Evolution of game-play in the Australian Football League from 2001 to 2015

This study investigated the evolution of game-play manifested via team performance indicator characteristics in the Australian Football League (AFL) from the 2001 to 2015 seasons. The mean values for 18 performance indicators were collated for every AFL team over 15-seasons. A multivariate analysis was used to uncover temporal trends in the dataset. Compared to the 2004 season, the 2005 to 2010 seasons were characterised by large growth in the counts of handballs (d = 0.83; 90% CI = 0.22–1.43), disposals (d = 1.24; 90% CI = 0.59–1.87), uncontested possessions (d = 1.37; 90% CI = 0.71–2.01), clangers (d = 2.14; 90% CI = 1.39–2.86) and marks (d = 1.43; 90% CI = 0.76–2.07). Contrastingly, the effective disposal percentage declined rapidly during the same period. The number of inside 50 m counts remained stable throughout the 15-season period. The ordination plot of league-wide performance indicator characteristics illustrated a distinct cluster from the 2001 to 2004 seasons, an abrupt shift from the 2005 to 2009 seasons, and an emergent (re)stabilisation from the 2010 to 2015 seasons. The results demonstrate the synchronous league-wide evolution of game-play in the AFL from the 2001 to 2015 seasons. Amongst other constituents, this evolution likely reflects the introduction of modernised coaching strategies, rule changes and changing perceptions of rule interpretations.     

Increasing heat storage by wearing extra clothing during upper body exercise up-regulates heat shock protein 70 but does not modify the cytokine response

Plasma heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) concentrations rise during heat stress, which can independently induce cytokine production. Upper body exercise normally results in modest body temperature elevations. The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of additional clothing on the body temperature, cytokine and HSP70 responses during this exercise modality. Thirteen males performed 45-min constant-load arm cranking at 63% maximum aerobic power (62 ± 7%V?O_2peak) in either a non-permeable whole-body suit (intervention, INT) or shorts and T-shirt (control, CON). Exercise resulted in a significant increase of IL-6 and IL-1ra plasma concentrations (P < 0.001), with no difference between conditions (P > 0.19). The increase in HSP70 from pre to post was only significant for INT (0.12 ± 0.11ng?mL^?1, P < 0.01 vs. 0.04 ± 0.18 ng?mL^?1, P = 0.77). Immediately following exercise, T_core was elevated by 0.46 ± 0.29 (INT) and 0.37 ± 0.23ºC (CON), respectively (P < 0.01), with no difference between conditions (P = 0.16). The rise in mean T_skin (2.88 ± 0.50 and 0.30 ± 0.89ºC, respectively) and maximum heat storage (3.24 ± 1.08 and 1.20 ± 1.04 J?g^?1, respectively) was higher during INT (P < 0.01). Despite large differences in heat storage between conditions, the HSP70 elevations during INT, even though significant, were very modest. Possibly, the T_core elevations were too low to induce a more pronounced HSP70 response to ultimately affect cytokine production.     

Children of Alcoholics in the schools: Where are they? their representation in special education

The hypothesis that there is a greater frequency of children of alcoholics in special classes for Emotional/Behavioral Disordered (ED) and Learning Disabled (LD) children was explored. A random sample of students in ED, LD, and regular classes was selected and administered the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test. Parents completed the Friel Co-Dependency Assessment Inventory. An analysis of variance in CAST and FCAI scores did not reveal any significant differences among groups. Significant differences were noted in the relationship of marital status and chemical dependency in immediate family. Reported incidence of chemical dependency in the immediate family was identified as a concern warranting further exploration. Issues that may have affected the study such as sample size, respondent participation, and various roles exhibited in the family were considered. The possible impact alcoholism has on children and appropriate program intervention in the schools were discussed.     

Comparative efficacy of active recovery and cold water immersion as post-match recovery interventions in elite youth soccer

ABSTRACT

The current study compared cold-water immersion (CWI) and active recovery (AR) to static stretching (SS) on muscle recovery post-competitive soccer matches in elite youth players (n = 15). In a controlled crossover design, participants played a total of nine competitive soccer games, comprising three 80 minute games for each intervention (SS, CWI and AR). Muscle oedema, creatine kinase (CK), countermovement jump performance (CMJA) and perceived muscle soreness (PMS) were assessed pre-, immediately post-, and 48 hours post-match and compared across time-intervals and between interventions. Following SS, all markers of muscle damage remained significantly elevated (P < 0.05) compared to baseline at 48 hours post-match. Following AR and CWI, CMJA returned to baseline at 48 hours post-match, whilst CK returned to baseline following CWI at 48 hours post-match only. Analysis between recovery interventions revealed a significant improvement in PMS (P < 0.05) at 48 hours post-match when comparing AR and CWI to SS, with no significant differences between AR and CWI observed (P > 0.05). Analysis of %change for CK and CMJA revealed significant improvements for AR and CWI compared to SS. The present study indicated both AR and CWI are beneficial recovery interventions for elite young soccer players following competitive soccer matches, of which were superior to SS.     

The Design of Learning Software: Principles Learned from the Computer as Learning Partner Project

This paper describes general curriculum design principles and specific software design implementations resulting from an ongoing collaboration between software designers and programmers, researchers, and a classroom teacher and his students. Research and observations in the classroom setting led to both the emergence of useful learning principles as well as the design of a specific piece of software, E-LabBook. The paper traces the development of the software in the context of the principles that emerged during the design process.     

Munchausen syndrome by proxy

Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a form of child abuse in which a disorder of the child is fabricated by a parent. Although often considered rare, it may have been overlooked frequently in the past. The reported cases of children with Munchausen syndrome by proxy range in age from infancy to 8 years. Their "illnesses" consist of fabricated histories, inflicted physical findings, altered laboratory specimens, and induced disorders. The perpetrator usually is the child's mother, who may have Munchausen syndrome. Consequences of the syndrome may include painful tests, frequent hospitalizations, potentially harmful treatment, and death. The diagnosis can be made when medical and social histories are characteristic of the syndrome and clinical findings are absent, suggestive of induced illness, or resolve upon separation of the child and parent. Suspicion of the syndrome should be discussed with the family once the safety of the child is insured, and the case should be reported under the child abuse reporting law of the state. Social, family, and medical histories must be obtained and verified, and court intervention should be considered. Four patients who illustrate typical features of the syndrome are described.     

Stereotype attribution in two ethnic groups

The cross-cultural generality of previously observed stereotype attribution processes was investigated. European and Maori New Zealanders, similar in age but differing in occupational status from previous American samples, rated stimulus persons varying along three dimensions: Ethnicity (European, Maori, Samoan); Origin (Urban-Rural); and Occupation/Education (manager, skilled tradesman, laborer). Response traits were 26 adjectives found in previous research to comprise ethnic stereotypes. Factor analysis of these 26 traits showed that 5 factors were plausible in each sample, although the factor structures in the two samples were not identical. Separate between- subjects ANOV As in each sample showed that stimulus occupation accounted for most of the systematic variance in the attribution of the trait factors. This was interpreted as evidence for possible occupational stereotyping. Methodological and theoretical issues relevant to this conclusion were discussed, including the likelihood that different processes may characterize attribution in different cultures and situations.     

Measuring knowledge of natural selection: A comparison of the CINS,an open‐response instrument,and an oral interview

Growing recognition of the central importance of fostering an in‐depth understanding of natural selection has, surprisingly, failed to stimulate work on the development and rigorous evaluation of instruments that measure knowledge of it. We used three different methodological tools, the Conceptual Inventory of Natural Selection (CINS), a modified version of Bishop and Anderson's (Bishop and Anderson [1990] Journal of Research in Science Teaching 27: 415–427) open‐response test that we call the Open Response Instrument (ORI), and an oral interview derived from both instruments, to measure biology majors' understanding of and alternative conceptions about natural selection. We explored how these instruments differentially inform science educators about the knowledge and alternative conceptions their students harbor. Overall, both the CINS and ORI provided excellent replacements for the time‐consuming process of oral interviews and produced comparable measures of key concept diversity and, to a lesser extent, key concept frequency. In contrast, the ORI and CINS produced significantly different measures of both alternative conception diversity and frequency, with the ORI results completely concordant with oral interview results. Our study indicated that revisions of both the CINS and ORI are necessary because of numerous instrument items characterized by low discriminability, high and/or overlapping difficulty, and mismatches with the sample. While our results revealed that both instruments are valid and generally reliable measures of knowledge and alternative conceptions about natural selection, a test combining particular components of both instruments—a modified version of the CINS to test for key concepts, and a modified version of the ORI to assess student alternative conceptions—should be used until a more approprite instrument is developed and rigorously evaluated. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 1131–1160, 2008