Rethinking adventurous activities in physical education: models-based approaches.

Adventurous activities are established as an integral aspect of The National Curriculum for 5-16 year olds in all the devolved administrations of the UK. Securing a place in the curriculum provides adventurous activities with an un-paralleled opportunity to reach more pupils than any other form of delivery during these formative years. However, little consideration has been given to adventurous activities as curriculum pedagogy in recent years. This paper contributes to our understanding of the current and future curriculum relationship between adventurous activities and physical education pedagogy. It refers to an alternative models-based approach to teaching and learning that presents adventurous activities with the best opportunity to fully realise the specific contribution it makes to young people’s physical education learning. Secondly, it considers some of the key challenges that a models-based approach to adventurous activities might present for schools and teachers and suggests ways to build a rigorous evidence base to underpin its continued inclusion in the curriculum as an essential component of physical education. The intention being to allow every pupil the chance to gain experience of adventurous activities that are authentic and meaningful to their lives in school and to encourage lifelong participation and enjoyment in later life

The movement of small insects in the convective boundary layer: linking patterns to processes

In fine warm weather, the daytime convective atmosphere over land areas is full of small migrant insects, among them serious pests (e.g. some species of aphid), but also many beneficial species (e.g. natural enemies of pests). For many years intensive aerial trapping studies were the only way of determining the density profiles of these small insects, and for taxon-specific studies trapping is still necessary. However, if we wish to determine generic behavioural responses to air movements shown by small day-migrating insects as a whole, the combination of millimetre-wavelength ‘cloud radars’ and Doppler lidar now provides virtually ideal instrumentation. Here we examine the net vertical velocities of > 1 million insect targets, relative to the vertical motion of the air in which they are flying, as a succession of fair-weather convective cells pass over the recording site in Oklahoma, USA. The resulting velocity measurements are interpreted in terms of the flight behaviours of small insects. These behaviours are accounted for by a newly-developed Lagrangian stochastic model of weakly-flying insect movements in the convective boundary layer; a model which is consistent with classic characterisations of small insect aerial density profiles. We thereby link patterns to processes

Well-being resources and mass participation sports events in Pembrokeshire

Mass participation sport events (MPSEs) have grown in popularity. Specifically, in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, participation has seen a continued increase in athlete numbers and events over the last decade. Moreover, extremely high numbers of Pembrokeshire residents are participating in MPSEs. Current research provides a narrow demonstration of the role of MPSEs in supporting health and well-being. A qualitative approach was used as contrast to most methodology in the literature to better understand the embodied experiences of individuals taking part in MPSEs. This article draws on interview data from within a larger study to explore the emerging theme of well-being. Eighteen individuals, 12 females and 6 males, aged between 34 and 58 took part in the research. Findings show that firstly, exercise in several MPSE contexts strengthen psychological resources. Secondly, connections made in MPSEs provide social resources and, finally, nature and the physical environment act as a physical resource. In conclusion, many MPSE contexts, from 5K parkrun to long-distance events, provide an opportunity for people in society to develop resources to support well-being. Further analysis is ongoing to fully explore the contribution that MPSE make to the well-being of athletes and the wider communit

Linking small-scale flight manoeuvers and density profiles to the vertical movement of insects in the nocturnal stable boundary layer

Huge numbers of insects migrate over considerable distances in the stably-stratified night-time atmosphere with great consequences for ecological processes, biodiversity, ecosystem services and pest management. We used a combination of meteorological radar and lidar instrumentation at a site in Oklahoma, USA, to take a new look at the general assistance migrants receive from both vertical and horizontal airstreams during their long-distance flights. Movement in the nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) presents very different challenges for migrants compared to those prevailing in the daytime convective boundary layer, but we found that Lagrangian stochastic modelling is effective at predicting flight manoeuvers in both cases. A key feature for insect transport in the NBL is the frequent formation of a thin layer of fast-moving air – the low-level jet. Modelling suggests that insects can react rapidly to counteract vertical air movements and this mechanism explains how migrants are retained in the jet for long periods (e.g. overnight, and perhaps for several hours early in the morning). This results in movements over much longer distances than are likely in convective conditions, and is particularly significant for the reintroduction of pests to northern regions where they are seasonally absent due to low winter temperatures

Playful pedagogy for deeper learning: exploring the implementation of the play based Foundation Phase in Wales.

The foundation phase in Wales is a play based curriculum for 3 – 7 year olds advocating the use of the outdoors and experiential approaches to learning (DCELLS, 2015). Play based outdoor learning increases interaction with a range of affordances giving opportunities for movement in learning. Children assign activities as either play or not play based on a series of cues (Howard, 2002). Teaching approaches that incorporate cues associated with play can influence pupil engagement and involvement in learning. This paper draws on data from a three year study of the implementation of the foundation phase. Analysis of data from observations, field notes and video suggest pupils were more involved in tasks with higher levels of well-being when tasks were perceived as play. Leavres (1993,1997,2000, 2005) suggests increased involvement in learning may result in deeper learning

Laying the foundations for physical literacy in Wales: the contribution of the Foundation Phase to the development of physical literacy

ABSTRACT Background: The Foundation Phase in Wales is a play-based curriculum for pupils aged 3–7 years old. Children learn through more holistic areas of learning in place of traditional subjects. As such, the subject of physical education in its traditional form no longer exists for pupils under the age of 7 in Wales. In light of the role of physical education in developing physical literacy and in particular the importance of this age group for laying the foundations of movement for lifelong engagement in physical activity, the disappearance of physical education from the curriculum could be deemed to be a concern. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the Foundation Phase as a naturalistic intervention and examine its contribution to the development of physical literacy. Participants and setting: Participants included year 1 pupils (N = 49) aged 5 and 6 from two schools in contrasting locations. A smaller group within each class was selected through purposive sampling for the repeated measures assessments (N = 18). Research design and methods: A complementarity mixed-method design combined quantitative and qualitative methods to study the Foundation Phase as a naturalistic intervention. Quantitative data were generated with the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 administered to the sample group of children from both schools as a quasi-repeated measure, the physical competence subscale of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance and the Leuven Involvement Scale for Young Children. Qualitative data were generated throughout the study from the analysis of video and field notes through participant observation. Data from the mixed methods were analysed through complementarity to give a rich insight into pupils’ progress and experiences in relation to physical literacy. Results: Overall analysis of the data from TGMD-2 showed significant improvements in the Gross Motor Quotient and Locomotor skills from T1 to T3, but no significant improvement in object control. Data from qualitative methods were analysed to explore processes that may account for these findings. Video and field notes complement the quantitative data highlighting that children were developing their locomotor skills in many aspects of their learning. Observations using the Leuven Involvement Scale indicated that children had high levels of involvement in their learning and apparent in video and field notes was pupils’ motivation for movement. Paired sample t-tests (N = 18) conducted on the Harter and Pike perceived physical competence sixitem score subscales (T1 and T3) indicated a significant difference in the mean perceived physical competence scores on the six-item scale between T1and T3. Qualitative data explored pupils’ confidence for movement in many areas of learning. Conclusion: The combination of quantitative and qualitative data indicates that the Foundation Phase is an early childhood curriculum that lays the foundations of physical literacy with the exception of aspects of the physical competence, specifically object control skills. Although these skills only contribute to psychomotor aspects of physical literacy they are strongly associated with later engagement in physical activity. The development of specific physical skills such as object control skills may need more specialist input with early childhood pedagogy teachers trained in motor development to see significant improvement

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Multiorgan MRI findings after hospitalisation with COVID-19 in the UK (C-MORE): a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study

Introduction: The multiorgan impact of moderate to severe coronavirus infections in the post-acute phase is still poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities after hospitalisation with COVID-19, evaluate their determinants, and explore associations with patient-related outcome measures. Methods: In a prospective, UK-wide, multicentre MRI follow-up study (C-MORE), adults (aged ≥18 years) discharged from hospital following COVID-19 who were included in Tier 2 of the Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) and contemporary controls with no evidence of previous COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibody negative) underwent multiorgan MRI (lungs, heart, brain, liver, and kidneys) with quantitative and qualitative assessment of images and clinical adjudication when relevant. Individuals with end-stage renal failure or contraindications to MRI were excluded. Participants also underwent detailed recording of symptoms, and physiological and biochemical tests. The primary outcome was the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities (two or more organs) relative to controls, with further adjustments for potential confounders. The C-MORE study is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04510025. Findings: Of 2710 participants in Tier 2 of PHOSP-COVID, 531 were recruited across 13 UK-wide C-MORE sites. After exclusions, 259 C-MORE patients (mean age 57 years [SD 12]; 158 [61%] male and 101 [39%] female) who were discharged from hospital with PCR-confirmed or clinically diagnosed COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and Nov 1, 2021, and 52 non-COVID-19 controls from the community (mean age 49 years [SD 14]; 30 [58%] male and 22 [42%] female) were included in the analysis. Patients were assessed at a median of 5·0 months (IQR 4·2–6·3) after hospital discharge. Compared with non-COVID-19 controls, patients were older, living with more obesity, and had more comorbidities. Multiorgan abnormalities on MRI were more frequent in patients than in controls (157 [61%] of 259 vs 14 [27%] of 52; p&lt;0·0001) and independently associated with COVID-19 status (odds ratio [OR] 2·9 [95% CI 1·5–5·8]; padjusted=0·0023) after adjusting for relevant confounders. Compared with controls, patients were more likely to have MRI evidence of lung abnormalities (p=0·0001; parenchymal abnormalities), brain abnormalities (p&lt;0·0001; more white matter hyperintensities and regional brain volume reduction), and kidney abnormalities (p=0·014; lower medullary T1 and loss of corticomedullary differentiation), whereas cardiac and liver MRI abnormalities were similar between patients and controls. Patients with multiorgan abnormalities were older (difference in mean age 7 years [95% CI 4–10]; mean age of 59·8 years [SD 11·7] with multiorgan abnormalities vs mean age of 52·8 years [11·9] without multiorgan abnormalities; p&lt;0·0001), more likely to have three or more comorbidities (OR 2·47 [1·32–4·82]; padjusted=0·0059), and more likely to have a more severe acute infection (acute CRP &gt;5mg/L, OR 3·55 [1·23–11·88]; padjusted=0·025) than those without multiorgan abnormalities. Presence of lung MRI abnormalities was associated with a two-fold higher risk of chest tightness, and multiorgan MRI abnormalities were associated with severe and very severe persistent physical and mental health impairment (PHOSP-COVID symptom clusters) after hospitalisation. Interpretation: After hospitalisation for COVID-19, people are at risk of multiorgan abnormalities in the medium term. Our findings emphasise the need for proactive multidisciplinary care pathways, with the potential for imaging to guide surveillance frequency and therapeutic stratification

Interventions targeting motor skills in pre-school-aged children with direct or indirect parent engagement: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

Competency in fundamental movement skills (FMS) lays the foundation for developing more complex motor skills and supporting a physically active future. Preschoolaged children are at a crucial window of development, so intervening with motor skill programmes increases the likelihood of future physical activity (PA) participation. Parents/carers are principal gatekeepers for children's PA during the early years and influence their motor competence. Interventions that involve parents have shown to be effective in mediating improvements in FMS, yet to date, no studies have reviewed types of parental engagement within interventions in relation to motor competence outcomes. This review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of motor skill interventions for preschoolers with the inclusion of a parental/home component. Literature searches were completed in PubMed, Sports Discuss and the Cochrane Library. Studies that implemented an intervention with direct or indirect parental engagement and evaluated FMS as an outcome measure were included. Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria and a narrative synthesis of results suggested type of parent engagement may be associated with improvements in preschoolers' motor skills. It can be recommended that early years' motor skill interventions should include parents, ideally encouraging their active participation which may be the most influential form of parent engagement

Putting research into use: A market failure approach

This paper explores innovation and technology development aid targeted at the African rural poor but often failing to deliver benefit. Using 5 cases of UK bilateral aid (current and historic) it suggests the prime importance of securing continuous knowledge interaction across the whole of the relevant value chain, combined with the need for institutional reform of science policy in this field. The paper’s approach emphasises the underlying problem as an inherent tendency to failure in knowledge markets combined with often unsuitable institutional contexts