Do permanent shocks explain income levels? a common cycle-common trend analysis of regional income levels for China

In this paper, we analyse per capita income levels of China's three main regions: the western region, the eastern region and the central region using common cycle and common trend tests. Our main contribution is that we impose the common cycle and common trend restrictions in decomposing shocks into permanent and transitory components. We find that: (i) there is evidence for two cointegrating relationships and one common cycle; and (ii) the variance decomposition analysis of shocks provides evidence that over short horizons, permanent shocks play a large role in explaining variations in regional per capita incomes.

Comparative effects of TV watching, recreational computer use, and sedentary video game play on spontaneous energy intake in male children. A randomised crossover trial.

To compare the effects of three screen-based sedentary behaviours on acute energy intake (EI) in children. Normal-weight males aged 9-13 years participated in a randomised crossover trial conducted in a laboratory setting between November 2012 and February 2013 in Auckland, New Zealand. EI during an ad libitum meal was compared for three 1-hour conditions: (1) television (TV) watching, (2) sedentary video game (VG) play, and (3) recreational computer use. The primary endpoint was total EI from food and drink. Mixed regression models were used to evaluate the treatment conditions adjusting for age, BMI, and appetite at baseline. A total of 20 participants were randomised and all completed the three conditions. Total EI from food and drink in the TV, computer, and VG conditions was estimated at 820 (SE 73.15), 685 (SE 73.33), and 696 (SE 73.16) kcal, respectively, with EI being significantly greater in the TV versus computer condition (+135; P = 0.04), a trend towards greater intake in the TV versus VG condition (+124; P = 0.06), but not significantly different between the computer and VG conditions (-10; P = 0.87). TV watching was associated with greater EI compared with computer use, and a trend towards greater EI compared with VG play.

Teaching an old game new tricks : long-term feedback on a re-designed online role play

Despite an extensive history of use in teaching Political Science subjects, long-term scholarly studies of online role plays are uncommon. This paper redresses that balance by presenting five years of data on the Middle East Politics Simulation. This online role play has been run since the 1990s and underwent significant technical upgrade in 2013-14. The data presented here covers student feedback to this upgrade process and the factors that can influence their response. Key indications are that students tend to recognise when something is fit (or not) for its purpose and will forgo attractive and well-appointed online environments if the underlying learning exercise is valued. However, there are limits to this minimalism and whilst designers do not need to replicate every Internet trend, attention needs to be paid to broader changes in technology, such as access platform and changing avenues of political communication. The study demonstrates that long-term monitoring of online role play exercises is important to allow informed changes to be implemented and their impacts properly assessed.

The test-retest reliability of the child-initiated pretend play assessment

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to establish the test–retest reliability of the Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment (ChIPPA) (Stagnitti, 2002a; Stagnitti, Unsworth, & Rodger, 2000).

METHOD: The first author rated 38 preschool children ages 4 and 5 years (4 with developmental delay and 34 typically developing) on the ChIPPA. The ChIPPA employs conventional play materials and unstructured play materials to assess three qualities of a child's play ability: elaborateness of play action, ability to substitute objects during play, and the child's need to imitate the modelled actions of the examiner. The ChIPPA was administered twice, at a 2-week interval, to each participant.

RESULTS: Test–retest intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) (Type 2,1) calculated for each of the three elaborate play measures ranged from .73 to .84. A test–retest ICC of .56 was obtained for object substitution with unstructured play materials. The test–retest ICC obtained for the combined score for unstructured and conventional play materials was .57. Percentage agreement figures ranging from 63.2% to 84.2% were obtained on test–retest of the object substitution with conventional toys and imitated actions measures. There was no significant difference between test and retest scores for these measures based on a Wilcoxon Matched Pairs Signed-Ranks Test (Wilcoxon Sign Test).

CONCLUSION: Elaborate play scores, object substitution with conventional toys score, and imitation scores on the ChIPPA showed stability over time. Object substitution scores using unstructured materials were the least stable play measures and appeared to be related to the child's play themes. Since play is the primary occupation of children, it is essential that therapists have a reliable measure of play behavior. The test–retest reliability results from the ChIPPA provide evidence that this assessment produces a stable measure of play behavior that can then guide therapists when planning intervention strategies for children.

Understanding play: the implications for play assessment

This article reviews the current literature on play and play assessment in occupational therapy. The concept of play and play theories are examined and reasons are investigated for the low use of play assessment in paediatric occupational therapy practice. Within contemporary occupational therapy practice, the concept of play is being readdressed and play behaviour is understood to be important in child development. Available assessments of play in occupational therapy assess the child in a familiar environment to the child. Since many paediatric occupational therapists work in clinical settings, it is concluded that a clinically viable assessment of observation of play behaviour is required within occupational therapy. Parameters for such an assessment are proposed.

Reducing sedentary behaviour and increasing physical activity among 10-year-old children: overview and process evaluation of the 'Switch-Play' intervention

Overweight and obesity has doubled among children in Australia. There is an urgent need to develop primary prevention strategies to prevent current and future unhealthy weight gain. The aims of this paper are to describe a randomized controlled trial (‘Switch-Play’) developed to prevent unhealthy weight gain among 10-year-old children and to report the findings of the process evaluation. Children from three government primary schools were randomized by class to one of four conditions: a behavioural modification group (BM; n = 69); a fundamental motor skills group (FMS; n = 73); a combined BM and FMS group (n = 90); or a control (usual classroom lessons) group (n = 61). Children in the BM group participated in 19 sessions that encouraged them to reduce screen-based behaviours, and identified physical activity alternatives. The FMS group participated in 19 lessons that focused on mastery of six skills: run, throw, dodge, strike, vertical jump and kick. The combined group participated in all the BM and FMS activities. The intervention specialist teacher reported that the children showed high enjoyment and engagement (88% lessons attended) in most aspects of the programme. At-home tasks were completed by 57–62% of the children, and 92% completed the in-class tasks. Two-thirds of the children in the BM group participated in the behavioural contracting to switch off the TV. Most of the children reported high enjoyment of the programmes, and only a small proportion (7–17%) reported difficulties in switching off their nominated TV shows. More than half the children reported reducing their TV viewing; however, less than half reported increasing their physical activity. It was found that most aspects of the intervention arms of the programme were successfully delivered to the majority of children participating in ‘Switch-Play’; that the programmes were delivered as intended; and that the programmes were favourably evaluated by participating children and their parents.

Challenging notions of gendered game play: teenagers playing `The Sims`

This paper challenges notions of gendered game playing practice implicit in much research into young women's involvement with the computer gaming culture. It draws on a study of Australian teenagers playing The Sims Deluxe as part of an English curriculum unit and insights from feminist media studies to explore relationships between gender and game playing practices. Departing from a reliance on predetermined notions of “gender”, “domestic space”, and “successful game play”, it conceptualizes The Sims as a game in which the boundaries between gender and domestic space are disturbed. It argues that observing students' constructions of gender and domestic space through the act of game play itself provides a more productive insight into the gendered dimensions of game play for educators wishing to work computer games such as The Sims into curriculum development.

Where do children usually play? A qualitative study of parents' perceptions of influences on children's active free-play

This study explored the perceptions of 78 parents from low, mid and high socio-economic areas in Melbourne, Australia to increase understanding of where children play and why. Using an ecological model interviews with parents revealed that safety and social factors emerged as key social themes, facilities at parks and playgrounds, and urban design factors emerged as important physical environment themes. The children's level of independence and attitudes to active free-play were considered to be important individual level influences on active free-play. The study findings have important implications for future urban planning and children's opportunities for active free-play.

Individual, social and home environment determinants of change in children's television viewing: the Switch-Play intervention

Understanding potential determinants of change in television (TV) viewing among children may enhance the effectiveness of programs targeting this behaviour. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of individual, social and home environment factors among 10-year-old Australian children to change in TV viewing over a 21-month period. A total of 164 children (49% boys) completed a 19-lesson (9-month) intervention program to reduce TV viewing time. Children completed self-administered surveys four times over 21 months (pre- and post-intervention, 6- and 12-month follow-up). Baseline factors associated with change in TV viewing during the intervention and follow-up periods were: ‘asking parents ≥once/week to switch off the TV and play with them’ (21.6 min/day more than those reporting <once/week, p = 0.007); being able to ‘watch just 1 h of TV per day’ (26.1 min/day less than those who could not, p = 0.010); ‘watching TV no matter what was on’ (36.6 min/day more than those who did not, p < 0.001); and ‘continuing to watch TV after their program was over’ (33.0 min/day more than those who did not, p = 0.006). With every unit increase in baseline frequency of TV viewing with family and friends, children spent on average 4.0 min/day more watching TV over the 21-month period (p = 0.047). Baseline number and placement of TVs at home did not predict change in children's TV viewing over the 21 months. Greater understanding of the family dynamics and circumstances, as well as the individual and social determinants of TV viewing, will be required if we are to develop effective strategies for reducing TV viewing in children.

The play, of blessed memory : the Dybbuk as imagined and reconstructed Jewishness in the Gilgul Theatre's 'Exile Trilogy'

I have quite distinct memories of my first encounters with people I identified as Jews. In the 1970's, when I was in my teens, I made friends with a group of Jewish girls, and was invited to their homes, most of which were in the Melbourne (Australia) suburb of Caulfield, which had one of the highest proportions of Jewish inhabitants in the city. I was growing up opposite a golf-course in an increasingly affluent, beachside, bleached-blonde outer suburb whose micro-culture epitomised entrenched Anglo-Australian values; good manners, regular hours, discreet display of wealth, restrained emotion, mid-week tennis, weekends on the beach. Entree to the homes of these Jewish families provided my fairly romantic and uncritical eye with a glimpse of another world....

The power of play-break for automatic detection and browsing of self-consumable sport video highlights

To enable content-based retrieval, highlights extraction from broadcasted sport video has been an active research topic in the last decade. There is a well-known theory that high-level semantic, such as goal in soccer can be detected based on the occurrences of specific audio and visual features that can be extracted automatically. However, there is yet a definitive solution for the scope (i.e. start and end) of the detection for self consumable highlights. Thus, in this paper we will primarily demonstrate the benefits of using play-break for this purpose. Moreover, we also propose a browsing scheme that is based on integrated play-break and highlights (extended from [1]). To validate our approach, we will present the results from some experiments and a user study.

Consumer construction of sport consumption experiences through role play : a literature review

Evidence exists in the literature that many traditional consumer behaviours have fundamentally different meanings when considered in an experiential context. This paper posits that voicing during the experiential consumption of sport may in fact be a factor of experiential consumption rather than an expression of dissatisfaction as in the traditional complaint behaviour model. This is significant in the interpretation of experiential sport consumption where vocalising appears to serve purposes other than complaining. This paper revises the traditional complaint behaviour literature for explanations about vocalising and then offers some alternate conceptual propositions using experiential consumption literature.