Engineers and technicians : the effect of cognitive style and gender on visual information processing

The purpose of this project was to identify in a subject group of engineers and technicians (N = 62) a preferred mode of representation for facilitating correct recall of information from complex graphics. The modes of representation were black and white (b&w) block, b&w icon, color block, and color icon. The researcher's test instrument included twelve complex graphics (six b&w and six color - three per mode). Each graphics presentation was followed by two multiple-choice questions. Recall performance was better using b&w block mode graphics and color icon mode graphics. A standardized test, the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) was used to identify a cognitive style preference (field dependence). Although engineers and technicians in the sample were strongly field-independent, they were not significantly more field-independent than the normative group in the Witkin, Oltman, Raskin, and Karp study (1971). Tests were also employed to look for any significant difference in cognitive style preference due to gender. None was found. Implications from the project results for the design of visuals and their use in technical training are discussed.

Muscle strength and activation characteristics of power- trained and non-athlete boys and men

During maturation, muscle strength is enhanced through muscle growth, although neuro-muscular factors are also believed to be involved. In adults, training for power sports has been shown to enhance muscle strength and activation. The purpose of this study was to examine muscle strength and activation in power-trained athletes (POW) compared with non-athletes (CON), in boys and in adults. After familiarization subjects performed ten 5-s explosive maximal voluntary contractions for elbow and knee flexion and extension. The adults were stronger then the boys and the adult POW were stronger then the adult CON, even after correction for muscle size. Normalized rate of torque development was higher in the adults then in the boys and higher in the POW then CON boys. The rate of muscle activation was higher in the adults and POW groups. The results suggest that maturation and power-training have an additive effect on muscle activation.

The effects of upper extremity functional electrically stimulated (FES) exercise training on upper limb function in individuals with tetraplegia

Functional Electrically Stimulated (FES) ami cycle ergometry is a relatively new technique for exercise in individuals with impairments of the upper limbs. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of 12 weeks of FES arm cycle ergometry on upper limb function and cardiovascular fitness in individuals with tetraplegia. F!ve subjects (4M/1F; mean age 43.8 ± 15.4 years) with a spinal cord injury of the cervical spine (C3- C7; ASIA B-D) participated in 12 weeks of3 times per week FES arm cycle ergometry training. Exercise performance measures (time to fatigue, distance to fatigue, work rate) were taken at baseline, 6 weeks, and following 12 weeks of training. Cardiovascular measures (MAP, resting HR, average and peak HR during exercise, cardiovascular efficiency) and self reported upper limb function (as determined by the CUE, sf-QIF, SCI-SET questionnaires) were taken at baseline and following 12 weeks of training. Increases were found in time to fatigue (84.4%), distance to fatigue (111.7%), and work rate (51.3%). These changes were non-significant. There was a significant decrease in MAP (91.1 ± 13.9 vs. 87.7 ± 14.7 mmHg) following 12 weeks ofFES arm cycle ergometry. There was no significant change in resting HR or average and peak HR during exercise. Cardiovascular efficiency showed an increase following the 12 weeks ofFES training (142.9%), which was non-significant. There were no significant changes in the measures of upper limb function and spasticity. Overall, FES arm cycle ergometry is an effective method of cardiovascular exercise for individuals with tetraplegia, as evidenced by a significant decrease in MAP, however it is unclear whether 12 weeks of thrice weekly FES arm cycle ergometry may effectively improve upper limb function in all individuals with a cervical SCI.

Niagara Region Hospital fonds, 1941-2003, n.d. (non-inclusive)

The fonds contains materials relating to The St. Catharines General Hospital, from 1941-2003 (non-inclusive). The materials included are meeting minutes, reports, media releases and correspondence media packages and some photographs. There are also a few short books put together on the history of the Mack Training School for Nurses and the Shaver Hospital. Material within folders has retained its original order. Many of the folders contain more than one type of material, for example media releases, clippings, correspondence etc. The most prominent form of material within the folder is what dictates the folder title. Sub-series within a series have been arranged alphabetically. Folders within a sub-series have been arranged chronologically.

The Effect of a Stickhandling and Puck Control (SPC) Training Intervention on SPC Skills and Wrist Shot Performance Variables in Female Collegiate Ice Hockey Players

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of a 16 session stickhandling and puck control (SPC) off-ice training intervention on SPC skills and wrist shot performance variables. Eighteen female collegiate ice hockey players participated in a crossover design training intervention, whereby players were randomly assigned to two groups. Each group completed 16 SPC training sessions in two conditions [normal vision (NV) and restricted vision (RV)]. Measures obtained after the training intervention revealed significant improvements in SPC skills and wrist shot accuracy. Order of training condition did not reach significance, meaning that SPC improvement occurred as a result of total training volume as opposed to order of training condition. However, overall changes in the RV-NV condition revealed consistently higher effect sizes, meaning a greater improvement in performance. Therefore, support can be provided for this technical approach to SPC training and an alternative method of challenging SPC skills.

Anne McPherson family fonds, 1852-2011 [non-inclusive]

Frank C. (Case) McCordick (1873-1946) was the son of William Henry (1849-1930) and Emily D. Howell (1851-1927) McCordick. William H. McCordick was in the coal business. The McCordick family included Frank Case, Mabel Gertrude, Ethel Howell and Arthur Stanley. Frank C. McCordick was educated in St. Catharines, and worked with his father in the coal business and eventually opened up a leather tanning operation. McCordick was active in the Lincoln Regiment and in 1906 was promoted to captain and in command of Company A, 19th Regiment. He was promoted to major and at the outbreak of war he was sent overseas as a commander of the 35th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces (CEF). Upon arrival in France he was made officer commanding the 15th Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI). After the war and his return to Canada he continued to play an active role in the local military units in the area as well as in Hamilton. After his retirement from the military in 1927 McCordick served as alderman and then mayor of St. Catharines from 1930 to 1931. He was a member of a large number of civic clubs, including St. Catharines Chamber of Commerce, Y.M.C.A., Lion’s Club, St. Catharines Golf Club, Detroit Boat Club, the St Catharines Club, as well as a member of several Masonic lodges. He continued to operate McCordick Tannery and other local investments. In 1903 Frank C. McCordick married May Beatrice Simson, daughter of Thomas E. Simson of Thorold. They had three children, E. (Edward) Frank McCordick, Bruce McCordick and (Margaret) Doris McCordick (m. Hubert Grigaut, d. 1977). The McCordick family resided at 82 Yates Street, near Adams Street. May Simson McCordick (b. 1873) was the daughter of Thomas Edward (1836-1908) and Julia Headlam (1844-1887) Simson of Thorold. Her siblings included: Edward, Frances, John, Augusta, Georgia and Gertrude. E. (Edward) Frank McCordick (1904-1980) was born in St. Catharines, Ont., attended Lake Lodge School in Grimsby, Ridley College in St. Catharines, Beechmont Preparatory School in England, Upper Canada College in Toronto and graduated from Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont. in 1925. Upon graduation he was made a lieutenant in the 10th (St. Catharines) Field Battery. In 1929 he married Helen Stanley Smith, daughter of Stanley George and Mary Walker Smith of St. Catharines. Col. McCordick, now promoted to Major, played an active role in the 10th (St. Catharines) Field Battery, being officer commanding the battery. In late 1939 McCordick headed to England for artillery tactical training and on December 6, 1939 the battery began the long trek overseas. McCordick saw action in Italy and in Holland. Upon his return to Canada at the end of the war he was the Liberal candidate in the federal election for Lincoln County. He remained active in the local military serving as honorary lieutenant-colonel of the 56th Field Regiment (ARCA) and in 1976 as the honorary colonel of the regiment. Col. McCordick held the Efficiency Decoration, the Order of the British Empire, granted in 1945 and was made an officer in the Order of St. John in 1978. He continued to serve his community in various capacities, including the Unemployment Insurance Canada Board, Royal Trust Company and the St. John Ambulance Society. He remained an active member of the alumni of Royal Military College, editing and compiling a newsletter and organizing reunion weekends. He kept in close contact with many of his classmates. Helen Stanley Smith McCordick lived in St. Catharines, Ont., attended Robertson School, and graduated from the University of Toronto in 1926 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Languages. During the war years (1939-1945) Helen was active in the Transport division of the local branch of the Canadian Red Cross and the Women’s Auxiliary of the 10th Field Battery. In 1932 E. Frank and Helen McCordick welcomed their only child, (Catharine) Anne McCordick. Helen continued to play an active role in her community until her passing in 1997. Stanley George Smith (1865-1960) was born in St. Catharines, Ont., the only child of William Smith (d. June 16, 1876) a native of Edinburgh, Scotland and his wife Hannah Louisa Maria Bulkeley a native of Fairfield, Connecticut. Stanley George Smith married Mary Walker of Guelph, Ont.(d. 1956) Mary was the daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth (d. 1924) Walker. Her siblings included Margaret, Agnes, Jessie, Isabella, Lorne, Ada, Alice, Eva, Alexander and George. Hugh Walker was a prominent fruit and vegetable merchant in Guelph. On 1904 their only child, Helen Stanley Smith was born. He was a post office clerk, and the treasurer for the James D. Tait Co. Ltd., a clothing and dry goods retailer in St. Catharines. The family lived at 39 Church Street in St. Catharines, Ont.

Comparing motives, goals and weight training behaviours of competitive and recreational weight trainers: An application of organismic integration theory and goal contents theory

The study purpose was to examine differences between competitive and recreational weight trainers on indices of motivation, goals and behaviour. Data was collected from a purposive sample of competitive (n = 177; Mage = 30.86; SDage = 11.35) and recreational (n = 196; Mage = 21.97; SDage = 6.05) weight trainers using a cross-sectional, non-experimental design. Participants completed the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2R, Exercise Motivations Inventory-2, assessment of weight training behaviour and demographic questions. Multivariate analyses of variance indicated higher endorsement of autonomous motives and mostly intrinsically-oriented goals, while independent samples t-tests indicated higher frequency of weight training behaviour among the competitive weight trainers. Group differences were independent of demographic factors. Findings suggest that autonomous motives and intrinsic goals may not be undermined by competition among competitive weight trainers. This study also provides support for the utility of organismic integration theory and goal contents theory in examining strength-based exercise.

Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Position Paper: Resistance Training in Children and Adolescents

Many position stands and review papers have refuted the myths associated with resistance training (RT) in children and adolescents. With proper training methods, RT for children and adolescents can be relatively safe and improve overall health. The objective of this position paper and review is to highlight research and provide recommendations in aspects of RT that have not been extensively reported in the pediatric literature. In addition to the well-documented increases in muscular strength and endurance, RT has been used to improve function in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy and burn victims. Increases in children’s muscular strength have been attributed primarily to neurological adaptations due to the disproportionately higher increase in muscle strength than in muscle size. Although most studies using anthropometric measures have not shown significant muscle hypertrophy in children, more sensitive measures such as magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound have suggested hypertrophy may occur. There is no minimum age for RT for children. However the training and instruction must be appropriate for children and adolescents involving a proper warm-up, cool-down and an appropriate choice of exercises. It is recommended that low-to-moderate intensity resistance should be utilized 2-3 times per week on non-consecutive days, with 1-2 sets initially, progressing to 4 sets of 8-15 repetitions for 8-12 exercises. These exercises can include more advanced movements such as Olympic style lifting, plyometrics and balance training, which can enhance strength, power, co-ordination and balance. However specific guidelines for these more advanced techniques need to be established for youth. In conclusion, a RT program that is within a child’s or adolescent’s capacity, involves gradual progression under qualified instruction and supervision with appropriately sized equipment can involve more advanced or intense RT exercises which can lead to functional (i.e. muscular strength, endurance, power, balance and co-ordination) and health benefits.