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Biddle Physical Ability Test (BPAT) Performance by Attempt in Southern California Structural Firefighter Candidates
Get PDFThe Biddle Physical Ability Test (BPAT) is a job task simulation that must be completed in ≤9:34 min:s by structural firefighter candidates to be accepted to a fire training academy. This study investigated the influence of prior attempts on BPAT time. Retrospective analysis was conducted on 1435 male and 72 female candidates. All participants received equivalent instruction on how to complete the BPAT which incorporated: dry hose drag; charged hose drag; halyard raise; roof walk; attic crawl; roof ventilation; victim removal; ladder removal and carry; stair climb with hose bundle; crawling search; stair climb with air bottles; and hose hoist. Candidates in the dataset were split into 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and ≥6th attempt groups. A one-way ANOVA, with Bonferroni post hoc, compared groups in BPAT time (all times combined and passing times only; p≤0.05). All candidates who failed to meet time requirements, did not finish, or were disqualified, were recorded. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd attempt groups were significantly (p≤0.007) slower than the 4th, 5th, and ≥6th attempt groups when considering all and passing times. The percentage of candidates that did not pass the BPAT relative to their attempt group was: 1st = 13%; 2nd = 6%; 3rd = 7%; 4th = 2%; 5th = 0%; ≥6th = <1%. Most candidates passed the BPAT. However, BPAT practice based on previous attempts generally led to faster times and more candidates passing. It could be beneficial for candidates to attend practice courses and fitness training sessions to improve BPAT performance
Treacherous terrain: the search for alleged police killer Dezi Freeman
No full textlarge-scale hunt is underway for Dezi Freeman, the so-called sovereign citizen who allegedly killed two Victorian Police officers while they were attempting to execute a search warrant.Freeman fled into the bushland surrounding the Porepunkah property in Victoria’s high country and remains on the run
Safety Violations of Construction Workers: An Empirical Study
No full textThere are limited studies related to safety violations among Hong Kong construction workers. This study seeks to fill a gap in previous research and provide insight into the current safety violation phenomenon by examining the causes of safety violations. A mixed-method strategy is adopted for this study. The quantitative questionnaire survey, with 365 valid responses, examined the relationships by adapting the framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Thirty-seven semi-structured interviews were then completed to explore the phenomenon. The findings show that intention has a significant impact on safety violations. Two proximal factors (perceived behavioural control (PBC) and attitude) significantly influence their intention, with PBC being the most significant factor. High Reliability Organising, which is the distal factor contributing to PBC, attitude, and descriptive norms, offers a new era of construction safety management that requires a sense of reflectiveness for ongoing improvement. To enhance workers’ intentions, practical interventions can be developed that focus on PBC and attitude. Training should be tailor-made to cater to the specific characteristics demonstrated by different work groups such as young and elderly workers. The government should also review the current weaknesses of safety training.</p
Relationships Between Physical Activity, General Health and Fitness, and Job-Specific Fitness in Law Enforcement Officers
No full textSedentary behaviors contribute to police officer fitness declines during their career, which may affect job performance. Physical activity (PA) could benefit general and job-specific fitness. This study derived relationships between PA and general and job-specific fitness in 60 officers (48 men, 12 women) from 1 law enforcement agency. Officers completed a questionnaire assessing PA (weekly strenuous, moderate, mild exercise sessions; activity score) and resistance training (RT) (resistance training frequency [RTF]; weekly sessions for 3 months [RT3M]; sessions in past 7 days [RT7D]). General fitness measures included resting heart rate (RHR), blood pressure, body composition, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), sit-and-reach, grip strength, push-ups, sit-ups, and the YMCA step test. Job-specific fitness tests included an obstacle course, body drag, climbing tasks, and 500-yard run. Partial correlations controlling for sex calculated relationships between PA and RT with general and job-specific fitness. The sample was quartile split using activity score and examined by univariate analyses. Strenuous PA sessions related to RHR, WHR, push-ups, and sit-ups; activity score related to RHR and sit-ups (r 5 60.27–0.36). Resistance training frequency related to RHR, WHR, push-ups, and sit-ups; RT3M related to RHR, push-ups, and sit-ups; RT7D related to push-ups and sit-ups (r 5 60.31–0.43). The top quartile had a lower RHR than the bottom quartile and greater sit-ups than the bottom 2 quartiles (p # 0.03). There were no significant results for PA and job-specific fitness. Strenuous PA related to lower RHR and WHR, and better muscular endurance. Resistance training frequency related to lower RHR and better muscular endurance. General PA may not be sufficient for training job-specific fitness.</p
Circulating insulin-like growth factors and risks of overall, aggressive and early-onset prostate cancer: A collaborative analysis of 20 prospective studies and Mendelian randomization analysis
Get PDFBackground: Previous studies had limited power to assess the associations of circulating insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) with clinically relevant prostate cancer as a primary endpoint, and the association of genetically predicted IGF-I with aggressive prostate cancer is not known. We aimed to investigate the associations of IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3 concentrations with overall, aggressive and early-onset prostate cancer. Methods: Prospective analysis of biomarkers using the Endogenous Hormones, Nutritional Biomarkers and Prostate Cancer Collaborative Group dataset (up to 20 studies, 17 009 prostate cancer cases, including 2332 aggressive cases). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for prostate cancer were estimated using conditional logistic regression. For IGF-I, two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was undertaken using instruments identified using UK Biobank (158 444 men) and outcome data from PRACTICAL (up to 85 554 cases, including 15 167 aggressive cases). Additionally, we used colocalization to rule out confounding by linkage disequilibrium. Results: In observational analyses, IGF-I was positively associated with risks of overall (OR per 1 SD = 1.09: 95% CI 1.07, 1.11), aggressive (1.09: 1.03, 1.16) and possibly early-onset disease (1.11: 1.00, 1.24); associations were similar in MR analyses (OR per 1 SD = 1.07: 1.00, 1.15; 1.10: 1.01, 1.20; and 1.13; 0.98, 1.30, respectively). Colocalization also indicated a shared signal for IGF-I and prostate cancer (PP4: 99%). Men with higher IGF-II (1.06: 1.02, 1.11) and IGFBP-3 (1.08: 1.04, 1.11) had higher risks of overall prostate cancer, whereas higher IGFBP-1 was associated with a lower risk (0.95: 0.91, 0.99); these associations were attenuated following adjustment for IGF-I. Conclusions: These findings support the role of IGF-I in the development of prostate cancer, including for aggressive disease
Can Motivation and Self-Efficacy Predict a Law Enforcement Officer’s General and Job-Specific Fitness?
Get PDFSedentary behaviors contribute to law enforcement officer fitness declines over a career. An officer’s motivation (desire to exercise) and self-efficacy (belief in ability to exercise) could affect whether they exercise and predict resulting fitness. Data from 60 officers (48 men, 12 women) were analyzed. Motivation (amotivation, external, introjected, identified, integrated, and intrinsic regulation) was measured via the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire. A 6-item questionnaire assessed coping (confidence in exercising under challenging conditions) and scheduling (confidence in scheduling exercise) self-efficacy. General fitness variables included sit-and-reach, grip strength, 60-s push-ups, 60-s sit-ups, and step test recovery heart rate. Job-specific fitness variables included 99-yard obstacle course, body drag, 6-foot chain link fence and solid wall climbs, and 500-yard run. Stepwise regression, controlling for sex, derived relationships between motivation and self-efficacy, with general and job-specific fitness (p<0.05). Grip strength was predicted by introjected, identified, and integrated motivation (~71% explained variance). Push-ups were predicted by integrated motivation and coping self-efficacy (~43% explained variance). The obstacle course, fence and solid wall climbs, were predicted by coping self-efficacy (~24-47% explained variance). Internal motivation and coping self-efficacy predicted certain general and job-specific fitness metrics. Grip strength, an indicator of muscular strength, was predicted by introjected (internal rewards), identified (exercise is valued), and integrated (exercise integrated within beliefs) regulation. Integrated regulation and coping self-efficacy, or confidence to overcome barriers to exercise, predicted push-ups as a muscular endurance metric. Coping self-efficacy could also contribute to the exercise needed to maintain job-specific fitness relative to obstacle courses and obstacle clearance
How to understand, critically appraise, and write the Statistical Methods section of a clinical research paper
No full textThe Statistical Methods section of a clinical research paper is frequently perceived as "daunting" and "intimidating" by clinicians not only to write but also to read and critically appraise. The Statistical Method section links the aims and objectives of the study to the primary outcome and details how the research question is to be answered. This is challenging as it requires a clear understanding of the clinical question, research methodologies, and statistical methods. As such, it is often poorly written which leads to the apprehension we described in readers. In this paper, we try to remove the angst by providing simple strategies to understand, critically appraise, and write a Statistical Methods section. We also look at why it is so difficult to write a Statistical Methods section and review the resources that have been developed to help clinicians apply statistical methods to their research. Finally, we emphasise the importance of collaboration with a statistician, not only in the writing of the Statistical Methods section but throughout the life of a clinical research study
Film as Argument: The Secret to Feature Film Storytelling
No full textIf you’ve picked up this book, it’s most likely that you have an interest in movies over-and-above the typical audience member. Perhaps a screenwriter, producer or director looking to improve your work, always searching for any insight that will result in better cinematic storytelling. If that’s the case, then good news: this is the book for you. It asks a deceptively straightforward question. Why do we make feature films?Is it to entertain? To move and audience? To tell a powerful story? For fame and fortune?You may have answered yes to each, but those answers don’t account for the practice overall. Most books about screenwriting and directing are primarily concerned with craft and technique, but how can you truly understand filmmaking – or make the best films - unless you know what purpose it really serves.So what’s the secret? As the title of this book suggests, making feature films is fundamentally the practice of making a very specific type of argument. To see how this works, we will deep-dive into how filmmakers are trained and taught to think about filmmaking, and what traditions they knowingly or unknowingly follow. We will look at hundreds of films and some major case studies, including Toy Story 3, Schindler’s List, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Amour, and mother!, to explore how and what films argue, and why knowing this can both unlock both a greater appreciation of the form, and improve the impact your films make