Search results for: sports’ injuries

Authors: James Kinyua Gitonga, Toshio Fujimi

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Vulnerability assessment and analysis is essential to solving the degree of damage and loss as a result of natural disasters. Urban flooding causes a major economic loss and casualties, at Mathare residential area in Nairobi, Kenya. High population caused by rural-urban migration, Unemployment, and unplanned urban development are among factors that increase flood vulnerability in Mathare area. This study aims to analyse flood risk physical vulnerabilities in Mathare based on scientific data, research data that includes the Rainfall data, River Mathare discharge rate data, Water runoff data, field survey data and questionnaire survey through sampling of the study area have been used to develop the risk curves. Three structural types of building were identified in the study area, vulnerability and risk curves were made for these three structural types by plotting the relationship between flood depth and damage for each structural type. The results indicate that the structural type with mud wall and mud floor is the most vulnerable building to flooding while the structural type with stone walls and concrete floor is least vulnerable. The vulnerability of building contents is mainly determined by the number of floors, where households with two floors are least vulnerable, and households with a one floor are most vulnerable. Therefore more than 80% of the residential buildings including the property in the building are highly vulnerable to floods consequently exposed to high risk. When estimating the potential casualties/injuries we discovered that the structural types of houses were major determinants where the mud/adobe structural type had casualties of 83.7% while the Masonry structural type had casualties of 10.71% of the people living in these houses. This research concludes that flood awareness, warnings and observing the building codes will enable reduce damage to the structural types of building, deaths and reduce damage to the building contents.

Keywords: flood loss, Mathare Nairobi, risk curve analysis, vulnerability

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Authors: Balazs Patczai, Katalin Gocze, Gabriella Kiss, Dorottya Szabo, Tibor Mintal

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Introduction: Running has become increasingly popular on a global scale in the past decades. Amateur athletes are taking their sport to a new level in an attempt to surpass their performance goals. The aim of our study was to assess the musculoskeletal condition of amateur runners and the prevalence of injuries with a special focus on stress fracture risk. Methods: The cross sectional analysis included ankle mobility, hamstring and lower back flexibility, the use of Renne’s test for iliotibial band syndrome, functional tests for trunk and rotary stability, and measurements of bone density. Data was collected at 2 major half-marathon events in Hungary. Results: Participants (n=134) mean age was 41.76±8.57 years (males: 40.67±8.83, females: 42.08±8.56). Measures of hamstring and lower back flexibility fell into the category of good for both genders (males: 7.13±6.83cm, females: 10.17±6.67cm). No side asymmetry nor gender differences were characteristic in the case of ankle mobility. Trunk stability was significantly better for males than in females (p=0.004). Markers of bone health were in the low normal range for females and were significantly better for males (T-score: p=0.003, T-ratio: p=0.014, Z-score: p=0.034, Z-ratio: p=0.011). 5.2% of females had a previous stress fracture and 24.1% experienced irregular menstrual cycles during the past year. As for the knowledge on the possible association of energy deficiency, menstrual disturbances and their effect on bone health, Only 8.6% of females have heard of the female athlete triad either during their studies or from a health professional. Discussion: The overall musculoskeletal state was satisfactory for both genders both physically and functionally. More attention and effort should be placed on primary and secondary prevention of amateur runners. Very few active women are well informed about the effects of low energy availability and menstrual dysfunction and the negative impact these have on bone health.

Keywords: bone health, flexibility, running, stress fracture

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Authors: Teresa M. Odipo

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Inclusive physical education and an inclusive educational approach in German schools have received much attention in recent years due to the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities proposals, which came into force in Germany in 2009. The aim of inclusive PE is to include children with disabilities and able bodied children, based on the idea, that all children should attend school together. While PE mostly took place in a heterogeneous environment, introducing children with all kinds of disabilities posed more challenges to the teachers, when children with disabilities were included. Therefore it is important that the educational approach should include pre-service teachers’ (PST) self-efficacy for and their attitudes towards inclusive practices. The PSTs’ self-efficacy for inclusive practices is one of the strongest predictors of the success of the inclusion reforms introduced in 2009, in order to improve PSTs’ ability to handle these very new challenges. PE stands out because the very nature of sport involves the body which means that all children, especially those with special needs should be treated in an appropriate manner. Up till now, it has been mostly English-speaking countries that have been assessed for inclusive practices in PE. Due to the lack of research in Germany, there is a strong need to question PSTs’ prepared-ness. This paper presents results from the 2016 survey conducted on around 100 PSTs by the German University of Sports in Cologne and opens up new directions within PSTs’ education, concerning their attitudes and self-efficacy towards inclusive PE. These new aspects will be included in the construction of new learning and teaching tools to improve pre-service teachers’ education for inclusive Physical Education.

Keywords: attitudes, inclusive physical education, pre-service teachers, self-efficacy

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Authors: Benedicta Asante, Catherine Trask, Brenna Bath

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Background: Waste Collection Workers’ (WCWs) activities contribute greatly to the recycling sector and are an important component of the waste management industry. As the recycling sector evolves, there is the increase in reports of injuries, particularly for common and debilitating musculoskeletal disorders such as low back disorder (LBD). WCWs are likely exposed to diverse work-related hazards that could contribute to LBD. However, there is currently no summary of the state of knowledge on the prevalence and risk factors of LBD within this workforce. Method: A comprehensive search was conducted in Ovid Medline, EMBASE, and Global Health e-publications with search term categories ‘low back disorder’ and ‘waste collection workers’. Two reviewers screened articles at title, abstract, and full-text stages. Data were extracted on study design, sampling strategy, socio-demographics, geographical region, and exposure definition, the definition of LBD, response rate, statistical techniques, LBD prevalence and risk factors. The risk of bias was assessed with a standardized tool. Results: The search of three databases generated 79 studies. Thirty-two studies met the study inclusion criteria for both title and abstract; only thirteen full-text articles met the study criteria and underwent data extraction. The majority of articles reported a 12-month prevalence of LBD between 16-74%. Although none of the included studies quantified relationships between risk factors and LBD, the suggested risk factors for LBD among WCWs included: awkward posture; lifting; pulling; pushing; repetitive motions; work duration; and physical loads. Conclusion: LBD is a major occupational health issue among WCWs. In light of these risks and future growth in this industry, further research should focus on the investigation of risk factors, with more focus on ergonomic exposure assessment, and LBD prevention efforts.

Keywords: low back pain, scavenger, waste pickers, waste collection workers

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Authors: Meseret Mulugeta, Alemmebrat Kiflu, Belaynehchikle

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The purpose of the present study was to examine the preferred leadership style and motivation of premier league volleyball players. The sample encompassed 46 female premier league volleyball players whose ages ranged between 15 and 35 years. The data were collected using standardized questionnaires. The questionnaires were distributed to 46 female players from five volleyball clubs in the Premier League. To evaluate the motivational level of the players, the Sports Motivation Scale (SMS-6) was used. The leadership scale for sport was used to evaluate leadership. Descriptive statistics and the person correlation coefficient (P <0.05) were used to validate the relationship between leadership style and motivation. The result showed that there is a meaningful and significant relationship between leadership style and motivation. Concerning preferred coaching styles, the most preferred style was training and instruction, with a mean score of 4.10, and the least preferred style was autocratic, with a mean score of 3.37. The result of the Pearson correlation coefficient showed that the correlation between motivation types and leadership styles showed that motivation was significantly and positively correlated with all independent variables except autocratic leadership style, which is negatively correlated with motivation. This study’s nobility is to provide evidence for the most effective coaching to practice the training and instruction behaviour and social support behaviour leadership styles and refrain from using the autocratic leadership style.

Keywords: autocratic, training and instruction, motivation, leadership style

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Authors: D. Osborn, L. Easthope

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The increasing threat of ‘marauding terror,' utilising improvised explosive devices and firearms, has focused the attention of policy makers and emergency responders once again on the treatment of the critically injured patient in a highly volatile scenario. Whilst there have been significant improvements made in the response and lessons learned from recent disasters in the international disaster community there still remain areas of uncertainty and a lack of clarity in the care of the critically injured. This innovative, longitudinal study has at its heart the aim of using ethnographic methods to ‘slow down’ the journey such patients will take and make visible the ethical complexities that 2017 technologies, expectations and over a decade of improved combat medicine techniques have brought. The primary researcher, previously employed in the hospital emergency management environment, has closely followed responders as they managed casualties with life-threatening injuries. Ethnographic observation of Exercise Unified Response in March 2016, exposed the ethical and legal 'vacuums' within a mass casualty and fatality setting, specifically the extrication, treatment and care of critically injured patients from crushed and overturned train carriages. This article highlights a gap in the debate, evaluation, planning and response to an incident of this nature specifically the incapacitated, unidentified patients and the ethics of submitting them to the invasive ‘Disaster Victim Identification’ process. Using a qualitative ethnographic analysis, triangulating observation, interviews and documentation, this analysis explores the gaps and highlights the next stages in the researcher’s pathway as she continues to explore with emergency practitioners some of this century’s most difficult questions in relation to the medico-legal and ethical challenges faced by emergency services in the wake of new and emerging threats and medical treatment expectations.

Keywords: ethics, disaster, Disaster Victim Identification (DVI), legality, unidentified

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Authors: Jalil Qoulizadeh, Hasan Sadeghi

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Brain waves are electrical wave patterns that are produced in the human brain. Knowing these waves and activating them can have a positive effect on brain function and ultimately create an ideal life. The brain has the ability to produce waves from 0.1 to above 65 Hz. (The Beta One device produces exactly these waves) This is because it is said that the waves produced by the Beta One device exactly match the waves produced by the brain. The function and method of this device is based on the magnetic stimulation of the brain. The technology used in the design and producƟon of this device works in a way to strengthen and improve the frequencies of brain waves with a pre-defined algorithm according to the type of requested function, so that the person can access the expected functions in life activities. to perform better. The effect of this field on neurons and their stimulation: In order to evaluate the effect of this field created by the device, on the neurons, the main tests are by conducting electroencephalography before and after stimulation and comparing these two baselines by qEEG or quantitative electroencephalography method using paired t-test in 39 subjects. It confirms the significant effect of this field on the change of electrical activity recorded after 30 minutes of stimulation in all subjects. The Beta One device is able to induce the appropriate pattern of the expected functions in a soft and effective way to the brain in a healthy and effective way (exactly in accordance with the harmony of brain waves), the process of brain activities first to a normal state and then to a powerful one. Production of inexpensive neuroscience equipment (compared to existing rTMS equipment) Magnetic brain stimulation for clinics - homes - factories and companies - professional sports clubs.

Keywords: stimulation, brain, waves, betaOne

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Authors: Ruben Peralta, Sam Thomas, Nazia Hirani, Ayman El-Menyar, Hassan Al-Thani, Mohammed Al-Thani, Mohammed Al-Hajjaj, Rafael Consunji

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Moderate to severe work-related injuries [WRI's] are a leading cause of trauma admission in Qatar but information on risk factors for their incidence are lacking. This study aims to document and analyze the predictive characteristics for WRI to inform the creation of targeted interventions to improve worker safety in Qatar. This study was conducted as part of the NPRP grant # 7 - 1120 - 3 - 288, titled "A Unified Registry for Occupational Injury Prevention in Qatar”. 266 workers were interviewed using a standard questionnaire, during ‘World Day for Safety and Health at Work’, a Ministry of Public Health event, none refused interview. Nurses and doctors from the Hamad Trauma Center conducted the interviews. Questions were translated into the worker’s native language when it was deemed necessary. Standard information on epidemiologic characteristics and incidence of work-related injury were collected and compared between nationalities and those injured versus those not injured. 262 males and 4 females were interviewed. 17 [6.4%] reported a WRI in the last 24 months. More than half of the injured worked in construction [59%] followed by water supply [11.8%]. Factors significantly associated with recent injury were: Working for a company with > 500 employees and speaking Hindi. Protective characteristics included: Being from the Philippines or Sri Lanka, speaking Arabic, working in healthcare, an office or trading and company size between 100-500 employees. Years of schooling and working in Qatar were not predictive factor for WRI. The findings from this survey should guide future research that will better define worker populations at an increased risk for WRI and inform recruiters and sending countries. A focus on worker language skills, interventions in the construction industry and occupational safety in large companies is needed.

Keywords: occupational injury, prevention, safety, trauma, work related injury

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Authors: Nadia Jurkovic, Sarven McLinton, Alyson Crozier, Amber Mosewich, Ed O'Connor

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Retiring from elite sport can have detrimental effects on the mental health and life satisfaction of retired elite athletes. To aid in this transition, sporting organisations use retirement interventions. The aim of this study is to understand the experience of elite sport retirement from a holistic perspective, exploring the experiences of retiring athletes, retired athletes, and sport support staff. A secondary aim is used to uncover any recommendations both retiring/retired athletes and sport support staff suggest towards improving retirement programs or interventions. A total of N=15 participants took part in semi-structured interviews to explore their experiences with sport retirement. Retiring and retired elite athletes were asked about how they felt during their transition into retirement, and sport support staff were asked about their experience working with retiring athletes. Data collection and iterative qualitative analysis are still ongoing; however, it is anticipated that the final key themes to emerge will include isolation, identity loss, and lack of support, with varying sub-themes such as organisational support and family support. Relationships across and within themes will be explored within the study. The anticipated findings present retiring from elite sports as a challenging life and career transition; however, current support and resources for elite athletes are not addressing the core difficulties experienced by retiring elite athletes. The findings of this study will inform future development of new co-designed elite sport retirement interventions.

Keywords: elite athlete, retired elite athlete, retirement interventions, transition into retirement, interviews

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Authors: Donna L. Roberts

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2019 marked 23 years since Purdue Pharma launched its flagship drug, OxyContin, that unleashed an unprecedented epidemic touching both celebrities and common citizens, metropolitan, suburbia and rural areas and all levels of socioeconomic status. From rural Appalachia to East LA individuals, families and communities have been devastated by a trajectory of addiction that often began with the legitimate prescription of a pain killer for anything from a tooth extraction to a sports injury to recovery from surgery or chronic arthritis. Far from being a serendipitous progression of events, the proliferation of this new breed of 'miracle drug' was instead a carefully crafted marketing program aimed at both the medical community and common citizens. This research represents and in-depth investigation of the evolution of the marketing, distribution and promotion of prescription opioids by pharmaceutical companies and its relationship to the propagation of the opioid crisis. Specifically, key components of Purdue Pharma’s aggressive marketing campaign, including its bonus system and sales incentives, were analyzed in the context of the sociopolitical environment that essential created the proverbial 'perfect storm' for the changing manner in which pain is treated in the U.S. The analyses of these series of events clearly indicate their role in first, the increase in prescription of opioids for non-terminal pain relief and subsequently, the incidence of related addiction, overdose, and death. Through this examination of the conditions that facilitated and maintained this drug crisis, perhaps we can begin to chart a course toward its resolution.

Keywords: addiction, opioid, opioid crisis, Purdue Pharma

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Authors: Aniket S. Joshi, Aditya R. Mane, Arjun Tukaram

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In the 21st century, in the era of e-world, people are continuously getting updated by daily information such as weather conditions, news, stock exchange market updates, new projects, cricket updates, sports and other such applications. In the busy situation, they want this information on the little use of keyboard, time. Today in order to get such information user have to repeat same mouse and keyboard actions which includes time and inconvenience. In India due to rural background many people are not much familiar about the use of computer and internet also. Also in small clinics, small offices, and hotels and in the airport there should be a system which retrieves daily information with the minimum use of keyboard and mouse actions. We plan to design application based project that can easily retrieve information with minimum use of keyboard and mouse actions and make our task more convenient and easier. This can be possible with an image processing application which takes real time hand gestures which will get matched by system and retrieve information. Once selected the functions with hand gestures, the system will report action information to user. In this project we use real time hand gesture movements to select required option which is stored on the screen in the form of RSS Feeds. Gesture will select the required option and the information will be popped and we got the information. A real time hand gesture makes the application handier and easier to use.

Keywords: hand detection, hand tracking, hand gesture recognition, HSV color model, Blob detection

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Authors: Simon Quick, John Lyle

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Psychology-based research has been a characteristic of empirical enquiry in sport coaching for over fifty years and cognitive function is widely accepted as a fundamental component of sport coaching expertise. Within the academic literature, much empirical research on coaches’ cognitions has tended to adopt retrospective approaches, such as post-session interviews or stimulated recall, thus capturing coaches’ cognitions after the incident, training session or competition. Such methods are prone to a variety of issues, including memory decay and the reordering of accounts. The aim of this research was to overcome the limitations that exist with retrospective approaches and, rather, to capture coaching cognitions in situ using Think Aloud Protocol. Data that were captured was broken down into meaning units and analysed using a Thematic Analysis. Situated in the practice of 6 experienced rugby coaches, findings revealed that Think Aloud Protocol generated rich data, although problematic in a site of enquiry confounded by multiple social interactions and requiring coaches to provide frequent instruction and feedback. The resultant interaction between cognition and action is conceptualised by the tentative offering of a model that situates these elements in conjunction with cognitive triggers and thresholds. The implications of these findings can help academics and coaches to understand the dynamic relationship between types of coaching cognitions and the complexity of the coaching environment.

Keywords: sports coaching, Psychology, Pedagogy, cognition

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Authors: Moon Jung Kim, Guil Rhim

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The clinical sensitivity of the “VEUPLEXTM TBI assay”, a clinical trial medical device, in mild traumatic brain injury was 28.6% (95% CI, 19.7%-37.5%), and the clinical specificity was 94.0% (95% CI, 89.3%). -98.7%). In addition, when the results analyzed by marker were put together, the sensitivity was higher when interpreting the two tests together than the two tests, UCHL1 and GFAP alone. Additionally, when sensitivity and specificity were analyzed based on CT results for the mild traumatic brain injury patient group, the clinical sensitivity for 2 CT-positive cases was 50.0% (95% CI: 1.3%-98.7%), and 19 CT-negative cases. The clinical specificity for cases was 68.4% (95% CI: 43.5% - 87.4%). Since the low clinical sensitivity for the two CT-positive cases was not statistically significant due to the small number of samples analyzed, it was judged necessary to secure and analyze more samples in the future. Regarding the clinical specificity analysis results for 19 CT-negative cases, there were a large number of patients who were actually clinically diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury but actually received a CT-negative result, and about 31.6% of them showed abnormal results on VEUPLEXTM TBI assay. Although traumatic brain injury could not be detected in 31.6% of the CT scans, the possibility of actually suffering a mild brain injury could not be ruled out, so it was judged that this could be confirmed through follow-up observation of the patient. In addition, among patients with mild traumatic brain injury, CT examinations were not performed in many cases because the symptoms were very mild, but among these patients, about 25% or more showed abnormal results in the VEUPLEXTM TBI assay. In fact, no damage is observed with the naked eye immediately after traumatic brain injury, and traumatic brain injury is not observed even on CT. But in some cases, brain hemorrhage may occur (delayed cerebral hemorrhage) after a certain period of time, so the patients who did show abnormal results on VEUPLEXTM TBI assay should be followed up for the delayed cerebral hemorrhage. In conclusion, it was judged that it was difficult to judge mild traumatic brain injury with the VEUPLEXTM TBI assay only through clinical findings without CT results, that is, based on the GCS value. Even in the case of CT, it does not detect all mild traumatic brain injury, so it is difficult to necessarily judge that there is no traumatic brain injury, even if there is no evidence of traumatic brain injury in CT. And in the long term, more patients should be included to evaluate the usefulness of the VEUPLEXTM TBI assay in the detection of microscopic traumatic brain injuries without using CT.

Keywords: brain injury, traumatic brain injury, GFAP, UCHL1

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Authors: Murat Erdoğdu, Murat Koçyiğit

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Brand image and brand loyalty are among the most important relational marketing elements for brand owners to be able to set up long – term relationships with their customers and to maintain these relationships. Brand owners improve their brand images with the positive perceptions remaining in the consumers’ minds. In addition, they try to find the customers that are both emotionally and behaviourally faithful to themselves in order to set up long – term relationships. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyse the effects of the brand image that has a very important role among relational marketing elements on the brand loyalty in terms of the variables such as the perceived value, the trust in brand and the brand satisfaction. In this context, a conceptual model was created to determine the effect of the brand image on the brand loyalty thanks to the Structural Equation Model (SEM). According to this aim and this model, the study was carried out in the scope of the data collected through the questionnaires in Konya with the method of convenience sampling. The results of the research showed that the brand image has positive significant effects on the perceived value and the trust in brand and that the trust in brand has positive significant effects on the brand satisfaction, and that the brand satisfaction has positive significant effects on the brand loyalty. Thus, the hypotheses that the brand image has direct effects on the perceived value and the trust in brand and that the trust in brand has direct effects on the brand satisfaction and that the brand satisfaction has direct effects on the brand loyalty were supported. In addition, the findings about whether the perceived value has a significant effect on the brand satisfaction were also acquired.

Keywords: brand image, brand loyalty, perceived value, satisfaction, trust

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Authors: K. Chethana, A. S. Guru Prasad, S. N. Omkar, B. Vadiraj, S. Asokan

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This paper describes an ab-initio design, development and calibration results of an Optical Sensor Ground Reaction Force Measurement Platform (OSGRFP) for gait and geriatric studies. The developed system employs an array of FBG sensors to measure the respective ground reaction forces from all three axes (X, Y and Z), which are perpendicular to each other. The novelty of this work is two folded. One is in its uniqueness to resolve the tri axial resultant forces during the stance in to the respective pure axis loads and the other is the applicability of inherently advantageous FBG sensors which are most suitable for biomechanical instrumentation. To validate the response of the FBG sensors installed in OSGRFP and to measure the cross sensitivity of the force applied in other directions, load sensors with indicators are used. Further in this work, relevant mathematical formulations are presented for extracting respective ground reaction forces from wavelength shifts/strain of FBG sensors on the OSGRFP. The result of this device has implications in understanding the foot function, identifying issues in gait cycle and measuring discrepancies between left and right foot. The device also provides a method to quantify and compare relative postural stability of different subjects under test, which has implications in post surgical rehabilitation, geriatrics and optimizing training protocols for sports personnel.

Keywords: balance and stability, gait analysis, FBG applications, optical sensor ground reaction force platform

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Authors: Theresa N. Uzor

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The word cardiovascular fitness is a topic of much interest to people of Nigeria, especially during this time, some heart diseases run in families. Cardiovascular fitness is the ability of the heart and lungs to supply-rich blood to the working muscle tissues. This type of fitness is a health-related component of physical fitness that is brought about by sustained physical activity such as plyometric training. Plyometric is a form of advanced fitness training that uses fast muscular contractions to improve power and speed in the sports performance by coaches and athletes. Plyometric training involves a rapid stretching of muscle (eccentric phase) immediately followed by a concentric or shortening action of the same muscle and connective tissue. However, the most basic example of true plyometric training is running and can be safe for a wide variety of populations. This paper focused on building cardiovascular health through Plyometric Training. The centre focus of the article is cardiovascular fitness and plyometric training with factors of cardiovascular fitness. Plyometric training at any age provides multiple benefits even beyond weight control and weight loss, decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other diseases, among other benefits of plyometric training to cardiovascular fitness. Participation in plyometric training will increase metabolism of an individual, thereby burning more calories even when at rest and reduces weight is also among the benefits of plyometric training. Some guidelines were recommended for planning plyometric training programme to minimise the chance of injury. With plyometric training in Nigeria, fortune can change for good, especially now that there has been an increase in cardiovascular diseases within the society for great savings would be saved.

Keywords: aerobic, cardiovascular, concentric, stretch-shortening cycle, plyometric

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Authors: Vivian Uchechi Okpala

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Background: Millions of workers die every year as a result of occupational hazards, accidents and injuries, which are as a result of non- compliance to the laws or legislations guiding the health, safety and welfare of workers in the industries. This and many more lead to the assessment of implementation of the health and safety contents of the Nigerian Factories Act (NFA) by small and medium scale industries in Anambra State. Objectives: The study is aimed at achieving the following specific objectives; to assess the extent of implementation of Part-II Health and Part -III Safety (General Provisions), implementation of Part II Health and Part -III Safety (General Provisions Nigerian Factories Acts based on the age of the industries, locations of the industries and level of education of the workers of the small and medium scale industries Methods: the research design that was used for this study was descriptive survey research design, Area of this study was Anambra state, The population for this study comprised 180 chairmen/presidents of union workers of manufacturing industries in Anambra State, The instrument used for this study was structured questionnaire titled ‘assessment of implementation of NFA health and safety contents by small and medium scale industries, results: From the analysis, the following findings were made: Results: The medium scale industries implemented the Part-II Health and Part III Safety (General provisions) better than the small scale industries in Anambra state, the age of the industries, location of the industries and the level of education of the workers in the industries significantly influenced the implementation of the Part III Safety (General Provisions) of NFA, the location of the industries significantly influenced the implementation of the Part II-Health (General Provisions) of NFA. Conclusion: there was generally a certain level of implementation of the factories Act, there is need for more improvement, strict inspection by the regulatory agencies. Implications of the study were highlighted and several suggestions for further studies were made. Based on the findings, several recommendations were made including that the Ministry of Labour and Productivity and the Ministry of Health should strengthen planned information, strict policies to sanction the offenders. Keywords: Occupational Health and Safety, Nigerian Factories Act

Keywords: occupational health and safety, Nigerian factories act, workers, welfare

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Authors: Charlotte Tetebea Asiamah

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This paper sought to highlight the use of performative acts as exhibited in a Ghanaian newspaper headline; the Daily Graphic. The study categorically discusses and analyze thirty headlines on performative acts as captured in the month of June and July, 2024. The paper dwells on J.L Austin and J.R Searle’s theory of speech acts. Although a lot has been done in the area of performative acts, there is still a gap as far as newspaper headlines are concerned. Getting to know performative act’s stand in the domain of newspaper headlines will contribute to the discussion in literature thereby extending the scope of discourse as far as performative acts are concerned. Some of the questions for this study among others are; Do performative acts exhibited in newspaper headlines follow felicity conditions? Are the utterances explicitly stated or otherwise?A qualitative method approach was used in gathering and analyzing data. This approach was chosen in order to gain a depth insight of the study. The headlines were selected using the instrument of document analysis. Out of the numerous headlines, the researcher snapped over 60 headlines after which thirty (30) headlines were carefully selected for the study. The 30 newspaper headlines were purposively selected based on the element of performativity in them which were related to the study. Per the data, the findings depicted that, Performative Acts are exhibited in the Ghanaian Daily Graphic Newspaper headlines. The performative acts are expressed in all of the five categories of performative acts as J.R Searle discussed in his writing. These acts were seen in all the categories of the newspaper headlines; be it, governance or politics, social, international news and sports. It was also observed in the data that, directives were the most used performative act. The performative acts found in the newspaper headlines helped to grab readers attention, it also served as a way of influencing how readers perceive an utterance made by an individual in the headlines.

Keywords: explicit, headline, illocutionary, newspaper, performative

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Authors: Amanda Madden

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The purpose of this research was to identify students understanding of well-being and perceptions of the effective components of school-based well-being programs they have participated in during their time in secondary school. With one in four adolescents suffering from some form of mental health disorder, which has the potential to directly impact their academic ability, schools have moved towards a more holistic approach to education, resulting in the growth of school-based well-being programs. There is limited research on the effectiveness of school-based well-being programs, with fewer studies examining students’ perspectives on their well-being. A mixed-method design was utilized, framed by a social constructivist methodology. Quantitative data was collected through a researcher-developed self-report survey, and qualitative data were collected through one-on-one interviews and a semi-structured focus group undertaken with Year 12 students from three independent co-educational schools in Western Australia. Preliminary findings indicate that participants have experienced a minimal impact, either positively or negatively, on their well-being from school-based well-being programs. The data detailed that adolescents consider happiness, positive attitude, good physical health, balance, emotional fulfillment and confidence components of well-being. The findings also highlighted sports, positive family relationships, positive friendships, and pets positively enhanced well-being. This research suggests that researchers and educational leaders should consider students’ understanding of well-being in the development of school-based well-being assessments and interventions. Students are the recipients of school-based well-being programs and are best placed to inform what they will and will not respond to in the determination of appropriate well-being content.

Keywords: wellbeing, school based wellbeing, adolescents, wellbeing interventions

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Authors: Sadia Munir

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The aim of this study is to investigate changes in placental development and vascular dysfunction which subsequently affect feto-maternal health in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Fetal and postnatal adverse health outcomes of GDM are shown to be associated with disturbances in placental structure and function. Children of women with GDM are more likely to be obese and diabetic in childhood and adulthood. GDM also increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preeclampsia, birth injuries, macrosomia and neonatal hypoglycemia, respiratory distress syndrome, neonatal cardiac dysfunction and stillbirth. Incidences of type 2 diabetes in the MENA region are growing at an alarming rate which is estimated to become more than double by 2030. Five of the top 10 countries for diabetes prevalence in 2010 were in the Gulf region. GDM also increases the risk of development of type 2 diabetes. Interestingly, more than half of the women with GDM develop diabetes later in their life. The human placenta is a temporary organ located at the interface between mother and fetal blood circulation. Placenta has a central role as both a producer as well as a target of several molecules that are involved in placental development and function. We have investigated performed a Pubmed search with key words placenta, GDM, placental villi, vascularization, cytokines, growth factors, inflammation, hypoxia, oxidative stress and pathophysiology. We have investigated differences in the development and vascularization of placenta, their underlying causes and impact on feto-maternal health through literature review. We have also identified gaps in the literature and research questions that need to be answered to completely understand the central role of placenta in the GDM. This study is important in understanding the pathophysiology of placenta due to changes in the vascularization of villi, surface area and diameter of villous capillaries in pregnancies complicated by GDM. It is necessary to understand these mechanisms in order to develop treatments to reverse their effects on placental malfunctioning, which in turn, will result in improved mother and child health.

Keywords: gestational diabetes mellitus, placenta, vasculature, villi

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Authors: Raghvendra Singh Yadav, Ivo Kuřitka, Jaromir Havlica, Zuzana Kozakova, Jiri Masilko, Lukas Kalina, Miroslava Hajdúchová, Vojtěch Enev, Jaromir Wasserbauer

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In this work, we investigated the structural and magnetic properties of CoFe2O4:Nd3+/Dy3+/Pr3+/Gd3+ nanoparticles synthesized by starch-assisted sol-gel combustion method. X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed the formation of cubic spinel structure of rare-earth ions (Nd3+, Dy3+, Pr3+, Gd3+) doped CoFe2O4 spinel ferrite nanoparticles. Raman and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy study also confirmed cubic spinel structure of rare-earth ions (Nd3+, Dy3+, Pr3+, Gd3+) substituted CoFe2O4 nanoparticles. The field emission scanning electron microscopy study revealed the effect of annealing temperature on size of rare-earth ions (Nd3+, Dy3+, Pr3+, Gd3+) substituted CoFe2O4 nanoparticles and particles were in the range of 10-100 nm. The magnetic properties of rare-earth ions (Nd3+, Dy3+, Pr3+, Gd3+) substituted CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were investigated by using vibrating sample magnetometer. The variation in saturation magnetization, coercivity and remanent magnetization with annealing temperature/ particle size of rare-earth ions (Nd3+, Dy3+, Pr3+, Gd3+) substituted CoFe2O4 nanoparticles was observed. Acknowledgment: This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic – Program NPU I (LO1504).

Keywords: starch, sol-gel combustion method, rare-earth ions, spinel ferrite nanoparticles, magnetic properties

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Authors: Satpal Yadav, Biswajit Basumatary, Arvind S. Sajwan, Ranjan Chakravarty

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The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of 2D kinematical selected variables on sprint start with sprinting performance of novice athletes. Six (3 National and 3 State level) athletes of sports authority of India, Guwahati has been selected for this study. The mean (M) and standard deviation (SD) of sprinters were age (17.44, 1.55), height (1.74m, .84m), weight (62.25 kg, 4.55), arm length (65.00 cm, 3.72) and leg length (96.35 cm, 2.71). Biokin-2D motion analysis system V4.5 can be used for acquiring two-dimensional kinematical data/variables on sprint start with Sprinting Performance. For the purpose of kinematic analysis a standard motion driven camera which frequency of the camera was 60 frame/ second i.e. handy camera of Sony Company were used. The sequence of photographic was taken under controlled condition. The distance of the camera from the athletes was 12 mts away and was fixed at 1.2-meter height. The result was found that National and State level athletes significant difference in there, trajectory knee, trajectory ankle, displacement knee, displacement ankle, linear velocity knee, linear velocity ankle, and linear acceleration ankle whereas insignificant difference was found between National and State level athletes in their linear acceleration knee joint on sprint start with sprinting performance. For all the Statistical test the level of significance was set at p<0.05.

Keywords: 2D kinematic analysis, sprinting performance, novice athletes, sprint start

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Authors: Ghada Mohamed Rashad, Doaa Ayoub Elimy, Mohamed Hussein Elgendy, Ahmed Mohamed Fathi Elshiwi, Mahmoud Ghazy

Abstract:

Background: Flat feet cause changes in foot mobility, foot posture, and load distribution under the foot which influences dynamic balance, that is essential in activities of daily living and for optimal performance in sports activity. Purpose: To investigate the effect of flat feet on dynamic balance including overall stability index (OAI), anteroposterior stability index (APSI) and mediolateral stability index (MLSI). Study Design: The design of the study was an experimental design. Subjects: Forty subjects from both sexes were selected from the Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, their mean age (23.55 ± 1.74 ) years, divided into two groups, group A (8 males and 12 females) with flat feet, and group B (9 males and 11 females) with normal feet. Methods: The Navicular Drop Test was used to determine if the feet were pronated and Biodex Balance System was used to assess dynamic balance at level 8 and level 4 for both groups. Results: There was no significant difference in dynamic balance including (OSI, APSI and MLSI) of the Biodex at stability level (8) (most stable) (p = 0.56). While there was a significant difference between both groups in all dependent variables at stability level (4) (less stable level) (p = 0.0001). Conclusion: It may be concluded that flat feet have an effect on dynamic balance and there is balance affection in subjects with flat feet.

Keywords: flat feet, dynamic balance, postural stability, types of flat feet, eversion strength

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Authors: Kasbparast Mehdi, Hassani Zainab

Abstract:

Aim: The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of therapeutical sensorimotor exercise. The statistical population of women who were diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome by a doctor and were between the ages of 35 and 45 and registered for the first time in a sports club in the 4th district of Tehran, 30 people by random sampling and according to The include and exclude criteria were selected and divided into 2 equal control and experimental and homogeneous groups (in terms of height, weight and BMI).In both control and experimental groups, the pain was measured using a Visual Analog Scale(VAS) functionality was measured using the step-down test and quality of life was measured using a World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF) (pre-test). Then, only the experimental group performed sensorimotor exercises for 12 weeks and 3 sessions each week, a total of 24 sessions and each session for 1 hour, and during this period, the control group only continued their daily activities. After the end of the training period, the desired factors were evaluated again (post-test) in the same way as the pre-test was done for them (experimental group and control group), with the same quality. Findings: The statistical results showed that in the experimental group, the amount of pain, function and quality of life had a statistical improvement (P≤0.05). Conclusion: In general conclusion, it can be stated that using sensorimotor exercises not only improved functionality and quality of life but also reduced the amount of pain in people with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Keywords: pain, PFPS, sensori motor training, functionality

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Authors: Yangming Zhu, Mingming Guo, Xiaozan Wang

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Introduction: The purpose of this study is to integrate functional training into physical education to test the effectiveness of functional training in improving the physical fitness (PF) and sport skills (SS) of female college students. Methods: A total of 54 female college students from East China Normal University were selected for this study (27 in the experimental group and 27 in the control group), and 13 weeks of the experimental intervention was conducted during the semester. During the experimental period, the experimental group was functionally trained for 1 hour per week. The control group performed one-hour weekly sports (such as basketball, football, etc.) as usual. Before and after the experiment, the national students' physical fitness test was used to test the PF of the experimental group and the control group, and the SS of the experimental group and the control group were tested before and after the intervention. Then using SPSS and Excel to organize and analyze the data. Results: The independent sample T-test showed that there was no significant difference in the PF and SS between the experimental group and the control group before the experiment (T PF=71.86, p PF> 0.05, Tₛₛ=82.41,pₛₛ > 0.05); After the experiment, the PF of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group (T Improve=71.86, p Improve < 0.05); after the experiment, the SS of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group (Tₛₛ = 1.31, pₛₛ <0.01) Conclusions: Integrating functional training into physical education can improve the PF of female college students. At the same time, the integration of functional training into physical education can also effectively improve the SS of female college students. Therefore, it is suggested that functional training be integrated into the daily physical education of female college students so as to improve their PF and SS.

Keywords: functional training, physical fitness, sport skills, female college students

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Authors: B. Nakhostin-Roohi, F. Khoshkhahesh, KH. Parandak, R. Ramazanzadeh

Abstract:

Introduction: The protective effect of antioxidants in diminishing the post-exercise rise of serum CK and LDH in individuals trained for competitive sports has come to light in recent years. This study was conducted to assess the effect of Two-week L-carnitine supplementation on exercise-induced muscle damage, as well as antioxidant capacity after a bout of strenuous exercise in active healthy young men. Methodology: Twenty active healthy men volunteered for this study. Participants were randomized in a double-blind placebo-controlled fashion into two groups: L-carnitine (C group; n = 10) and placebo group (P group; n = 10). The participants took supplementation (2000 mg L-carnitine) or placebo (2000 mg lactose) daily for 2weeks before the main trial. Then, participants ran 14 km. Blood samples were taken before supplementation, before exercise, immediately, 2h and 24h after exercise. Creatine kinase (CK), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured. Results: Serum CK and LDH significantly increased after exercise in both groups (p < 0.05). Serum LDH was significantly lower in C group than P group 2h and 24h after exercise (p < 0.05). Furthermore, CK was significantly lower in C group compared with P group just 24h after exercise (p < 0.05). Plasma TAC increased significantly 14 days after supplementation and 24h after exercise in C group compared with P group (p < 0.05). Discussion and conclusion: These results suggest two-week daily oral supplementation of L-carnitine has been able to promote antioxidant capacity before and after exercise and decrease muscle damage markers through possibly inhibition of exercise-induced oxidative stress.

Keywords: L-carnitine, muscle damage, creatine kinase, Lactate dehydrogenase

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Authors: Mehari Kahsay, Krishna Murthy Kyathegowda, Temesgen Berhanu

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Aluminum matrix composites have gained focus on research and industrial use, especially those not requiring extreme loading or thermal conditions, for the last few decades. Their relatively low cost, simple processing and attractive properties are the reasons for the widespread use of aluminum matrix composites in the manufacturing of automobiles, aircraft, military, and sports goods. In this article, the microstructure, mechanical, and corrosion behaviors of the aluminum metal matrix were reviewed, focusing on the stir casting fabrication process and usage of agro/industrial waste reinforcement particles. The results portrayed that mechanical properties like tensile strength, ultimate tensile strength, hardness, percentage of elongation, impact, and fracture toughness are highly dependent on the amount, kind, and size of reinforcing particles. Additionally, uniform distribution, wettability of reinforcement particles, and the porosity level of the resulting composite also affect the mechanical and corrosion behaviors of aluminum matrix composites. The two-step stir-casting process resulted in better wetting characteristics, a lower porosity level, and a uniform distribution of particles with proper handling of process parameters. On the other hand, the inconsistent and contradicting results on corrosion behavior regarding monolithic and hybrid aluminum matrix composites need further study.

Keywords: microstructure, mechanical behavior, corrosion, aluminum matrix composite

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Authors: Puti F. Marzuki, Adrianto Oktavianus, Almerinda Regina

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Interface problems among interacting parties in Indonesian construction projects have most often led to low productivity and completion delay. In the midst of this country’s needs to accelerate construction of public infrastructure providing connectivity among regions and supporting economic growth as well as better living quality, project delays have to be seriously addressed. This paper identifies potential causes factors of interface problems experienced by construction projects in Indonesia. Data are collected through a survey involving the main actors of six important public infrastructure construction projects including railway, LRT, sports stadiums, apartment, and education building construction projects. Five of these projects adopt the design-build project delivery method and one applies the design-bid-build scheme. Interface problems’ potential causes are categorized into contract, management, technical experience, coordination, financial, and environmental factors. Research results reveal that, especially in railway and LRT projects, potential causes of interface problems are mainly technical and managerial in nature. These relate to complex construction execution in highly congested areas. Meanwhile, coordination cause factors are mainly found in the education building construction project with loan from a foreign donor. All of the six projects have to resolve interface problems caused by incomplete or low-quality contract documents. This research also shows that the design-bid-build delivery method involving more parties in construction projects tends to induce more interface problem cause factors than the design-build scheme.

Keywords: cause factors, construction delays, project delivery method, contract documents

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Authors: Saif K. Al-Qaisi, Jad R. Mansour, Aseel W. Sakka, Yousef Al-Abdallat

Abstract:

Handwheels are common to numerous industries, such as power generation plants, oil refineries, and chemical processing plants. The forces required to manually turn handwheels have been shown to exceed operators’ physical strengths, posing risks for injuries. Therefore, the objectives of this research were twofold: (1) to determine humans’ physical strengths on handwheels of different sizes and angles and (2) to subsequently propose recommended torque limits (RTLs) that accommodate the strengths of even the weaker segment of the population. Thirty male and thirty female participants were recruited from a university student population. Participants were asked to exert their maximum possible forces in a counter-clockwise direction on handwheels of different sizes (35 cm, 45 cm, 60 cm, and 70 cm) and angles (0°-horizontal, 45°-slanted, and 90°-vertical). The participant’s posture was controlled by adjusting the handwheel to be at the elbow level of each participant, requiring the participant to stand erect, and restricting the hand placements to be in the 10-11 o’clock position for the left hand and the 4-5 o’clock position for the right hand. A torque transducer (Futek TDF600) was used to measure the maximum torques generated by the human. Three repetitions were performed for each handwheel condition, and the average was computed. Results showed that, at all handwheel angles, as the handwheel diameter increased, the maximum torques generated also increased, while the underlying forces decreased. In controlling the handwheel diameter, the 0° handwheel was associated with the largest torques and forces, and the 45° handwheel was associated with the lowest torques and forces. Hence, a larger handwheel diameter –as large as 70 cm– in a 0° angle is favored for increasing the torque production capacities of users. Also, it was recognized that, regardless of the handwheel diameter size and angle, the torque demands in the field are much greater than humans’ torque production capabilities. As such, this research proposed RTLs for the different handwheel conditions by using the 25th percentile values of the females’ torque strengths. The proposed recommendations may serve future standard developers in defining torque limits that accommodate humans’ strengths.

Keywords: handwheel angle, handwheel diameter, humans’ torque production strengths, recommended torque limits

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Authors: Da Kuang

Abstract:

Resilience is a hotly debated topic in many research fields (e.g., engineering, ecology, society, psychology). In flood management studies, we are experiencing the paradigm shift from flood resistance to flood resilience. Flood resilience refers to tolerate flooding through adaptation or transformation. It is increasingly argued that our city as a social-ecological system holds the ability to learn from experience and adapt to flood rather than simply resist it. This research aims to investigate what kinds of adaptation knowledge the frequently flooded village learned from past experience and its advantages and limitations in coping with floods. The study area – Xinnongcun village, located in the west of Wuhan city, is a linear village and continuously suffered from both flash flood and drainage flood during the past 30 years. We have a field trip to the site in June 2017 and conducted semi-structured interviews with local residents. Our research summarizes two types of adaptation knowledge that people learned from the past floods. Firstly, at the village scale, it has formed a collective urban form which could help people live during both flood and dry season. All houses and front yards were elevated about 2m higher than the road. All the front yards in the village are linked and there is no barrier. During flooding time, people walk to neighbors through houses yards and boat to outside village on the lower road. Secondly, at individual scale, local people learned tacit knowledge of preparedness and emergency response to flood. Regarding the advantages and limitations, the adaptation knowledge could effectively help people to live with flood and reduce the chances of getting injuries. However, it cannot reduce local farmers’ losses on their agricultural land. After flood, it is impossible for local people to recover to the pre-disaster state as flood emerges during June and July will result in no harvest. Therefore, we argue that learning from past flood experience could increase people’s adaptive capacity. However, once the adaptive capacity cannot reduce people’s losses, it requires a transformation to a better regime.

Keywords: adaptation, flood resilience, tacit knowledge, transformation

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