Physical activity and health-related quality of life among elementary students: an integrated perspective

School physical education (PE) not only offers and promotes health-related physical activity, but also encompasses the promotion and development of perceptions of mental health (USDHHS, 2010). It has been suggested that health-related quality of life (HRQOL) can predict future health, monitor children’s psychosocial health, and identify those most at risk or in need of support at an early stage. Assessing physical activity (PA) and health-related quality of life have become major issues in pediatric public health and also serve as a major goal of Health people 2020 (USDHHS, 2010). Research including assessment of theory-based mediators of health-related outcomes is needed (Ryan, Patrick, Deci, & Williams, 2008). Grounded in the expectancy-value (Eccles., 1983) and achievement goal (Ames, 1992a, 1992b) frameworks, the primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among the perceptions of motivational climate in PE, expectancy-value beliefs, intention to participate in PE, HRQOL, and PA among elementary children. A secondary purpose was to examine gender and racial differences in students’ motivation in physical education, intention, HRQOL and PA. Participants were 336 elementary school physical education students from three schools in the southeast US. They completed surveys and wore pedometers during three days of physical education classes. The findings support the assertion that children with higher expectancy beliefs were more likely to be physically active and report higher HRQOL than those with low levels of expectancy beliefs. Perception of a mastery motivational climate together with positive expectancy beliefs could be an advantage for physical and psychosocial health among children in this study, whereas perception of a performance motivational climate was associated with less physical activity (i.e. lower steps/min) during PE even if students view PE as important, interesting and useful. There were gender and race differences on children’s motivation, HRQOL and PA during PE, which suggests that interventions aimed at preventing physical inactivity and developing optimal mental health should be tailored to individual needs in light of those differences. This research may provide useful information on the translation of theory to practice designed to influence children’s health perceptions and behaviors

AN EMERGING NICHE FOR FIRMS IN WESTERN REGIONS OF CHINA IN THE PERIOD OF TRANSITION ECONOMY TO DEVELOP RENEWABLE ENERGY INDUSTRY: A PERSPECTIVE FROM INSTITUTIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

This paper explores the enabling role of institutional entrepreneurship in western regions of China in the context of transition economy. Considering the widely emerging concerns to develop environment friendly technologies and industries, which could contribute to the achievement of sustainable development both economically and ecologically, this paper proposes that western regions are standing in front of a great opportunity by stimulating development of the emerging renewable energy industry. In this process, institutional entrepreneurships under the massive institutional change, i.e, the Grand Western Development Program, could have the “path defining” effect through leveraging the emerging great niche and redirecting western regions to an innovative path instead of following the traditional resource-based development path. Key words: Western Regions, China, transition economy, renewable energy industry, institutional entrepreneurshi

The Warning of the Listed Company According to the Market Quality Indexes

All listed companies in the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2008 were ranked according to the total market capitalization, the revenue and the net profit. The countdown 100 listed companies were a class. The random extraction 100 listed companies were a class. The probability warning model of the market quality for the listed companies was established by the two types companies as categorical dependent variables and the price impacting index and the excess volatility rate as the independent variables that were selected among 11 market quality indexes by forward stepwise method. When the probability value was greater than 0.5, the market quality of the listed company will be warned. On the contrary, the listed company was excellent in the market quality. The accuracy rate of the model was 87.7%.