The origins of association football in Ireland, 1875–1880: a reappraisal

According to its foundation myth, association football was introduced to Ireland when one man, John McAlery, personally organised an exhibition match between two Scottish teams in Belfast in 1878 and went on to form the first Irish association club in 1879 and the Irish Football Association in 1880. Based on new research, this article seeks to revise this traditional account, by presenting evidence of earlier association matches, including one in 1875: the earliest recorded association match thus far discovered. It also uses primary sources and a critical re-examination of secondary sources to re-evaluate the role of McAlery, and suggests that others ought also to be credited for the efforts that were made to establish association football in Ireland from the mid-1870s. The article also considers, but dismisses, other extant claims of early association football in Ireland, and, taking stock of recent scholarship, points to the existence of other more informal, less organised and less successful processes of diffusion in Ireland, prior to and contemporaneous to, but independent of, that which was ultimately successful in Ulster.     

Resting MAPK expression in chronically trained endurance runners

Purpose: There is a paucity of research investigating the expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) in chronically trained (CT) athletes. Thus, it is unclear how MAPK may contribute to performance and muscle adaptation in CT subjects. The purpose of this study was to determine MAPK total protein, and phosphorylated expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38-MAPK (p38) between untrained, and chronically trained runners. Methods: Tissue samples were analysed from sedentary (SED; n?=?5) controls and chronically trained runners (CT; n?=?5). Resting muscle biopsy samples were analysed for total-MAPK – and ratio of phosphorylated/total (p-MAPK) – ERK1/2, JNK, and p38-MAPK via western blotting. Mann–Whitney U tests and effect sizes were utilized to determine differences in total MAPK protein content and phosphorylation status between SED and CT subjects. Results: There was no difference in total-MAPK expression between SED and CT (p?>?.05). p-p38-MAPK tended to be greater for CT compared to SED (p?=?.07). There were moderate effect sizes of decreased pERK/total-ERK (d?=??0.69) and increased pJNK/total-JNK (d?=?0.54) in CT compared to SED. There was a positive correlation between p-p38-MAPK/total-MAPK and the percentage of type I fibres (r?=?0.73, p?=?.016). Conclusion: Contrary to previous studies, chronic endurance training does not greatly influence total MAPK protein expression in chronically trained runners. However, resting phosphorylation of p38-MAPK may contribute to enhanced oxidative metabolism at chronically trained levels. These alterations are likely involved in the different physiological adaptations that occur following long-term training or at highly competitive levels.     

Postpartum Mothers’ Leisure-Time Exercise Behavior is Linked to Positive Emotion During Partner Discussions

Purpose: Marital dissatisfaction and conflict often increase for couples after the birth of a child and are evident in fewer positive family interactions and more negative family interactions. Because exercise is known to increase positive emotions and decrease negative emotions, the current study examined the extent to which higher levels of mothers’ exercise during the postpartum period were related to more positive and fewer negative emotion-expressive behaviors with their infants’ fathers. Method: Mothers’ (N = 46; M = 8 months postpartum) positive and negative expressive behaviors were coded during couples’ discussions of current conflict and positive family experiences. Mothers self-reported their leisure-time exercise behavior. Results: First-time mothers and mothers with higher levels of leisure-time exercise behavior displayed higher levels of positive expressive behaviors during couples’ discussions. Conclusions: Exercise may be associated with increased positive emotion and, in turn, can have great potential to improve family relationships during the postpartum period when marital stress normatively increases, particularly for mothers with more than 1 child. Future longitudinal studies are needed to understand exercise patterns across the postpartum period to identify the most effective timing and optimal level of exercise that lead to more positive expressive behaviors.     

Iodine content of oyster shells

A report is given of the investigation of the iodine content of oyster shells taken from the reefs found in the Gulf of Mexico. The pulverized shells as sold on the market contain 200 to 300 parts per billion of iodine. Water soluble and alcohol soluble iodides appear to be absent. The granulated undried shells contain 500 parts per billion of iodine. Apparently there is a loss of iodine due to the temperature at which the pulverized shells are dried.     

Related factors of the MTAI and the 16PF

The Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory (MTAI) and the Sixteen Personality Factors Questionnaire (16PF) were administered to 395 undergraduate teachers-in-training. The MTAI and the 16PF were compared using canonical analysis. They contained three related factors accounting for 41% of their total variance. It was concluded that teachers' attitudes toward their pupils are determined in large part by measurable personality traits.