title: Reliability of Repeated Isometric Neck Strength in Rugby Union Players Using a Load Cell Device

authors: Chavarro-Nieto, Christian

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Concussion is the most common injury in professional Rugby Union (RU) players, with increasing incidence and severity each year. Strengthening the neck is an intervention used to decrease concussion incidence and severity, which can only be proven effective if neck strength measures are reliable. We conducted a repeated-measures reliability study with 23 male RU players. Neck strength was assessed seated in a ‘make’ test fashion in flexion, extension, and bilateral side flexion. Flexion-to-extension and left-to-right side ratios were also computed. Three testing sessions were undertaken over three consecutive weeks. Intrasession and intersession reliabilities were assessed using typical errors, coefficient of variations (CV), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Intrasession reliability demonstrated good-to-excellent relative (ICC > 0.75) and good absolute (CV ≤ 20%) reliability in all directions (ICC = 0.86–0.95, CV = 6.4–8.8%), whereas intersession reliability showed fair relative (ICC: 0.40 to 0.75) and acceptable absolute (CV ≤ 20%) reliability for mean and maximal values (ICC = 0.51–0.69, CV = 14.5–19.8%). Intrasession reliability for flexion-to-extension ratio was good (relative, ICC = 0.86) and acceptable (absolute, CV = 11.5%), and was fair (relative, ICC = 0.75) and acceptable (absolute, CV = 11.5%) for left-to-right ratio. Intersession ratios from mean and maximal values were fair (relative, ICC = 0.52–0.55) but not always acceptable (absolute, CV = 16.8–24%). Assessing isometric neck strength with a head harness and a cable with a load cell device seated in semi-professional RU players is feasible and demonstrates good-to-excellent intrasession and fair intersession reliability. We provided data from RU players to inform practice and assist standardization of testing methods.

text: Reliability of Repeated Isometric Neck Strength in Rugby Union Players Using a Load Cell Device Concussion is the most common injury in professional Rugby Union (RU) players, with increasing incidence and severity each year. Strengthening the neck is an intervention used to decrease concussion incidence and severity, which can only be proven effective if neck strength measures are reliable. We conducted a repeated-measures reliability study with 23 male RU players. Neck strength was assessed seated in a ‘make’ test fashion in flexion, extension, and bilateral side flexion. Flexion-to-extension and left-to-right side ratios were also computed. Three testing sessions were undertaken over three consecutive weeks. Intrasession and intersession reliabilities were assessed using typical errors, coefficient of variations (CV), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Intrasession reliability demonstrated good-to-excellent relative (ICC > 0.75) and good absolute (CV ≤ 20%) reliability in all directions (ICC = 0.86–0.95, CV = 6.4–8.8%), whereas intersession reliability showed fair relative (ICC: 0.40 to 0.75) and acceptable absolute (CV ≤ 20%) reliability for mean and maximal values (ICC = 0.51–0.69, CV = 14.5–19.8%). Intrasession reliability for flexion-to-extension ratio was good (relative, ICC = 0.86) and acceptable (absolute, CV = 11.5%), and was fair (relative, ICC = 0.75) and acceptable (absolute, CV = 11.5%) for left-to-right ratio. Intersession ratios from mean and maximal values were fair (relative, ICC = 0.52–0.55) but not always acceptable (absolute, CV = 16.8–24%). Assessing isometric neck strength with a head harness and a cable with a load cell device seated in semi-professional RU players is feasible and demonstrates good-to-excellent intrasession and fair intersession reliability. We provided data from RU players to inform practice and assist standardization of testing methods.

year: 2022-04-01

title: Motivations, Experiences and Potential Impacts of Visitors to a Monastery in New Zealand: A Case Study

authors: Rodrigues, Sanaya Anna Maria

subjects: Visitor Impacts on Monasteries

abstract: This thesis presents a case study of the potential impacts of pilgrimage and religious tourism in a Catholic context, with a focus on the perspectives of visitors and the host monastic community. The selected research site is the Tyburn Monastery, the only monastery and retreat centre in the Hamilton Catholic Diocese in New Zealand. The monastery is situated in the North Island near Rotorua, a tourist destination in New Zealand that is well known for its geo- thermal activity, adventure sports and promotion of the indigenous Maori culture. Specifically, this thesis studies visitors’ motivations and experiences for visiting the monastery, and the potential impact these visitors have on the monastery and on the monastic community. To achieve this end, and adopting a mixed methods research approach, 22 semi-structured interviews were conducted with visitors who had been to the monastery, from which key themes were elicited, and also a questionnaire based study was conducted with 42 visitors to the monastery. The analysis sheds light on the profile of visitors, the activities in which the visitors participated, and also the visitors’ motives and experiences for the visit. In-depth interviews were conducted with three of the monastic nuns to gain an insight into how visitors potentially impact their monastic life.

Most of the visitors were from Hamilton; they were mainly female visitors and over the age of 40 years; they were predominantly day visitors who used their own transport to get to the monastery as there is no public transport available. These visitors were mostly accompanied by family and friends. All the respondents in this study were Catholic. Findings of the qualitative interviews elicited three key motivational themes which were: religious, personal and social motives. Furthermore, the quantitative data revealed the main motives for visiting the monastery were to ‘spend time with God’, ‘to nurture your faith’, ‘and ‘to pray’. Three key experiential themes emerged from the qualitative analysis through the respondents’ narratives of their experiences at the monastery. These were, ‘religious element’ ‘personal experience’ and ‘social setting element’. The monastery significantly influenced the visitors as they expressed that ‘I felt a special spirituality at the monastery’ to be a significant experience. The most popular activities at the monastery, as established from the quantitative analysis, included ‘attending mass’, ‘reciting prayers’ and ‘meditating’. The visitors acknowledged that they were fortunate to be allowed into the monastery, were very satisfied with their visit, and would visit the monastery again.

Findings of the interview with three of the nuns at the monastery revealed that all visitors were welcome and are not treated as a burden; in contrast to findings that are perhaps argued in existing religious tourism literature. These findings thereby contribute to the existing scholarly knowledge of how Catholic cloistered monasteries are efficiently managed; this is because of the Benedictine rule that they follow, which lays out principles of governing or administrating and hospitality. The monastery is still new, and limited advertising is done through Catholic magazines and newsletters of the Hamilton dioceses. In spite of this, the monastery receives a number of day visitors, and their retreat rooms also have a high occupancy rate. Care has been taken to insure that visitor numbers do not cause any negative impacts on the monastery environment.

In addition, from this research, it can also be concluded that at this monastery there is gender equality, since all visitors are allowed to participate in all the activities of the monastery. This monastery is visited primarily for devotional reasons, as it has no cultural or historical significance unlike the ancient monasteries in Europe and China. The unique experience noted in this research was also because of the rural setting, which therefore could be used to attract international visitors. Essentially, the research findings will aid in the understanding of visitors’ behaviour in relation to religious site management.

text: Motivations, Experiences and Potential Impacts of Visitors to a Monastery in New Zealand: A Case Study This thesis presents a case study of the potential impacts of pilgrimage and religious tourism in a Catholic context, with a focus on the perspectives of visitors and the host monastic community. The selected research site is the Tyburn Monastery, the only monastery and retreat centre in the Hamilton Catholic Diocese in New Zealand. The monastery is situated in the North Island near Rotorua, a tourist destination in New Zealand that is well known for its geo- thermal activity, adventure sports and promotion of the indigenous Maori culture. Specifically, this thesis studies visitors’ motivations and experiences for visiting the monastery, and the potential impact these visitors have on the monastery and on the monastic community. To achieve this end, and adopting a mixed methods research approach, 22 semi-structured interviews were conducted with visitors who had been to the monastery, from which key themes were elicited, and also a questionnaire based study was conducted with 42 visitors to the monastery. The analysis sheds light on the profile of visitors, the activities in which the visitors participated, and also the visitors’ motives and experiences for the visit. In-depth interviews were conducted with three of the monastic nuns to gain an insight into how visitors potentially impact their monastic life.

Most of the visitors were from Hamilton; they were mainly female visitors and over the age of 40 years; they were predominantly day visitors who used their own transport to get to the monastery as there is no public transport available. These visitors were mostly accompanied by family and friends. All the respondents in this study were Catholic. Findings of the qualitative interviews elicited three key motivational themes which were: religious, personal and social motives. Furthermore, the quantitative data revealed the main motives for visiting the monastery were to ‘spend time with God’, ‘to nurture your faith’, ‘and ‘to pray’. Three key experiential themes emerged from the qualitative analysis through the respondents’ narratives of their experiences at the monastery. These were, ‘religious element’ ‘personal experience’ and ‘social setting element’. The monastery significantly influenced the visitors as they expressed that ‘I felt a special spirituality at the monastery’ to be a significant experience. The most popular activities at the monastery, as established from the quantitative analysis, included ‘attending mass’, ‘reciting prayers’ and ‘meditating’. The visitors acknowledged that they were fortunate to be allowed into the monastery, were very satisfied with their visit, and would visit the monastery again.

Findings of the interview with three of the nuns at the monastery revealed that all visitors were welcome and are not treated as a burden; in contrast to findings that are perhaps argued in existing religious tourism literature. These findings thereby contribute to the existing scholarly knowledge of how Catholic cloistered monasteries are efficiently managed; this is because of the Benedictine rule that they follow, which lays out principles of governing or administrating and hospitality. The monastery is still new, and limited advertising is done through Catholic magazines and newsletters of the Hamilton dioceses. In spite of this, the monastery receives a number of day visitors, and their retreat rooms also have a high occupancy rate. Care has been taken to insure that visitor numbers do not cause any negative impacts on the monastery environment.

In addition, from this research, it can also be concluded that at this monastery there is gender equality, since all visitors are allowed to participate in all the activities of the monastery. This monastery is visited primarily for devotional reasons, as it has no cultural or historical significance unlike the ancient monasteries in Europe and China. The unique experience noted in this research was also because of the rural setting, which therefore could be used to attract international visitors. Essentially, the research findings will aid in the understanding of visitors’ behaviour in relation to religious site management.

year: 2012

title: Te reo Maori, philosophy and colonialism: A conversation with Maori philosopher Carl Mika

authors: Peters, Michael A.

abstract: Kia ora Carl
Some advice if you have the time... I have been asked to give a paper at Uppsala on philosophy of language and autonomy. I want to focus on colonialism and use some examples from the colonial history concerning te reo Maori. I did a little research at the time of the Royal Commission in 1988 but have lost touch with the literature. Are there a couple of strategic texts you would recommend?
Nga Mihi

Kia ora Michael
You tend to get two types of writing about the language: its revitalisation; and its link to the natural or spiritual worlds – which is to do with philosophy in a particular sense, but in my view doesn’t have an eye towards the “autonomy” part you raise (i.e. isn’t cognisant enough of colonialism). The latter writing theorises around the traditional place of language, or describes it as a traditional phenomenon. I’ve been considering writing something for some time on it, but just haven’t gotten around to it.
You could discuss it in terms of how current uses of it in government policy etc. force the Maori language to become no more or no less than its English counterpart. So, for instance, language is an arbitrary (Saussure) thing that has very little in the way of “essence” in its own (autonomous) right. Terms like “whakapapa” equate precisely with “genealogy” but their interconnecting sense is lost in that translation. From a Maori belief, it could be argued that everything contains an essence, including words, and this essence precedes our interaction with language. In a way, language very much opens up a worldview, including the autonomy or essence of things in the world and their interconnectedness. pp. 101–110

text: Te reo Maori, philosophy and colonialism: A conversation with Maori philosopher Carl Mika Kia ora Carl
Some advice if you have the time... I have been asked to give a paper at Uppsala on philosophy of language and autonomy. I want to focus on colonialism and use some examples from the colonial history concerning te reo Maori. I did a little research at the time of the Royal Commission in 1988 but have lost touch with the literature. Are there a couple of strategic texts you would recommend?
Nga Mihi

Kia ora Michael
You tend to get two types of writing about the language: its revitalisation; and its link to the natural or spiritual worlds – which is to do with philosophy in a particular sense, but in my view doesn’t have an eye towards the “autonomy” part you raise (i.e. isn’t cognisant enough of colonialism). The latter writing theorises around the traditional place of language, or describes it as a traditional phenomenon. I’ve been considering writing something for some time on it, but just haven’t gotten around to it.
You could discuss it in terms of how current uses of it in government policy etc. force the Maori language to become no more or no less than its English counterpart. So, for instance, language is an arbitrary (Saussure) thing that has very little in the way of “essence” in its own (autonomous) right. Terms like “whakapapa” equate precisely with “genealogy” but their interconnecting sense is lost in that translation. From a Maori belief, it could be argued that everything contains an essence, including words, and this essence precedes our interaction with language. In a way, language very much opens up a worldview, including the autonomy or essence of things in the world and their interconnectedness. pp. 101–110

year: 2015