and is supported by this written dissertation. My own craft practice as a millinery designer and field trips to Uganda - in order to establish a working relationship with the makers, understand their circumstances and to develop the Pidgin Plaits - has been at the core of a process of exchange. Cultural and industrial networks have also been developed in Uganda that may support the longer-term sustainability of the project. Through my research, I identify the considerations confronting the designer seeking to establish such a project and explore the multiple social, cultural and economic factors that impact upon the makers in Uganda,in a project with the potential to transform lives and cultures

Nonprofit Capacity Assessment: Indiana Charities, 2007

Presents findings from a survey of Indiana nonprofit organizations about their needs for technical assistance and capacity building. Aims to provide grantmakers with reliable data to inform charitable efforts and strategies in these areas

Summary of national driving policies and the older driver

As the population of elderly drivers increases drastically over the next twenty years attention must be drawn to problems facing that group. In addition, the physiological changes that occur with aging, the increases in the incidence of medical conditions, and the decreases in functional abilities may affect the older driver\u27s performance. As optometrists it is important to understand state driving policies so that we may educate our older patients. Many state licensing agencies are developing policies intended to improve the safety of all drivers, but with emphasis on the older driver. In addition, private interest groups have been developing programs which aim to improve the driving skills of the older driver. In order to effectively address the needs of the older driver, further research is needed to identify which visual and perceptual skills actually decrease in the older population, and of these, which are related to driving performance. With this information, better screening instruments and intervention programs can be devised which will more accurately identify and rehabilitate those drivers who are not safe to be on the road

The environmental politics of the proposed small craft harbour, Durban : a discourse analysis approach.

Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.Waterfront development has become a global phenomenon, identified by cities as an opportunity for urban renewal through the creation of a revitalised land-water interface and its associated economic benefits for the city at large. The Durban Point Development Company (DPDC) a Public-Private Partnership, recognised the potential for renewal of the Point Precinct in Durban and initiated the Point Development Framework Plan to implement regeneration of this inner city area. The Small Craft Harbour (SCH) is one of the components of the project. It aims to stimulate further financial investment in the city through the generation of an internationally competitive marina facility. As a national legal requirement, the SCH development is required to undergo a Scoping exercise which is the initial phase of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. During this phase the decision-making team is required to identify potentially detrimental environmental effects capture public comment and explore a number of viable options. It is therefore a crucial phase during which the issues and concerns are deliberated and the outcomes are used to generate a set of potential options for the site. However, the initial Scoping exercise was deemed inadequate in terms of meeting the broader objectives of the Point Development and as a result, was extended. This Extended Scoping Phase aimed to generate more suitable options and included an inc~eased network of specialists. The research focuses on the environmental politics of this particular phase of decision-making for the proposed SCH. A number of unique factors have contributed to an exceptionally conflictual and challenging decision-making process. Unlike other waterfront developments, Durban's SCH will be located adjacent to a prime piece of beach on Durban's Golden Mile. This introduces the complexities associated with the current user groups, namely a watersports fraternity as well as the general public. It is the unique location and the sheltered nature of the site which makes these activities possible. The proposals have thus been met with considerable resistance from these user groups whose current activities are threatened. For these reasons the social and ecological aspects of the project have been brought into stark focus and have been met with much resistance from the developers who have their own economic and financial imperatives. In the aim of applying discourse analysis as a framework to examine the environmental politics of the SCH decision-making process, the key actor, their respective discourses and the way in which they interacted was identified as well as the underlying power relations governing these (inter)actions. To provide the foundations for these objectives international theories relating to social order, governance, power and discourse were employed and their applicability to the South African development context was al 0 discussed. Castells (2000) networking logic Allen s (2003) conceptuali ations of power and Hajer and Wagenaar s (2003a) deliberative policy analysis formed the three core bodies of theory. The fourth was discourse analysis which functioned as a theory and as a methodology. Hajer s (1995 2003) approach to discour e analysis was employed to interpret the interactions between the different actors in the process using key concepts such as 'discourse coalitions and story-lines. Hajer's (1995 2003) 'argumentative approach' is also relevant as it allows for an evaluation of the continual repositioning of various individuals around certain issues through discour e. The key findings of the discour e analysis revealed that the decision-making around the SCH proposal was prone to the changing rules of the network and the subsequent shifting of the positions of the actors represented by the altered configuration of discourse coalitions. This reflects the fluid nature ofa network and the volatility of the power relations within. In response to this uncertainty, the actors adopted more deliberati e modes of engagement in line with Hajer and Wagenaar s (2003a) deliberative policy analysis and this facilitated collaboration amongst the team rather than resistance. Deliberation which is attuned to the continuous give and take in networks has thus proved successful in facilitating decision-making between conflicting interest groups. In South Africa where the overarching policy objective is democratic transformation the merits of deliberation become starkly apparent. Locally, by incorporating deliberative modes of operation into the policies and practice of the eThekwini Municipality Durban would benefit from the same levels of good governance practiced by some international policy communities. A discourse analysis of the Scoping Process of the proposed SCH has provided insight into the power relations and decision-making practices of the eThekwini Municipality as a whole serving to highlight the environmental politics which so often surrounds high-profile urban developments. International theories relating to effective governance have proved applicable to the South African developmental context and may serve to guide local and national decisionmaking processes

The Effects of Playing Surface on Plant Leg Knee Kinematics of Men and Women Collegiate Soccer Players

The majority of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries for soccer players are non-contact. Women have a higher incidence of non-contact ACL injury than men. One of the five most important factors associated with these non-contact injuries is when the plant leg knee flexes to less than 30°. Women soccer players have also been reported to flex the knee less than men when planting to take a shot. While soccer is mainly played on natural grass (NG) fields, playing on artificial turf (AT) surfaces is becoming increasingly popular because of the many benefits including low maintenance. Recently some data has suggested that knee injury incidence rates are higher on artificial turf than natural grass. Purpose: To determine if playing surface has an effect on men and women soccer players’ plant leg knee angle when performing maximal effort power (PS) and finesse (FS) shots. Methods: Sixteen collegiate soccer players (8 female, 8 male, age = 20.17± yrs, mass = 73.67± kg, height = 162.41± cm) performed four different shooting conditions (3 PS on artificial turf, 3 PS on natural grass, 3 FS on artificial turf, 3 FS natural grass). Participants performed a 15 yd maximal effort dribble into a 5yd x 5yd cone box to complete the shot. A wireless electrogoniometer and accelerometer were attached to each participant in order to collect plant leg knee angle kinematics as well as tibial acceleration at 200 Hz. Separate 2x2 (field surface x gender) Repeated Measures ANOVAs were used to analyze data collected from each shot type. Results: The mean (sd) knee angle (degrees) for men, on grass and turf fields during the power shot were 29.3 °(11.4°) and, 28.6°(8.1°), respectively. The knee angle for women on grass and turf fields for the power shot were 26.8°(3.8°), and 31.9° (18.7°), respectively. The mean (sd) knee angle (degrees) for men on grass and turf fields during the finesse shot were 30.8° (13.1°) and 28.7° (8.6°), respectively. The knee angle for women on grass and turf fields for the finesse shot were 24.0° (6.5°), and 24.3° (6.3°), respectively. Field surface had no significant effect on knee angle of the plant leg during the power (F(1,14) = 0.251, p = 0.624) or finesse (F(1,14) = 0.082, p = 0.779) shots. Furthermore, plant leg knee angle were similar between genders during the power (F(1,14) = 0.012, p = 0.913) and finesse (F(1,14) = 3.128, p = 0.099) shots. Lastly, there was no significant interaction between field condition and sex on the plant leg knee angle during the power (F(1,14) = 0.431, p = 0.522) and finesse (F(1,14) = 0.141, p = 0.713) shots. Conclusion: A more extended knee on the plant leg has been shown to be one factor that is associated with knee injuries in soccer. Data from this study suggests that playing surface had no effect on plant leg knee kinematics for either men or women suggesting that either surface is acceptable for play with respect to plant leg knee kinematics

Exploring neuro-immune interactions in neurodegeneration: the role of B lymphocytes in Parkinson’s disease

Background: Inflammation in the brain (as defined by microglial activation) and in the periphery (serum cytokines) is well described in Parkinson’s disease (PD). I hypothesised that immune factors play a role in determining disease progression, focusing on the contribution of B lymphocytes. These cells play a number of roles including antibody production, maintenance of subcapsular sinus macrophages, antigen presentation and regulation of T cell activity. Methods: I phenotyped peripheral blood B lymphocytes in 3 clinical cohorts and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) B lymphocytes in a subgroup of patients using flow cytometry (79 PD patients, 65 controls in total). The patients were risk stratified by their risk of progression to dementia. Controls were age and gender matched. I also performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature on alpha-synuclein antibodies and then designed an assay to measure antibodies to alpha synuclein species and peptides. I piloted the assay in 39 patients and controls. I also used the 6-OHDA lesioned mouse model of PD and examined disease course by testing motor capacity in mice lacking B lymphocytes (MT), in mice depleted of B cells using an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody and in wild type controls (C57bl/5). Dopaminergic cell counts and staining were compared. I examined the phenotype and distribution of B lymphocytes in alpha synuclein transgenic models of Parkinson’s disease using flow cytometry. Results: B lymphocytes were decreased in PD patients at high risk of progressing to early dementia compared to matched controls. A higher proportion of IL10 producing regulatory B lymphocytes was associated with better outcomes. Alpha synuclein transgenic mice also had reduced circulating B lymphocytes. Mice with a genetically driven B lymphocyte deficiency developed a worse motor phenotype and showed more extensive loss of midbrain dopaminergic cells than wild type controls. Meningeal and skull B lymphocytes had a different phenotype to circulating B lymphocytes but were not different between controls and transgenic animals. Conclusions: My data suggest that B cells play a protective role in PD, potentially via regulation of immune responses to aberrant forms of alpha synuclein or cell death. Modulating this compartment by increasing IL10 producing B lymphocytes would be a reasonable therapeutic strategy. Exploring the function and behaviour of meningeal B lymphocytes in health and disease may reveal further therapeutic targets.Wellcome Trust Michael J Fox Foundatio

Radon, From the Ground into Our Schools: Parent/Guardian Awareness of Radon Levels in Vermont Schools

Introduction. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Ex- posure to radon in schools may be harmful to schoolchildren, faculty, and staff, but there is currently no legislation mandating testing or mitigation of radon levels in Vermont schools. Objectives. The goal of our study was to assess Vermont parents’ awareness of radon’s harmful effects, as well as awareness of and support for testing and mitigation of radon levels in their children’s schools. Methods. We distributed paper and online surveys to Vermont parents of children grades K-12. 126 surveys were received and quantitatively analyzed. We held a focus group of two Vermont parents to gather qualitative data. Results. Most surveyed parents demonstrated general knowledge of radon, but only 51% believed that radon affects the lungs. 8% were confident that their children’s schools had informed them about radon levels. 91.2% believe their children’s schools should take action to address elevated radon levels and 87% would support mandated mitigation. There is some concern and lack of knowledge about the financial implications of radon mitigation. Conclusions. Most Vermont parents of children grades K-12 are unaware that radon is a lung carcinogen and do not know their children’s school’s radon levels or mitigation status. However, most are in favor of legislation that would require testing and dis- closure of schools’ high radon levels. Educating parents about school radon levels and their association with lung cancer could be a foundation for community support of legislation that mandates testing and mitigation of radon in Vermont schools.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1252/thumbnail.jp