Active video games for youth : a systematic review

Background: A population level increase in physical activity (PA) is critical to reduce obesity in youth. Video games are highly popular and active video games (AVGs) have the potential to play a role in promoting youth PA.

Method: Studies on AVG play energy expenditure (EE) and maintenance of play in youth were systematically identified in the published literature and assessed for quality and informational value.

Results: Nine studies measuring AVG play EE were identified. The meta-analytic estimates of average METs across these studies were 3.1 (95% CI: 2.6, 3.6) to 3.2 (95% CI: 2.7, 3.7). No games elicited an average EE above the 6 MET threshold for vigorous EE. Observed differences between studies were likely due to the different types of games used, rather than age or gender. Four studies related to maintenance of play were identified. Most studies reported AVG use declined over time. Studies were of low-to-medium quality.

Conclusion: AVGs are capable of generating EE in youth to attain PA guidelines. Few studies have assessed sustainability of AVG play, which appears to diminish after a short period of time for most players. Better-quality future research must address how AVG play could be maintained over longer periods of time.

Effect of a school-based active play intervention on sedentary time and physical activity in preschool children

Early childhood is a critical time for promoting physical activity. Few studies have investigated the effect of interventions in this population. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a school-based active play intervention on preschool children’s sedentary time and physical activity. Preschool children were recruited from randomly selected preschools. Schools were randomly assigned to an intervention or comparison group. One teacher per intervention school received training from active play professionals in the delivery of a 6-week active play programme. Comparison schools continued their usual practice. Children wore a uni-axial accelerometer for 7 days at baseline, immediately after and at 6-month post-intervention. No significant intervention effects were observed for sedentary time or physical activity. However, sex and hours spent at school were significant predictors of physical activity. Children who spent fewer hours (half-day children) at school were significantly more active than their full-day counterparts. Physical activity during the intervention classes was high even though neither daily physical activity nor sedentary time changed. Notably children who spent more time at preschool were less active suggesting that preschool was not as conducive to physical activity engagement as other environments.

Proving a negative in history: the non-appearance of the Hungarian football team at the Melbourne Olympic Games in 1956

In this article we examine why Hungary, despite having the best football team in the world, did not enter the competition at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. We examine several explanations and find them to be based on errors and misconceptions. Given the significance of sport in socialist societies, we believe that the most likely explanation lies in the relationship between the Hungarian communist regime and that of the Soviet Union. Ongoing archival research suggests that the Hungarian regime did not enter a football team because it wanted to assist the Soviet Union in winning the gold medal, which it was thought would demonstrate the moral superiority of communism. This proposition is supported by a 2012 interview with Jenö Buzánszky, one of the two survivors of the Hungarian team.

Does Candida and/or Staphylococcus play a role in nipple and breast pain in lactation? A cohort study in Melbourne, Australia

Objective: To investigate Candida species and Staphylococcus aureus and the development of 'nipple and breast thrush' among breastfeeding women. Design: Prospective longitudinal cohort study. Setting: Two hospitals in Melbourne, Australia (one public, one private) with follow-up in the community. Participants: 360 nulliparous women recruited at 36 weeks' gestation from November 2009 to June 2011. Participants were followed up six times: in hospital, at home weekly until 4 weeks postpartum and by telephone at 8 weeks. Main outcome measures: Case definition 'nipple and breast thrush': burning nipple pain and breast pain (not related to mastitis); detection of Candida spp (using culture and PCR) in the mother's vagina, nipple or breast milk or in the baby's mouth; detection of S aureus in the mother' nipple or breast milk. Results: Women with the case definition of nipple/ breast thrush were more likely to have Candida spp in nipple/breast milk/baby oral samples (54%) compared to other women (36%, p=0.014). S aureus was common in nipple/breast milk/baby samples of women with these symptoms as well as women without these symptoms (82% vs 79%) (p=0.597). Time-to-event analysis examined predictors of nipple/breast thrush up to and including the time of data collection. Candida in nipple/breast milk/baby predicted incidence of the case definition (rate ratio (RR) 1.87 (95% CI 1.10 to 3.16, p=0.018). We do not have evidence that S aureus colonisation was a predictor of these symptoms (RR 1.53, 95% CI 0.88 to 2.64, p=0.13). Nipple damage was also a predictor of these symptoms, RR 2.30 (95% CI 1.19 to 4.43, p=0.012). In the multivariate model, with all three predictors, the RRs were very similar to the univariate RRs. This indicates that Candida and nipple damage are independent predictors of our case definition.

TOBY play-pad application to teach children with ASD – a pilot trial

 Purpose: To investigate use patterns and learning outcomes associated with the use of Therapy Outcomes By You (TOBY. Playpad, an early intervention iPad application. Methods: Participants were 33 families with a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged 16 years or less, and with a diagnosis of autism or pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified, and no secondary diagnoses. Families were provided with TOBY and asked to use it for 4-6 weeks, without further prompting or coaching. Dependent variables included participant use patterns and initial indicators of child progress. Results: Twenty-three participants engaged extensively with TOBY, being exposed to at least 100 complete learn units and completing between 17% and 100% of the curriculum. Conclusions: TOBY may make a useful contribution to early intervention programming for children with ASD delivering high rates of appropriate learning opportunities. Further research evaluating the efficacy of TOBY in relation to independent indicators of functioning is warranted.

This voice: the poetry of knowing and not knowing

This essay is concerned with how poetry—reading it, writing it, and adapting it—relies on a dialectic between knowing and not knowing, a flickering movement between understanding and ignorance that is central to the production of poetry and its effects. To illustrate this, I discuss my poem, ‘This Voice’, and its subsequent adaptation into what I call a ‘poetry soundtrack’, a form of digital audio poetry employing poetry, music, and sound design. The essay illustrates the centrality of the knowing/not-knowing dialectic to poetry by considering the following with regard to my works: the thematics of nescience; the liminal and virtual space of interpretation and play (the latter as theorised by D.W. Winnicott); ‘nocturnal poetics’; and sampling (both sonic and lexical).

Gaming privacy : a Canadian case study of a children’s co-created privacy literacy game

This paper reports the process and outcomes of the design of a game that educates children about management of privacy online. Using a participatory action research process, children worked with the researchers to develop and play a game which simulates certain aspects of online privacy management and allows for scaffolded experiential learning in a safe environment. The game allows children to develop autonomous skills and understandings, not only for more effective learning but also because it is only through autonomy that children can develop a sense of self which is necessary for understanding what it means to be private. The paper shows that children have quite sophisticated understandings of privacy, compared with some adult perceptions, and that these understandings include awareness of the risks posed by commercial organisations seeking to gather personal data from them. The paper shows how engaging children as research and design participants can lead to more successful approaches in the development of privacy literacy.

EPO-receptor is present in mouse C2C12 and human primary skeletal muscle cells but EPO does not influence myogenesis.

Abstract The role and regulation of the pleiotropic cytokine erythropoietin (EPO) in skeletal muscle are controversial. EPO exerts its effects by binding its specific receptor (EPO-R), which activates intracellular signaling and gene transcription in response to internal and external stress signals. EPO is suggested to play a direct role in myogenesis via the EPO-R, but several studies have questioned the effect of EPO treatment in muscle in vitro and in vivo. The lack of certainty surrounding the use of nonspecific EPO-R antibodies contributes to the ambiguity of the field. Our study demonstrates that the EPO-R gene and protein are expressed at each stage of mouse C2C12 and human skeletal muscle cell proliferation and differentiation and validates a specific antibody for the detection of the EPO-R protein. However, in our experimental conditions, EPO treatment had no effect on mouse C2C12 and human muscle cell proliferation, differentiation, protein synthesis or EPO-R expression. While an increase in Akt and MAPK phosphorylation was observed, we demonstrate that this effect resulted from the stress caused by changing medium and not from EPO treatment. We therefore suggest that skeletal muscle EPO-R might be present in a nonfunctional form, or too lowly expressed to play a role in muscle cell function.

Short term fat feeding rapidly increases plasma insulin but does not result in dyslipidaemia

Although the association between obesity and hypertension is well known, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Previously, we have shown that 3 week fat feeding in rabbits produces greater visceral adiposity, hypertension, tachycardia and elevated renal sympathetic nerve activity compared to rabbits on a normal diet. Because hyperinsulinaemia, hyperleptinemia and dyslipidaemia are independent cardiovascular risk factors associated with hypertension we compared plasma insulin, leptin and lipid profiles in male New Zealand White rabbits fed a normal fat diet (NFD 4.3% fat, n = 11) or high fat diet (HFD 13.4% fat, n = 13) at days 1, 2, 3 and weeks 1, 2, 3 of the diet. Plasma concentrations of diacylglyceride (DG), triacylglyceride (TG), ceramide and cholesteryl esters (CE) were obtained after analysis by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Plasma insulin and glucose increased within the first 3 days of the diet in HFD rabbits (P <0.05) and remained elevated at week 1 (P <0.05). Blood pressure and heart rate followed a similar pattern. By contrast, in both groups, plasma leptin levels remained unchanged during the first few days (P >0.05), increasing by week 3 in fat fed animals alone (P <0.05). Concentrations of total DG, TG, CE and Ceramide at week 3 did not differ between groups (P >0.05). Our data show plasma insulin increases rapidly following consumption of a HFD and suggests that it may play a role in the rapid rise of blood pressure. Dyslipidaemia does not appear to contribute to the hypertension in this animal model.

Proportionality in sentencing: the need to factor in community experience, not public opinion

This is the first book to address the question of what role public opinion should play in the way criminal offenders are punished.Should public opinion determine—or even influence—sentencing policy and practice? Should the punishment of criminal offenders reflect what the public regards as appropriate? These deceptively simple questions conceal complex theoretical and methodological challenges to the administration of punishment.In the West, politicians have often answered these questions in the affirmative; penal reforms have been justified with direct reference to the attitudes of the public. This is why the contention that politicians should bridge the gap between the public and criminal justice practice has widespread resonance. Criminal law scholars, for their part, have often been more reluctant to accept public input in penal practice, and some have even held that the idea of consulting public opinion constitutes a populist approach to punishment.The purpose of this book is to examine the moral significance of public opinion for penal theory and practice. For the first time in a single volume the editors, Jesper Ryberg and Julian V. Roberts, have assembled a number of respected criminologists, philosphers, and legal theorists to address the various aspects of why and how public opinion should be reflected in the way the criminal justice system deals with criminals. The chapters address the myriad complexities surrounding this issue by first weighing the justifications for incorporating public views into punishment practices and then considering the various ways this might be achieved through juries, prosecutors, restoratifve justice programs, and other means.

Prevalence and stability of active play, restricted movement and television viewing in infants

This study describes engagement in and stability of physical activity and sedentary behaviours in early life, and assesses associations with sex, maternal education and developmental stage. Maternal-report data at child age 4, 9 and 20 months were collected from 542 families in the Melbourne Infant Feeding Activity and Nutrition Trial Program. Parents estimated average time per day their child spent in active pursuits or pursuits that restricted movement. With increasing age, children generally spent more time in active pursuits and watching television, and less time in situations that restrict movement. Associations were found with age of developmental milestone attainment but not sex or maternal education. Stability over time was strongest for television viewing (β = 0.34–0.38) and time spent outdoors (β = 0.27–0.33). Contrary to guidelines, television viewing increased and showed stability, suggesting a need to target this behaviour very early in life to achieve optimal longer term outcomes.

Does playing a sports active video game improve young children's ball skill competence?

OBJECTIVES: Actual and perceived object control (commonly ball) skill proficiency is associated with higher physical activity in children and adolescents. Active video games (AVGs) encourage whole body movement to control/play the electronic gaming system and therefore provide an opportunity for screen time to become more active. The purpose of this study was to determine whether playing sports AVGs has a positive influence on young children's actual and perceived object control skills. DESIGN: Two group pre/post experimental design study. METHODS: Thirty-six children aged 6-10 years old from one school were randomly allocated to a control or intervention condition. The Test of Gross Motor Development-3 assessed object control skill. The Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence for Young Children assessed perceived object control skill. The intervention consisted of 6×50min lunchtime AVG sessions on the Xbox Kinect. Two to three sport games were chosen for participants to play each session. General linear models with either perceived object control or actual object control skill as the outcome variables were conducted. Each base model adjusted for intervention status and pre-score of the respective outcome variable. Additional models adjusted for potential confounding variables (sex of child and game at home). RESULTS: No significant differences between the control and intervention groups were observed for both outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that playing the Xbox Kinect does not significantly influence children's perceived or actual object control skills, suggesting that the utility of the Xbox Kinect for developing perceived and actual object control skill competence is questionable.

The views of parents who experience intergenerational poverty on parenting and play: a qualitative analysis

BACKGROUND: There is minimal literature on how parents experiencing intergenerational poverty view their role as parents and the value they place on children's play. The objective of this study was to examine how these parents view their parenting role and their beliefs about children's play. METHODS: Thirteen mothers of preschool-aged children who experienced intergenerational poverty were recruited to the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. RESULTS: Parents described their role as guiding their children to become 'good' people, to teach them skills and provide a routine within the home. There were two disconnections in the data including the view that whilst parenting was hard and lonely, it was also a private matter and participants preferred not to seek support. A second disconnection was in terms of their beliefs about play. Parents believed that whilst play was valuable to their child's development, it was not their role to play with children. However, if parents did play with their child, they noticed positive changes in their child's behaviour. CONCLUSION: The views of parents who experienced intergenerational poverty were similar to other reported findings in parenting studies. However, the current sample differed on not seeking help for support as well as not seeing their role as playing with their children, even though occasions of joining their child in play were associated with a positive change in their relationship with their child. This has implications for communicating about parenting issues with parents who have experienced intergenerational poverty.

Institutional investors in Australia: do they play a homogenous monitoring role?

This paper examines whether the presence of institutional investors in Australian publicly listed firms has an impact on firm performance. Our findings provide evidence that institutional investors are not a homogenous group of investors and that it is important to distinguish them by investment objective and their monitoring ability to exert influence. Results show that while institutional investors taken as a homogenous group appear to play an important governance role in terms of future firm performance, our analyses of the three broad typologies of institutional investors and by their respective sub-categories reveal differing conclusions. While pressure-resistant institutional investors (i.e., independent and having only investment relationship) significantly improve the short-term performance of Australian listed firms, they do not show any long-term monitoring ability. The impact of pressure-sensitive institutional investors is less clear, which is consistent with the view that these investors have some existing and potential business ties with the investee firms. More interestingly, we find that "faceless" investors via nominee and trustee institutions play an important monitoring role in creating a long-term firm value. Results have policy implications on the monitoring abilities of institutional investors in Australia.