The validity and reliability of the Basketball Jump Shooting Accuracy Test

The aim of this study was to examine the content validity, construct validity and reliability of the newly developed Basketball Jump Shooting Accuracy Test (BJSAT). Basketball athletes from different playing levels (State Basketball League [SBL], n = 30, age: 22.7 ± 6.1 yr; SBL Division I, n = 11, age: 20.6 ± 2.1 yr) completed four separate trials of the BJSAT with each trial consisting of shot attempts from two- and three-point distances at pre-determined court locations. Each shot attempt was scored utilising a criteria where higher scores were given when greater accuracy was exhibited. The BJSAT detected a significant, large difference in accuracy between two- and three-point shots (d = 0.99, p \u3c 0.01). Relative reliability across the repeated trials was rated as moderate for all athletes (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.71, p \u3c 0.01) and goodfor the SBL athletes (ICC = 0.78, p \u3c 0.01). Absolute reliability for all athletes was above the acceptable benchmark (coefficient of variation = 16.2%); however superior to skill tests available in the literature. In conclusion, the BJSAT is sensitive to two- and three-point shooting accuracy and can reliably assess jump shooting accuracy in basketball athletes

Smoothing the way: investigating the enforcement of parenting orders

Family Law within Australia has undergone extensive legislative and operational changes since its inception. It is an area of law that impacts upon a number of stakeholders such as children, parents, law enforcement agencies, the Government and judicial officers. The research took a small facet of the operation of the Family Law Act 1975, namely the enforcement of parenting orders by police services. The focus of the research was to unfold the process and difficulties encountered by police services when executing a recovery order issued by the Courts under s. 67 of the Family Law Act 1975. It further explored police perspective, training and organisational service delivery, in carrying out their duties. Two qualitative methodological approaches were used in this research. The main approach used was Grounded Theory. Narrative Inquiry was also incorporated into the research. The objective of Narrative Inquiry is to create social context from story telling. Participants were asked to describe their experiences when executing recovery orders. Interviews were undertaken with members from the Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) who have had experience with the execution of recovery orders. These participants were also asked to construct the process when a recovery order is executed and to describe the atmosphere. In addition, journaling and observations were used. These observations took place in the Family Court and Federal Magistrates' Court in Victoria. The findings and relevant literature indicated that police disliked becoming involved in executing recovery orders. The Police perceived family law in general not to be a central area of policing. These findings parallel earlier findings from an Australian Parliamentary report in 1992. Furthermore, the findings indicated that little organisational commitment was placed on the function of enforcing recovery orders. This was indicated by the limited and inconsistent resources provided by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to fulfil their obligations, and the lack of training offered to police members. The findings indicated that the Police would take initial steps prior to executing the order. They would contact the applicant parent to assist with inquiries to locate a child, assess variables such as the potential for violence and arrange with the applicant parent where the child would be delivered. In addition, even though the findings outlined that recovery orders were fairly non-complex to execute, at times there would be difficulties in locating a child and finalising arrangements for a child to be returned to a parent. The findings also indicated that there was no clear practice as to which section of the Victoria Police would execute a recovery order if requested by the AFP. Whilst the findings need to be considered carefully in light of the small sample group, it did indicate that there are some difficulties with the process and value placed by police services within Australia on the execution of recovery orders

Operation of the Basketball Jump Shooting Accuracy Test: Intra- and inter-rater reliability of scoring procedures and floor and ceiling effects for test performance

The purpose of this study was to determine the intra- and inter-rater reliability of scoring procedures used in the newly developed Basketball Jump Shooting Accuracy Test (BJSAT) and assess for floor and ceiling effects in test performance. Thirty-one semi-professional basketball athletes completed four trials of the BJSAT. The BJSAT contains one jump shot at eight different locations, equally distributed across two- and three-point shots. Intra-rater reliability was determined by assessing the level of agreement between scores live in-person and watching captured video by the same assessor. Inter-rater reliability was determined by examining the level of agreement between two assessors who separately scored the BJSAT while watching captured video. Descriptive statistics and Cohen’s kappa (κ) were calculated to quantify the intra- and inter-rater reliability of the BJSAT. Floor and ceiling effects in scoring outcomes were analyzed to evaluate the suitability of the BJSAT. Significance for the study was set at p \u3c0.05. Intra-rater reliability demonstrated an almost perfect (κ = 0.85, p \u3c0.01) agreement between scores (12.6 ± 2.5 vs. 13.1 ± 2.8). The agreement for inter-rater reliability was rated as substantial (12.3 ± 2.5 vs. 13.5 ± 2.9, κ = 0.70, p \u3c0.01). Floor and ceiling effects were absent in the BJSAT indicating the assessment is suitable for semi-professional basketball athletes. The BJSAT is an assessment where one or multiple assessors can reliably score shooting performance for functions including player monitoring, to assess the efficacy of interventions aimed at improving skills and to assist with team selection across the season

Physical determinants of Division 1 Collegiate basketball, Women’s National Basketball League and Women’s National Basketball Association athletes: with reference to lower body sidedness

In female basketball the assumed components of success include power, agility, and the proficiency at executing movements using each limb. However, the importance of these attributes in discriminating between playing levels in female basketball have yet to be determined. The purpose of this study was to compare lower body power, change of direction (COD) speed, agility, and lower-body sidedness between basketball athletes participating in Division 1 Collegiate basketball (United States), Women\u27s National Basketball League (WNBL) (Australia), and Women\u27s National Basketball Association (WNBA) (United States). Fifteen female athletes from each league (N = 45) completed a double and single leg counter-movement jump, static jump, drop jump, 5-0-5 COD Test, and an offensive and defensive Agility Test. One-way analysis of variance with post-hoc comparisons, were conducted to compare differences in physical characteristics (height, body mass, age) and performance outcomes (jump, COD, agility assessments) between playing levels. Separate dependent t-tests were performed to compare lower body sidedness (left vs. right lower-limbs) during the single-leg CMJ jumps (vertical jump height) and 5-0-5 COD test for each limb within each playing level. WNBA athletes displayed significantly greater lower body power (P = 0.01 - 0.03) compared to WNBL athletes, significantly faster COD speed (P = 0.02 - 0.03), and offensive and defensive agility performance (P = 0.02 - 0.03) compared to WNBL and Collegiate athletes. WNBL athletes also produced faster defensive agility performance compared to Collegiate athletes (P = 0.02). Further, WNBA and WNBL athletes exhibited reduced lower body sidedness compared to Collegiate athletes. These findings indicate the importance of lower body power, agility, and reduced lower body imbalances to execute more proficient on court movements, required to compete at higher playing levels. Copyright (C) 2017 by the National Strength & Conditioning Association

Aortic coarctation : never too late to diagnose, never too late to treat

We present two cases of severe aortic coarctation detected in adulthood and who underwent successful relief by transcatheter stent deployment using a new covered stent, Optimus® stent (AndraTec GmbH Koblenz, Germany). One patient is a 46-year old female with resistant arterial hypertension, in whom coarctation was suspected on a follow-up transthoracic echocardiogram for bicuspid aortic valve disease and subsequently confirmed on magnetic resonance imaging. The second patient is a 68-year old male whose coarctation was diagnosed incidentally at coronary angiography being performed as part of the preoperative work-up for severe aortic stenosis. Suprasternal views to assess aortic arch and flows in the proximal descending aorta should be a standard part of every transthoracic echocardiogram. Treatment of aortic coarctation should be considered irrespective of patient’s age.peer-reviewe

Analysis of periosteal lesions from commingled human remains at the Xagħra Circle hypogeum reveals the first case of probable scurvy from Neolithic Malta

Abstract Objectives Palaeopathological analysis is key for characterising population health at the individual level and across large assemblages but is rarely exploited to unite the remains of disarticulated individuals. This study explores the potential for individual identification through differential diagnosis of periosteal lesions in a commingled deposit, both to ascertain the number of individuals represented and provide a differential diagnosis. Materials and Methods The late Neolithic Xag?ra Circle hypogeum on Gozo contains the remains of more than 800 individuals, most of which were transformed to a collective disarticulated assemblage. Across the excavated population, pathological observations are strikingly low. In one specific 1???1-m area in a single stratigraphic context, fragmented and disarticulated cranial and post-cranial non-adult bones were identified that displayed periosteal new bone formation. To aid differential diagnosis, macroscopic analysis, taphonomic analysis and micro-computed tomography (?CT) imaging were integrated. Results This approach, when combined with osteobiographical analyses, reveals that the elements most likely derive from one individual, a young child, who presents a probable case of scurvy. The potential for micronutrient co-morbidities are explored, but without further microscopic study it cannot be determined if this individual also experienced iron-deficiency anaemia and/or rickets. Discussion In the context of the Mediterranean and Europe in later prehistory, reported cases of scurvy are currently low and often reveal periods of environmental instability and resource insufficiency. Our finding of non-adult scurvy in late 3rd millennium BC Malta contributes to a developing picture of an increasingly unstable palaeoenvironment and declining population health at this time, although it may also indicate an individual case of poor childhood health within this broader context.1 Introduction 1.1 Archaeological context of the Xagħra Circle hypogeum 2 Materials and methods 2.1 Remains presenting periosteal lesions 2.2 Macroscopic and micro-CT analysis 3 Macroscopic and radiological observations of pathology 3.1 Frontal bone (FB0039, FB0040) and zygoma (FB0041) 3.2 Mandible (FB0042) 3.3 Left rib (FB0043) and right rib (FB0044) 3.4 Ulna (FB0045) 4 Differential diagnosis 4.1 Frontal bone (FB0039, FB0040) and zygoma (FB0041) 4.2 Mandible (FB0042) 4.3 Left rib (FB0043) and right rib (FB0044) 4.4 Ulna (FB0045) 5 Discussion 5.1 Scurvy: Causes, consequences and comorbidities 5.2 Scurvy in prehistory 5.3 The Maltese context 6 Conclusio