Grease (October 10-26, 1980)

Program for Grease (October 10-26, 1980)

Linking secondary school physical education with community sport and recreation for girls: a process evaluation

Background: The purpose of this study was to undertake a process evaluation to examine the reach, adoption and implementation of a school-community linked physical activity (PA) program for girls aged 12 - 15 years (School Years 7 - 9) using the RE-AIM framework.Methods. Various approaches were used to assess 'reach', 'adoption' and implementation: (a) a school environment survey of intervention schools (n = 6); (b) teacher feedback regarding the professional development component (91.1% response rate) and lesson implementation (60.8% response rate); and (c) post-intervention focus group interviews with physical education (PE) teachers (n = 29), students (n = 125), coaches (n = 13) and instructors (n = 8) regarding program experiences. However, there was a lack of individual and organisational readiness to adopt program principles. For some deliverers there were deeply embedded ideologies that were not aligned with the Game Sense teaching approach upon which the program was based. Further, cognitive components of the program such as self-management were not widely adopted as other components of the program tended to be prioritised. Conclusion: The program design and resources supported the success of the program, however, some aspects were not implemented as intended, which may have affected the likelihood of achieving further positive outcomes. Barriers to program implementation were identified and should be considered when designing school-community linked interventions. In particular, future programs should seek to assess and adjust for organizational readiness within the study design. For example, shared commitment and abilities of program deliverers to implement the program needs to be determined to support program implementation

Participation in modified sports programs: a longitudinal study of children’s transition to club sport competition

Background Many children are not physically active enough for a health benefit. One avenue of physical activity is modified sport programs, designed as an introduction to sport for young children. This longitudinal study identified trends in participation among children aged 4–12 years. Outcomes included continuation in the modified sports program, withdrawal from the program or transition to club sport competition. Methods De-identified data on participant membership registrations in three popular sports in the Australian state of Victoria were obtained from each sport’s state governing body over a 4-year period (2009–2012 for Sport A and 2010–2013 for Sports B and C). From the membership registrations, those who were enrolled in a modified sports program in the first year were tracked over the subsequent three years and classified as one of: transition (member transitioned from a modified sport program to a club competition); continue (member continued participation in a modified sport program; or withdraw (member discontinued a modified program and did not transition to club competition). Results Many modified sports participants were very young, especially males aged 4–6 years. More children withdrew from their modified sport program rather than transitioning. There were age differences between when boys and girls started, withdrew and transitioned from the modified sports programs. Conclusions If we can retain children in sport it is likely to be beneficial for their health. This study highlights considerations for the development and implementation of sport policies and programming to ensure lifelong participation is encouraged for both males and females

Addressing Implicit Bias in the Courts

Fairness is a fundamental tenet of American courts. Yet, despite substantial work by state courts to address issues of racial and ethnic fairness,2 public skepticism that racial and ethnic minorities receive consistently fair and equal treatment in American courts remains widespread.3 Why? THE INFLUENCE OF IMPLICIT ASSOCIATIONS Perhaps one explanation may be found in an emerging body of research on implicit cognition. During the last two decades, new assessment methods and technologies in the fields of social science and neuroscience have advanced research on brain functions, providing a glimpse into what National Public Radio science correspondent Shankar Vedantam refers to as the “hidden brain.”4 Although in its early stages, this research is helping scientists understand how the brain takes in, sorts, synthesizes, and responds to the enormous amount of information an individual faces on a daily basis.5 It also is providing intriguing insights into how and why individuals develop stereotypes and biases, often without even knowing they exist. The research indicates that an individual’s brain learns over time how to distinguish different objects (e.g., a chair or desk) based on features of the objects that coalesce into patterns. These patterns or schemas help the brain efficiently recognize objects encountered in the environment. What is interesting is that these patterns also operate at the social level. Over time, the brain learns to sort people into certain groups (e.g., male or female, young or old) based on combinations of characteristics as well. The problem is when the brain automatically associates certain characteristics with specific groups that are not accurate for all the individuals in the group (e.g., “elderly individuals are frail”). Scientists refer to these automatic associations as implicit—they operate behind-the-scenes without the individual’s awareness

The contribution of sport participation to overall health enhancing physical activity levels in Australia: A population-based study

Background: The contribution of sport to overall health-enhancing leisure-time physical activity (HELPA) in adults is not well understood. The aim was to examine this in a national sample of Australians aged 15+ years, and to extend this examination to other ostensibly sport-associated activities. Methods: The 2010 Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey (ERASS) was conducted by telephone interview in four quarterly waves. Data from this survey were analysed to categorise leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) as HELPA or non-HELPA, and to categorise HELPA activities and sessions of HELPA activity by setting and frequency. The contribution of sport to HELPA was estimated, both directly through activities and settings classified as sport per se, and indirectly through other fitness activities ostensibly related to preparation for sport and enhancement of sport performance. Results: Of 21,602 respondents, 82 % reported some LTPA in the 12 months prior to the survey. In aggregate, respondents reported 37,020 activity types in the previous 12 months, of which 94 % were HELPA. Of HELPA activities, 71 % were non-organised, 11 % were organised but not sport club-based, and 18 % were sport club-based. Of all sport activities, 52 % were HELPA. Of sport HELPA, 33 % was sport club-based and 78 % was undertaken ≥12 times/year. Sport club members were significantly more likely to have participated in running, but significantly less likely to have participated in walking or aerobics/fitness training, than non-club members. Conclusions: Club sport participation contributes considerably to LTPA at health enhancing levels. Health promotion policies, and more specifically physical activity policies, should emphasize the role of sport in enhancing health. Sport policy should recognise the health-promoting role of community-based sport in addition to the current predominant focus on elite pathways. © 2015 Eime et al

Observations of Reconnecting Flare Loops with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA)

Perhaps the most compelling evidence for the role of magnetic reconnection in solar flares comes from the supra-arcade downflows that have been observed above many post-flare loop arcades. These downflows are thought to be related to highly non-potential field lines that have reconnected and are propagating away from the current sheet. We present new observations of supra-arcade downflows taken with the Atmospheric Imagining Assembly (AIA) on the \textit{Solar Dynamics Observatory} (\textit{SDO}). The morphology and dynamics of the downflows observed with AIA provide new evidence for the role of magnetic reconnection in solar flares. With these new observations we are able to measure downflows originating at much larger heights than in previous studies. We find, however, that the initial velocities measured here ($\sim$144\,km s$^{-1}$) are well below the Alfv{\'e}n speed expected in the lower corona, and consistent with previous results. We also find no evidence that the downflows brighten with time, as would be expected from chromospheric evaporation. These observations suggest that simple two-dimensional models cannot explain the detailed observations of solar flares.Comment: Movies are available http://tcrb.nrl.navy.mil/~hwarren/temp/papers/inflows/ in QuickTime forma

Salt Sensitivity of the Morphometry of Artemia Franciscana During Development: A Demonstration of 3d Critical Windows

This article uses a 3D conceptual farmework of 'critical windows' to examine whether the morphometry of Artemia franciscana is altered by salinity exposure during certain key periods of development