A physical activity intervention in a workplace setting

Physical inactivity poses a huge burden on Canada's health care system and is detrimental to the health of Canadians (Katzmarzyk & Janssen, 2004). Walking is a viable option for individuals to become physically active on a daily basis and is in fact the most commonly reported leisure time physical activity. It has been associated with many health benefits including weight loss/weight control, reduced risk of coronary artery disease and diabetes, lowered blood pressure, and improved psychological wellbeing (Brisson & Tudor-Locke, 2004). Specifically, individuals' stage of change, selfefficacy and health related quality of life (HRQL) are three psychological constructs that can be greatly improved with increased physical activity (Dishman, 1991; Penedo & Dahn, 2005; Poag & McAuley, 1992). Public health physical activity recommendations exist but many individuals find these difficult to meet due to overly busy lifestyles (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2003). Pedometers are inexpensive devices that can monitor individual bouts of walking so that the incorporation of physical activity into one's daily life is more plausible. They are also excellent tools for motivation, goalsetting, and immediate feedback (Brisson & Tudor-Locke, 2004). Since many people spend a large proportion of their time at their places of employment, workplaces have begun to be a common site for the development of physical activity interventions. These programs have been growing in popUlarity and have shown numerous benefits for both employees and employers (Voit, 2001). The purpose of the current study was to implement and evaluate the use of a pedometer-based physical activity intervention incorporating goal-setting and physical activity logs in a workplace setting, and to examine the relationship between different types of self-efficacy (task, barrier, and scheduling) and different phases of the intervention. Twenty male participants from a local steel manufacturing plant who exhibited health risk factors (e.g. hypertension, diabetes, etc.) were assigned to one of two groups (group A or group B). All participants were asked to wear pedometers on their waists, record their daily steps, set goals that were outlined on a step-tracking sheet (detennined by their baseline number of steps), and keep track of their work days, wakelbed time, sedentary time, and time spent doing other physical activity. Group A began the intervention immediately following the baseline measures, whereas group B continued with their regular routine for 4 weeks before beginning. Physiological measures (height, weight, blood pressure, relative body fat, waist and hip circumference, and body mass index) were taken and a battery of questionnaires that assessed barrier, task and scheduling self-efficacy, HRQL, and stage of change administered at baseline, week 5 (end of intervention for group A), week 9 (end of intervention for group B; follow-up for group A) and week 13 (follow-up for both groups). Results showed that this workplace physical activity intervention was successful at increasing the participants' daily steps, that task self-efficacy is a significant predictor of participants' exercise adherence during the initial stages of participation (intervention phase), and that the participants felt that this intervention was effective. Finally, further exploratory analyses showed that this intervention was effective for all participants, but most valuable for participants most in need of improvement - that is, those who were most sedentary prior to the intervention. This intervention is an inexpensive use of simple and effective tools (e.g. pedometers), has the potential to attract a wide variety of participants and become a pennanent part of any health promotion initiative.

Effects of reflection and social isolation on crayfish behaviour /

Visual stimuli and socialization influence exploratory behaviour in crayfish. The predominant components of spontaneous exploratory behaviour were determined by observing the activity of solitary adult crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in a glass aquarium containing fresh water and no objects. Five distinct behaviours were observed: rearing up (climbing on the wall), turning around, cornering (facing the comer), backward walking, and crossing (crossing the midline of the aquarium). The frequency of rearing up, cornering and turning around decreased when reflection from the glass wall was blocked with black cardboard, black paint or non-reflective transparent plastic. In a tank containing mirrors on one side and non-reflective plastic on the other, crayfish cornered, reared up, and turned around more in front of the mirrors. Socialization was necessary for crayfish to respond to the reflection. Crayfish that were housed in pairs for two weeks exhibited more rearing up, turning around and cornering in front of the mirrors than in the non-reflective side. Crayfish isolated for two weeks did not show these differences. Socialized crayfish also exhibited more rearing up, turning around and cornering than did isolated crayfish. Thus, crayfish respond to visual stimuli provided by a glass tank, but the responds depends on socialization.

Diffusion Monte Carlo study of electronic properties for H and Be atoms /

We examined three different algorithms used in diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) to study their precisions and accuracies in predicting properties of isolated atoms, which are H atom ground state, Be atom ground state and H atom first excited state. All three algorithms — basic DMC, minimal stochastic reconfiguration DMC, and pure DMC, each with future-walking, are successfully impletmented in ground state energy and simple moments calculations with satisfactory results. Pure diffusion Monte Carlo with future-walking algorithm is proven to be the simplest approach with the least variance. Polarizabilities for Be atom ground state and H atom first excited state are not satisfactorily estimated in the infinitesimal differentiation approach. Likewise, an approach using the finite field approximation with an unperturbed wavefunction for the latter system also fails. However, accurate estimations for the a-polarizabilities are obtained by using wavefunctions that come from the time-independent perturbation theory. This suggests the flaw in our approach to polarizability estimation for these difficult cases rests with our having assumed the trial function is unaffected by infinitesimal perturbations in the Hamiltonian.

Responses of crayfish to a reflective environment /

This thesis examines how dominance status of crayfish alters responses to their own reflection. Crayfish are social animals that fight to develop a dominance hierarchy consisting of dominant and subordinate members. After socialization, crayfish were videotaped in an aquarium with mirrors on one half of the tank and a non-reflective plastic on the other half. Dominants paired for 14 days perform more cornering, turning, crossing and spent more time in a reflective environment versus a non-reflective environment. Subordinate crayfish exhibit more reverse walking in a mirrored environment while isolated crayfish show no preference for reflection. This change in behaviour occurs immediately for dominants paired for 30 min while subordinates require 3 days of pairing to exhibit the same behaviour as subordinate crayfish paired for 14 days. Thus, 30 min of pairing is required to enhance responses to a reflection observed in dominant crayfish while 3 days is required to decrease subordinate responses to a reflection. These findings propose that male socialized crayfish respond to their mirror image as they do a male conspecific. Their responses depend on both their dominance status and the length of socialization which suggests that crayfish are learning to behave in a characteristic manner as a result of their social experience.

Exact property estimation from diffusion Monte Carlo with minimal stochastic reconfiguration /

Our objective is to develop a diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) algorithm to estimate the exact expectation values, ($o|^|^o), of multiplicative operators, such as polarizabilities and high-order hyperpolarizabilities, for isolated atoms and molecules. The existing forward-walking pure diffusion Monte Carlo (FW-PDMC) algorithm which attempts this has a serious bias. On the other hand, the DMC algorithm with minimal stochastic reconfiguration provides unbiased estimates of the energies, but the expectation values ($o|^|^) are contaminated by ^, an user specified, approximate wave function, when A does not commute with the Hamiltonian. We modified the latter algorithm to obtain the exact expectation values for these operators, while at the same time eliminating the bias. To compare the efficiency of FW-PDMC and the modified DMC algorithms we calculated simple properties of the H atom, such as various functions of coordinates and polarizabilities. Using three non-exact wave functions, one of moderate quality and the others very crude, in each case the results are within statistical error of the exact values.

Rededication of Chapman College Chapel, Orange, California

Rededication of Chapman College Chapel, Orange, California, February, 1978. Don Broth and Dennis Short are walking in the aisle. Edie Chapman is at front left. Beverly Kamp is in the third pew on the right, with Arthur and Alice Flint in row behind. The wooden-shingled church, constructed in 1909 for the congregation of Trinity Episcopal Church, is located on the northeast corner of East Maple Avenue and North Grand Street. Chapman College (now Chapman University) purchased the church for their chapel when the congregation moved to a new church on Canal Street.

The influence of recreational ball hockey play on cardiovascular risk factors in sedentary males

Introduction: The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) is ever increasing in western industrialized societies. An individuals overall risk for CAD may be quantified by integrating a number of factors including, but not limited to, cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, blood lipid profile and blood pressure. It might be expected that interventions aimed at improving any or all of these independent factors might improve an individual 's overall risk. To this end, the influence of standard endurance type exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, blood lipids and blood pressure, and by extension the reduction of coronary risk factors, is well documented. On the other hand, interval training (IT) has been shown to provide an extremely powerful stimulus for improving indices of cardiorespiratory function but the influence of this training type on coronary risk factors is unknown. Moreover, the vast majority of studies investigating the effects of IT on fitness have used laboratory type training protocols. As a result of this, the influence of participation in interval-type recreational sports on cardiorespiratory fitness and coronary risk factors is unknown. Aims: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of recreational ball hockey, a sport associated with interval-type activity patterns, on indices of aerobic function and coronary risk factors in sedentary men in the approximate age range of 30 - 60 years. Individual risk factors were compiled into an overall coronary risk factor score using the Framingham Point Scale (FPS). Methods: Twenty-four sedentary males (age range 30 - 60) participated in the study. Subject activity level was assessed apriori using questionnaire responses. All subjects (experimental and control) were assessed to have been inactive and sedentary prior to participation in the study. The experimental group (43 ± 3 years; 90 ± 3 kg) (n = 11) participated in one season of recreational ball hockey (our surrogate for IT). Member of this group played a total of 16 games during an 11 week span. During this time, the control group (43 ± 2 years; 89 ± 2 kg) (n = 11) performed no training and continued with their sedentary lifestyle. Prior to and following the ball hockey season, experimental and control subjects were tested for the following variables: 1) cardiorespiratory fitness (as V02 Max) 2) blood lipid profile 3) body composition 5) waist to hip ratio 6) blood glucose levels and 7) blood pressure. Subject V02 Max was assessed using the Rockport submaximal walking test on an indoor track. To assess body composition we determined body mass ratio (BMI), % body fat, % lean body mass and waist to hip ratio. The blood lipid profile included high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein and total cholesterol levels; in addition, the ratio of total cholesterol to high density was calculated. Blood triglycerides were also assessed. All data were analyzed using independent t - tests and all data are expressed as mean ± standard error. Statistical significance was accepted at p :S 0.05. Results: Pre-test values for all variables were similar between the experimental and control group. Moreover, although the intervention used in this study was associated with changes in some variables for subjects in the experimental group, subjects in the control group did not exhibit any changes over the same time period. BODY COMPOSITION: The % body fat of experimental subjects decreased by 4.6 ± 0.5%, from 28.1 ± 2.6 to 26.9 ± 2.5 % while that of the control group was unchanged at 22.7 ± 1.4 and 22.2 ± 1.3 %. However, lean body mass of experimental and control subjects did not change at 64.3 ± 1.3 versus 66.1 ± 1.3 kg and 65.5 ± 0.8 versus 64.7 ± 0.8 kg, respectively. In terms of body mass index and waist to hip ratio, neither the experimental nor the control group showed any significant change. Respective values for the waist to hip ratio and body mass index (pre and post) were as follows: 1 ± 0.1 vs 0.9 ± 0.1 (experimental) and 0.9 ± 0.1 versus 0.9 ± 0.1 (controls) while for BMI they were 29 ± 1.4 versus 29 ± 1.2 (experimental) and 26 ± 0.7 vs. 26 ± 0.7 (controls). CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS: In the experimental group, predicted values for absolute V02 Max increased by 10 ± 3% (i.e. 3.3 ± 0.1 to 3.6 ± 0.1 liters min -1 while that of control subjects did not change (3.4 ± 0.2 and 3.4 ± 0.2 liters min-I). In terms of relative values for V02 Max, the experimental group increased by 11 ± 2% (37 ± 1.4 to 41 ± 1.4 ml kg-l min-I) while that of control subjects did not change (41 ± 1.4 and 40 ± 1.4 ml kg-l min-I). BLOOD LIPIDS: Compared to pre-test values, post-test values for HDL were decreased by 14 ± 5 % in the experiment group (from 52.4 ± 4.4 to 45.2 ± 4.3 mg dl-l) while HDL data for the control group was unchanged (49.7 ± 3.6 and 48.3 ± 4.1 mg dl-l, respectively. On the other hand, LDL levels did not change for either the experimental or control group (110.2 ± 10.4 versus 112.3 ± 7.1 mg dl-1 and 106.1 ± 11.3 versus 127 ± 15.1 mg dl-1, respectively). Further, total cholesterol did not change in either the experimental or control group (181.3 ± 8.7 mg dl-1 versus 178.7± 4.9 mg dl-l) and 190.7 ± 12.2 versus 197.1 ± 16.1 mg dl-1, respectively). Similarly, the ratio of TC/HDL did not change for either the experimental or control group (3.8 ± 0.4 versus 4.5 ± 0.5 and 4 ± 0.4 versus 4.2 ± 0.4, respectively). Blood triglyceride levels were also not altered in either the experimental or control group (100.3 ± 19.6 versus 114.8 ± 15.3 mg dl-1 and 140 ± 23.5 versus 137.3 ± 17.9 mg dl-l, respectively). BLOOD GLUCOSE: Fasted blood glucose levels did not change in either the experimental or control group. Pre- and post-values for experimental and control groups were 92.5 ± 4.8 versus 93.3 ± 4.3 mg dl-l and 92.3 ± 11.3 versus 93.2 ± 2.6 mg dl-1 , respectively. BLOOD PRESSURE: No aspect of blood pressure was altered in either the experimental or control group. For example, pre- and post-test systolic blood pressures were 131 ± 2 versus 129 ± 2 mmHg (experimental) and 123 ± 2 and 125 ± 2 mmHg (controls), respectively. Pre- and post-test diastolic blood pressures were 84 ± 2 and 83 ± 2 mmHg (experimental) and 81 ± 1 versus 82 ± 1 mmHg, respectively. Similarly, calculated pulse pressure was not altered in the experimental or control as pre- and post-test values were 47 ± 1 versus 47 ± 2 mmlHg and 42 ± 2 versus 43 ± 2 mmHg, respectively. FRAMINGHAM POINT SCORE: The concerted changes reported above produced an increased risk in the Framingham Point Score for the subjects in the experimental group. For example, the pre- and post-test FPS increased from 1.4 ± 0.9 to 2.7 ± 0.7. On the other hand, pre- and post-test scores for the control group were 1.8 ± 1 versus 1.8 ± 0.9. Conclusions: Our data confirms previous studies showing that interval-type exercise is a useful intervention for increasing aerobic fitness. Moreover, the increase in V02 Max we found in response to limited participation in ball hockey (i.e. 16 games) suggests that recreational sport may help reduce this aspect of coronary risk in previously sedentary individual. On the other hand, our results showing little or no positive change in body composition, blood lipids or blood pressures suggest that one season of recreational sport in not in of itself a powerful enough stimulus to reduce the overall risk of coronary artery disease. In light of this, it is recommended that, in addition to participation in recreational sport, the performance of regular physical activity is used as an adjunct to provide a more powerful overall stimulus for decreasing coronary risk factors. LIMITATIONS: The increase in the FPS we found for the experimental group, indicative of an increased risk for coronary disease, was largely due to the large decrease in HDL we observed after compared to above one season of ball hockey. In light of the fact that cardiorespiratory fitness was increased and % body fat was decreased, as well as the fact that other parameters such as blood pressure showed positive (but non statistically significant) trends, the possibility that the decrease in HDL showed by our data was anomalous should be considered. FUTURE DIRECTIONS: The results of this study suggesting that recreational sport may be a potentially useful intervention in the reduction of CAD require to be corroborated by future studies specifically employing 1) more rigorous assessment of fitness and fitness change and 2) more prolonged or frequent participants.

The convergence of psychopathy, self-rated vulnerability, and other-rated vulnerability

Previous research has found that victims of crime tend to exhibit asynchronous movement (e.g. Grayson & Stein, 1981), and the fact that victims display different body language suggests that they may be sending inadvertent signals to their own vulnerability (e.g. Murzynski & Degelman, 1996). Body language has also be en linked with s e l f identification as a victim (Wheeler et aI., 2009), and self-identification has be en found to act as a proxy for more severe victimization (Baumer, 2002) and greater fear of crime (Greenberg & Beach, 2004). The first prediction in the present study, then, was that self-perceived vulnerability would be correlated with body language, while number of previous victimizations mayor may not show the same relationship. Findings from the present study indicate that self-perceived vulnerability exhibits a positive correlation with the body language cues that approaches significance r (10) = .45,p =.07, one-tailed. Different types of victimization, however, were not significantly correlated with these cues. A second goal of the study was to examine the relationship between psychopathic traits and accuracy in judgments of vulnerability. Seventy male participants rated the vulnerability of 12 female targets filmed walking down a hallway who had provided selfratings of vulnerability. Individuals scoring higher on Factor 2 and total psychopathy were significantly less discrepant from target self-rat~ngs of vulnerability, r (64) = - .39,p < .001; r (64) = - .29,p >.01, respectively. The final purpose of this study was to determine which body language cues were mos t salient to raters when making judgments of vulnerability. Participants rated the apparent vulnerability of a target in 7 video clips portraying each body language cue in isolation and a natural walk. Results of repeated measures analyses indicate that the videos rated as most vulnerable to victimization were those displaying low energy and l a ck of synchrony, followed by wide stride, short stride, and stiffknees, while the video displaying ne ck stiffness did not receive significantly different ratings from the mode l ' s natural walk. Replication with a larger sample size is necessary to increase confidence in findings and implications.

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 Functional Electrically Stimulated Ambulation Training on Locomotor Function and Quality of Life in Individuals With Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 12-week FES-ambulation program on locomotor function and quality of life after incomplete spinal cord injury. Six individuals with incomplete SCI participated in the study. Over-ground walking endurance (6MWT), speed (10MWT), independence (WISCI II) and body-weight support were assessed. Quality of life was assessed via the SF-36, WHOQOL-BREF, Perceived Stress Scale, Center of Epidemiological Studies for Depression scale, and task self-efficacy. Participants experienced significant improvements in walking endurance (223.6±141.5m to 297.3±164.5m; p=0.03), body-weight support (55.3±12.6% to 14.7±23.2%; p= 0.005) and four of the six participants showed improvements on the WISCI II scale (1-4 points). In addition, there was a significant reduction in reported bodily pain (6.5±1.2 to 5.0±1.7; p=0.04). Therefore, FES-ambulation is an effective means for enhancing over-ground locomotor function in individuals with incomplete SCI. It may also be an effective method for reducing pain in individuals with SCI.

Niagara Falls Special Attractions - Postcards

Board with five postcards of Niagara Falls attractions. First postcard, Lincoln Beachey's Flight under Niagara Falls Bridge (copyright 1911 by Photo Specialty Co.). Second postcard, Calvery Walking Niagara Gorge on 3/4 in. cable. Third postcard, Burning Spring, Niagara Falls, Canada. Fourth postcard, Mrs. Anna Edson Taylor "Shot Horseshoe Falls (165 feet) October 24, 1901, and survived - a feat never before accomplished. Entered barrel one and one-half miles above the Falls. Was in barrel one hour and fifteen minutes. Had 32 pounds of air in barrel; 100 pounds weight on foot of barrel. Rescued six hundred yards below falls on Canadian shore". Fifth postcard, Burning Spring, Niagara Falls, Canada.

Canadian Niagara Power Company - Tunnel

Another photograph of several men walking through the tunnel.

Geographical Applications for Sound Walks

Geography has long been a predominantly visual discipline, but recent work in geography has sought to explore the multisensory, embodied, emotional and affective dimensions of people’s relations with places. One way to engage this type of exploration is through the use of sound walks: walks along a specified route accompanied by a soundtrack (on headphones or stationary speakers) that conveys information, enacts a story, produces an ambience or atmosphere, or illuminates certain aspects of the environment through which the listener is walking. This thesis aims to show how geographers can benefit from using sound walks as thinking tools, representational tools and teaching tools. Drawing on my own experiences producing sound walks, I first examine the ways that sound walk production processes help generate productive geographical thinking for those producing sound walks (Chapter Two). The various stages of producing a sound walk require different skill sets, pose different challenges, and require different sorts of environmental awareness, and therefore present novel opportunities for developing geographical insights about specific places or spatial relations. Second, I focus on four experientially-oriented aspects of sound walks – using multiple senses, walking, contingency, and moments of interaction – to argue that sound walks can be useful representational tools for geographers, whether those creating sound walks subscribe to a representational or non-representational theory of knowledge (Chapter Three). The value of sound walks as representational tools is in the experience of ‘doing’ them. That is, audiences discover for themselves through interaction what is being represented, rather than having it delivered to them. The experiential elements of ‘doing’ sound walks recommend them as potentially helpful representational tools for geographers. Third, by examining the work of a small sample of fourth year “Advanced Geography of Music” students, I develop the argument that sound walks can be effective tools for teaching students and for creating circumstances for students to learn independently (Chapter Four). Sound walks have potential to be effective pedagogical tools because they are commensurate with several key pedagogical schools of thought that emphasise the importance of requiring students to engage actively with their environment using a combination of senses. The thesis demonstrates that sound walks are a worthwhile resource for geographers to use theoretically, representationally and pedagogically in their work. The next step is for geographers to put them into practice and realize this potential.

Horsemanship Notes

Notes or an essay from Dorothy Rungeling's time in horsemanship classes in the 1940s. The notes/essay is three pages in length and is focused on the "head and neck" of a horse. She mentions the "schooling" of a horse, much like people. The horse must be taught the way to use his head and neck in the judging ring. She focuses on the horses use of it's neck and head for balance much like we use our arms, for example, "Did you ever try walking the rails on a railroad track or try walking on any narrow board? You would automatically put your arms out if you felt unbalanced. Your arms would be your balancer and the horse's head and neck are his".

Mécanisme de référence en orthopédie pour mono-traumatisme dans un centre de traumatologie niveau 1

Les patients atteints de mono-traumatisme à un membre doivent consulter un médecin de première ligne qui assurera la prise en charge initiale et référera au besoin le patient vers un orthopédiste. L‟objectif principal de cette étude est de décrire ce mécanisme de référence envers un Service d‟orthopédie affilié à un Centre de traumatologie Niveau 1. La collecte de données concernant l‟accès aux soins spécialisés et la qualité des soins primaires a été faite lors de la visite en orthopédie. Nous avons étudié 166 patients consécutifs référés en orthopédie sur une période de 4 mois. Avant leur référence en orthopédie, 23 % des patients ont dû consulter 2 médecins de première ligne ou plus pour leur blessure. Le temps entre la consultation en première ligne et la visite en orthopédie (68 heures) dépasse le temps compris entre le traumatisme et l‟accès au généraliste (21 heures). Parmi les cas jugés urgents, 36 % n‟ont pas été vus dans les temps recommandés. La qualité des soins de première ligne fut sous-optimale chez 49 % des patients concernant l‟analgésie, l‟immobilisation et/ou l‟aide à la marche. Les facteurs associés à une diminution d‟accès en orthopédie et/ou une qualité de soins inférieure sont : tabagisme, jeune âge, habiter loin de l‟hôpital, consulter initialement une clinique privée, avoir une blessure au membre inférieur ou des tissus mous et une faible sévérité de la blessure selon le patient. Ces résultats démontrent qu‟il faut mieux cibler l‟enseignement relié aux mono-traumatismes envers les médecins de première ligne afin d‟améliorer le système de référence.