Dynamic pressure effect on horse and horse rider during riding

Horse riding predisposes to degenerative spinal injury to both rider and horse. This study evaluated the dynamic pressure exerted on horse and horse rider. The main comparison investigated was how the flocking (cushioning) material of a saddle affected the pressure exerted on both. Six horse riders and one horse were used to conduct this study. The Pliance^® horse saddle and seat pressure testing systems, designed by Novel_GmBH, were used for this study. Pressure recordings were carried out from a saddle fitted with wool then again following its conversion to air flocking. Both flocking materials were tested during a variety of different gait settings using two pressure mats to record the pressures firstly being exerted onto the horse and secondly onto the rider. This study was the first carried out to examine the pressure exerted on horse and rider. Results found that both the mean peak pressure (MPP) and mean pressure–time integral (PTI) exerted on the rider increased by as much as 21.9 and 22 %, respectively, following conversion to air flocking. In contrast, the air flocking saddle exerted a lower MPP and PTI on the horse by as much as 25.3 and 26.6 %, respectively. This study has shown that air flocking reduces the pressure exerted on the horse; however, it has also indicated that it increased the pressures exerted on the rider. As a result of our study, further research needs to be conducted to determine the most appropriate material to flock a saddle with.     

Power variation strategies for cycling time trials: a differential equation model

In cycling time trials, competitors aim to ride a course in the fastest possible time and the implementation of a pacing strategy is therefore essential. In this study, a differential equation model of a cyclist incorporating continuous changes in velocity is formulated and applied to a selection of theoretical courses and athletes. The model is augmented with a constraint corresponding to a mean work rate and various pacing strategies are considered. The inclusion of continuous accelerations experienced by the cyclist forms an essential component in a model for courses comprising many changes of gradient, and a steady-state approximation, which has previously been used to assess pacing strategies, is not suitable. In addition to formulating a result on the mathematically optimal solution of the model equations subject to the mean power constraint, it is also shown that substantial time savings can be realized by cyclists increasing their work rates on uphill sections and suitably reducing their work rates elsewhere. However, the amount of time saved is highly course- and athlete-dependent with the greatest gains arising on courses with the longest continuous ascents by cyclists of greatest mass.     

Assessing Direct Contributions of Morphological Awareness and Prosodic Sensitivity to Children’s Word Reading and Reading Comprehension

We examined the independent contributions of prosodic sensitivity and morphological awareness to word reading, text reading accuracy, and reading comprehension. We did so in a longitudinal study of English-speaking children (N = 70). At 5–7 years of age, children completed the metalinguistic measures along with control measures of phonological awareness and vocabulary. Children completed the reading measures 2 years later. Morphological awareness but not prosodic sensitivity made a significant independent contribution to word reading, text reading accuracy, and reading comprehension. The effects of morphological awareness on reading comprehension remained after controls for word reading. These results suggest that morphological awareness needs to be considered seriously in models of reading development and that prosodic sensitivity might have primarily indirect relations to reading outcomes.     

Using new vocabulary in writing: Exploring how word and learner characteristics relate to the likelihood that writers use newly taught vocabulary

Understanding academic vocabulary is essential to student success in school. Use of academic vocabulary words in writing is considered one of the strongest measures of how well a reader understands a given word. In theory, willingness to use academic vocabulary in writing indicates the complexity of acquiring representations of the word’s orthography, phonology, and semantics based on the word’s characteristics. In addition, a learner’s overall literacy skills should relate to whether they attempt to use words. In the present study, sixth graders (n = 66), seventh graders (n = 60), and eighth graders (n = 41) learned 25 academic vocabulary words in a supplementary academic vocabulary intervention and were then asked to use those words in short persuasive essay drafts. We measured whether these students attempted to use a word (a binary uses outcome) and the number of times a student used a word (a continuous attempts outcome) and used cross-classified random effects models to examine how (a) the orthographic, phonological, and semantic characteristics of words and (b) the students’ literacy-related characteristics related to their uses and attempts. For word characteristics, students were more likely to use and attempt high frequency than low frequency words. For student characteristics, students proficient on the state exam were more likely to use and attempt the words, and students learning English were less likely to attempt the words. Implications for vocabulary intervention and writing instruction are discussed.     

Moderation of peer assessment in group projects

It is shown here that a grade distribution scheme commonly used to moderate peer assessments where self assessment is excluded is based on a false premise and will give an erroneous ranking in the situation where the best performer in a student group ranks the second best performer much higher than the other group members. An alternative to normalisation is proposed based on the idea that the rank order of peer grades should be preserved and should as far as possible be consistent between assessors. It is shown that the method correctly recovers the rank order of students within the group for all cases examined, while still eliminating biases that can result from differences in marking standards in the group. It is suggested that the approach could also be used to check for bias when self assessment is included.     

Benchmarking administration: University s experience in student an Australian

The article explores the role of the Registrar (Chief Operating Officer) in a university, and the ways in which we value the contributions of professional, managerial and administrative (PMA) staff. It assesses the conditions in which PMA staff work and describes the professional development opportunities they enjoy. The article goes on to analyse some of the challenges which PMA staff face, and ends by detailing fifteen recommendations for action. It concludes that valuing PMA staff is a complex, multi-dimensional and dynamic issue, but one which universities can ill afford to neglect.     

From values to virtues: an investigation into the ethical content of English primary school assemblies

School assemblies are unique and important events in the lives of schools. They are an opportunity for a head teacher to shape and celebrate the ethos and priorities of a school. However, the discussion of assemblies has stagnated because it is mired in the debate about legal compliance to the 1988 Education Reform Act and its interpretation in circular 1/94. This article reports on a research project which investigated the ethical ideas communicated in primary school assemblies. It is found that almost all assemblies sought to communicate a form of virtue ethics. We observed the promotion of courage, kindness, loyalty and responsibility. Further, different virtues were emphasised in different schools depending on their social location. For example, perseverance and resilience were often stressed in a school from a low socio-economic area. The article concludes with an examination of the implications of our findings for the discussion of legal compliance to the 1988 Act.     

‘Pressure to play?’ A sociological analysis of professional football managers’ behaviour towards injured players

Drawing upon figurational sociology, this paper examines professional football managers’ attitudes towards injured players. Following interviews with 10 managers, as with previous research, we found that managers have an expectancy that players are rarely fully fit. Players were stigmatized when they were seemingly unwilling to play when a manager encouraged them to. However, we also found that many managers shaped, in part, by their habitus formed from their own experiences as a player, showed greater empathy towards injured players. Many claimed they would not risk the long-term health of players, although at times, managers at the lower levels felt more constrained to take certain risks. We argue this is an unintended outcome of the increasing pressures on managers to succeed with smaller squads. The increasing emphasis and reliance on ‘sport science’ enabled managers at the higher levels to have a more supportive approach to managing injuries not previously identified in existing literature.