The Work of the People as Public Work: The Social Significance of the Liturgy

(excerpt) I was once asked to address the topic of the \u27social meaning of the liturgy.\u27 The first thing I told my audience was \u27If I tell you what the social meaning of the liturgy is, you have to promise me you won‟t stop going to church.\u27 What I mean is that there is a problem with trying to distill the liturgy down to a \u27meaning.\u27 It is a problem that sometimes bedevils efforts to connect the liturgy to ethics or social justice

The Effective Use of Multimedia Distance Learning Technology: The Role of Technology Self-Efficacy, Attitudes, Reliability, Use and Distance in a Global Multimedia Distance Learning Classroom

According to the 1999 ASTD State of the Industry Report, the use of multimedia distance learning (MDL) technology for training delivery has increased substantially over the past few years. However, few empirical studies have been conducted that rigorously examine the factors that determine the effectiveness of MDL courses. In this study, we examine participants’ technology self-efficacy and attitudes toward technology (measured before/after training), and perceptions of technology reliability, effective use, and distance (measured after training) as antecedents to ratings of training effectiveness (general effectiveness, specific effectiveness, learning effectiveness; measured after training) in an international HRM course. In a sample of 52 participants from four countries we hypothesize that technology self-efficacy will affect participants’ attitudes toward technology; attitudes toward technology will affect participants’ perceptions of training effectiveness. In addition, we hypothesize that technology reliability and effective use will affect participants’ perceptions of classroom distance; distance perceptions will affect participants’ perceptions of training effectiveness. Finally, we hypothesize that both technology attitudes and distance perceptions will be related to participants’ perceptions of training effectiveness controlling for technology self-efficacy, reliability, and effective use. The results indicate that attitudes toward technology completely/partially mediated the relationship between technology self-efficacy and the three measures of effectiveness. Distance perceptions completely/partially mediated the relationship between technology reliability and effectiveness. Effective technology use was not significantly related to effectiveness. Finally, attitudes toward technology and distance perceptions explained a significant or marginally significant amount of variance in the effectiveness measures after controlling for technology self-efficacy, reliability, and effective use

Response to Chastin et al.: ANALYSIS OF NONLINEAR PATTERNS OF ACTIVITY

We appreciate the thoughtful commentary by Chastin and colleagues regarding our recent article entitled “Nonlinear Analysis of Ambulatory Activity Patterns in Community-dwelling Older Adults.” (1) We fully agree with their observation that the application of nonlinear analytical tools to accelerometry data is an emerging area of research that shows potential for illuminating the complex nature of physical activity profiles. We also welcome the opportunity to discuss their concerns regarding (a) our application of detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), entropy rate, and approximate entropy to natural activity data and (b) our narrow focus on stepping activity

Charting the progression of disability in parkinson disease: study protocol for a prospective longitudinal cohort study

Journal ArticleBackground: People with Parkinson disease (PD), even in the presence of symptomatic relief from medical, surgical, and rehabilitative interventions, face a persistent worsening of disability. This disability is characterized by diminished quality of life, reduced functional mobility, declining performance in activities of daily living and worsening neurological impairments. While evidence has emerged supporting the clinically meaningful benefits of short-term exercise programs on these underlying factors, assertions regarding the effects of sustained programs of exercise and physical activity on the trajectory of disablement in PD are made in the absence of direct evidence. Indeed, the natural decline in quality of life and functional mobility in people diagnosed with PD is poorly understood. Moreover, outcome measures commonly used in clinical exercise trials typically do not capture the full spectrum of disability as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Methods/Design: The objective of this multicenter prospective study will be to examine the 2-year trajectory of disablement in a cohort of persons with PD. Two hundred sixty participants will be recruited to produce an expected final sample size of 150 individuals. Participants will be included if they are greater than 40 years of age, have a neurologist confirmed diagnosis of idiopathic PD, and are at Hoehn and Yahr stages 1 through 4. Data will be collected every 6 months during the study period. Primary outcome measures reflecting a broad spectrum of disablement will include, but will not be limited to, MDS-UPDRS, Timed Up and Go, Berg Balance Test, Nine Hole Peg Test, PDQ-39, and directly monitored ambulatory activity. Self-reported exercise and physical activity data also will be recorded. Statistical analyses will be used to characterize the trajectory of disablement and examine the influence of its underlying contributing factors. Discussion: Tertiary prevention is an important component of contemporary healthcare for individuals living with degenerative disease. For individuals with PD, there is growing recognition that exercise and/or physical activity efforts to slow the rate of functional mobility decline, in particular, may be critical for optimizing quality of life. By describing the natural trajectory of disablement, exercise habits, and physical activity in a cohort of persons with PD, this investigation will establish an important foundation for future intervention research. Specifically, through the evaluation of the influence of sustained exercise and physical activity on disablement, the study will serve as a preliminary step toward developing a randomized controlled trial of long-term exercise in persons with PD

Optimal Movement Variability: A New Theoretical Perspective for Neurologic Physical Therapy

Variability is a natural and important feature of human movement. Using existing theoretical frameworks as a foundation, we propose a new model to explain movement variability as it relates to motor learning and health. We contend that mature motor skills and healthy states are associated with an optimal amount of movement variability. This variability also has form and is characterized by a chaotic structure. Less than optimal movement variability characterizes biological systems that are overly rigid and unchanging, whereas greater than optimal variability characterizes systems that are noisy and unstable. Both situations characterize systems that are less adaptable to perturbations, such as those associated with abnormal motor development or unhealthy states. From our perspective, the goal of neurologic physical therapy should be to foster the development of this optimal amount of movement variability by incorporating a rich repertoire of movement strategies. The development of such a repertoire can be enhanced by incorporating a multitude of experiences within the therapeutic milieu. Promoting complex variation in human movement allows either motor development or the recovery of function after injury not to be hard coded, but determined instead by the active engagement of the individual within their environment. Measurement tools derived from nonlinear dynamics that characterize the complexity of movement variability provide useful means of testing these propositions. To illustrate, we present 2 clinical case studies, one pediatric and one adult, where we applied our theoretical framework to measuring change in postural control