Reproducibility of the bronchoconstrictive response to eucapnic voluntary hyperpnoea

Background: Eucapnic voluntary hyperpnoea (EVH) is considered an effective bronchoprovocation challenge for identifying exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). However, the reproducibility of the hyperpnoea-induced bronchoconstriction (HIB) response elicited by EVH remains unknown and was therefore the focus of this study. Methods: Two cohorts of 16 physically active males (each cohort comprised 8 controls and 8 with physician diagnosis of asthma) participated in two studies of the short- and long-term reproducibility of the bronchoconstrictive response to an EVH test with dry air. EVH was performed on days 0, 7, 14, and 21 (short-term study), and 0, 35, and 70 (long-term study). HIB was diagnosed by a ≥10% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) after EVH. Results: On day 0 of the short-term study, FEV1 fell by 2 ± 1% (P < 0.05) and 27 ± 18% (P < 0.01) from pre-to post-EVH in control and HIB-positive groups respectively. The post-EVH fall in FEV1 did not differ across the short-term study test days. In the HIB-positive group, the day-to-day coefficient of variation, reproducibility, and smallest meaningful change for the fall in FEV1 were 12%, 328 mL, and 164 mL, respectively. On day 0 of the long-term study, FEV1 fell by 2 ± 2% and 25 ± 18% (P < 0.01) after EVH in control and HIB-positive groups respectively. The post-EVH fall in FEV1 did not differ across the long-term study test days. In the HIB-positive group, the day-to-day coefficient of variation, reproducibility, and smallest meaningful change for the fall in FEV1 were 10%, 196 mL, and 98 mL respectively. Conclusion: The EVH test elicits a reproducible bronchoconstrictive response in physically active males with physician diagnosed asthma. These data thus support the clinical utility of the EVH test for EIB screening and monitoring

Anxiety, Movement Kinematics, and Visual Attention in Elite-Level Performers

We tested the predictions of Attentional Control Theory (ACT) by examining the effect of anxiety on attention control and the subsequent influence on both performance effectiveness and performance efficiency within a perceptual-motor context. A sample (N = 16) of elite shotgun shooters was tested under counterbalanced low (practice) and high (competition) anxiety conditions. A head-mounted, corneal reflection system allowed point of gaze to be calculated in relation to the scene, while motion of the gun was evaluated using markers placed on the barrel which were captured by two stationary cameras and analyzed using optical tracking software. The quiet eye (QE) duration and onset were analyzed along with gun barrel displacement and variability; performance outcome scores (successful vs. unsuccessful) were also recorded. QE (Vickers, 1996) is defined as the final fixation or tracking gaze that is located on a specific location/object in the visual display for a minimum of 100 ms. Longer QE durations have been linked to successful performance in previous research involving aiming tasks. Participants demonstrated shorter quiet eye durations, and less efficient gun motion, along with a decreased performance outcome (fewer successful trials) under high compared with low anxiety conditions. The data support the predictions of ACT with anxiety disrupting control processes such that goal-directed attention was compromised, leading to a significant impairment in performance effectiveness

The role of prerequisites in a criminal justice curriculum

This article examines the value of requiring prerequisites beyond the standard introduction to criminal justice course in a criminal justice program. Using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression of eight sections of a criminal procedure course over a period of four years, this study found a significant difference in final grades in an upper-level Criminal Procedure class between students who enrolled in a recommended prerequisite (Criminal Courts) and students who did not take the prerequisite. As administrators become increasingly concerned with student success, it is argued that additional prerequisites may be beneficial in improving student learning

"And these signs shall follow": a cultural and social history of Appalachian snake-handling, 1910-1955

This paper seeks to understand the creation of a distinct snake-handling culture within Appalachia during the first half of the twentieth-century. As Appalachian snake-handlers molded and created this distinct religious culture between 1910 and 1955 they created a distinct identity in an attempt to make sense of the social and economic battle ground around them. This identity resulted from a distinct cultural process rooted within the power struggle between a regional population (Appalachian natives) and external forces (American modernity), as well as a subsequent desire for social stability and empowerment. Snake-handlers inside and outside of the region turned towards fundamentalist Christianity and Pentecostal doctrine as an escape from the pressures from outside forces like industrialization and mainline Christian ideology within America. They handled snakes as a form of protest to the direction of these outside forces—challenging their cultural exploitation by crafting a set of religious rituals that meet their specific cultural and religious needs. This paper approaches the topic of Appalachian snake-handling from the lens of cultural history. It explores the detailed ideologies and power struggles that motivated the creation of snake-handling, and highlights why the movement occurred inclusively within the Appalachian region itself

The Effect of Pretrial Detention on Imprisonment Decisions

A number of studies have addressed the respective influences of such legal factors as offense seriousness, and such extralegal factors as race, on imprisonment decisions. One factor that is not easily classified as either legal or extralegal-pretrial detention-has not received as much attention as the "typical" legal and extralegal variables, although some researchers feel that pretrial detention plays a pivotal role in imprisonment decisions. This exploratory article assesses the relationship between pretrial detention and the decision to incarcerate in adult felony cases in a Florida county, controlling for various legal and extralegal factors. Results indicate that those defendants who had been subject to pretrial detention were more likely to be incarcerated, and to receive longer sentences if they were incarcerated, than defendants who had been released pending case disposition

Coming Out Of The Congregation: An Interpretive Analysis Of The Communication Of Homosexuality In Christianity In The Boone Area

The Church has long faced the issue of discovering where homosexuality fits within its doctrines and beliefs. In this discovery process, communication is vital to ensuring this issue does not dismantle the people and works of churches and their communities. Through an analysis of Scripture and interviews conducted with ten Christian pastors, priests, and religious leaders, this paper attempts to deconstruct the current communication and discourse used in the faith communities of Boone, North Carolina. In understanding how these discourses function in relation to the dialogue of homosexuality, queer Christians and their congregations can move forward in their theological discussions using a discourse that functions on community for the spiritual growth and development in the Christian faith

Gender and Sentencing: An Analysis of Indicators

Research examining the role of gender in criminal sentencing has focused on gender bias, in that females are sentenced to lesser punishments than males for the same offense. What many studies have not addressed is the extent to which sentencing guidelines have affected gender bias. In other words, does gender bias exist, even in the presence of sentencing guidelines? This study addresses this question by examining the factors that influence a judge's decision to sentence males and females to particular punishments. In this study, the sample is split among males and females and various legally relevant and irrelevant factors are analyzed to determine which variables are significant indicators of punishment for each sex.Results indicated that judges consider both legally relevant and irrelevant factors when sentencing females, but legally relevant factors only when sentencing males. This suggests that gender bias still exists despite the use of sentencing guidelines

How Coverage Of Death Sentences Vary: A Study Of Two Ohio Newspapers

Research on media coverage of crime and justice issues tends to examine the effects of this coverage on public opinion, fear of crime, and other attitudes. Coverage of the death penalty, particularly executions, is a popular topic among researchers, who wish to examine whether deterrence is achieved when media outlets cover executions in the news. The current study examines an underlying, and perhaps overlooked, aspect of this previous research -- how consistent is media coverage of these issues? By examining coverage of death sentences, not executions, in two Ohio newspapers, the current study illustrates that coverage of certain crimes -- crimes that result in a death sentence -- is not similar both between the newspapers and within each newspaper itself. It is argued that conclusions about public attitudes toward crime and justice issues must be tempered by the fact that media coverage of crime, even specific types of crime, is not created equal

The effectiveness of public defenders in four Florida counties

The present study utilizes data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics to examine the effectiveness of public defenders in Florida to assess whether the case outcomes of defendants with public defenders are similar to the case outcomes of defendants with retained attorneys, controlling for legally-relevant variables. Methods: The present study utilizes both logistic and OLS regression analysis to examine differences between attorneys for seven different case outcomes. Results: Results indicate that defendants with public defenders are more likely to be detained pretrial, more likely to be convicted, and less likely to have their cases dismissed. The results dispute previous research which found few, if any, differences between public defenders and retained counsel. Conclusion: Results suggest that, at least in the counties examined, defendants with public defenders suffer from a lack of quality counsel

Diversity and Citizen Participation: The Effect of Race on Juror Decision Making

Juries rarely receive attention in public administration despite the explicitly “public” nature of their function and the determinative nature of their decision making. Applying the theoretical construct of public participation to jury decision making, we find that Black defendants are less likely to be convicted by juries composed of a higher percentage of Black jurors and are more likely to be convicted by juries composed of a higher percentage of White and Hispanic jurors. Thus, analysis of public participation must account for the relative inclusivity and diversity of participants as this will likely affect the output of the process. In short, diversity matters in public participation