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The Feasibility of High-Intensity Training to Improve Self-Control and Occupational Participation in At-Risk Adolescents
No full textPurpose
Adolescence is a challenging time navigating self-control and decision-making, creating vulnerability to developing poor habits and unhealthy behaviors. This feasibility study aimed to determine if a high-intensity training program (HIT) would improve self-control, health-related behaviors, and healthy occupational participation in at-risk adolescents in the Real Talk Youth Impact Program (Real Talk), measured by the Occupational Experience Profile (OEP).
Methodology
Three at-risk adolescent were recruited via convenience sampling from Real Talk to participate in a twelve-session HIT intervention, one participant completed all sessions. Researchers used a quasi-experimental exploratory sequential mixed-methods design to examine self-control, health-related behaviors, and occupational participation measured before and after each exercise session using the OEP. Qualitative data informed quantitative data using the OEP.
Results Results suggest that engaging in a five-week high-intensity exercise protocol may contribute to the participant’s improved self-control and healthy decision-making choices when engaging in extracurricular activities. Additionally, the OEP captured participant’s improved self-efficacy and insights into various environmental factors that contributed to or inhibited perception of healthy occupations through exercise intensity.
Conclusion
Results suggest that HIT may assist with improving self-control, healthy- related behaviors, and healthy occupational participation in at-risk adolescents in a community-based setting as measured by the OEP. Future research is needed with larger sample sizes to determine the validity of HIT’s benefits for at-risk youth
Symphony No. 7 “Leningrad” By Dimitri Shistakovich: A Wind Band Transcription of the Final Movement with Historical Context and a Description of the Transcription Process
No full textThis document includes a wind band transcription of the final movement of Dimitri Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 7” known as the Leningrad Symphony. It contains an overview of the composer\u27s life leading up to the creation of this work as well as a description of the historical context during which this work was composed. This document also contains a detailed description of the transcription and editing process that led to the completed work contained at the end of this document. The transcription process included examining other wind band transcriptions of Shostakovich’s music as well as other wind transcriptions of orchestral works
Seated Athletes\u27 Motivation For Participation In Wheelchair Sports: A Qualitative Study
No full textThe purpose for this phenomenological design qualitative analysis was to gain an understanding of the perspectives of seated athletes’ motivation for participation in adapted athletics and argues that there is a component of seating that affects motivation. Occupational therapists build client interventions using meaningful occupations. This study aimed to increase awareness of adapted athletics impact on occupational performance. There was a gap in the literature for qualitative research exploring the lens of adapted sports participation through the perspective of seated athletes. This study utilized one-time individual semi-structured interviews with five participants that currently participate on a wheelchair court sports team to gain an understanding of perspectives on motivation for adapted sports participation. Semi-structured interviews were transcribed, and thematic analysis was used to discover emerging themes.
The results of this study included the discovery of four themes: identity, community, sport chair and classification, and health and self-improvement. Findings suggest that participation in adapted athletics may lead to improvements in self-perceived identity and independence, development of supportive communities, and improved motivation for optimizing wheelchair use.
Results of this study suggest that adapted sports participation may improve occupational performance for wheelchair users. The results from this study may support the use of adapted sports participation in occupational therapy practice for wheelchair bound individuals
Acute Ingestion of Dark Chocolate Fails to Affect Running Economy in Recreational Female Runners
No full textTopics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 5: Issue 1, Article 1, 2024. Ingestion of dark chocolate (DC), a dietary source high in flavanols, may increase nitric oxide bioavailability. Elevating blood nitric oxide concentrations may augment metabolic efficiency by reducing the amount of oxygen or energy needed to perform a given task. Utilizing a crossover design, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of acute ingestion of DC on running economy (RE). Nineteen recreationally trained females (age: 20±1 years) volunteered for this investigation, with 16 completing all procedures (n = 16). Two-hours before RE assessment, participants consumed either 42.5 g of DC or an isocaloric amount of white chocolate (WC) (37.2 g) with a 34 mg caffeine pill. Participants ran on the treadmill at 2.68 m/s for 10-minutes to assess RE. However, only the last 5-minutes of the test were used for oxygen utilization (VO2), energy expenditure (EE), and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) determination via indirect calorimetry. Identical testing procedures were utilized for DC and WC treatments with a seven-day washout period separating trials. A repeated measure paired t-test was used to determine differences between dependent variables with statistical significance set at p \u3c 0.05. There were no significant mean differences (ps \u3e 0.05) between trials for VO2, EE, or RER. In conclusion, supplementation of DC 2-hours prior to steady state running had no effect on RE or fuel utilization compared to an isocaloric serving of WC in recreational female runners
The Biltmore Forest School and the Establishment of Forestry Education in America
No full textThe Biltmore Forest School, despite its unusual existence within the affluent Biltmore Estate, played a crucial role in the early 20th-century American forestry movement. Founded by Carl A. Schenck and supported by George Vanderbilt II, the school aimed to educate foresters and promote sustainable forest management. However, many aspects of the Biltmore experiment failed due to the new and untested nature of forestry science in America. This experiment exposed a fundamental divide in forestry education, with Gifford Pinchot advocating for conservation-centered teaching while Schenck believed in the economic viability of lumber production. Ultimately, the Biltmore Forest School offered valuable vocational education for young men but could not address the broader goals of forestry education. The emergence of other forestry schools in the early 20th century led to the school\u27s demise. The larger purpose of forestry education was rooted in scientific forestry, focusing on profitable production, renewable yield, and forest improvement, principles echoed in modern forest conservation efforts. The Biltmore Forest School closed in 1914 due to low enrollment. That same year, George Vanderbilt died. His widow Edith eventually sold the forest, which grew to 500,000 acres, to the United States Forest Service. Edith Vanderbilt\u27s vision of private forest land as a public trust contributed to the establishment of Pisgah National Forest, preserving the pioneering work of Vanderbilt, Schenck, and Pinchot in forest conservation for the benefit of the American people
Maintenance as a Core Value Recommendations for Increasing Gender Equity on Digital Scholarship Teams
No full textAs two female librarians who have worked in digital scholarship at research institutions, we have observed how patriarchal gender norms can influence the way teams operate and the toxic impact they have on librarians. In this chapter, we will identify points of impact and suggest a feminist approach, which relies on maintenance and care, to further equity in the subfield of digital scholarship within academic libraries
Effects of Chronic Diabetes and Attentional Focus on Performance and Learning of a Novel Stabilometer Balance Task
No full textBackground and Purpose: Chronic diabetes is a prevalent systemic disease that impairs physical functioning and often leads to increased risk of falls. Adopting an external focus of attention during motor skill practice has been shown to improve learning outcomes, however, it has not been examined in this population. We examined how attentional focus instructions (internal vs. external) affect balance performance and learning in older adults with and without diabetes.
Methods: Fifty-three older adults (27 with diabetes, 63.7±7.0 years) participated in the randomized, pre-post intervention study. The balance training involved 50 practice trials of a stabilometer task that was novel to all participants. Participants were randomized to receive either internal or external focus task instruction. Task performances were assessed at baseline, during training, and during a retention test. Primary outcomes were changes in balance task performance before and after training. The study protocol was approved by the UNLV Biomedical IRB, and participants gave written consent prior to data collection.
Results: Participants who received external focus instruction showed significantly greater increase in balance performance than individuals who received internal focus instruction (95% CI=[0.02; 4.05], p=0.048). While participants with diabetes exhibited poorer baseline task performance (p=0.02), both groups improved their relative task performance after training (95% CI=[5.25; 18.14], p\u3c0.0001).
Discussion and Conclusions: Adopting an external focus of attention benefits performance during short-term training of a novel balance task in older adults with and without diabetes. Participants with diabetes were capable of improving task performance with practice at a relative rate similar to those without diabetes. This information may be useful for designing interventional strategies to improve physical function and mitigate fall risks in older adults with diabetes
The Influence of Bihemispheric Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Muscle Fatigue
No full textUnilateral transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) using two electrodes placed over the primary motor cortex (M1) and the contralateral supraorbital (SO) region (M1-SO montage) has been shown to decrease the progression of muscle fatigue. The primary purpose was to determine the impact of bihemispheric tDCS (bi-tDCS) applied over the left and right M1s (bi-tDCS) on the time to task failure (TTF) of a precision-grip task. The study implemented a double-blind, randomized, SHAM-controlled, within-subjects design. A total of 20 participants performed two experimental sessions (bi-tDCS and SHAM conditions) separated by a one-week washout. During each experimental session, a fatiguing isometric contraction of the right hand was performed with a precision grip during concurrent application of either bi-tDCS or SHAM stimulation of the two M1s. The fatiguing contraction required participants to match a target force equal to 15% of their maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) force until TTF. The main findings were that there were no statistically significant differences in TTF (P = 0.730) and percentage decline in MVC force (P = 0.733) between the bi-tDCS and SHAM conditions. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in force error, standard deviation of force, or EMG activity between the two conditions. These results indicate that bi-tDCS does not delay the progression of fatigue during a precision grip task in healthy adults in the task conditions of the current study
“But…. They Don’t Look Like Me.” An Examination of Mentoring Relationships with Hispanic and Latinx Students
No full textThe guiding objectives of this research were to more deeply understand Hispanic and Latinx students’ attitudes about research mentoring relationships and clarify conflicting findings within the existing literature. Study 1 focused on 32 Hispanic and Latinx undergraduate students who had experience with STEM research mentoring. A major goal was to examine whether racial-ethnic “match” between students and their mentors was associated with the types of behaviors that students encounter from their mentors (e.g., instrumental mentoring) as well as students’ academic attitudes (e.g., STEM self-efficacy). Findings revealed that students have a stronger preference for mentors who share their personality traits over those who match other sociodemographic characteristics, including ethnic and racial background, gender, and age. Study 2, which used a mixed-methods design, focused on 108 Hispanic and Latinx undergraduate students who had experience with STEM research mentoring. A major goal was to explore their perspectives on how mentors should approach research mentoring relationships with Hispanic and Latinx students. We also examined whether the type of reasoning undergraduates provided was associated with the strength of their psychological identification with their ethnic group. Findings indicated that the strength of participants\u27 ethnic identity was not associated with their reasoning. In addition, findings revealed five overarching themes. Of particular interest was the culturally aware theme, which highlighted the importance of mentors acknowledging the unique difficulties that Hispanic and Latinx students experience in navigating their academic system (e.g., language barriers, being first-generation college students, and unhealthy cultural norms within their ethnic-racial group). The findings from this research provide new insight into what Hispanic and Latinx students seek in their research mentoring relationships. The findings also underscore the significance of mentors adopting culturally sensitive mentoring styles and shed light on intriguing directions for future research
Development of Non-Proprietary Ultra-High-Performance Concrete and Railway Tie Application
No full textThis study reports on properties of non-proprietary ultra-high-performance concretes (UHPCs) for railway ties. The research work is divided into three major phases. The first phase reports on optimization of cementitious materials and aggregates and selection of the most suitable water-to-cementitious materials ratio. In the second phase, the transport and durability properties of the optimized UHPCs are determined. In the third phase of the study, assessment on the structural behavior of the full-scale UHPC railway ties is reported. The major variables of this study are binder types (Type V cement, class F fly ash, silica fume, Ground granulated blast-furnace slag, natural pozzolan), binder combinations (binary, ternary, quaternary), aggregate-to-cementitious materials ratio (0.80, 1.00, and 1.20), steel fiber types (hooked and straight), and steel fiber content (0%, 2%, and 3%). The experimental program assesses the fresh properties (flow), demolded unit weight, mechanical properties (compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths, and modulus of elasticity), transport properties (water absorption, volume of permeable void, water penetration, rapid chloride penetration, and surface resistivity), durability (freezing and thawing resistance, deicing salt resistance, and abrasion resistance), and dimensional stability (drying shrinkage). The structural performance of non-proprietary UHPC ties is examined under static center negative moment test, static rail-seat moment test, and center negative cyclic loading conditions.
The outcome of this study revealed that the selected optimized UHPCs displayed excellent bulk properties and dimensional stability. Amongst the utilized cementitious material combinations, UHPCs made with the combined silica fume and class F fly ash, as a partial replacement of cement, performed the best, while the companion mixtures incorporating only class F fly ash exhibited the contrary. An apparent strain-hardening and -softening was observed in the load-deflection response of steel fiber-reinforced UHPCs. Due to better steel to concrete surface adhesion, straight steel fibers had a more positive influence on the mechanical properties and dimensional stability of the studied UHPCs than those of the hooked fibers. Overall, this experimental study supports that, with proper gradations and proportioning, traditional fine aggregates can be used as an effective substitute for the expensive filler materials used to produce the proprietary UHPCs without compromising their mechanical properties and dimensional stability.
The findings of this study also indicated that the type and combination of cementitious materials had a greater influence on surface resistivity and chloride ion penetration resistance than on the strength of the studied UHPCs. The inclusion of silica fume reduced water absorption and permeable voids, while ternary UHPCs with silica fume and fly ash showed a significant reduction in charge passed compared to the reference UHPC. The study also highlighted the unsuitability of the RCPT test for assessing chloride transport through steel fiber-reinforced UHPCs since fibers can short the circuit to result in invalid indication of conductance. The surface resistivity results showed excellent correlation with RCPT findings.
The investigated UHPCs also exhibited exceptional resistance against freezing and thawing deterioration. The post-F-T exposed UHPCs gained strength due to the availability of unhydrated pozzolanic materials, coupled with a favorable curing environment. Amongst the utilized pozzolanic material combinations, the UHPCs made with silica fume and class F fly ash, as a partial replacement for the cement, performed best against freezing and thawing, whereas the companion mixtures containing only class F fly ash, to replace a portion of the cement, showed the highest mass loss. The addition of straight steel fibers had a more positive influence on the freezing and thawing resistance than hooked fibers.
The studied UHPCs also exhibited excellent resistance to de-icing salts, with ternary blend UHPCs and steel fibers further enhancing the material\u27s resistance by arresting crack development. The studied UHPCs also displayed excellent resistance against wear, well above that of the typical concrete currently used in prestressed concrete sleepers/ties. Amongst the utilized cementitious material combinations, the UHPCs made with silica fume as a partial replacement of cement performed best against abrasion, whereas mixtures containing fly ash showed the highest depth of wear. The relative gain in abrasion of the studied UHPCs was independent of cementitious materials compositions, and steel fiber content and type.
The UHPC Ties constructed using grade 468 MPa steel reinforcing bars exhibited higher ductility and energy absorption. Although the UHPC ties made with grade 738 MPa reinforcing bars sustained higher ultimate loads, they exhibited lower bending displacement at the peak load. Attributed to the shorter span and larger sectional size, the static support negative moment test showed higher ultimate load capacity compared to the static center moment test. The UHPC ties subjected to cyclic loading performed similarly to their static loading counterparts, with the ties made with grade 468 MPa steel reinforcing bars demonstrating higher ultimate load capacity, better energy absorption, and greater ductility. The studied UHPC ties exhibited flexural type failure with vertical cracks, and the observed crack frequencies were slightly higher under cyclic loading. Good bond behavior between reinforcing rebars and concrete was observed for all the studied UHPC ties. Unlike the UHPC ties constructed using grade 738 MPa reinforcing bars, the load-strain response of the UHPC ties made with grade 468 reinforcing bars indicated clear yielding under both static and cyclic loading conditions