Inter-participant variability in daily physical activity and sedentary time among male youth sport footballers: independent associations with indicators of adiposity and cardiorespiratory fitness

Participation in youth sport is assumed to promote and contribute towards more physically active lifestyles among children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine inter-participant variability in objectively measured habitual physical activity (PA) behaviours and sedentary time among youth sport participants and their implications for health. One-hundred-and-eighteen male youth sport footballers (Mean ± s = 11.72 ± 1.60) wore a GT3X accelerometer for 7 days. Average daily PA [min · day^?1, in light (LPA), moderate (MPA), vigorous (VPA) and combined moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA)] and sedentary time were calculated. Participants’ body mass index adjusted for age and sex (BMI–standard deviation score), per cent body fat (BF%), waist circumference and cardiorespiratory fitness were assessed. Results revealed that variability in daily PA behaviours and sedentary time (min · day^?1) was associated with BMI–standard deviation score [VPA (?), MVPA (?)], BF% [sedentary time (+), VPA (?), MVPA (?)], waist circumference [sedentary time (+), LPA (?)] and cardiorespiratory fitness [sedentary time (?), MPA (+), VPA (+), MVPA (+)]. Whilst sedentary time and MVPA were not related to health outcomes independent of one another, associations with markers of adiposity and cardiorespiratory fitness were stronger for sedentary time. Sedentary time was also significantly positively related to waist circumference independent of VPA. Results demonstrate inter-participant variability in habitual PA and sedentary time among youth sport participants which holds implications for their health. Thus, promoting PA and, in particular, reducing sedentary time may contribute towards the prevention of adverse health consequences associated with a physically inactive lifestyle for children and adolescents active in the youth sport context.     

The effects of mid-flight whole-body and trunk rotation on landing mechanics: implications for anterior cruciate ligament injuries

ABSTRACT

The purpose was to quantify the effects of mid-flight whole-body and trunk rotation on knee mechanics in a double-leg landing. Eighteen male and 20 female participants completed a jump-landing-jump task in five conditions: no rotation, testing leg ipsilateral or contralateral (WBRC) to the whole-body rotation direction, and testing leg ipsilateral (TRI) or contralateral to the trunk rotation direction. The WBRC and TRI conditions demonstrated decreased knee flexion and increased knee abduction angles at initial contact (2.6 > Cohen’s dz > 0.3) and increased peak vertical ground reaction forces and knee adduction moments during the 100 ms after landing (1.7 > Cohen’s dz > 0.3). The TRI condition also showed the greatest knee internal rotation angles at initial contact and peak knee abduction and internal rotation angles and peak knee extension moments during the 100 ms after landing (2.0 > Cohen’s dz > 0.5). Whole-body rotation increased contralateral knee loading because of its primary role in decelerating medial-lateral velocities. Trunk rotation resulted in the greatest knee loading for the ipsilateral knee due to weight shifting and mechanical coupling between the trunk and lower extremities. These findings may help understand altered trunk motion in anterior cruciate ligament injuries.     

The effects of audience reaction shots on attitudes towards controversial issues

This study investigated the influence that audience reaction shots have on viewers’ attitudes towards controversial issues discussed on television. It was hypothesized that viewers would show stronger agreement with a side of an issue which was coupled with positive reaction shots. No evidence was found to support a main effect, but evidence was found to suggest that the effects of reaction shots is contingent on viewers’ beliefs that the audience holds the same position on the issue as they do.     

International perceptions across the sea: Patterns in Japanese young adults

The international perceptions of Japanese young adults were explored in 172 professional education students in two Tokyo colleges. They classified 30 nations according to their “current” and “future” affinity to Japan. Little difference was detected in the Q-sorts between institutions arid sexes, while the “current” and “future” sorts correlated .96 with each other. In cluster analyses, many two-nation units (e.g., Czechoslovakia-Yugoslavia) were found to be the building blocks for the overall pattern. The total configuration consisted of three broad groups: mostly Western European nations, problematical nations (China, Russia, Israel, Egypt, etc.), and remote and neutral nations. Structurally, the results were similar to those for American young adults, but the contents were different. The notion of cultural metastereotypes thus received tentative support.     

Social gaze in preterm infants may act as an early indicator of atypical lateralization

Visual field biases have been identified as markers of atypical lateralization in children with developmental conditions, but this is the first investigation to consider early lateralized gaze behaviors for social stimuli in preterm infants. Eye-tracking methods with 51 preterm (33 male, 92.1% White) and 61 term-born (31 male, 90.1% White) infants aged 8–10 months from Edinburgh, UK, captured the development of visual field biases, comparing gaze behavior to social and non-social stimuli on the left versus right of the screen. Preterm infants showed a significantly reduced interest to social stimuli on the left versus right compared to term children (d = .58). Preterm children exhibit early differential orienting preferences that may be an early indicator of atypical lateralized function.     

Applying the Own it,Learn it,Share it framework to the flexible Pink Time assignment to scaffold student autonomy online and in person

This response to Lee and Hannafin’s A design framework for enhancing engagement in student-centered learning: own it, learn it, and share it (OLSit) (Lee and Hannafin, Educational Technology Research and Development 64:707–734, 2016) discusses its helpful design guidelines from a practitioner’s perspective. OLSit provides a blueprint for chance-taking with student-centered learning. Here, I apply this blueprint to a flexible assignment colleagues and I designed to promote intrinsic motivation and engagement, called Pink Time (PT), which asks students to “skip class, do whatever you want, and grade yourself.” Together, OLSit and PT are well suited for this moment of disruption and pivot to remote learning. Students’ stereotypes about what is “valid” in the classroom may be important limitations. But iterative and effective communication can shape students’ perceptions and scaffold their efforts. In the future, scholars and practitioners should consider how grades undermine online SCL strategies like OLSit and PT.

     

Making the written word “speak”: Reflections on the teaching of correspondence courses

Abstract

Learning outcomes for an interactive television‐based distance learning course in introductory high school Japanese were evaluated in three successive years by comparing student achievement in the distance learning course to that in traditional classes. Year‐end achievement tests of listening and written language competency were administered to students in both the distance and face‐to‐face courses. Results in the first two years showed that test scores of students in the distance learning course were higher than those of students in the face‐to‐face classes; however, possible group differences in motivation, general ability, and experience as language learners could not be ruled out as explanations for the difference. Therefore, achievement measures were supplemented in the third year with data on students’ perceived efficacy as Japanese language users, their grades, and their previous foreign language learning experience. The achievement data again showed differences favoring the distance learning group; trends were consistent for students with differing levels of school success and amount of prior language learning experience. Factors that could account for these results are hypothesized and suggestions for future research are proposed.     

Love Styles and Communication in Relationships: Partner Preferences,Initiation, and Intensification

The three exploratory studies reported here investigate the role of love styles in the early stages of romantic relationships. Study 1 (N = 108) had subjects rate and rank 14 characteristics of prospective romantic partners. As expected, individual's love style scores were related to the characteristics people report as desirable in a relational partner. Several of these effects, however, were moderated by sex. Study 2 (N = 173) revealed that scores on love styles were associated with ratings of opening lines and intensification strategies. None of these effects were moderated by sex. Study 3 (N = 137) investigated the association between love styles and ratings of secret tests among individuals currently involved in a romantic relationship. The results indicated that love styles were associated with ratings of secret tests. These data add to a growing body of literature suggesting that love styles are associated with individual differences in relational and communicative behavior across the life span of romantic relationships.     

The role of upper torso and pelvis rotation in driving performance during the golf swing

While the role of the upper torso and pelvis in driving performance is anecdotally appreciated by golf instructors, their actual biomechanical role is unclear. The aims of this study were to describe upper torso and pelvis rotation and velocity during the golf swing and determine their role in ball velocity. One hundred recreational golfers underwent a biomechanical golf swing analysis using their own driver. Upper torso and pelvic rotation and velocity, and torso-pelvic separation and velocity, were measured for each swing. Ball velocity was assessed with a golf launch monitor. Group differences (groups based on ball velocity) and moderate relationships (r > or = 0.50; P < 0.001) were observed between an increase in ball velocity and the following variables: increased torso-pelvic separation at the top of the swing, maximum torso-pelvic separation, maximum upper torso rotation velocity, upper torso rotational velocity at lead arm parallel and last 40 ms before impact, maximum torso-pelvic separation velocity and torso-pelvic separation velocity at both lead arm parallel and at the last 40 ms before impact. Torso-pelvic separation contributes to greater upper torso rotation velocity and torso-pelvic separation velocity during the downswing, ultimately contributing to greater ball velocity. Golf instructors can consider increasing ball velocity by maximizing separation between the upper torso and pelvis at the top of and initiation of the downswing.     

Cardiorespiratory and perceptual responses to arm crank and wheelchair exercise using various handrims in male paraplegics

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of 10-in [0.25-m] versus 16-in [0.41-m] wheelchair handrims on cardiorespiratory and psychophysiological exercise responses during wheelchair propulsion at selected velocities. Fifteen male paraplegics (27.0 +/- 5.5 yrs) performed three discontinuous exercise tests (ACE = arm crank ergometer; WERG = wheelchair roller ergometer) and two 1600-m performance-based track trials (TRACK) under simulated race conditions. There were no significant differences in HR, VO2, VE, HLa, or category-ratio ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) using different handrims during wheelchair propulsion at 4 km.h-1. In contrast, at 8 km.h-1 subjects demonstrated a 13% lower steady state VO2 (p less than .05) using the 10-in handrims, coincident with a 23% lower VE. Steady state HR during WERG at 8 km.h-1 using the 10-in (124.4 +/- 3.9 b.min-1) or 16-in (130.6 +/- 4.6 b.min-1) handrims were not significantly different. There were also no significant differences between ACE or WERG conditions during maximal effort for VO2 or VE. However, HRpeak during ACE was 7% higher than HRpeak during WERG16 (183 +/- 15 b.min-1 vs. 171 +/- 12 b.min-1, p less than .05), and whole blood HLa during ACE was also significantly higher (by 2.3-2.5 mmol; p less than .05) compared to WERG. There were no significant differences for HR, performance time, or RPE between trials using different handrim diameters during the 1600-m event.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)