The effect of a weighted-vest strength and balance training program on obstructed walking in postmenopausal women

SUMMARY Background: Age related declines in lower extremity strength have been associated with impaired mobility and changes in gait patterns, which increase the likelihood of falls. Since community dwelling adults encounter a wide range of locomotor challenges including uneven and obstmcted walking surfaces, we examined the effect of a strength 11 and balance exercise program on obstructed walking in postmenopausal women. Objectives: This study examined the effect of a weighted-vest strength and balance exercise program on adaptations of the stance leg during obstacle walking in postmenopausal women. Methods: Eighteen women aged 44-62 years who had not engaged in regular resistance training for the past year were recruited from the St. Catharines community to participate in this study. Eleven women volunteered for an aerobic (walking), strength, and balance training program 3 times per week for 12 weeks while 7 women volunteered as controls. Measurements included: force platform dynamic balance measure of the center of pressure (COP) and ground reaction forces (GRFs) in the stance leg while going over obstacles of different heights (0,5, 10,25 and 30 cm); and isokinetic strength measures of knee and ankle extension and flexion. Results: Of the 18 women, who began the trial, 16 completed it. The EX group showed a significant increase of 40% in ankle plantar flexion strength (P < 0.05). However, no improvements in measures of COP or GRFs were observed for either group. Failure to detect any changes in measures of dynamic balance may be due to small sample size. Conclusions: Postmenopausal women experience significant improvements in ankle strength with 12 weeks of a weighted-vest balance and strength training program, however, these changes do not seem to be associated with any improvement in measures of dynamic balance.

Charting the territory : how female artist/teachers balance their artistic practice with their institutional responsibilities as teachers /

This r\.~et.lrch examined ho\\' ~ight \\'omen artists \\'ho t~ach at the uni versity and college level, balance thcir artistic practic~ and their institu tional responsibilities as tcachers. This thesis reprt.~ents the culmination of \\'ork for my second graduate degree. For my first degrCt! on th~ grad uat~ level, I concentratoo on d~veloping my artistic practice. This ~Iaster's Degree in Education is no k~ important to m~. In pursuing studies in the field of education I \\'anted to understand my rol~ as both an educator and an artist and in the process I uncovered the interplay of race, class, and gender at \\'ork in th~ classroom. Coming from a \\'orking-class, immigrant background \\'here higher education \vas vie\\'cd as a stepping stone that \"ould enable my siblings and me a greater spectrum of opportunities, I \\'as at last able to understand my o\\'n educational experiences, more clearly. I discovered ho\\' d\.~ply I internalized the racism, sexism and class discrimination, I submitted to in my history as a student. Becoming a\\'are about the social forc\.~ at "'ork \\'ithin my day to day life has provided me \\'ith instruments \\'hich I can usc to examine and respond to these inequities as I confront them in th~ future. This \,'ork exists as a serk'S of responses and further av~nues for investigation on some themes I first began to explor~, albeit very tentati\'~ly, during my first incarnation as a graduate student and so though the h\'o bound volum~s rna-\' one da.v sit si.d~ b\' s id~ on the bookshelf, th~\-' exist in the context of my life as a set of brackets surrounding a series of qUl'Stions about being a \\'Onlan, a teachcr and an artist.

From Fordism to neoconservatism : free trade and Canadian industrial policy in an era of globalism /

Nothing today affects the lives of people in countries throughout the industrialized and developing world as much as international trade. Nowhere is this more true than in Canada. Canada's involvement in international trade has a long history dating back to 1854 when it was a British colony. As a major trading country, Canada has always adopted a proactive industrial policy which has been largely responsible for its relative economic prosperi ty. But, wi th businesses now free to invest and divest under the terms of the CUFTA and the NAFTA, the most fundamental concerns for Canadians, in a borderless world, are what powers will the Canadian government have to shape industrial policy, and to what extent can Canada continue as a viable nationstate if it can no longer control its national economy? These are important concerns because, in world without borders, the adjustment process becomes more volatile and more difficult to manage. The CUFTA and the NAFTA not only create the rules for conducting trade, but they also establish a set of new rules for the Canadian government that will diminish its power. As a member of a new North American trading bloc, Canada will find itself subject to a set of forces requiring analysis beyond participation in a conventional free trade area. Because many of the traditional levers of government will now be subject to external control imposed by these agreements, Canada will not be able to mount certain policies in the future that it has relied on in the past. This reality limits the pro-active role of the Canadian state to use policies and programmes for the country's immediate national development. What this thesis attempts is an examination of the evolution of Canadian industrial policy, in effect, the transi tion from Fordism to Neoconservatism, and an assessment of Canada's future as a nation-state as it tries to find security and improved access in a free trade arrangement. Unless Canada takes steps to neutralize the asymmetry of power between itself and the United States through adjustment programmes, it is the contention of this thesis that its economic future is anything but stable.

Attention focus and balance control in young and older adults

This thesis investigated attention focus and balance control in eighteen healthy young adults and eighteen healthy older adults. All participants performed sixteen consecutive trials of a balance task which involved standing for 30-s on an unstable platform that could rotate only in the roll direction. There were no attention focus instructions provided on any of the sixteen trials. Following the completion of the initial and final attempt in the series, participants reported "where" their attention had been focused when performing the task. The results showed differences in balance between young and older adults and improvements in balance with practice in both young and older adults. However, there were no differences in attention focus strategies between young and older adults. Both age groups directed attention to multiple sources during the balance task. An equal focus on internal (i.e., feet, trunk, and other body parts) and external (i.e., the platform) sources with little focus on events not related to the task dominated on the first attempt of the balance task. Focus on internal sources was maintained and focus on events not related to the task increased at the expense of focus on external sources on the final attempt of the balance task. Following the series of sixteen trials to establish "natural" attention focus, participants performed three randomly presented trials, each with specific attention focus instructions (i.e., think about minimizing movements of the feet, the trunk, or the platform). The results showed that, in contrast to the literature, instructions to focus on an internal source, the trunk, actually augmented control of the task as reflected in reduced trunk sway whereas instructions to focus on an internal source, the feet, or an external source, the platform, did not benefit performance on the task. Thus, the distance fi-om the interaction point of the body with the external source is critical and may not depend on whether the source is internal or external. Thus, a global attention focus instruction may not be beneficial and the nature of the task should be considered when adopting attention focus instructions for young and older adults.

Asymmetrical balance of power in preadolescents' mutual friendships

Dyadic friendShip' asymmetry was examined in relation to gender, friendship quality, and friendship status. Sixty-nine grade five children and their mutual, same-sex, friends participated in a laboratory session comprised ofvarious activities and completed questionnaires to identify mutual friends and evaluate friendship quality. Asymmetry of power was assessed observationally during an origami task. Variations in balance of power were evident in children's friendships. Boys' dyads had significantly greater levels of asymmetry than girls' dyads. Regardless of gender, asymmetry was associated with lower friendship quality, particularly as indexed by validation and caring and conflict resolution. Asymmetry was unrelated to differences in friendship status. Furthermore, relative individual power within the friendship was not related to individual perceptions offriendship quality. The implications ofthese findings in the theoretical and empirical literature were considered and suggestions for future research were made.

Wellness and balance: perceptions amongst female health care professionals negotiating career, family, and continuing education /

The purpose ofthis study was to explore the perceptions of wellness and bidance amongst female health care professionals negotiating career, family aiul continuing education commitments. Five women who met the criteria of having a family (with children), holding a full-time professional career in health care, and who were presently pursuing continuing education were interviewed. This paper begins with the introduction to the topic of research and the questions to be answered. The review of literature explores the theory and research A^ch precede this study and addresses the surrounding areas of: wellness, balance, multiple roles, stress and continuing education. < This study has assumed a qualitative, phenomenological approach. The data collected through the use of individual interviews were analyzed using a two-part process. Analysis using both (a) methodological interpretation and (b) The Listening Guide method has allowed for the uncovering of major themes, and the portrayal of each participant's unique experience. Some of the major themes which emerged from this research include: wellness as multidimensional and fluctuating, making personal sacrifices, the presence of stress, professional as a vital role, and continuing education as something for me. Perhaps the most significant finding this research has identified is the positive role continuing education can hold in the lives of women already negotiating multiple commitments. The notion that continuing education can act as a means of enhancing perceptions of wellness and balance holds a number of implications in theory, practice, and for future research.

Collegiate volleyball players' need fulfillment, balance and well-being

Proponents of Basic Needs Theory (BNT; Deci & Ryan, 2002) contend that the mechanism underpinning psychological well-being is the fulfillment of basic psychological needs with their fulfillment addressed in an independent (Deci & Ryan, 2002) or balanced manner (Sheldon & Niemiec, 2006). The purpose of this investigation was to explore the associations between the fulfillment of basic psychological needs and two forms of psychological well-being, namely hedonic and eudaimonic indices. Employing purposive sampling and a cross-sectional design, collegiate volleyball players (N = 219; nfemales = 127) completed a battery of self-report instruments assessing psychological need satisfaction and well-being toward the mid-to-end portion oftheir competitive season. Aligned with BNT (Deci & Ryan, 2002) tenets and study hypotheses, results demonstrated that basic psychological need fulfillment was associated with psychological well-being in the context of volleyball. Albeit minimal, balanced need fulfillment was generally predictive of well-being indices beyond independent need contributions with suppressor effects noted. In sum, the results of the present investigation generally coincide with previous sport based BNT (e.g., Reinboth & Duda, 2006) and balanced need satisfaction (e.g., Sheldon & Niemiec, 2006) literature. Additional BNT support has been garnished and suggests that the fulfillment of the basic psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness may be targeted as the mechanisms to facilitate athletes' psychological well-being. Along with Ryan and Deci's (2007) recommendations, the outcomes of this investigation highlight the need for further empirical study ofBNT's tenets in the realm of sport including assessments of balanced need satisfaction as well as varied hedonic and eudaimonic indices.

Benefits, challenges, and limitations of fair trade as a social justice movement

This thesis answers some important questions about how Fair Trade is experienced and perceived by some Northern sellers, consumers, activists, advocates, practitioners, and an importer. As it relates to sellers, I focus only on small scale independent businesses (i.e. I do not include large corporate businesses in my interview sample). Fair Trade works to establish a dignified livelihood for many producers in the South. Some of the most important actors in the Fair Trade movement are the people who buy, sell, and/or advocate for Fair Trade in the North. Fair Trade is largely a consumer movement which relies on the purchase of Fair Trade products. Without consumers purchasing Fair Trade products, retailers providing the products for sale, and activists raising awareness of Fair Trade, the movement, as it is presently constituted, would be non-existent. This qualitative research is based on 19 in-depth i.nterviews with nine interviewees involved with Fair Trade in Canada. I focus on benefits, challenges, and limitations of Fair Trade in the context of their involvement with it. I describe and analyze how people become involved with Fair Trade, what motivates them to do so, what they hope to achieve, and the benefits of being involved. I also describe and analyze how people understand and deal with any challenges and limitations associated with their involvement with Fair Trade. I also explore whether involvement with Fair Trade influences how people think about other products that they purchase and, if so, in what ways. I focus mainly on the commodity of coffee, but my discussion is not limited to this single commodity. Interviewees' experiences with and participation in Fair Trade vary in terms of their level of involvement and interest in the broader Fair Trade movement (as opposed to just participating in the market component). This research reveals that while Fair Trade is a small movement, sellers, consumers, and activists have had much success in the advancement of Fair Trade. While challenges have not deterred interviewees from continuing to participate in Fair Trade, analysis and explanation of such challenges provides the opportunity for Fair Trade practitioners to develop effective solutions in an effort to meet the needs of various Fair Trade actors.

Profitable opportunities around macroeconomic announcements in the U.S. Treasury market

This thesis studies the impact of macroeconomic announcements on the U.S. Treasury market and investigates profitable opportunities around macroeconomic announcements using data from the eSpeed electronic trading platform. We investigate how macroeconomic announcements affect the return predictability of trade imbalance for the 2-year, 5-year, IO-year U.S. Treasury notes and 30-year U.S. Treasury bonds. The goal of this thesis is to develop a methodology to identify informed trades and estimate the trade imbalance based on informed trades. We use the daily order book slope as a proxy for dispersion of beliefs among investors. Regression results in this thesis indicate that, on announcement days with a high dispersion of beliefs, daily trade imbalance estimated by informed trades significantly predicts returns on the following day. In addition, we develop a trade-imbalance based trading strategy conditional on dispersion of beliefs, informed trades, and announcement days. The trading strategy yields significantly positive net returns for the 2-year T-notes.

The effects of a 12-week multifactorial exercise and balance training program on balance control in older adults

The current thesis investigated the effects of a 12-week multifactorial exercise and balance training program on balance control in older adults. Participants completed a baseline testing session which included a series of questionnaires, anthropometric measures, and 18 stance and walking tests. Those who were randomly assigned to the exercise group participated in the 12-week training program while the comparison group was asked not to change anything in his/her lifestyle during the 12-week control period, but were invited to participate in the training program after his/her control period. The same testing protocol was repeated after the 12-week period. The results indicated that there were improvements in the time to complete the walking tests but no change in trunk sway in both the exercise and comparison groups. No changes in stance durations or trunk sway were observed. The findings suggest that the current training program showed no significant improvement in balance control in healthy older adults.

The effect of a segmental, localized lower limb cooling protocol on muscular strength and balance

The human neuromuscular system is susceptible to changes within the thermal environment. Cold extrinsic temperatures can significantly reduce muscle and nervous system function and communication, which can have consequences for motor performance. A repeated measures design protocol exposed participants to a 12°C cold water immersion (CWI) up to the ankle, knee, and hip to determine the effect that reduced skin and muscle temperature had on balance and strength task execution. Although a linear reduction in the ability to perform balance tasks was seen from the control condition through to the hip CWI, results from the study indicated a significant reduction in dynamic balance (Star Excursion Balance Test reach distance) performance from only the hip CWI (P<0.05). This reduced performance could have been due to an increase in joint stiffness, increased agonist-antagonist co-contraction, and/or reduced isokinetic muscular strength. Reduced physical performance due to cold temperature could negatively impact outdoor recreational athletics.

The Political Economy of St. Catharines' Illicit Taxi Trade

The global restructuring of production has led to increasingly precarious working conditions around the world. Post-industrial work is characterized by poor working conditions, low wages, a lack of social protection and political representation and little job security. Unregulated forms of work that are defined as “irregular” or “illegal”, or in some cases “criminal,” are connected to sweeping transformations within the broader regulated (formal) economy. The connection between the formal and informal sectors can more accurately be described as co-optation and, as a subordinate integration of the informal to the formal. The city of St. Catharines within Niagara, along with much of Ontario’s industrial heartland, has been hard hit by deindustrialization. The rise of this illegal service is thus viewed against the backdrop of heavy economic restructuring, as opportunities for work in the manufacturing sector have become sparse. In addition, this research also explores the paradoxical co-optation of the growing illicit taxi economy and consequences for racialized and foreign credentialed labour in the taxi industry. The overall objective of this research is to explore the illicit cab industry as not only inseparable from the formal economy, but dialectically, how it is as an integrated and productive element of the public and private transportation industry. Furthermore the research examines what this co-optation means in the context of a labour market that is split by race.