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Strength Assessment Protocol in Pre-Professional Ballet Dancers
No full textPurpose: This research project aimed to investigate the effects, particularly regarding the ability to generate force, that could emerge following a ballet class. The purpose of the study was to support the thesis that low levels of fitness and performance in professional and amateur dancers, should be considered a significant gap that needs to be addressed. Larger will be the gap and bigger will be the demand of a dancer to be prepared athletically. While the shorter the gap and more efficient the artistic side of the dance performance will be. As a result, a stronger and healthier body will support and let the artistic side to be the main character on the stage. Subjects: The assessment protocol was applied to a sample of male and female dance students (14 and 18 years old, respectively) at a professional level, with an average age of 18 years, at a renowned dance school in Tuscany (Italy): “Ateneo della Danza” in Siena. The overall project was supervised from the Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo. Materials and Methods: Two ballet classes were conducted, each including fundamental exercises such as jumps and virtuosism (fouettés for girls and tour à la seconde for boys). The assessment protocol involved two measurement stations, each supervised by an operator. The evaluation was conducted both before and immediately after the class. Two modes of force analysis were chosen: one illustrative of the explosive-reactive force of the lower limb (Repeated Countermovement Jump: RCMJ) and the other localized and specific to the upper limb, also correlated with interesting index such as general fitness, nutritional status, bone mineral density, percentage of lean mass, etc. (Hand Grip Strength: HGS). The HGS test was performed using a Baseline® W99713 hydraulic dynamometer, while the RCMJ test was conducted using the FreePower Jump Sensorize System and Software. Based on literature, the combination of HGS and CMJ tests has been applied to athletes to assess their overall neuromuscular capacity. These tests have also been used as indicators of fatigue in response to training or sports-specific performance. Any significant changes in the measured indices would confirm or not the training nature of the proposed dance session and the responsiveness and sensitivity of the subjects to that particular stimulus. Results and Data Analysis: A Student\u27s t-test was conducted to compare pre- and post-class values and assess their statistical significance, with a minimum error set at α = 2.05. The analysis showed no statistically significant differentiation in HGS parameters between pre- (M = 28.18 kg ± SD = 7.57) and post-class (M = 28.15 kg ± SD = 6.83) values, for both genders (p = .98), as well as in girls (p = .77) and boys (p = .66). However, the values obtained seemed to be lower than those reported in other studies involving subjects of the same age engaged in different sports. On the other hand, there was a statistically significant improvement in the variables characterizing the RCMJ test after the class. The divergence between pre- and post-class values of the RCMJ test, considering both subject populations, showed an extremely significant increase post- class in parameters such as maximum elevation height, Qmax (p \u3c .001); maximum Bosco elevation, Bmax (p \u3c .001); and average power, Paverage (p \u3c .001). Conclusions: Based on the results obtained, it is hypothesized that the analyzed technical session may not overload the body, as there was no post-class central fatigue observed (HGS values did not undergo a statistically significant change). However, the significant increase in parameters related to elastic-reactive capacity in the lower limbs should not be underestimated, probably due to the Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP) phenomenon. This phenomenon generates acute improvements in short-duration power and muscle performance, as seen in jump height and change of direction speed. The adjustments determined by PAP are both neural and muscular in nature. It was not clarified, however what mechanisms underlie this localized activation,as there were no post-class neural adjustments observed, considering HGS values. It was also not possible to affirm that it was specifically the proposed dance session that caused the variations pre- and post-class. This is because the students were tested at their baseline level, without comparing the data with those that could be obtained in a condition of preparation for specific performance (warm-up). Given these considerations, there is a confirmed need for further research to support this hypothesis to enhance the scientific evidence of physiological performance markers for this group of virtuosos. Additionally, there is a need to develop evaluation and training protocols specifically for this special category of athletes. We should consider the sports science adding value to the dance training. This would help consolidate their physical abilities in support of technical skills, thereby elevating the artistic sphere that distinguishes their profession from other types of physical-motor disciplines. Otherwise, we’re only pretending to elevate their performances during lessons and on the stage. It’s extremely necessary to consider dancers as humans first, with physiological needs and feelings. This is the element that distinguishes a dancer from an athlete: the need to take care of the emotional aspect, balancing and framing this aspect within the demand for physical performance. So far, dance is placed before being a person, even before the body can adapt to the aesthetic demands of the discipline or the requests of the choreographer. However, there should be health above all. Furthermore, the body is not confined to technique classes, training sessions, or performances and choreography; rather, it is always inhabited, as long as there is life
The Financial Stresses that Affect Athletic Training Students: A Qualitative Investigation
No full textIntroduction: A recent survey examining barriers that affect athletic training students found that financial-related barriers created significant stress for students in professional athletic training programs. The need to work while attending a professional athletic training program was the highest reported barrier with 54.82% of respondents indicating that this was a barrier for them during their program. Beyond the overall reporting rate, the need to work while completing a professional athletic training program was indicated by athletic training students to be the barrier that they encountered the most frequently with respondents reporting that this was a stress for them between monthly and weekly. This study sought to gain a more in-depth understanding of the barriers and facilitators that contribute to financial stress for athletic training students and how athletic training programs can provide better financial-related support for students. Methods: Individual semi-structured online video interviews were completed with 11 athletic training students in the final year of their athletic training program and 1 recent graduate. Eight participants identified as female, 3 as male, and 1 as non-binary. Ten of the participants were traditionally aged when they completed their program and 2 were non-traditionally aged. Four participants attended private schools, while 8 attended public schools. Three participants were enrolled in accelerated athletic training programs, while 9 were enrolled in traditional graduate athletic training programs. Eight of the participants self-identified as White, 1 as Native American, and 3 identified as mixed-race. The interview guide was based on previous survey findings related to financial barriers and included questions designed to better understand financial-related stress for athletic training students. Qualitative data collected were analyzed using the Transformative Paradigm. Results: A qualitative analysis of the data found that financial barriers can take an emotional and psychological toll on athletic training students. The students interviewed in this study indicated that personal, clinical, and academic barriers and facilitators contributed to their financial stress. The most prominent personal barriers included psychological stress and strain, missing out on opportunities, and the strain of finances on their personal relationships. The financial-related clinical barriers of most concern for participants were access to clinical opportunities, the structure of clinicals, and preceptor interactions. Academic-related financial stresses primarily focused on class schedules, academic standing, scholarship opportunities, and the sunk cost fallacy. Additionally, some participants indicated that the financial-related stresses they experienced impacted their desire to continue their athletic training program through to graduation, as well as having a noteworthy impact on their plans to practice as athletic trainers after graduation. Translation to Practice: Some athletic training students are experiencing financial stress that has a real and direct impact on their emotional, academic, and psychological well-being. By better understanding what causes these financial stresses everyone involved in the education of athletic training students can critically evaluate policies and practices within their programs that may be negatively affecting their students
Adiponectin-Regulated Macrophage Responses in Aspergillus fumigatus Infection: Mechanisms of Uptake and Killing
No full textInvasive aspergillosis (IA), caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, is a life-threatening infection in immunocompromised individuals, necessitating novel host-directed therapies. Macrophages are pivotal in antifungal defense, yet their function can be dysregulated; the influence of the adipokine adiponectin (APN) on this process is not fully understood. This thesis investigated the role of APN signaling in alveolar macrophage (AM) and bone marrow-derived macrophage (BMDM) responses to A. fumigatus and assessed the therapeutic potential of the APN receptor agonist, AdipoRon. Initial studies revealed that genetic deficiency in APN or its receptors renders AMs intrinsically pro-inflammatory and significantly impaired fungicidal activity against A. fumigatus. Subsequent pharmacological activation of APN receptors in these deficient AMs using AdipoRon effectively rescued these defects. AdipoRon treatment enhanced fungal killing, a benefit attributed to the promotion of LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP), and concurrently dampened inflammatory responses. Extending these findings, investigations in BMDMs demonstrated that APN deficiency similarly led to a hyper-inflammatory state and impaired fungal clearance. Furthermore, APN deficiency critically altered macrophage cell fate decisions during A. fumigatus infection, promoting detrimental necrotic cell death. AdipoRon treatment of APN-deficient BMDMs not only attenuated inflammation and improved fungal killing but also favorably modulated cell death pathways, inducing a shift from necrosis towards apoptosis. Collectively, this thesis establishes APN signaling as a critical homeostatic regulator of macrophage antifungal immunity, profoundly influencing inflammatory responses, pathogen elimination mechanisms like LAP, and cell fate decisions. The findings underscore the therapeutic potential of AdipoRon to restore macrophage protective functions and mitigate immunopathology in IA, providing a strong rationale for exploring APN pathway modulation as a host-directed strategy, especially in conditions of APN dysregulation
Caregiver Perceptions, Knowledge, and Likelihood to Intervene with Suicidal Youth
No full textThis study utilized an online survey to target primary caregivers of a child aged 5-18. The survey highlighted factors regarding caregiver involvement in suicide prevention efforts, such as their knowledge, comfort and confidence intervening with a youth experiencing suicidality, and barriers to doing so. It was found that caregivers who had experienced suicide prevention training reported higher levels of comfort and confidence intervening with their own child and another child than those who had not, as well as lower levels of worry. Higher levels of education were also found to predict lower levels of worry, suggesting that further training and education may lead to individuals being less worried about intervening with youth experiencing suicidality. Furthermore, caregivers were able to identify common resources available for youth experiencing suicidality (i.e., emergency service, crisis hotlines, and mental health professionals)
Current Research Interests in International Service-Learning
No full textThis paper aims to identify and present what research perspectives are currently practiced in the field of international service learning (ISL) in higher education. The author gathered articles on ISL from high-profile publications and analyzed the methodological lens from which each study was conducted. Using the knowledge-constitutive framework of Jürgen Habermas, each article was categorized as technical, practical, or critical. The author found that while the majority of studies in the ISL field are conducted from a practical research interest, the articles most commonly cited are technical. This analysis is followed by an exploration as to why research interests are relevant and which interests may be most appropriate for studying transformative international service learning programming in higher education. This paper then answers the following queries: Is it possible to capture transformative education experiences through a technical or practical research interest? Can we as researchers expect to contribute to the practice of transformational learning if our research interest does not align with the pedagogy being researched? And, if researchers recognize the value of critical methodologies, why are practical and technical interest studies more frequently conducted and cited in the field
Everyone Has Humanity in Them: Multidimensional Teaching and Learning Through Philosophy-based Discussion
No full textWhile many K-12 alternative education programs use innovative pedagogy and practice, the students who attend them often remain educationally marginalized. Simultaneously, in higher education, experiential learning courses grounded in the theory of engaged scholarship have frequently cast alternative K-12 students in roles subordinate to those of their college student “helpers.” This paper sets forth a preliminary analysis of a community-university positive youth development model as an asset-based approach promoting mutuality and transformation, in the spirit of Freire’s conscientização
The Higher Educational Institution Assesses the Community Partnership in Service Learning: One Strategy for Institutionalizing Service Learning
No full textWhile a growing number of institutions offer service-learning courses, there is relatively little literature on the assessment of community partnerships with the institution. This study offers substantive institutional-community partner survey question examples from Campus Compact member websites targeting institutional assessment of the community partnership for ascertaining both the quality and effectiveness of service-learning on campus and for accreditation purposes. There is a paucity of service-learning institutional assessment research, and this study attempts to alleviate that gap
Urban University Community Engagement: Questions of Commitment to Democratic Ethics and Social Change
No full textThis paper examines ethical issues underpinning urban university engagement in community spaces. The intent is to encourage an evaluation stance and consider how university representatives and community representatives might justly approach and develop partnerships. The paper questions whether faculty, staff, and community partners take action to cultivate public dialogue, or what might be called democratic voice, to bring about social change. Social change organizations unambiguously try to affect and reshape public and environmental affairs, group dynamics, processes, and outcomes. Are the university administration and faculty, in partnership with community stakeholders, ready to take on the charge of social change organization
Editorial - Volunteerism and the Citizen‐Student: Long Term Impact on Well‐Being and Health
No full textThis editorial focuses on volunteerism research completed on older adults and the potential mental and physical health impacts it may have on college-aged students
Building Community One Structure at a Time: A Partnership Between Social Work and Landscape Architecture Students
No full textExperiential learning is invaluable when promoting interdisciplinary approaches to teaching complex issues. This article reports on a five-week collaboration between undergraduate stu-dents in social work and landscape architecture courses, project impetus being a common-reading text. Students (n=54) constructed three-dimensional models of children’s playgrounds and prepared academic posters describing restorative interventions based on their service-learning experiences with community partners. Projects were displayed at university-sponsored workshops. Participation in common reading programs has promising implications for interdis-ciplinary collaboration