The Effects of Participation in Extracurricular Activities on the Mean Grade Point Average of High School Students in a Rural Setting

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of participation in extracurricular activities (band, drama, student council and vocational clubs) on the mean grade point average (GPA) of students at one rural high school located in the South. Male and female students (n=3,274) who were enrolled in the academic program from 1997-2002 were categorized into one of the following four groups: interscholastic athletics only, co-curricular activities only, both co-curricular activities and interscholastic athletics, and no extracurricular activities. Differences in mean GPAs of the various extracurricular activity groups by gender were tested with a One-way Analysis of Variance, followed by the Scheffé multiple comparison procedure. An alpha level of .05 was selected to determine significance for all statistical tests. The results of the One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) demonstrated a highly statistically significant effect of participation in mean GPA of male students (F3,1619=86.85, p\u3c.001), and of female students (F3,1647=96.02, p\u3c.001). Given these results, the null hypotheses for male and female students were both rejected. More specifically, students who participated in any extracurricular activity had statistically significantly higher mean cumulative GPAs than those who participated in no extracurricular activities. Scheffé’s multiple comparison procedure revealed that statistically significant differences in mean GPA were found between participating students by groups of activities. For both males and females, participating in both co-curricular activities and interscholastic athletics, along with their academic programs, resulted in mean GPAs that were statistically higher than participating in either co-curricular activities or interscholastic athletics only. The mean GPA of male students who participated in academics and co-curricular activities only was statistically significantly higher than the mean GPA of male students who participated in interscholastic athletics only. Though the mean GPA of female students who participated in co-curricular activities only was higher than the mean GPA of female students who participated in interscholastic athletics only, the difference was not statistically significant. The results of this study lead to the conclusion that student participation in some form of extracurricular activity, whether interscholastic athletics or co-curricular activities, is associated with higher academic performance, as measured by mean GPA, than does non-participation in any extracurricular activities. As school districts cope with budgetary constraints, high school administrators should consider the potential advantages and disadvantages that result from reducing or eliminating school-sponsored activities, including interscholastic athletics. The researcher recommends that administrators consider the educational value of each program by examining the following: 1) its effect on the educational development of high school students, in spite of their individual differences (e.g., gender, level of intelligence, economic background), and 2) its potential to influence a large percentage of high school students. Administrators are thereby demonstrating support for diminishing the social and economic disparities that may affect student opportunities for success following graduation, particularly for those students who will not attend college

Radical Criminology: A Sympathetic Criticism from the Viewpoints of Philosophical and Theological Anarchism

The point of departure for this work is to sympathetically critique American radical criminology from an anarchist philosophical and theological viewpoint. Most criticism of radical criminology has thus far come from politically conventional and orthodox Marxist sources. Anarchism is to the left of Marxism or scientific socialism and has been characteristically left of conservatism and liberalism. By sympathetic critique what is meant is that this author tends to favor and support most of the criticism radical criminology has levelled against conventional criminology. However, radical criminology is apparently unwilling to critically comprehend its own essentially anarcho-religious, rather than authentically Marxist character. Thus, the criticism herein is mainly to assist radical criminology in its search for a Weltanschauung which best fits its purposes and ends

It’s the way he tells them (and who is listening):men’s dominance is positively correlated with their preference for jokes told by dominant-sounding men

While much research has explored humorous exchange in relation to mate choice, recent perspectives have emphasized the importance of humor for monitoring interest within social partnerships more generally. Indeed, given that similarity is thought to be important in the maintenance of social partnerships, we may expect humor appreciation to vary according to the degree of similarity between humor producers and recipients. In the current study we report evidence for such variation that is specific to men’s judgments of other men’s humor. Here we manipulated voice pitch in a set of ‘one-liner’ jokes to create low-pitched and high-pitched versions of men and women telling jokes. A composite measure of men’s own dominance was positively correlated with their preference for jokes told by other men with lowered voice pitch (a vocal cue to dominance). A follow-up study demonstrated that self-reported dominance was positively related to men’s choice of low-pitch men as friends when judging humorous audio clips but not when judging neutral control audio clips, suggesting that humor may be important in mediating the effect of dominance on friendship choice. These studies indicate systematic variation in humor appreciation related to friendship choices which may function to promote cohesion within male partnerships based on status

Research Methods and Primary Sources: Writing the History of your Public Health Laboratory

Objective: This study traced the history of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) since inception in April 1913 to the present time. The significance of knowing the laboratory’s history not only centered around legacy knowledge for the laboratory, but also provided important information on the history of how public health grew and was enforced in Nebraska, especially concerning reportable diseases and specimen collection. Study Design: The historical survey used mostly primary source documents including field notes from public health inspectors, disease reporting databases collected by the state health department and a variety of government documents pertaining to guidelines surrounding reportable diseases and procedures for specimen collection and proper testing techniques. The annual reports of the State Department of Health were also examined. Results: Deciphering the history of the NPHL was challenging but much was learned regarding the role the laboratory played in the process of public health in Nebraska. The correlation of significant health occurrences (e.g. the rise of polio in 1952, the importance of tuberculosis in the state highlighted by a 1939 study) with reporting/laboratory activities was done which showed how these topics have always, and will continue to be, the confirmation health officials need when making appropriate decisions about the public’s health. Conclusions: The challenges of tracing a laboratory’s history are many and can prove to be a difficult puzzle to solve. However, the knowledge obtained with this research can provide insight into the importance of the role the public health laboratory had played. With new diseases appearing and old ones emerging, the laboratory will continue to play a significant role in the future of the public’s health

The Problem of Pendar : a lost abbey in medieval Senghenydd and the transformation of the church in South Wales

This thesis began life as an investigation of monastic patronage on the Southern Welsh March between the coming of the Normans and around 1300. Investigation of this broad area of research identified a more focused area as the phenomenon of Pendar. Pendar is known to have had association with the Cistercian Order but its precise status within the order has never been fully understood. Indeed, its very location has never been identified. This thesis therefore offers an investigation of what can be known of Pendar and its significance both within the history of the Cistercian movement in Wales and within the geographical area of Senghenydd

The First Hundred Years of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory: A Major Role Played in the Development of Public Health

Public health laboratories are the invisible key to public health. These laboratories have played a significant role in the health of the community since their inception in the late 1800s. They provide confirmation of disease outbreaks and statistics on the health and welfare of the people, with more recent activities in the detection of biological and chemical agents of terrorism. However, the history of these laboratories is mostly unknown. For instance, a recent brief historical account of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services did not include information on the state public health laboratory in the timeline of historical events (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, p.1). On the eve of the 100th anniversary of the inception of what is now known as the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), we feel compelled to provide this historical account in recognition of the i importance of the laboratory to preserve the health of Nebraskans. Charles Rosen, a noted medical historian, wrote that “the public health laboratory service[s]…[is of] enormous value to the community [and] cannot be exaggerated. The responsibility of the government to protect the health of the people is concretely exemplified in the public health laboratory” (Rosen, p. 311)

Microbial therapeutics designed for infant health

Acknowledgment of the gut microbiome as a vital asset to health has led to multiple studies attempting to elucidate its mechanisms of action. During the first year of life, many factors can cause fluctuation in the developing gut microbiome. Host genetics, maternal health status, mode of delivery, gestational age, feeding regime, and perinatal antibiotic usage, are known factors which can influence the development of the infant gut microbiome. Thus, the microbiome of vaginally born, exclusively breastfed infants at term, with no previous exposure to antibiotics, either directly or indirectly from the mother, is to be considered the “gold standard.” Moreover, the use of prebiotics as an aid for the development of a healthy gut microbiome is equally as important in maintaining gut homeostasis. Breastmilk, a natural prebiotic source, provides optimal active ingredients for the growth of beneficial microbial species. However, early life disorders such as necrotising enterocolitis, childhood obesity, and even autism have been associated with an altered/disturbed gut microbiome. Subsequently, microbial therapies have been introduced, in addition to suitable prebiotic ingredients, which when administered, may aid in the prevention of a microbial disturbance in the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this mini-review is to highlight the beneficial effects of different probiotic and prebiotic treatments in early life, with particular emphasis on the different conditions which negatively impact microbial colonisation at birth

Mechanisms Regulating the Association of Protein Phosphatase 1 with Spinophilin and Neurabin

Protein phosphorylation is a key mediator of signal transduction, allowing for dynamic regulation of substrate activity. Whereas protein kinases obtain substrate specificity by targeting specific amino acid sequences, serine/threonine phosphatase catalytic subunits are much more promiscuous in their ability to dephosphorylate substrates. To obtain substrate specificity, serine/threonine phosphatases utilize targeting proteins to regulate phosphatase subcellular localization and catalytic activity. Spinophilin and its homologue neurabin are two of the most abundant dendritic spine-localized protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) targeting proteins. The association between spinophilin and PP1 is increased in the striatum of animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, mechanisms that regulate the association of spinophilin and neurabin with PP1 are unclear. Here, we report that the association between spinophilin and PP1α or PP1γ1 was increased by CDK5 expression and activation in a heterologous cell system. This increased association is at least partially due to phosphorylation of PP1. Conversely, CDK5 expression and activation decreased the association of PP1 with neurabin. As with dopamine depletion, methamphetamine (METH) abuse causes persistent alterations in dopamine signaling which influence striatal medium spiny neuron function and biochemistry. Moreover, both METH toxicity and dopamine depletion are associated with deficits in motor control and motor learning. Pathologically, we observed a decreased association of spinophilin with PP1 in rat striatum evaluated one month following a binge METH paradigm. Behaviorally, we found that loss of spinophilin recapitulates rotarod pathology previously observed in dopamine-depleted and METH-treated animals. Together, these data have implications in multiple disease states associated with altered dopamine signaling such as PD and psychostimulant drug abuse and delineate a novel mechanism by which PP1 interactions with spinophilin and neurabin may be differentially regulated

Cholesterol metabolism in apolipoprotein E4 mice

Carrying at least one apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (E4+) is the main genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Epidemiological studies support that consuming fatty fish rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6ω3) is protective against development of AD. However, this protective effect seems not to hold in E4+. The involvement of APOE genotype on the relationship between DHA intake and cognitive decline could be mediated through cholesterol. Many studies show a link between cholesterol metabolism and AD progression. In this study, we investigated whether cholesterol metabolism is improved in E3+ and E4+ mice consuming a diet rich in DHA. Plasma cholesterol was 36% lower in E4+ mice compared to E3+ mice fed the control diet (P=.02), and in the liver, there was a significant genotype effect where cholesterol levels were 18% lower in E4+ mice than E3+ mice. The low-density lipoprotein receptor was overexpressed in the liver of E4+ mice. Plasma cholesterol levels were 33% lower after the DHA diet (P=.02) in E3+ mice only, and there was a significant diet effect where cholesterol level was 67% lower in the liver of mice fed DHA. Mice fed the DHA diet also had 62% less lipolysis stimulated lipoprotein receptor expression in the liver compared to mice fed the control diet (P<.0001), but there was no genotype effect. These findings suggest that plasma and liver cholesterol homeostasis and the receptors regulating uptake of cholesterol in the liver are modulated differently and independently by APOE allele and DHA intake

Pressure Sensitive Paint Measurements on 15% Scale Rotor Blades in Hover

This paper describes a proof of concept test to examine the feasibility of using pressure sensitive paint (PSP) to measure the pressure distributions on a rotor in hover. The test apparatus consisted of the US Army 2-meter Rotor Test Stand (2MRTS) and 15% scale swept tip rotor blades. Two camera/rotor separations were examined: 0.76 and 1.35 radii. The outer 15% of each blade was painted with PSP. Intensity and lifetime based PSP measurement techniques were attempted. Data were collected from all blades at thrust coefficients ranging from 0.004 to 0.009