Recreational Pursuits Research Articles

Teach Astronomy A Comprehensive Online Astronomy Education and Outreach Resource

A web site called Teach Astronomy (http://www.teachastronomy.com) has been created to serve astronomy instructors and their students, amateur astronomers, and members of the general public interested in astronomy. The content includes astronomy articles from an introductory level textbook and from the online resource Wikipedia, short video clips, astronomical images, podcasts, and recent news stories. This article describes the technology behind the delivery of those learning resources, which is relevant to the capabilities and limitations of the web site. One key innovation is the Wikimap, a Flash-based tool that presents the visual results of a real-time clustering analysis of hundreds or thousands of text items, displaying the item that best matches the search term and most closely related items. The clustering is carried out in a Lucene index, and it can operate on any database containing items of text. The astronomy content is routinely updated, in some cases daily. Due to the prevalence of smartphones, tablets, and other handheld devices, a simplified non-graphical version of the interface was developed using custom style sheets. Teach Astronomy has a large following of students taking introductory astronomy classes and members of the public with a recreational interest in astronomy. In the past year, there have been 250,000 unique visitors. Currently we are developing a new interface that uses HTML5 instead of Flash to display the Wikimap, an app version of the website for use on smartphones and tablets, and tool to support an instructor and learner community.

First record of Esox cisalpinus (Teleostea: Esocidae) in Sardinia with insight on its mitochondrial DNA genetic variability

Esox cisalpinus (Teleostea: Esocidae) (syn. Esox flaviae) is an Italian freshwater autochthonous fish, whose originary range is limited to the Northern and Central Italy. However, this species has historically been introduced in several areas of Southern Italy, mainly for recreational purposes. In this paper we report the first record of E. cisalpinus on the Sardinia island (Western Mediterranean, Italy), where the species has been recently introduced at least in one lake. The species identification and the population dynamics analysis were performed using mitochondrial markers. The level of genetic variability, compared to those of other peninsular populations of E. cisalpinus, was surprisingly high, and several never-before-described haplotypes were found. A total of 10 mtDNA haplotypes were found. Demographic analysis is suggestive of a population expansion. We hypothesise that E. cisalpinus has been introduced in the Sardinian lake by the releasing of a conspicuous number of individuals. Given the conservational and recreational interest that E. cisalpinus arouses, it would be advisable that Sardinian government focuses in the near future also on management measures of its Sardinian population.

Białystok inhabitants’ preferences concerning forest recreational services – the need for physical activity

Abstract This paper focuses on the market segmentation of recreational forest services using the concept of ‘sensation seeking’ for describing recreational expectations of town dwellers. The physical activity of town dwellers from the urban agglomeration of Białystok and the Knyszyn Forest (North-Eastern Poland) during outdoor recreation was analysed using this concept. The results of this research suggest that less than thirty percent of inhabitants of the Białystok agglomeration tend to be physically active during outdoor recreation. This is evidence of a low level of physical culture within the part of the society analysed in this study. Amongst all participants, only seven percent use the Knyszyn Forest for recreational purposes based on physical activity. The limited interest in active recreation in forests that we observed can be attributed to two main causes: 1) the lack of acceptance of a closed forest landscape as a recreational area; 2) the lack of recreational facilities in the Knyszyn Forest that would encourage healthy behaviour during active outdoor recreation.

An Intersectoral Intervention to Prevent Early Alcohol Use in Cuban Adolescents.

To encourage development of negative attitudes toward alcohol use and thus prevent early onset of alcohol use, an intersectoral intervention was conducted from 2014 to 2015 among Cuban adolescents in 14 schools in Havana. The intervention included 312 students (189 girls and 123 boys) aged 14 to 15 years in 10th grade of high school or vocational school. Workshops were conducted using participatory techniques and group dynamics. Qualitative methods were applied, including narrative, desiderative and projective techniques. Indicators included attitudes, motivation, interests and perception of risk. Following the intervention, 82.7% (258/312) of participants reported healthy cultural and recreational interests and 61.9% (193/312) reinforced negative attitudes toward drinking. Such interventions can help prevent early onset of alcohol use in school settings. Given the positive results, the intervention is slated to be reproduced in other Cuban provinces. KEYWORDS Adolescents, prevention, alcoholism, attitudes, Cuba.

Effects of Extracurricular Participation on the Internalizing Problems and Intrapersonal Strengths of Youth in a System of Care

Although extracurricular participation has been linked to positive youth outcomes in the general population, no research to date has examined benefits for youth diagnosed with mental health challenges. Youth in systems of care (SOCs) receive a variety of services and supports that could help them capitalize on this potential for positive development, such as access to flexible funding to support recreational interests. However, research has not examined the degree to which the increased community involvement (e.g., extracurricular participation) sought in SOCs contributes to improved outcomes. This study addresses these gaps by investigating the relationships between both average and increased extracurricular participation frequency and breadth and internalizing problems and intrapersonal strengths among SOC youth. Findings revealed that, on average, higher frequency of youth participation was associated with higher intrapersonal strengths and lower internalizing problems. Increases in participation frequency were also associated with increased strengths and decreased internalizing problems. These findings suggest that efforts to implement supports for increasing extracurricular participation of SOC youth could improve their psychosocial outcomes beyond the benefits yielded via formal services. Taken together, these results provide support for advocacy efforts to integrate youth with mental health challenges into existing extracurriculars and to create new extracurricular opportunities.

Exercise addiction and rehabilitation.

Exercise addiction and rehabilitation.

179 Duration of Physical Activity Following Total Hip or Knee Replacement: An Analysis of the Epic-Norfolk Cohort

Background: It has been suggested that following total hip (THR) and knee replacement (TKR) people increase their levels of physical activity as a result of reduced pain and increased range of motion. Engagement in physical activity is important for promoting physical and mental health and reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases on primary and secondary care services. Therefore, joint replacement is hypothesized to have wider health benefits in addition to improvement of joint pain and disability. However, the degree to which physical activity increases following THR and TKR is unknown. This study answered this question with a UK population cohort, the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk. We determined whether there was a change in the duration of physical activity following THR or TKR; if the duration of physical activity changes following THR or TKR, which specific forms of physical activity are altered and by how much; and which characteristics or variables predicted an absolute change in duration of physical activity following THR or TKR. Methods: In total, 653 people from the EPIC-Norfolk community cohort were identified who had undergone primary THR or TKR between EPIC Health Check 2 (1998–2001) and 3 (2006–2011). Paired t-test and multivariable regression analyses were conducted to determine whether there was a change in pre- vs post-arthroplasty duration of physical activity [assessed through duration of waking hours, stair climbing, activities of extended daily living (in and around the home), time spent undertaking physically active recreational pursuits]. Paired t-test analyses were undertaken to assess the change in physical activity over time, while a multivariable regression analysis modelled the absolute change in physical activity measures against potential explanatory factors such as age, gender and co-morbidities. Results: There was a statistically significant reduction from pre- to post-arthroplasty duration of daily stair climbing at home [THR: mean difference 6.19 (95% CI 2.88, 9.50), P < 0.01; TKR: mean difference 9.42 (95% CI 3.00, 15.43), P < 0.01] and time spent participating in recreational activities [THR: mean difference 1.10 (95% CI 0.26, 1.95), P = 0.03]. There was no statistical difference in pre- to post-arthroplasty change in physical activity duration for the other activities. Only age was consistently associated with the duration of physical activity change, whereby older people pre-arthroplasty demonstrated the least change in duration of physical activity. Conclusion: The duration of physical activity does not increase and may actually decrease following THR and TKR for some domains, most notably stair climbing. This is contrary to previous understanding. Accordingly, greater education by primary and secondary care services at pre- and post-operative stages should be provided to patients on their expected change and/or their potential change in physical activity post-arthroplasty. This is warranted given the benefits physical activity confers on physical and mental health.

Reconciling Horse Welfare, Worker Safety, and Public Expectations: Horse Event Incident Management Systems in Australia

Simple SummaryAlthough often highly rewarding, human-horse interactions can also be dangerous. Using examples from equine and other contexts, this article acknowledges the growing public awareness of animal welfare, work underway towards safer equestrian workplaces, and the potential for adapting large animal rescue skills for the purposes of horse event incident management. Additionally, we identity the need for further research into communication strategies that address animal welfare and safety issues that arise when humans and horses interact in the workplace.Human-horse interactions have a rich tradition and can be highly rewarding, particularly within sport and recreation pursuits, but they can also be dangerous or even life-threatening. In parallel, sport and recreation pursuits involving animals, including horses, are facing an increased level of public scrutiny in relation to the use of animals for these purposes. However, the challenge lies with event organisers to reconcile the expectations of the public, the need to meet legal requirements to reduce or eliminate risks to paid and volunteer workers, and address horse welfare. In this article we explore incident management at horse events as an example of a situation where volunteers and horses can be placed at risk during a rescue. We introduce large animal rescue skills as a solution to improving worker safety and improving horse welfare outcomes. Whilst there are government and horse industry initiatives to improve safety and address animal welfare, there remains a pressing need to invest in a strong communication plan which will improve the safety of workplaces in which humans and horses interact.

How a concerned family member, friend or member of the public can help someone with gambling problems: a Delphi consensus study.

BackgroundGambling is an enjoyable recreational pursuit for many people. However, for some it can lead to significant harms. The Delphi expert consensus method was used to develop guidelines for how a concerned family member, friend or member of the public can recognise the signs of gambling problems and support a person to change their gambling.MethodsA systematic review of websites, books and journal articles was conducted to develop a questionnaire containing items about the knowledge, skills and actions needed for supporting a person with gambling problems. These items were rated over three rounds by two international expert panels comprising people with a lived experience of gambling problems and professionals who treat people with gambling problems or research gambling problems.ResultsA total of 66 experts (34 with lived experience and 32 professionals) rated 412 helping statements according to whether they thought the statements should be included in these guidelines. There were 234 helping statements that were endorsed by at least 80 % of members of both of the expert panels. These endorsed statements were used to develop the guidelines.ConclusionTwo groups of experts were able to reach substantial consensus on how someone can recognise the signs of gambling problems and support a person to change.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40359-016-0110-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Ruch turystyczny na obszarze Puszczy Białowieskiej w świetle badań

The increasing popularity of tourist trips as a form of leisure activity contributes to the continuous increase in the number of tourists. The development of civilization causes gradually increasing interest in recreation areas with contamination-free environment. This results primarily from urbanization, changes in the structure of inhabitants in favor of mental work to improve the economic situation. A significant factor in attracting tourists to the municipality and the Bialowieza Bialowieza Forest are mainly forest areas which have natural, scenic and cultural values. Keep in mind that forest areas are for the people, but they need to be skillfully used to improve the physical and mental health, without prejudice to the principles of sustainable development. The results showed that the area of the Bialowieza Forest should aim to increase tourist attractions, improving the conditions of accommodation and ensure the efficient combination of public bus and train, to increase bicycle lanes and expansion of the base rental of recreational equipment (mainly bicycles, kayaks, equipment for Nordic walking, and winter equipment). If presented undertakings are implemented, it will definitely increase tourist traffic and at the same time it will improve the municipal budget and the budget of the families living in the community. There is also a likelihood that the stays of tourists will be longer and will be even more interest in recreation in the Bialowieza Forest. Translated by Mikolaj Jalinik

Tourism management: Valorization of the tourist offer quality in the rural regions

In the paper the theoretical model of valorization level of the tourist offer quality in the rural regions is given, with special emphasis on the impact of sports and recreation. The main objective of rural tourism is that, based on tourist demand, it provides to the rural population an additional source of income and thereby improves their living standards and reduces migration to the cities. The interest in recreation in rural areas began to grow already in the nineteenth century as a reaction to the growing pressure of urbanization and industrialization. Modem tourism is increasingly dominated by sports recreation as the main motive of tourism trends, due to its comprehensive objectives and requirements provided in all their forms of content. Sports recreation as an integral part of tourism services becomes the imperative for contemporary tourism. To conduct a survey on the valorization of the effects of recreation in the tourist industry, it is necessary to identify the whole set of variables to which it is necessary to get through a survey in the general population rate, both the past, and potential users, and thereby acquire the preconditions for further statistical analyses to test hypotheses concerning the influence of sports recreation program use on the tourist offer quality in the rural regions.

An Intersectoral Intervention to Prevent Early Alcohol Use in Cuban Adolescents.

To encourage development of negative attitudes toward alcohol use and thus prevent early onset of alcohol use, an intersectoral intervention was conducted from 2014 to 2015 among Cuban adolescents in 14 schools in Havana. The intervention included 312 students (189 girls and 123 boys) aged 14 to 15 years in 10th grade of high school or vocational school. Workshops were conducted using participatory techniques and group dynamics. Qualitative methods were applied, including narrative, desiderative and projective techniques. Indicators included attitudes, motivation, interests and perception of risk. Following the intervention, 82.7% (258/312) of participants reported healthy cultural and recreational interests and 61.9% (193/312) reinforced negative attitudes toward drinking. Such interventions can help prevent early onset of alcohol use in school settings. Given the positive results, the intervention is slated to be reproduced in other Cuban provinces. KEYWORDS Adolescents, prevention, alcoholism, attitudes, Cuba.

Abstract 11501: An Assessment of Unmet Needs and Outcomes Important to Patients With Heart Failure

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a progressively debilitating disease resulting in functional disability and lower quality of life. Besides responses to quality of life (QoL) scales, the literature contains few studies regarding HF patient-reported outcomes. Given the advances in pharmacological management, as well as other advances in the delivery of health-related services and information impacting the HF patient, additional insight is needed to understand and respond to patients’ perspectives of HF. Objectives: To identify outcomes that are important to patients with HF and to assess their perceived unmet needs regarding the effective management of HF. Methods: Focus groups (FGs) were conducted with HF patients in Austin, TX. A diverse sample of HF patients was recruited in terms of disease severity and history, HF treatments, gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. A FG guide with open-ended questions was used to explore three areas: disease burden, important outcomes of treatment and care, and strategies to address unmet need. A grounded theory approach was used to inductively analyze and identify the categories/themes that emerged from the data. Results: Four FGs were conducted with a total of 29 HF patients. Most patients were male (58.6%) and Caucasian (41.4%) or African American (37.9%) and aged 60.2±10.3 years. The mean number of years since being diagnosed with HF was 5.4±5.6. A total of eight major themes emerged from the data: 1) burden of daily living impacts of HF, 2) important elements of HF treatment, 3) indicators that care is being managed well, 4) negative aspects of medication, 5) dealing with other health issues, 6) different types of HF treatments, 7) unmet treatment and support needs, and 8) self-education. Conclusions: Several outcomes important to HF patients emerged, from physical limitations (e.g., limited recreational pastimes) to psychological issues (e.g., self-control in life). These outcomes were typically related to patients’ daily quality of living. Several unmet needs emerged, including financial assistance, reduced pill burden of prescribed therapies, and improved collaboration and communication among healthcare providers.

Privacy and spatial pattern preservation in masked GPS trajectory data

ABSTRACTPersonal trajectory data are increasingly collected for a variety of academic and recreational pursuits. As access to location data widens and locations are linked to other information repositories, individuals become increasingly vulnerable to identification. The quality and precision of spatially linked attributes are essential to accurate analysis; yet, there is a trade-off between privacy and geographic data resolution. Obfuscation of point data, or masking, is a solution that aims to protect privacy and maximize preservation of spatial pattern. Trajectory data, with multiple locations recorded for an entity over time, is a strong personal identifier. This study explores the balance between privacy and spatial pattern resulting from two methods of obfuscation for personal GPS data: grid masking and random perturbation. These methods are applied to travel survey GPS data in the greater metropolitan regions of Chicago and Atlanta. The rate of pattern correlation between the original and masked data sets declines as the distance thresholds for masking increase. Grid masking at the 250-m threshold preserves route anonymity better than other methods and distance thresholds tested, but preserves spatial pattern least. This study also finds via linear regression that median trip speed and road density are significant predictors of trip anonymity.

The first report of Cryptosporidium andersoni in horses with diarrhea and multilocus subtype analysis.

BackgroundHorses interact with humans in a wide variety of sport competitions and non-competitive recreational pursuits as well as in working activities. Cryptosporidium spp are one of the most important zoonotic pathogens causing diarrhea of humans and animals. The reports of Cryptosporidium in horses and the findings of zoonotic Cryptosporidium species/genotypes show a necessity to carry out molecular identification of Cryptosporidium in horses, especially in diarrheic ones. The aim of the present study was to understand Cryptosporidium infection and species/genotypes in diarrheic horses, and to trace the source of infection of horse-derived Cryptosporidium isolates at a subtype level.FindingsFecal specimens of 29 diarrheic adult horses were collected in Taikang County in northeastern China’s Heilongjiang Province. Cryptosporidium oocysts were concentrated by Sheather’s sugar flotation technique, and then examined by a bright-field microscope. Meanwhile, all the specimens were subjected to PCR amplification of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene of Cryptosporidium. C. andersoni isolates were further subtyped by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) at the four microsatellite/minisatellite loci (MS1, MS2, MS3 and MS16).One and two Cryptosporidium-positive isolates were obtained in horses by microscopy and by PCR, respectively. The two C. andersoni isolates were identified by sequencing of the SSU rRNA gene of Cryptosporidium. Both of them were identical to each other at the MS1, MS2, MS3 and MS16 loci, and MLST subtype A4,A4,A4,A1 was found here.ConclusionsThis is the first report of C. andersoni in horses. The fact that the MLST subtype A4,A4,A4,A1 was reported in cattle suggests a large possibility of transmission of C. andersoni between cattle and horses.

Recreational Interests of Visitors and Their Effects on Miankaleh Wildlife Refuge

Recreational Interests of Visitors and Their Effects on Miankaleh Wildlife Refuge

The Role of Botulinum Toxin Type A in the Clinical Management of Refractory Anterior Knee Pain.

Anterior knee pain is a highly prevalent condition affecting largely young to middle aged adults. Symptoms can recur in more than two thirds of cases, often resulting in activity limitation and reduced participation in employment and recreational pursuits. Persistent anterior knee pain is difficult to treat and many individuals eventually consider a surgical intervention. Evidence for long term benefit of most conservative treatments or surgical approaches is currently lacking. Injection of Botulinum toxin type A to the distal region of vastus lateralis muscle causes a short term functional “denervation” which moderates the influence of vastus lateralis muscle on the knee extensor mechanism and increases the relative contribution of the vastus medialis muscle. Initial data suggest that, compared with other interventions for anterior knee pain, Botulinum toxin type A injection, in combination with an active exercise programme, can lead to sustained relief of symptoms, reduced health care utilisation and increased activity participation. The procedure is less invasive than surgical intervention, relatively easy to perform, and is time- and cost-effective. Further studies, including larger randomized placebo-controlled trials, are required to confirm the effectiveness of Botulinum toxin type A injection for anterior knee pain and to elaborate the possible mechanisms underpinning pain and symptom relief.

A Cross-Sectional View of Fear of Death and Dying Among Skydivers.

The literature lacks a consistent pattern on the relationship between attitudes toward death and dying across occupations and recreational pursuits. The present cross-sectional study categorized a group of individuals engaging in a high-risk recreational activity (i.e., skydivers) on the basis of experience and classified them into student, intermediate, and experts. There were more negative attitudes of death and dying among student skydivers compared with more experienced skydivers. It was also found that expert skydivers had more negative attitudes toward death and dying on some of the measures compared with the intermediate level experienced skydivers. It may be the case that factors such as perceived personal control, overconfidence, and metacognition may be related to these observed differences between the two more experienced groups of skydivers. The possibility of the factors playing a role in skydivers' attitudes toward death and dying should be taken into consideration in the training programs for skydiving.

A value orientation approach to assess and compare climate change risk perception among trout anglers in Georgia, USA

Trout in Georgia could experience early impacts from climate change as the streams in the region are located at the southernmost edge of their North American home range. This study surveyed trout anglers in Georgia to understand how anglers perceive the potential impact of climate change on trout, and whether and how their perception and response to declines in trout populations vary among anglers of different value orientations. A multivariate cluster analysis based on anglers' beliefs about protection and use of nature and sport fish yielded four segments, and anglers showed a notable variation in risk perception, as well as behavioral intention to reduce fishing trips to their preferred sites. The “Protectionists”, followed by “Pluralists”, were relatively more aware of risk and likely to reduce trips to affected fishing sites. The “Distanced” were neither strong believers nor deniers, whereas the “Dominionistic” were the least concerned about climate risk and least likely to change their recreation pursuits with forecast declines in trout populations. Results imply that trout anglers are more concerned about the possible impact of climate change in the future than now. In addition, the differences in social and cultural values may serve as barriers among certain angler groups in perceiving the risk of climate change and adapting to changing resources. Management implications–Trout anglers in Georgia are concerned about the impact of climate change but the level of concern and stated responses to hypothetical changes in trout populations vary across value orientation segments.–While the anglers are relatively insensitive to small declines in trout populations, sharp reductions due to climate change could mean a drop in visitation rates, resulting in reduced statewide sales of trout stamps, and a shift in type and location of recreation pursuits.–Agencies may see benefit in climate change education programs to remove social and cultural barriers associated with perception of climate change impact on sport fishing.

Preferred travel experiences of foodies

A large-scale sample of food lovers accessed by an online survey, which followed a qualitative focus group study, employed the photo elicitation technique to investigate their preferences for travel experiences. This technique identified top choices both for food-related and other types of urban, nature-oriented and active recreational pursuits. Overall, the most popular experience sought was described as ‘enjoy regional cuisine in a local restaurant’ and depicted a couple dining informally with a waterfront backdrop. The photo conveyed the romantic, authentic and informal messages all at once. More detailed analysis revealed significant differences according to respondent country of residence and previous food-related travel. Specifically, the most experienced food tourists were the most likely to select food festivals and meeting/learning from chefs. Those who had travelled less for food experiences had more general, leisure-oriented preferences that included nature and heritage. Results have implications for precise targeting at food tourists; the packaging of experiences; and destination development, branding and promotion. A number of methodological and theoretical issues are discussed, including the issue of how photos communicate messages and their use in marketing.