Life Sciences Commons^™

Molluscan Remains From Fiji, Katherine Szabo

Katherine A Szabo

Shell recovered from archaeological sites can give valuable insight to issues of site formation, taphonomy, subsistence, the nature of the environment and environmental change over time. Here, I present a series of shell analyses that can assist in the investigation of several research issues, focusing primarily on ecological issues.

Human Whole-Body Reaching In Normal Gravity And Microgravity Reveals A Strong Temporal Coordination Between Postural And Focal Task Components, Jerome Patron, Paul Stapley, Thierry Pozzo

Dr Paul J Stapley

Previous experiments by our group in normal gravity (1 G) have revealed spatial relationships between postural and focal components of whole-body reaching and pointing movements. We suggested that these relationships could be explained partly through the use of gravity to displace the CoM and attain the object or target position. In this study we compared human whole-body reaching in 1 G and microgravity (0 G) in order to more fully investigate how gravity contributes to strategies adopted for task execution and to determine possible invariant temporal relationships between multiple segments. Whole-body reaching movements made from the standing position in two …

Neck Muscle Fatigue And Postural Control In Patients With Whiplash Injury, Paul Stapley, Maria Beretta, Elena Toffola, Marco Schieppati

Dr Paul J Stapley

Objectives: To examine if patients with whiplash injury show identifiable increases in neck muscle fatigability and associated increase in postural body sway after contractions of dorsal neck muscles, and if physiotherapy treatment reduces these effects. Methods: Sway was measured during stance in 13 patients before and after 5 min of isometric dorsal neck muscle contractions and after recovery, pre- and post-physiotherapy, using a force platform. Amplitude and median frequency of neck muscle EMG were calculated during the contracting period. After each stance trial, patients gave a subjective score of sway. Results: Pre-treatment, seven patients showed EMG signs of fatigue (increases …

Refeeding After Acute Food Restriction: Differential Reduction In Preference For Ethanol And Ethanol-Paired Flavors In Selectively Bred Rats., Clinton Chapman, Nancy Dess, Laura Cousins, Phuong Nguyen

Clinton D Chapman

Rats' voluntary ethanol intake varies with dispositional factors and energy status. The joint influences of these were of interest here. We previously reported that rats selectively bred for high voluntary saccharin intake (HiS) consume more ethanol and express more robust conditioning of preference for flavors paired with voluntarily consumed ethanol than do low-saccharin consuming counterparts (LoS). Three new experiments examined the effect of refeeding after an episode of food restriction on ethanol intake and on preference for ethanol-paired flavors in HiS and LoS rats. A 48-h episode of food restriction with wheel running reduced intake of and preference for 4% …

The Impact Of Co-Active Coaching On Physically Inactive 12 To 14 Year Olds In Ontario, Paul Gorczynski, Don Morrow, Jennifer Irwin

Donald Morrow

This study assessed the impact of life coaching on physical activity participation, self-efficacy, social support, and perceived behavioural control among physically inactive youth between the ages of 12 and 14 years in London, Ontario. The multiple-baseline across participants single case-experimental design study consisted of five 12 to 14 year olds. Six coaching sessions were conducted over two months by a certified professional Co-active coach. Physical activity increased for one participant while the other participants’ physical activity remained unchanged. No significant changes occurred in self-efficacy, social support, and perceived behavioural control with specific regard to becoming more physically active. Results indicted …

The Experience And Impact Of Motivational Interviewing-Via-Coaching Tools On National Smokers’ Telephone Hotline Employees, Don Morrow, Tara Mantler, Irwin Jennifer

Donald Morrow

This study‘s purpose was to assess the experience and impact of Motivational Interviewing-via-Co-Active Life Coaching training on smoking hotline employees‘ perceived competency to facilitate callers‘ behaviour changes. In-depth interviews and a Perceived Competency Scale (PCS) were utilized. Themes discussed at baseline included clients barriers and desired changes to practice. Post-training participants described their skill development and feeling re-energized. Three-months post-training, increases in competency and a desire for more training were highlighted. Trends in the PCS were consistent with qualitative findings of increased competency. Implementation constraints were also described. The training had a positive impact on participants‘ perceived competencies to facilitate …

The Change Program: Methodology For Comparing Interactive Co-Active Coaching With A Prescriptive Lifestyle Treatment For Obesity, Don Morrow, Erin Pearson, Jennifer Irwin

Donald Morrow

Studies incorporating Motivational Interviewing via Co-Active life coaching (MI-via-CALC) have elicited positive results among obese adults; however there is a paucity of comprehensive MI-via-CALC-obesity research that includes sufficient statistical power and a validated comparison group. The purpose of this study was to compare two telephone-based interventions for obesity. University students were randomized to either a 12-week: (a) personalized MI-via-CALC program whereby a coach worked with participants to achieve goals; or (b) prescriptive education-based lifestyle treatment following the LEARN Program. This paper contains a detailed methodological account of the study with a view to informing the development of prospective coaching-based programs.

Defining Adequate Means Of Residents To Prepare Property For Protection From Wildfire, Trent Penman, Christine Eriksen, R Blanchi, M Chladil, A Gill, K Haynes, Justin Leonard, Jim Mclennan, Ross Bradstock

Christine Eriksen

Wildfire can result in significant loss of property and lives. Evidence shows that residents can decrease the risk of loss when they stay to defend their property. In order to safely defend a property, residents need to be adequately prepared for the wildfire conditions they face. Residents who wish to evacuate prior to the arrival of a wildfire also need to prepare their property and themselves for such an action. Despite the importance of preparation, there are no clear and quantifiable definitions of what it means to be prepared for different exposures to wildfire. Here we develop a model and …

News Of Corporate Failure: Evaluating The Relationship Between Individual Assessments And Market Investments, Ann Williams

Ann E Williams

Individuals’ comprehension of communication is shaped by the use of metaphor. This study illustrates how the use of metaphor in business and economic news coverage shapes individuals’ responsibility attributions in ways that can ultimately influence consumers’ investment decisions. In a randomized experimental design, participants were invited to read news articles that described the bankruptcy of a business. The treatment text narrated the bankruptcy using metaphor, while the control text narrated the same event without the use of metaphor. After exposure to the communication text narrated with metaphor, responsibility attributions and subsequent investment decisions were significantly altered. The findings suggest that …

A Field Guide To Making Food Good: An Interactive Tool For Participatory Research Supporting Difficult Conversations, K. Valentine Cadieux

K. Valentine Cadieux

Other Women’S Gardens: Radical Homemakers And Public Performance Of The Politics Of Feeding, K. Valentine Cadieux

K. Valentine Cadieux