Inside help: An integrative review of champions in healthcare-related implementation.

PubMed

Miech, Edward J; Rattray, Nicholas A; Flanagan, Mindy E; Damschroder, Laura; Schmid, Arlene A; Damush, Teresa M

2018-01-01

The idea that champions are crucial to effective healthcare-related implementation has gained broad acceptance; yet the champion construct has been hampered by inconsistent use across the published literature. This integrative review sought to establish the current state of the literature on champions in healthcare settings and bring greater clarity to this important construct. This integrative review was limited to research articles in peer-reviewed, English-language journals published from 1980 to 2016. Searches were conducted on the online MEDLINE database via OVID and PubMed using the keyword "champion." Several additional terms often describe champions and were also included as keywords: implementation leader, opinion leader, facilitator, and change agent. Bibliographies of full-text articles that met inclusion criteria were reviewed for additional references not yet identified via the main strategy of conducting keyword searches in MEDLINE. A five-member team abstracted all full-text articles meeting inclusion criteria. The final dataset for the integrative review consisted of 199 unique articles. Use of the term champion varied widely across the articles with respect to topic, specific job positions, or broader organizational roles. The most common method for operationalizing champion for purposes of analysis was the use of a dichotomous variable designating champion presence or absence. Four studies randomly allocated of the presence or absence of champions. The number of published champion-related articles has markedly increased: more articles were published during the last two years of this review (i.e. 2015-2016) than during its first 30 years (i.e. 1980-2009).The number of champion-related articles has continued to increase sharply since the year 2000. Individual studies consistently found that champions were important positive influences on implementation effectiveness. Although few in number, the randomized trials of champions that have been

Inside help: An integrative review of champions in healthcare-related implementation

PubMed Central

Rattray, Nicholas A; Flanagan, Mindy E; Damschroder, Laura; Schmid, Arlene A; Damush, Teresa M

2018-01-01

Background/aims: The idea that champions are crucial to effective healthcare-related implementation has gained broad acceptance; yet the champion construct has been hampered by inconsistent use across the published literature. This integrative review sought to establish the current state of the literature on champions in healthcare settings and bring greater clarity to this important construct. Methods: This integrative review was limited to research articles in peer-reviewed, English-language journals published from 1980 to 2016. Searches were conducted on the online MEDLINE database via OVID and PubMed using the keyword “champion.” Several additional terms often describe champions and were also included as keywords: implementation leader, opinion leader, facilitator, and change agent. Bibliographies of full-text articles that met inclusion criteria were reviewed for additional references not yet identified via the main strategy of conducting keyword searches in MEDLINE. A five-member team abstracted all full-text articles meeting inclusion criteria. Results: The final dataset for the integrative review consisted of 199 unique articles. Use of the term champion varied widely across the articles with respect to topic, specific job positions, or broader organizational roles. The most common method for operationalizing champion for purposes of analysis was the use of a dichotomous variable designating champion presence or absence. Four studies randomly allocated of the presence or absence of champions. Conclusions: The number of published champion-related articles has markedly increased: more articles were published during the last two years of this review (i.e. 2015–2016) than during its first 30 years (i.e. 1980–2009). The number of champion-related articles has continued to increase sharply since the year 2000. Individual studies consistently found that champions were important positive influences on implementation effectiveness. Although few in number

Role of champions in the implementation of patient safety practice change.

PubMed

Soo, Stephanie; Berta, Whitney; Baker, G Ross

2009-01-01

Practitioners of patient safety practice change agree that champions are central to the success of implementation. The clinical champion role is a concept that has been widely promoted yet empirically underdeveloped in health services literature. Questions remain as to who these champions are, what roles they play in patient safety practice change and what contexts serve to facilitate their efforts. This investigation used a multiple-case study design to critically examine the role of champions in the implementation of rapid response teams (RRTs), an innovative complex patient safety intervention, in two large urban acute care facilities. An analysis of interviews with key individuals involved in the RRT implementation process revealed a typology of the patient safety practice champion that extended beyond clinical personnel to include managerial and executive staff. Champions engaged to a varying extent in a number of core activities, including education, advocacy, relationship building and boundary spanning. Individuals became champions both through informal emergence and a combination of formal appointment and informal emergence. By identifying and elaborating upon specific features of the champion role, this study aims to expand the dialogue about champions for patient safety practice change.

Fandom Biases Retrospective Judgments Not Perception.

PubMed

Huff, Markus; Papenmeier, Frank; Maurer, Annika E; Meitz, Tino G K; Garsoffky, Bärbel; Schwan, Stephan

2017-02-24

Attitudes and motivations have been shown to affect the processing of visual input, indicating that observers may see a given situation each literally in a different way. Yet, in real-life, processing information in an unbiased manner is considered to be of high adaptive value. Attitudinal and motivational effects were found for attention, characterization, categorization, and memory. On the other hand, for dynamic real-life events, visual processing has been found to be highly synchronous among viewers. Thus, while in a seminal study fandom as a particularly strong case of attitudes did bias judgments of a sports event, it left the question open whether attitudes do bias prior processing stages. Here, we investigated influences of fandom during the live TV broadcasting of the 2013 UEFA-Champions-League Final regarding attention, event segmentation, immediate and delayed cued recall, as well as affect, memory confidence, and retrospective judgments. Even though we replicated biased retrospective judgments, we found that eye-movements, event segmentation, and cued recall were largely similar across both groups of fans. Our findings demonstrate that, while highly involving sports events are interpreted in a fan dependent way, at initial stages they are processed in an unbiased manner.

Fandom Biases Retrospective Judgments Not Perception

PubMed Central

Huff, Markus; Papenmeier, Frank; Maurer, Annika E.; Meitz, Tino G. K.; Garsoffky, Bärbel; Schwan, Stephan

2017-01-01

Attitudes and motivations have been shown to affect the processing of visual input, indicating that observers may see a given situation each literally in a different way. Yet, in real-life, processing information in an unbiased manner is considered to be of high adaptive value. Attitudinal and motivational effects were found for attention, characterization, categorization, and memory. On the other hand, for dynamic real-life events, visual processing has been found to be highly synchronous among viewers. Thus, while in a seminal study fandom as a particularly strong case of attitudes did bias judgments of a sports event, it left the question open whether attitudes do bias prior processing stages. Here, we investigated influences of fandom during the live TV broadcasting of the 2013 UEFA-Champions-League Final regarding attention, event segmentation, immediate and delayed cued recall, as well as affect, memory confidence, and retrospective judgments. Even though we replicated biased retrospective judgments, we found that eye-movements, event segmentation, and cued recall were largely similar across both groups of fans. Our findings demonstrate that, while highly involving sports events are interpreted in a fan dependent way, at initial stages they are processed in an unbiased manner. PMID:28233877

Super Champions, Champions, and Almosts: Important Differences and Commonalities on the Rocky Road

PubMed Central

Collins, Dave; MacNamara, Áine; McCarthy, Neil

2016-01-01

The real-world experiences of young athletes follow a non-linear and dynamic trajectory and there is growing recognition that facing and overcoming a degree of challenge is desirable for aspiring elites and as such, should be recognized and employed. However, there are some misunderstandings of this “talent needs trauma” perspective with some research focusing excessively or incorrectly on the incidence of life and sport challenge as a feature of effective talent development. The objective of the study was to examine what factors associated with such “trauma” experiences may or may not discriminate between high, medium, and low achievers in sport, classified as super-champions, champions or almosts. A series of retrospective interviews were used with matched triads (i.e., super-champions, champions, or almosts) of performers (N = 54) from different sports. Data collection was organized in three phases. In the first phase, a graphic time line of each performer’s career was developed. The second phase explored the specific issues highlighted by each participant in a chronological sequence. The third phase was a retrospective reflection on “traumatic” motivators, coach/significant other inputs and psychological challenges experienced and skills employed. Data suggested qualitative differences between categories of performers, relating to several perceptual and experiential features of their development. No evidence was found for the necessity of major trauma as a feature of development. There was a lack of discrimination across categories of performers associated with the incidence of trauma and, more particularly, life or non-sport trauma. These findings suggest that differences between levels of adult achievement relate more to what performers bring to the challenges than what they experience. A periodized and progressive set of challenge, preceded and associated with specific skill development, would seem to offer the best pathway to success for the

Ranking structures and rank-rank correlations of countries: The FIFA and UEFA cases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ausloos, Marcel; Cloots, Rudi; Gadomski, Adam; Vitanov, Nikolay K.

2014-04-01

Ranking of agents competing with each other in complex systems may lead to paradoxes according to the pre-chosen different measures. A discussion is presented on such rank-rank, similar or not, correlations based on the case of European countries ranked by UEFA and FIFA from different soccer competitions. The first question to be answered is whether an empirical and simple law is obtained for such (self-) organizations of complex sociological systems with such different measuring schemes. It is found that the power law form is not the best description contrary to many modern expectations. The stretched exponential is much more adequate. Moreover, it is found that the measuring rules lead to some inner structures in both cases.

The role of the organizational champion in achieving health system change.

PubMed

Hendy, Jane; Barlow, James

2012-02-01

In healthcare there is a long held wisdom that 'champions' are a key aspect of organizational change. Drawing on organizational management theory, we examine the role of champions in three health and social care organizations in England as they attempt to move services to a remote model of delivery, 'telecare'. The delivery of remote care is a significant policy in the U.K. and elsewhere, but its introduction has been challenging. Over three years ethnographic methods (observations, informed discussions and interviews) were used to analyze the role of organizational champions in implementing remote care. Cases were local authorities and associated primary care trusts. Participants were champions and organizational members involved in implementation. Our study shows that organizational champions are highly effective in the first phase of adoption, when change is contained within distinct sub-sets of practice. Moving beyond local contexts the effectiveness of the champions varied. Identification centered on the remote care work. This identification enabled the champions to motivate others and move beyond their normally prescribed roles, contributing to innovation ideas, processes and practices. When required to shift their work organization-wide, and share ideas outside their professional culture, some champions responded with resistance, resulting in a lack of innovation spread. These results caution against allowing change to become positioned within the remit of a few individuals. Whilst this strategy may be initially beneficial, the role of champion may be less useful, even detrimental to progress, in the later stages of implementation, particularly if identification with the new circumstances is not established. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of longitudinal steroid profiles from male football players in UEFA competitions between 2008 and 2013.

PubMed

Baume, Norbert; Geyer, Hans; Vouillamoz, Marc; Grisdale, Richard; Earl, Mike; Aguilera, Rodrigo; Cowan, David A; Ericsson, Magnus; Gmeiner, Günter; Kwiatkowska, Dorota; Kioukia-Fougia, Nassia; Molina, Adeline; Ruivo, João; Segura, Jordi; Van Eenoo, Peter; Jan, Nicolas; Robinson, Neil; Saugy, Martial

2016-07-01

Testosterone and related compounds are the most recurrent doping substances. The steroid profile, consisting of the quantification of testosterone and its metabolites, has been described as the most significant biomarker to detect doping with pseudo-endogenous anabolic steroids. The steroidal module of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) was launched by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2014. To assess the value of introducing the module to its anti-doping programme, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) decided to analyze retrospectively the steroid profile data of 4195 urine samples, collected from 879 male football players and analyzed in 12 WADA-accredited laboratories between 2008 and mid-2013. This study focused on the evaluation of T/E ratios. The coefficient of variation (CV) and the adaptive model were the two statistical models used to study the longitudinal follow-up. A CV of 46% was determined to be the maximal natural intra-individual variation of the T/E when the sequence consisted of single data points analyzed in different laboratories. The adaptive model showed some profiles with an atypical T/E sequence and also enabled an estimate of the prevalence of external factors impacting the T/E sequences. Despite the limitations of this retrospective study, it clearly showed that the longitudinal and individual follow-up of the T/E biomarker of the players is a good tool for target testing in football. UEFA has therefore decided to implement the steroidal module of the ABP from the start of the next European football season in September 2015. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Carlsberg alibi marketing in the UEFA euro 2016 football finals: implications of Probably inappropriate alcohol advertising.

PubMed

Murray, Rachael; Breton, Magdalena Opazo; Britton, John; Cranwell, Jo; Grant-Braham, Bruce

2018-04-25

Alcohol advertising is a key driver of alcohol consumption, and is prohibited in France by the Loi Evin. In 2016 the Danish brewer Carlsberg sponsored the UEFA Euro 2016 finals, held in France, and used the alibis 'Probably' and '…the best in the world' in place of Carlsberg in pitch-side advertising. We have quantified the advertising exposure achieved during the final seven games in the UEFA Euro 2016 championship. Appearances of the Carlsberg alibis 'Probably' and 'the best in the world' were counted and timed to the nearest second during all active play in live coverage of quarter final, semi-final and final matches broadcast in the UK. We used census data and viewing figures from Kantar Media to estimate gross and per capita impressions of these advertisements in the UK population. In 796 min, 29 s of active play there were 746 alibi appearances, totalling 68 min 35 s duration and representing 8.6% of active playing time. Appearances were particularly frequent at the end of normal time, extra time and penalties. The seven matches delivered up to 7.43 billion Carlsberg alibi impressions to UK adults and 163.3 million to children. In the only match involving a second country with laws prohibiting alcohol advertising (France versus Iceland), exposure occurred for only 1.8% of playing time. Alibi marketing achieved significant advertising coverage during the final seven EURO 2016 championship games, particularly to children. Since 'Probably' is registered by Carlsberg as a wordmark this advertising appears to contravene the Loi Evin, though Carlsberg have defended their marketing actions.

Bertolette Selected as EHS Champion of Safety | Poster

Cancer.gov

Dan Bertolette has been selected as the most recent NCI at Frederick Champion of Safety, as part of the Champions of Safety Program sponsored by the Environment, Health, and Safety Program (EHS). The goal of the program, which began last year, is to raise awareness and promote a culture of safety by showing NCI at Frederick staff at work in their respective workplaces,

Fast-growing willow shrub named `Tully Champion`

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abrahamson, Lawrence P; Kopp, Richard F; Smart, Lawrence B

2007-08-28

A distinct female cultivar of Salix viminalis.times.S. miyabeana named `Tully Champion`, characterized by rapid stem growth producing greater than 25% more woody biomass than two current production clones (Salix dasyclados `SV1` and Salix miyabeana `SX64`), more than 2.5-fold greater biomass than one of its parents (Salix miyabeana `SX67`), and nearly 3-fold more biomass than another production clone (Salix sacchalinensis, `SX61`) when grown in the same field for the same length of time (two growing seasons after coppice) in Tully, N.Y. `Tully Champion` can be planted from dormant stem cuttings, produces multiple stems after coppice, and the stem biomass can bemore » harvested when the plant is dormant. In the spring following harvest, the plant will re-sprout very vigorously, producing new stems that can be harvested repeatedly after two to four years of growth. `Tully Champion` displays a low incidence of rust disease and is not damaged by potato leafhoppers.« less

Fast-growing willow shrub named `Tully Champion`

DOEpatents

Abrahamson, Lawrence P.; Kopp, Richard F.; Smart, Lawrence B.; Volk, Timothy A.

2007-08-28

A distinct female cultivar of Salix viminalis.times.S. miyabeana named `Tully Champion`, characterized by rapid stem growth producing greater than 25% more woody biomass than two current production clones (Salix dasyclados `SV1` and Salix miyabeana `SX64`), more than 2.5-fold greater biomass than one of its parents (Salix miyabeana `SX67`), and nearly 3-fold more biomass than another production clone (Salix sacchalinensis, `SX61`) when grown in the same field for the same length of time (two growing seasons after coppice) in Tully, N.Y. `Tully Champion` can be planted from dormant stem cuttings, produces multiple stems after coppice, and the stem biomass can be harvested when the plant is dormant. In the spring following harvest, the plant will re-sprout very vigorously, producing new stems that can be harvested repeatedly after two to four years of growth. `Tully Champion` displays a low incidence of rust disease and is not damaged by potato leafhoppers.

U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions Activity Form

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

To join the U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions, organizations complete and submit the 2030 Champions form, in which they commit to reduce food loss and waste in their own operations and periodically report their progress on their website.

The Astronomical League

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevens, J. A.; Stevens, B. L.

2000-10-01

Founded over fifty years ago, the League is the largest general astronomy society in the world. It is a recognized non-profit, educational organization, promoting the science of astronomy. This includes astronomical education, research, individual observing of the heavens and coordination between the amateur and professional astronomy communities. The Astronomical League publishes a quarterly newsletter, the "Reflector", which details amateur activities and amateur collaboration with professional astronomers. The League's Observing Clubs hone the skills of the amateur astronomer in using their telescopes. These clubs provide awards to encourge observing and learning the sky. More general awards are presented to encourage amateur astronomy and the science of astronomy. These include the National Young Astronomer Award, amd the Horkheimer Planetary Imaging Award. They also sponsor conventions on both the National and Regional levels. This year's national is in Ventura, California, next year, near Washington, D.C.

Delving Deeper: Studying Baseball's Wild-Card Team Using Probability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Auer, Richard E.; Knapp, Michael P.

2013-01-01

The modern era of professional baseball playoffs began in 1903, when the champions of the American League and the National League played the first World Series. Except for one year, 1904, this playoff system was maintained until 1969. Beginning in 1969, each of the two leagues in Major League Baseball (MLB) was divided into two divisions to…

The League of Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rallis, Sharon F.; Militello, Matthew

2010-01-01

Effective leadership does not depend on a set of attributes that a single individual possesses. Instead, the search for one best heroic leader should be replaced with the search for and investment in a number of superheroes: a League of Leadership. Those who create a leadership league don't explore individual skills, but collective practices, such…

The presence of physician champions improved Kangaroo mother care in rural western India

PubMed Central

Soni, Apurv; Amin, Amee; Patel, Dipen V; Fahey, Nisha; Shah, Nikhil; Phatak, Ajay G; Allison, Jeroan; Nimbalkar, Somashekhar M

2016-01-01

Aim This study determined the effect of physician champions on the two main components of Kangaroo mother care (KMC): skin-to-skin care and breastfeeding. Methods KMC practices among a retrospective cohort of 648 infants admitted to a rural Indian neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) between 5 January 2011 and 7 October 2014 were studied. KMC champions were identified based on their performance evaluation. We examined the effect of withdrawing physician champions on overall use, time to initiation and intensity of skin-to-skin care and breastfeeding, using separate models. Results In comparison to when KMC champions were present, their absence was associated with a 45% decrease in the odds of receiving skin-to-skin care, with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) of 64% to 17%, a 38% decrease in the rate of initiation skin-to-skin care (95% CI 53% to 82%) and an average of 1.47 less hours of skin-to-skin care (95% CI −2.07 to −0.86). Breastfeeding practices were similar across the different champion environments. Conclusion Withdrawing physician champions from the NICU setting was associated with a decline in skin-to-skin care, but not breastfeeding. Training healthcare workers and community stakeholders to become champions could help to scale up and maintain KMC practices. PMID:27111097

The Politics of the League of Women Voters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Naomi

1983-01-01

The League of Women Voters is often regarded as having retarded the participation of women in American electoral politics because of its nonpartisan stance. However, many League members have used the League as an entry into electoral politics, and the League has supported many issues important to women. (IS)

The presence of physician champions improved Kangaroo Mother Care in rural western India.

PubMed

Soni, Apurv; Amin, Amee; Patel, Dipen V; Fahey, Nisha; Shah, Nikhil; Phatak, Ajay G; Allison, Jeroan; Nimbalkar, Somashekhar M

2016-09-01

This study determined the effect of physician champions on the two main components of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC): skin-to-skin care and breastfeeding. KMC practices among a retrospective cohort of 648 infants admitted to a rural Indian neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) between January 5, 2011 and October 7, 2014 were studied. KMC champions were identified based on their performance evaluation. We examined the effect of withdrawing physician champions on overall use, time to initiation and intensity of skin-to-skin care and breastfeeding, using separate models. In comparison with when KMC champions were present, their absence was associated with a 45% decrease in the odds of receiving skin-to-skin care, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 64% to 17%, a 38% decrease in the rate of initiation skin-to-skin care (95% CI 53-82%) and an average of 1.47 less hours of skin-to-skin care (95% CI -2.07 to -0.86). Breastfeeding practices were similar across the different champion environments. Withdrawing physician champions from the NICU setting was associated with a decline in skin-to-skin care, but not breastfeeding. Training health care workers and community stakeholders to become champions could help to scale up and maintain KMC practices. ©2016 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

2011 FIRST LEGO League

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2010-01-01

Matthew Myles (left) and Agrippa Kellum from Armstrong Middle School in Starkville, watch as their LEGO robot competes during a Dec. 4 tournament. Elementary and middle school students from across Mississippi gathered in Hattiesburg to participate in the Mississippi Championship FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League Tournament. Stennis supports FIRST LEGO League each year by providing mentors, training and tournament volunteers.

2011 FIRST LEGO League

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-04

Matthew Myles (left) and Agrippa Kellum from Armstrong Middle School in Starkville, watch as their LEGO robot competes during a Dec. 4 tournament. Elementary and middle school students from across Mississippi gathered in Hattiesburg to participate in the Mississippi Championship FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League Tournament. Stennis supports FIRST LEGO League each year by providing mentors, training and tournament volunteers.

Child Health Champion Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Office of Administrator.

This resource guide was developed as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Child Health Champion Campaign, a program designed to empower local citizens and communities to take steps toward protecting their children from environmental health threats. The guide includes descriptions of 241 resources that may be of interest to…

Managing Educational Champions: Entrepreneurship in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eyal, Ori; Yosef-Hassidim, Doron

2012-01-01

This study explores how educational champions--teachers who initiate unsolicited innovation--construct their entrepreneurial endeavors while interacting with principals' management styles and how that interaction influences the sustainability of teachers' initiatives. Through semistructured interviews (N = 71) and analysis anchored in grounded…

Major and Minor League Baseball Hamstring Injuries: Epidemiologic Findings From the Major League Baseball Injury Surveillance System.

PubMed

Ahmad, Christopher S; Dick, Randall W; Snell, Edward; Kenney, Nick D; Curriero, Frank C; Pollack, Keshia; Albright, John P; Mandelbaum, Bert R

2014-06-01

Hamstring strains are a recognized cause of disability for athletes in many sports, but no study exists that reports the incidence and circumstances surrounding these injuries in professional baseball. Professional baseball players have a high incidence of hamstring strains, and these injuries are influenced by multiple factors including history of hamstring injury, time period within the season, and activity of base running. Descriptive epidemiologic study. For the 2011 season, injury data were prospectively collected for every Major League Baseball (MLB) major and minor league team and recorded in the MLB's Injury Surveillance System. Data collected for this study included date of injury, activity in which the player was engaged at the time of injury, and time loss. Injury rates were reported in injuries per athlete-exposure (A-E). Athlete-exposures were defined as the average number of players on a team who were participating in a game multiplied by the number of games. In the major leagues, 50 hamstring strains were reported for an injury rate (IR) of 0.7 per 1000 A-Es and averaged 24 days missed. In the minor leagues, 218 hamstring strains were reported for an IR of 0.7 per 1000 A-Es and averaged 27 days missed. Base running, specifically running to first base, was the top activity for sustaining a hamstring strain in both major and minor leagues, associated with almost two-thirds of hamstring strains. Approximately two-thirds of these injuries in both the major and minor leagues resulted in more than 7 days of time loss. Approximately 25% of these injuries kept the player out for 1 month or longer. History of a previous hamstring strain in the prior year, 2010, was found in 20% of the major league players and 8% of the minor league players. In the major leagues, the month of May had a statistically significant higher frequency of hamstring injuries than any other month in the season (P = .0153). Hamstring strains are a considerable cause of disability in

Use of the RSA/RCOD Index to Identify Training Priority in Soccer Players.

PubMed

Wong, Del P; Hjelde, Geir H; Cheng, Ching-Feng; Ngo, Jake K

2015-10-01

The use of RSA/RCOD index indicates the repeated change-of-direction (RCOD) performance relative to the repeated-sprint ability (RSA) and provides a standardized approach to prioritize training needs for RSA and RCOD. To compare the RSA/RCOD index among different age groups, RSA and RCOD were measured from 20 under-16 players (U16), 20 under-19 players (U19), and 17 first-team professional players (PRO) from a football (soccer) club that has regular participation in the UEFA Champions League. Each player performed the RSA and RCOD tests, during which the fastest time (FT), average time (AT), total time (TT), and percentage decrement score (%Dec) were recorded. No significant differences were found in RSA/RCOD index-FT, AT, TT, and %Dec among the 3 groups (p > 0.05) and between U19 and PRO in all RSA and RCOD measures (p > 0.05). Most values of RSA/RCOD index were 0.51 among the U16, U19, and PRO groups. Moreover, we concluded that the RSA/RCOD index might not be further changed after 16 years of age unless specific training programs for RSA and RCOD are prescribed. Therefore, this study provides an empirical case, and coaches can establish the RSA/RCOD index value relevant to their training system and monitor players' training needs of RSA and RCOD in a longer term.

Bertolette Selected as EHS Champion of Safety | Poster

Cancer.gov

Dan Bertolette has been selected as the most recent NCI at Frederick Champion of Safety, as part of the Champions of Safety Program sponsored by the Environment, Health, and Safety Program (EHS). The goal of the program, which began last year, is to raise awareness and promote a culture of safety by showing NCI at Frederick staff at work in their respective workplaces, according to Terri Bray, director, EHS. “Since we have so many varied work environments here, safety often takes on a different look, according to workplace. We want to take the opportunity to show real people in real situations, to encourage safety everywhere,” Bray said.

Science of rugby league football: a review.

PubMed

Gabbett, Tim J

2005-09-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the science of rugby league football at all levels of competition (i.e. junior, amateur, semi-professional, professional), with special reference to all discipline-specific scientific research performed in rugby league (i.e. physiological, psychological, injury epidemiology, strength and conditioning, performance analysis). Rugby league football is played at junior and senior levels in several countries worldwide. A rugby league team consists of 13 players (6 forwards and 7 backs). The game is played over two 30 - 40 min halves (depending on the standard of competition) separated by a 10 min rest interval. Several studies have documented the physiological capacities and injury rates of rugby league players. More recently, studies have investigated the physiological demands of competition. Interestingly, the physiological capacities of players, the incidence of injury and the physiological demands of competition all increase as the playing standard is increased. Mean blood lactate concentrations of 5.2, 7.2 and 9.1 mmol . l(-1) have been reported during competition for amateur, semi-professional and professional rugby league players respectively. Mean heart rates of 152 beats . min(-1) (78% of maximal heart rate), 166 beats . min(-1) (84% of maximal heart rate) and 172 beats . min(-1) (93% of maximal heart rate) have been recorded for amateur, semi-professional and junior elite rugby league players respectively. Skill-based conditioning games have been used to develop the skill and fitness of rugby league players, with mean heart rate and blood lactate responses during these activities almost identical to those obtained during competition. In addition, recent studies have shown that most training injuries are sustained in traditional conditioning activities that involve no skill component (i.e. running without the ball), whereas the incidence of injuries while participating in skill-based conditioning

High Speed Running and Sprinting Profiles of Elite Soccer Players

PubMed Central

Miñano-Espin, Javier; Casáis, Luis; Lago-Peñas, Carlos; Gómez-Ruano, Miguel Ángel

2017-01-01

Abstract Real Madrid was named as the best club of the 20th century by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics. The aim of this study was to compare if players from Real Madrid covered shorter distances than players from the opposing team. One hundred and forty-nine matches including league, cup and UEFA Champions League matches played by the Real Madrid were monitored during the 2001-2002 to the 2006-2007 seasons. Data from both teams (Real Madrid and the opponent) were recorded. Altogether, 2082 physical performance profiles were examined, 1052 from the Real Madrid and 1031 from the opposing team (Central Defenders (CD) = 536, External Defenders (ED) = 491, Central Midfielders (CM) = 544, External Midfielders (EM) = 233, and Forwards (F) = 278). Match performance data were collected using a computerized multiple-camera tracking system (Amisco Pro®, Nice, France). A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed for distances covered at different intensities (sprinting (>24.0 km/h) and high-speed running (21.1-24.0 km/h) and the number of sprints (21.1-24.0 km/h and >24.0 km/h) during games for each player sectioned under their positional roles. Players from Real Madrid covered shorter distances in high-speed running and sprint than players from the opposing team (p < 0.01). While ED did not show differences in their physical performance, CD (p < 0.05), CM (p < 0.01), EM (p < 0.01) and F (p > 0.01) from Real Madrid covered shorter distances in high-intensity running and sprint and performed less sprints than their counterparts. Finally, no differences were found in the high-intensity running and sprint distances performed by players from Real Madrid depending on the quality of the opposition. PMID:28828087

Benchmarking in Universities: League Tables Revisited

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, David

2005-01-01

This paper examines the practice of benchmarking universities using a "league table" approach. Taking the example of the "Sunday Times University League Table", the author reanalyses the descriptive data on UK universities. Using a linear programming technique, data envelope analysis (DEA), the author uses the re-analysis to…

CHAMPION: Intelligent Hierarchical Reasoning Agents for Enhanced Decision Support

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hohimer, Ryan E.; Greitzer, Frank L.; Noonan, Christine F.

2011-11-15

We describe the design and development of an advanced reasoning framework employing semantic technologies, organized within a hierarchy of computational reasoning agents that interpret domain specific information. Designed based on an inspirational metaphor of the pattern recognition functions performed by the human neocortex, the CHAMPION reasoning framework represents a new computational modeling approach that derives invariant knowledge representations through memory-prediction belief propagation processes that are driven by formal ontological language specification and semantic technologies. The CHAMPION framework shows promise for enhancing complex decision making in diverse problem domains including cyber security, nonproliferation and energy consumption analysis.

Teaching Competition in Professional Sports Leagues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Szymanski, Stefan

2010-01-01

In recent years, there has been some dispute over the appropriate way to model decision making in professional sports leagues. In particular, Szymanski and Kesenne (2004) argue that formulating the decision-making problem in a noncooperative game leads to radically different conclusions about the nature of competition in sports leagues. The author…

A systematic review of concussion in rugby league.

PubMed

Gardner, Andrew; Iverson, Grant L; Levi, Christopher R; Schofield, Peter W; Kay-Lambkin, Frances; Kohler, Ryan M N; Stanwell, Peter

2015-04-01

Concussion remains one of the inherent risks of participation in rugby league. While other injuries incurred by rugby league players have been well studied, less focus and attention has been directed towards concussion. The current review examined all articles published in English from 1900 up to June 2013 pertaining to concussion in rugby league players. Publications were retrieved via six databases using the key search terms: rugby league, league, football; in combination with injury terms: athletic injuries, concussion, sports concussion, sports-related concussion, brain concussion, brain injury, brain injuries, mild traumatic brain injury, mTBI, traumatic brain injury, TBI, craniocerebral trauma, head injury and brain damage. Observational, cohort, correlational, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies were all included. 199 rugby league injury publications were identified. 39 (20%) were related in some way to concussion. Of the 39 identified articles, 6 (15%) had the main aim of evaluating concussion, while the other 33 reported on concussion incidence as part of overall injury data analyses. Rugby league concussion incidence rates vary widely from 0.0 to 40.0/1000 playing hours, depending on the definition of injury (time loss vs no time loss). The incidence rates vary across match play versus training session, seasons (winter vs summer) and playing position (forwards vs backs). The ball carrier has been found to be at greater risk for injury than tacklers. Concussion accounts for 29% of all injuries associated with illegal play, but only 9% of injuries sustained in legal play. In comparison with other collision sports, research evaluating concussion in rugby league is limited. With such limited published rugby league data, there are many aspects of concussion that require attention, and future research may be directed towards these unanswered questions. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a

United States Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions are businesses and organizations that have made a public commitment to reduce food loss and waste in their own operations in the United States by 50 percent by the year 2030.

Championing Intellectual Freedom: A School Administrator's Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, Jeffrey

2007-01-01

School administrators want to believe that they are champions for the rights of the students they serve. They strive to provide students with a secure, enriching environment to aid in their intellectual and social development. Through their leadership, administrators have the responsibility to guide and redirect students to help them achieve at…

What is the extent of research on the characteristics, behaviors, and impacts of health information technology champions? A scoping review.

PubMed

Shea, Christopher Michael; Belden, Charles M

2016-01-12

Although champions are commonly employed in health information technology (HIT) implementations, the state of empirical literature on HIT champions' is unclear. The purpose of our review was to synthesize quantitative and qualitative studies to identify the extent of research on the characteristics, behaviors, and impacts of HIT champions. Ultimately, our goal was to identify gaps in the literature and inform implementation science. Our review employed a broad search strategy using multiple databases-Embase, Pubmed, Cinahl, PsychInfo, Web of Science, and the Cochrane library. We identified 1728 candidate articles, of which 42 were retained for full-text review. Of the 42 studies included, fourteen studies employed a multiple-case study design (33 %), 12 additional articles employed a single-case study design (29 %), five used quantitative methods (12 %), two used mixed-methods (5 %), and one used a Delphi methodology (2 %). Our review revealed multiple categories and characteristics of champions as well as influence tactics they used to promote an HIT project. Furthermore, studies have assessed three general types of HIT champion impacts: (1) impacts on the implementation process of a specific HIT; (2) impacts on usage behavior or overall success of a specific HIT; and (3) impacts on general organizational-level innovativeness. However the extent to which HIT projects fail even with a champion and why such failures occur is not clear. Also unclear is whether all organizations require a champion for successful HIT project implementation. In other words, we currently do not know enough about the conditions under which (1) a health IT champion is needed, (2) multiple champions are needed, and (3) an appointed champion-as opposed to an emergent champion-can be successful. Although champions appear to have contributed to successful implementation of HIT projects, simply measuring the presence or absence of a champion is not sufficient for assessing impacts. Future

48 CFR 652.225-70 - Arab League Boycott of Israel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Arab League Boycott of... AND FORMS SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 652.225-70 Arab League Boycott of Israel. As prescribed in 625.7002(a), insert the following provision: Arab League...

48 CFR 652.225-70 - Arab League Boycott of Israel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Arab League Boycott of... AND FORMS SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 652.225-70 Arab League Boycott of Israel. As prescribed in 625.7002(a), insert the following provision: Arab League...

48 CFR 652.225-70 - Arab League Boycott of Israel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Arab League Boycott of... AND FORMS SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 652.225-70 Arab League Boycott of Israel. As prescribed in 625.7002(a), insert the following provision: Arab League...

48 CFR 652.225-70 - Arab League Boycott of Israel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Arab League Boycott of... AND FORMS SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 652.225-70 Arab League Boycott of Israel. As prescribed in 625.7002(a), insert the following provision: Arab League...

Thin Slices of Athletes' Nonverbal Behavior Give Away Game Location: Testing the Territoriality Hypothesis of the Home Game Advantage.

PubMed

Furley, Philip; Schweizer, Geoffrey; Memmert, Daniel

2018-01-01

The present research investigated whether perceivers could detect who is playing at home or away in soccer matches based on thin slices of professional (Experiment 1) and amateur (Experiment 3) athletes' nonverbal behavior prior to the match and whether perceivers rated athletes playing at home relatively higher on behavioral dimensions (Experiments 2 and 3) linked to territoriality. In Experiment 1 ( N = 80), participants watched short videos depicting soccer players prior to a UEFA Champions League match and rated whether athletes were more likely to be playing at home or away. In Experiment 2 (two groups N = 102 and N = 101), perceivers rated these videos in terms of assertiveness, dominance, and aggression. In Experiment 3, we replicated the procedure of Experiments 1 and 2 with different stimulus material from amateur soccer ( N = 112). Participants could significantly differentiate between home playing and away playing athletes (Experiment 1: d = 0.44 and Experiment 3: d = 1.07). Experiments 2 and 3 showed that perceivers rated professional and amateur soccer players higher on assertiveness ( d = 0.34-0.63), dominance ( d = 0.20-0.55), and aggression ( d = 0.16-0.49) when playing at home compared to playing away. Findings are supportive of evolutionary accounts of nonverbal behavior, ecological approaches to person perception, and the thin slices of behavior hypothesis by demonstrating that humans change their nonverbal behavior depending on game location. We discuss the relevance of the present findings for the home advantage in sports.

Effect of 2 soccer matches in a week on physical performance and injury rate.

PubMed

Dupont, Gregory; Nedelec, Mathieu; McCall, Alan; McCormack, Derek; Berthoin, Serge; Wisløff, Ulrik

2010-09-01

Recovery duration may be too short during the congested fixtures of professional soccer players with regard to maintaining physical performance and a low injury rate. To analyze the effects of 2 matches per week on physical performance and injury rate in male elite soccer players. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Match results, match-related physical performance, and injuries were monitored during 2 seasons (2007-2008 and 2008-2009) for 32 professional soccer players in a top-level team participating in the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Champions League. Total distance, high-intensity distance, sprint distance, and number of sprints were collected for 52 home matches. Injuries and player participation in matches and training were recorded throughout the full season. Physical performance, as characterized by total distance covered, high-intensity distance, sprint distance, and number of sprints, was not significantly affected by the number of matches per week (1 versus 2), whereas the injury rate was significantly higher when players played 2 matches per week versus 1 match per week (25.6 versus 4.1 injuries per 1000 hours of exposure; P < .001). The recovery time between 2 matches, 72 to 96 hours, appears sufficient to maintain the level of physical performance tested but is not long enough to maintain a low injury rate. The present data highlight the need for player rotation and for improved recovery strategies to maintain a low injury rate among athletes during periods with congested match fixtures.

2012 FIRST LEGO League

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-01

Observers cheer on student teams during the 2012 FIRST LEGO League Mississippi Championship Tournament in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Dec. 1. The annual competition attracted 46 teams from across Mississippi.

Greater circadian disadvantage during evening games for the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL) and National Football League (NFL) teams travelling westward.

PubMed

Roy, Jonathan; Forest, Geneviève

2018-02-01

We investigated the effects of a circadian disadvantage (i.e. playing in a different time zone) on the winning percentages in three major sport leagues in North America: the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and the National Football League. We reviewed 5 years of regular season games in the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and National Football League, and noted the winning percentage of the visiting team depending on the direction of travel (west, east, and same time zone) and game time (day and evening games). T-tests and analysis of variance were performed to evaluate the effects of the circadian disadvantage, its direction, the number of time zones travelled, and the game time on winning percentages in each major league. The results showed an association between the winning percentages and the number of time zones traveled for the away evening games, with a clear disadvantage for the teams travelling westward. There was a significant difference in the teams' winning percentages depending on the travelling direction in the National Basketball Association (F 2,5908  = 16.12, P < 0.0001) and the National Hockey League (F 2,5639  = 4.48, P = 0.011), and a trend was found in the National Football League (F 2,1279  = 2.86, P = 0.058). The effect of the circadian disadvantage transcends the type of sport and needs to be addressed for greater equity among the western and eastern teams in professional sports. These results also highlight the importance of circadian rhythms in sport performance and athletic competitions. © 2017 European Sleep Research Society.

Coping strategies used by national champion figure skaters.

PubMed

Gould, D; Finch, L M; Jackson, S A

1993-12-01

This investigation had two purposes: (a) to identify and describe the coping strategies used by national champion figure skaters and (b) to examine the relationship between coping strategies and particular stress sources. Participants were 17 of 20 (85%) Senior U.S. National Champion figure skaters who won titles between 1985 and 1990. All skaters were interviewed, and the interview transcripts were content analyzed. General coping dimensions reported by at least 40% of the skaters included (a) rational thinking and self-talk, (b) positive focus and orientation, (c) social support (e.g., receiving support from coach, talking with friends and family), (d) time management and prioritization, (e) precompetitive mental preparation and anxiety management (e.g., relaxation, visualization), (f) training hard and smart, (g) isolation and deflection (e.g., not letting things get to me, avoiding/screening media), and (h) ignoring the stressor(s). It was also found that the skaters implemented different coping strategies depending on the specific stressors encountered.

2012 FIRST LEGO League

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-01

Mississippi students monitor performance of their robots during the 2012 FIRST LEGO League Mississippi Championship Tournament in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Dec. 1. The tournament is an annual high-energy robotics competition for children 9-14.

Joy in Mudville. A Little League[R] Memoir.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Greg

This book chronicles the author's experiences managing his son's wildly unpredictable Little League baseball team, exploring the pleasures and pitfalls of adult involvement in Little League, a game played by, and meant for, children. The book examines timely issues surrounding youth baseball today. Through interviews with parents, opposing…

The impact of parent advocacy groups, the Internet, and social networking on rare diseases: the IDEA League and IDEA League United Kingdom example.

PubMed

Black, Angela P; Baker, Marie

2011-04-01

The development of the Internet and subsequent evolution of social networking has significantly changed the effectiveness of patient advocacy groups for rare diseases. The greatest degree of change has occurred at the patient level, with an increased ability of affected individuals to share experiences and support, and to raise public awareness. Other changes have occurred, not only in the way rare diseases are diagnosed, studied, and treated, but also in how they are addressed at the level of legislation and public policy. The International Dravet syndrome Epilepsy Action League (IDEA League) is the leading patient advocacy organization for Dravet syndrome and related genetic ion-channel epilepsy disorders (hereafter referred to as Dravet syndrome or severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy, SMEI). The IDEA League's mission encompasses international support and outreach for patients and families, as well as collaboration with physicians, medical education, health care coordination, and research. The IDEA League is an excellent example of the impact of patient advocacy groups, the Internet, and social networking on the landscape of rare diseases. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2011 International League Against Epilepsy.

Championing mental health at work: emerging practice from innovative projects in the UK.

PubMed

Robinson, Mark; Tilford, Sylvia; Branney, Peter; Kinsella, Karina

2014-09-01

This paper examines the value of participatory approaches within interventions aimed at promoting mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. Specifically the paper explores data from the thematic evaluation of the Mental Health and Employment project strand within the Altogether Better programme being implemented in England in the Yorkshire and Humber region, which was funded through the BIG Lottery and aimed to empower people across the region to lead better lives. The evaluation combined a systematic evidence review with semi-structured interviews across mental health and employment projects. Drawing on both evaluation elements, the paper examines the potential of workplace-based 'business champions' to facilitate organizational culture change within enterprises within a deprived regional socio-economic environment. First, the paper identifies key policy drivers for interventions around mental health and employment, summarizes evidence review findings and describes the range of activities within three projects. The role of the 'business champion' emerged as crucial to these interventions and therefore, secondly, the paper examines how champions' potential to make a difference depends on the work settings and their existing roles, skills and motivation. In particular, champions can proactively coordinate project strands, embed the project, encourage participation, raise awareness, encourage changes to work procedures and strengthen networks and partnerships. The paper explores how these processes can facilitate changes in organizational culture. Challenges of implementation are identified, including achieving leverage with senior management, handover of ownership to fellow employees, assessing impact and sustainability. Finally, implications for policy and practice are discussed, and conclusions drawn concerning the roles of champions within different workplace environments. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For

2012 FIRST LEGO League

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-01

The 2012 FIRST LEGO League Mississippi Championship Tournament in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Dec. 1, drew 46 teams from across Mississippi. The focus of the annual competition celebrates science and technology through hands-on participation and learning.

CHILD HEALTH CHAMPION AIR QUALITY MONITORING AND EDUCATION PROJECT

EPA Science Inventory

In response to two presidential directives, EPA has created the Child Health Champion (CHC) Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) pilot program in communities where environmental data are not widely available and significant environmental heal...

The League of Peaceful Schools: A Dream Shared.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castonguay, Helen C.

2003-01-01

The League of Peaceful Schools was formed in Nova Scotia to support schools committed to building a culture of peace. Guided by League facilitators, member schools offer children models for building healthy relationships through service learning and elders programs. Member schools develop discipline policies that are proactive instead of punitive,…

Alcohol Marketing during the UEFA EURO 2016 Football Tournament: A Frequency Analysis

PubMed Central

Critchlow, Nathan; Stead, Martine; Adams, Jean; Brown, Katherine

2017-01-01

This study examined the frequency and nature of alcohol marketing references in broadcasts of the 2016 UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) European Championships football tournament in the United Kingdom (UK). Eighteen matches from across the tournament were recorded in full as broadcast in the UK, including all four matches featuring the English national team and all seven featuring the French national team. All visual and verbal references to alcohol marketing were recorded using a tool with high inter-rater reliability. A total of 2213 alcohol marketing references were recorded, an average of 122.94 per broadcast and 0.65 per broadcast minute (0.52 per minute in-play and 0.80 per minute out-of-play). Almost all references were visual (97.5%), with 77.9% occurring around the pitch border. Almost all (90.6%) were indirect references to alcohol brands (e.g., references to well-known slogans), compared to only 9.4% direct references to brands (e.g., brand names). The frequency of references to alcohol marketing was high. Although the overall proportion of direct brand references was low, the high proportion of indirect references demonstrates that alcohol producers were able to circumvent the French national law governing alcohol marketing (the Loi Évin) using indirect “alibi marketing”. To ensure the spirit of the Loi Évin regulations are achieved, stricter enforcement may be required to limit exposure to alcohol marketing, particularly for young people. PMID:28661462

Alcohol Marketing during the UEFA EURO 2016 Football Tournament: A Frequency Analysis.

PubMed

Purves, Richard I; Critchlow, Nathan; Stead, Martine; Adams, Jean; Brown, Katherine

2017-06-29

This study examined the frequency and nature of alcohol marketing references in broadcasts of the 2016 UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) European Championships football tournament in the United Kingdom (UK). Eighteen matches from across the tournament were recorded in full as broadcast in the UK, including all four matches featuring the English national team and all seven featuring the French national team. All visual and verbal references to alcohol marketing were recorded using a tool with high inter-rater reliability. A total of 2213 alcohol marketing references were recorded, an average of 122.94 per broadcast and 0.65 per broadcast minute (0.52 per minute in-play and 0.80 per minute out-of-play). Almost all references were visual (97.5%), with 77.9% occurring around the pitch border. Almost all (90.6%) were indirect references to alcohol brands (e.g., references to well-known slogans), compared to only 9.4% direct references to brands (e.g., brand names). The frequency of references to alcohol marketing was high. Although the overall proportion of direct brand references was low, the high proportion of indirect references demonstrates that alcohol producers were able to circumvent the French national law governing alcohol marketing (the Loi Évin) using indirect "alibi marketing". To ensure the spirit of the Loi Évin regulations are achieved, stricter enforcement may be required to limit exposure to alcohol marketing, particularly for young people.

LeagueTLC: Transformational Learning Connections. Connecting Community Colleges with Innovative Solutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perez, Stella

This document describes LeagueTLC: Transformational Learning Connections (http://www.league.org/leaguetlc/index.htm), a Web site created by the League for Innovation in the Community College with funding from the Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE). This Web site serves as a resource for community colleges by disseminating…

League Tables as Policy Instruments: Uses and Misuses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salmi, Jamil; Saroyan, Alenoush

2007-01-01

This article examines the role and usefulness of league tables that are increasingly used to measure and compare the performance of tertiary education institutions. The article begins with a general overview and a typology of league tables. It continues with a discussion of the controversies they have generated, including the basis and the range…

Tactical metrics that discriminate winning, drawing and losing teams in UEFA Euro 2012®.

PubMed

Winter, Christian; Pfeiffer, Mark

2016-01-01

The objectives of this article are twofold: first, an innovative approach to notational analysis in football is outlined. By considering the important theoretical requirements for the analysis of sports games (like the interaction between two parties, the procedural sequence of action or the significance of tactical behaviour) the meaning of the introduced parameters, called tactical metrics, is illustrated. In a second step, the validity of this approach is tested using matches of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Euro 2012® to investigate a connection between these metrics and success. The results show that 11 tactical metrics model tactical behaviour in 4 different dimensions (game speed, transition play after ball recovery, transition play after ball loss and offence efficiency (OE)). Discriminant analysis based on the factor values leads to a correct classification of 64.8% identifying winners, losers and drawers. This successful discrimination reveals a connection between match success and the presented metrics. Especially, the transition play after losing the ball and the OE seem to be factors connected directly with the result of a match, since those were important values for a successful discrimination. Furthermore, the procedural description of tactical behaviour provides the opportunity to conduct meaningful recommendations for the training and coaching process.

Ivy League Trailblazer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Kenneth J.

2011-01-01

Ruth Simmons made a big news splash a decade ago when she was named president of Brown University, making her the first Black president of an Ivy League institution. She made another splash three years later by naming a committee to investigate Brown's role in the slave trade and make recommendations on possible reparations. Reflecting on her…

2011 FIRST LEGO League

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-03

Two 2011 Mississippi FIRST LEGO League competitors from Stokes-Beard Magnet Elementary School in Columbus urge their robots on during the annual tournament Dec. 3. The competition attracted more than 1,000 participants and guests to the Lake Terrace Convention Center in Hattiesburg.

2012 FIRST LEGO League

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-01

Two students anxiously watch their robot during the 2012 FIRST LEGO League Mississippi Championship Tournament in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Dec. 1. In addition to competing with robots, students presented research on this year's 'Senior Solutions' theme, which focused on addressing problems faced by senior adults.

Hidden power law patterns in the top European football leagues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Da Silva, Sergio; Matsushita, Raul; Silveira, Eliza

2013-11-01

Because sports are stylized combat, sports may follow power laws similar to those found for wars, individual clashes, and acts of terrorism. We show this fact for football (soccer) by adjusting power laws that show a close relationship between rank and points won by the clubs participating in the latest seasons of the top fifteen European football leagues. In addition, we use Shannon entropy for gauging league competitive balance. As a result, we are able to rank the leagues according to competitiveness.

2011 FIRST LEGO League

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-03

The 2011 Mississippi FIRST LEGO League Championship Tournament attracted more than 1,000 participants and guests to the Lake Terrace Convention Center in Hattiesburg. In partnership with the LEGO Group, registered participants use the MINDSTORMSTM NXT system to build robots prior to each year's annual competition.

Teach Like a Champion Field Guide: A Practical Resource to Make the 49 Techniques Your Own

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lemov, Doug

2012-01-01

In his acclaimed book "Teach Like a Champion", Doug Lemov shared 49 essential techniques used by excellent teachers. In his companion Field Guide, he further explores those techniques in a practical guide. With the "Teach Like a Champion Field Guide", teachers will have an indispensable resource that complements their classroom application of…

Becoming the Physical Activity Champion: Empowerment through Social Marketing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colquitt, Gavin; Alfonso, Moya L.; Walker, Ashley

2014-01-01

Physical education teachers can champion their profession through marketing the importance of physical activity to children and families in the communities they serve. Social marketing, a consumer-based approach to behavior change, is an excellent choice for physical education teachers who want to "sell" physical activity to their…

Turkish translation and adaptation of Champion's Health Belief Model Scales for breast cancer mammography screening.

PubMed

Yilmaz, Meryem; Sayin, Yazile Yazici

2014-07-01

To examine the translation and adaptation process from English to Turkish and the validity and reliability of the Champion's Health Belief Model Scales for Mammography Screening. Its aim (1) is to provide data about and (2) to assess Turkish women's attitudes and behaviours towards mammography. The proportion of women who have mammography is lower in Turkey. The Champion's Health Belief Model Scales for Mammography Screening-Turkish version can be helpful to determine Turkish women's health beliefs, particularly about mammography. Cross-sectional design was used to collect survey data from Turkish women: classical measurement method. The Champion's Health Belief Model Scales for Mammography Screening was translated from English to Turkish. Again, it was back translated into English. Later, the meaning and clarity of the scale items were evaluated by a bilingual group representing the culture of the target population. Finally, the tool was evaluated by two bilingual professional researchers in terms of content validity, translation validity and psychometric estimates of the validity and reliability. The analysis included a total of 209 Turkish women. The validity of the scale was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis and criterion-related validity testing. The Champion's Health Belief Model Scales for Mammography Screening aligned to four factors that were coherent and relatively independent of each other. There was a statistically significant relationship among all of the subscale items: the positive and high correlation of the total item test score and high Cronbach's α. The scale has a strong stability over time: the Champion's Health Belief Model Scales for Mammography Screening demonstrated acceptable preliminary values of reliability and validity. The Champion's Health Belief Model Scales for Mammography Screening is both a reliable and valid instrument that can be useful in measuring the health beliefs of Turkish women. It can be used to provide data

Match and training injuries in rugby league: a review of published studies.

PubMed

King, Doug A; Hume, Patria A; Milburn, Peter D; Guttenbeil, Dain

2010-02-01

Rugby league is an international collision sport played by junior, amateur, semiprofessional and professional players. The game requires participants to be involved in physically demanding activities such as running, tackling, passing and sprinting, and musculoskeletal injuries are common. A review of injuries in junior and senior rugby league players published in Sports Medicine in 2004 reported that injuries to the head and neck and muscular injuries were common in senior rugby league players, while fractures and injuries to the knee were common in junior players. This current review updates the descriptive data on rugby league epidemiology and adds information for semiprofessional, amateur and junior levels of participation in both match and training environments using studies identified through searches of PubMed, CINHAL, Ovid, MEDLINE, SCOPUS and SportDiscus databases. This review also discusses the issues surrounding the definitions of injury exposure, injury rate, injury severity and classification of injury site and type for rugby league injuries. Studies on the incidence of injuries in rugby league have suffered from inconsistencies in the injury definitions utilized. Some studies on rugby league injuries have utilized a criterion of a missed matchas an injury definition, total injury incidences or a combination of both time-loss and non-time-loss injuries, while other studies have incorporated a medical treatment injury definition. Efforts to establish a standard definition for rugby league injuries have been difficult, especially as some researchers were not in favour of a definition that was all-encompassing and enabled non-time-loss injuries to be recorded. A definition of rugby league injury has been suggested based on agreement by a group of international researchers. The majority of injuries occur in the match environment, with rates typically increasing as the playing level increases. However, professional level injury rates were reportedly less

Implementation of a Wisconsin Division of Public Health Surgical Site Infection Prevention Champion Initiative.

PubMed

Borlaug, Gwen; Edmiston, Charles E

2018-05-01

Approximately 900 surgical site infections (SSIs) were reported to the Wisconsin Division of Public Health annually from 2013 to 2015, representing the most prevalent reported health care-associated infection in the state. Personnel at the Wisconsin Division of Public Health launched an SSI prevention initiative in May 2015 using a surgical care champion to provide surgical team peer-to-peer guidance through voluntary, nonregulatory, fee-exempt onsite visits that included presentations regarding the evidence-based surgical care bundle, tours of the OR and central processing areas, and one-on-one discussions with surgeons. The surgical care champion visited 10 facilities from August to December 2015, and at those facilities, SSIs decreased from 83 in 2015 to 47 in 2016 and the overall SSI standardized infection ratio decreased by 45% from 1.61 to 0.88 (P = .002), suggesting a statewide SSI prevention champion model can help lead to improved patient outcomes. © AORN, Inc, 2018.

Game location and aggression in rugby league.

PubMed

Jones, Marc V; Bray, Steven R; Olivier, Stephen

2005-04-01

The present study examined the relationship between aggression and game location in rugby league. We videotaped a random sample of 21 professional rugby league games played in the 2000 Super League season. Trained observers recorded the frequency of aggressive behaviours. Consistent with previous research, which used territoriality theories as a basis for prediction, we hypothesized that the home team would behave more aggressively than the away team. The results showed no significant difference in the frequency of aggressive behaviours exhibited by the home and away teams. However, the away teams engaged in substantially more aggressive behaviours in games they lost compared with games they won. No significant differences in the pattern of aggressive behaviours for home and away teams emerged as a function of game time (i.e. first or second half) or game situation (i.e. when teams were winning, losing or drawing). The findings suggest that while home and away teams do not display different levels of aggression, the cost of behaving aggressively (in terms of game outcome) may be greater for the away team.

Examination of Performance Levels of Wheelchair Basketball Players Playing in Different Leagues

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

This research was conducted to examine the anthropometric and biometric features of the elite wheelchair basketball players in different league levels, and to evaluate them with regards to field tests particular to wheelchair basketball. A sample of 21 male players volunteered to participate in the research with similar classification points, 12 of whom were from Turkey Wheelchair Basketball First League and 9 of whom were from the Second League. Anthropometric measurements, biometric features of the players and their skill test scores particular to wheelchair basketball were detected. The anthropometric measurements were taken over dominant extremity. SPSS 21.0 program was used in the analysis of the data, and minimum, maximum, arithmetic mean, and standard deviation values were determined. Intergroup differences were determined with Mann–Whitney U analysis. Significance level was admitted as p < 0.05. As a conclusion, it was determined that wheelchair basketball players had similar anthropometric features in the First and Second League levels, and that there was no difference based on the league level they were playing, and moreover, that bio-motor features and skills particular to wheelchair basketball were decisive on the levels of the leagues the players were taking part.

FIRST LEGO League Kickoff

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

FIRST LEGO League participants listen to Aerospace Education Specialist Chris Copelan explain the playing field for 'Nano Quest' during a recent FLL kickoff event at StenniSphere, the visitor center at NASA Stennis Space Center. The kickoff began the 2006 FLL competition season. Eighty-five teachers, mentors, parents and 9- to 14-year-old students from southern and central Mississippi came to SSC to hear the rules for Nano Quest. The challenge requires teams to spend eight weeks building and programming robots from LEGO Mindstorms kits. They'll battle their creations in local and regional competitions. The Dec. 2 competition at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will involve about 200 students. FIRST LEGO League, considered the 'little league' of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, partners FIRST and the LEGO Group. Competitions aim to inspire and celebrate science and technology using real-world context and hands-on experimentation, and to promote the principles of team play and gracious professionalism. Because NASA advocates robotics and science-technology education, the agency and SSC support FIRST by providing team coaches, mentors and training, as well as competition event judges, referees, audio-visual and other volunteer staff personnel. Two of Mississippi's NASA Explorer Schools, Bay-Waveland Middle and Hattiesburg's Lillie Burney Elementary, were in attendance. The following schools were also represented: Ocean Springs Middle, Pearl Upper Elementary, Long Beach Middle, Jackson Preparatory Academy, North Woolmarket Middle, D'Iberville Middle, West Wortham Middle, Picayune's Roseland Park Baptist Academy and Nicholson Elementary, as well as two home-school groups from McComb and Brandon. Gulfport and Picayune Memorial-Pearl River high schools' FIRST Robotics teams conducted robotics demonstrations for the FLL crowd.

FIRST LEGO League Kickoff

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-09-23

FIRST LEGO League participants listen to Aerospace Education Specialist Chris Copelan explain the playing field for 'Nano Quest' during a recent FLL kickoff event at StenniSphere, the visitor center at NASA Stennis Space Center. The kickoff began the 2006 FLL competition season. Eighty-five teachers, mentors, parents and 9- to 14-year-old students from southern and central Mississippi came to SSC to hear the rules for Nano Quest. The challenge requires teams to spend eight weeks building and programming robots from LEGO Mindstorms kits. They'll battle their creations in local and regional competitions. The Dec. 2 competition at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will involve about 200 students. FIRST LEGO League, considered the 'little league' of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, partners FIRST and the LEGO Group. Competitions aim to inspire and celebrate science and technology using real-world context and hands-on experimentation, and to promote the principles of team play and gracious professionalism. Because NASA advocates robotics and science-technology education, the agency and SSC support FIRST by providing team coaches, mentors and training, as well as competition event judges, referees, audio-visual and other volunteer staff personnel. Two of Mississippi's NASA Explorer Schools, Bay-Waveland Middle and Hattiesburg's Lillie Burney Elementary, were in attendance. The following schools were also represented: Ocean Springs Middle, Pearl Upper Elementary, Long Beach Middle, Jackson Preparatory Academy, North Woolmarket Middle, D'Iberville Middle, West Wortham Middle, Picayune's Roseland Park Baptist Academy and Nicholson Elementary, as well as two home-school groups from McComb and Brandon. Gulfport and Picayune Memorial-Pearl River high schools' FIRST Robotics teams conducted robotics demonstrations for the FLL crowd.

The Age in Swimming of Champions in World Championships (1994–2013) and Olympic Games (1992–2012): A Cross-Sectional Data Analysis

PubMed Central

Knechtle, Beat; Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi; König, Stefan; Nikolaidis, Pantelis Theodoros; Wild, Stefanie; Rosemann, Thomas; Rüst, Christoph Alexander

2016-01-01

(1) Background: We investigated the age of swimming champions in all strokes and race distances in World Championships (1994–2013) and Olympic Games (1992–2012); (2) Methods: Changes in age and swimming performance across calendar years for 412 Olympic and world champions were analysed using linear, non-linear, multi-level regression analyses and MultiLayer Perceptron (MLP); (3) Results: The age of peak swimming performance remained stable in most of all race distances for world champions and in all race distances for Olympic champions. Longer (i.e., 200 m and more) race distances were completed by younger (~20 years old for women and ~22 years old for men) champions than shorter (i.e., 50 m and 100 m) race distances (~22 years old for women and ~24 years old for men). There was a sex difference in the age of champions of ~2 years with a mean age of ~21 and ~23 years for women and men, respectively. Swimming performance improved in most race distances for world and Olympic champions with a larger trend of increase in Olympic champions; (4) Conclusion: Swimmers at younger ages (<20 years) may benefit from training and competing in longer race distances (i.e., 200 m and longer) before they change to shorter distances (i.e., 50 m and 100 m) when they become older (>22 years). PMID:29910265

48 CFR 652.225-70 - Arab League Boycott of Israel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Israel. 652.225-70 Section 652.225-70 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF STATE CLAUSES... League Boycott of Israel. As prescribed in 625.7002(a), insert the following provision: Arab League Boycott of Israel (AUG 1999) (a) Definitions. As used in this provision: Foreign person means any person...

Increased injury rates after the restructure of Germany's national second league of team handball.

PubMed

Luig, Patrick; Krutsch, Werner; Nerlich, Michael; Henke, Thomas; Klein, Christian; Bloch, Hendrik; Platen, Petra; Achenbach, Leonard

2018-02-05

Scientific injury data in men's professional team handball injuries are rare and even less scientific information exists on injury prevention. In 2011, Germany's national second team handball league was restructured by merging the existing two regional leagues into one league. This study evaluates the injury patterns in professional team handball and compares the injury rates between the first and second league before and after the restructure. All players of Germany's national first and second men's team handball leagues have mandatory trauma insurance with the same insurance company. This retrospective cohort study analysed the injury data of three consecutive seasons 2010-2013 using standardized injury definitions. 1194 professional team handball players were included in this study. The majority of severe injuries affected the lower extremities, shoulders, and hands. The average injury incidence significantly differed between the first (4.9 injuries per 1000 h) and the second league (3.9 per 1000 h, p < 0.01). The injury incidence in the restructured second league had increased from 3.7 to 4.1 per 1000 h (p < 0.01) and prevalence from 67.1 to 79.3% (p < 0.001), thus almost to the same levels of the first league. The second league showed more time-loss injuries at all severity levels. This study yielded a high injury incidence after the restructure of the national second team handball league and presents details on prevalence, incidence, and patterns of injury in professional men's team handball. This study is an important basis for developing injury prevention strategies that should focus on the shoulders, hands, and lower extremities and on reducing the number of matches and travel burden. III.

Trends in aggressive play and refereeing among the top five European soccer leagues.

PubMed

Sapp, Ryan M; Spangenburg, Espen E; Hagberg, James M

2018-06-01

Current trends suggest professional soccer is becoming less aggressive, with England often argued to have the most aggressive of the top European leagues. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in fouls and cards as indicators of aggressive play in the first divisions of England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain over the past decade. Number of fouls per match and per yellow card has decreased in all leagues since 2007/08, though attempted tackles per foul has not changed or has increased. A lack of substantial rule changes suggests players have become less aggressive in tackling as opposed to referees becoming more lenient. Total number of fouls and cards per match were consistently lower in the English Premier League, however attempted tackles per foul was higher. The data also demonstrate the notions of home advantage and potentially referee bias, since referees tended to call more fouls and award more cards to away teams. Lastly, number of attempted tackles per foul and yellow cards received exhibited the strongest correlations with final league position across the leagues. In conclusion, our data support that elite European soccer has become less aggressive and the English Premier League is the most aggressive league.

Leadership Styles and Creativity: An Examination of the Four Female Ivy League Presidents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawson-Graves, Winifert E.

2012-01-01

Increasingly, females are taking the helm as president of colleges and universities in the United States, yet men still hold the majority of presidential positions (ACE, 2012). The Ivy League is an exception. In the Ivy League, the presidency is held by an equal number of females and males. For three of four Ivy League institutions where females…

Predictors of calf cramping in rugby league.

PubMed

Summers, Katherine M; Snodgrass, Suzanne J; Callister, Robin

2014-03-01

Exercise-associated muscle cramps (EAMC) in the calf are common in rugby league. To date, the etiology and predictors of calf cramping are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to undertake a prospective investigation to identify predictors of calf cramping in rugby league players. Demographic and anthropometric data and calf cramp and injury history were collected in the preseason. Hydration status, number of games played, and calf cramps were recorded on game days. Male rugby league players (n = 103, mean age 18.8 ± 4.1 years) were classified as either EAMC (experienced at least 1 incident of calf cramps in the season) or no EAMC (no calf cramps). The following were investigated as possible predictors of EAMC using logistic regression modeling: competition level, age, ethnicity, playing position, history of cramping, precramping, low back pain, foot orthotic usage, foot posture, foot strike, muscle flexibility, calf girth, hydration status, and number of games played. Half the players, n = 52, experienced at least 1 incidence of calf cramping. Playing in a senior competition level (odds ratio: 0.21; 95% confidence interval: 0.06-0.75; p = 0.016), a history of calf cramping (10.85; 2.16-54.44; p = 0.004), and a history of low back pain resulting in missed field minutes (4.50, 1.37-14.79; p = 0.013) were found to predict EAMC. This study suggests that there is a high incidence of calf cramping in rugby league, especially at senior competition levels, and supports preseason screening in senior players to idetify those at risk of calf cramping and the development of possible preventative strategies.

77 FR 62311 - Western Coal Traffic League-Petition for Declaratory Order

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-12

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35506] Western Coal Traffic League--Petition for Declaratory Order AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT. ACTION: Notice... petition of the Western Coal Traffic League (WCTL), where WCTL asked the Board to issue an order declaring...

Ashford Teaching Alliance Research Champion: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griggs, Julia; Speight, Svetlana; Farias, Javiera Cartagena

2016-01-01

The Ashford Teaching Alliance (ATA) Research Champion project ("the programme") was a pilot intervention aimed at developing teaching expertise and practice by promoting the use of educational research in decision-making and teacher practice. The programme ran for one academic year (2014/2015) in five schools within the ATA. Delivery was…

Comparison of home advantage in men's and women's football leagues in Europe.

PubMed

Pollard, Richard; Gómez, Miguel A

2014-01-01

Most research into home advantage is based on men's sports. This article analyses home advantage in the women's domestic football leagues of Europe and makes a comparison with the corresponding men's football leagues. A total of 47,042 games were included. From 2004 to 2010, home advantage existed in the domestic women's soccer leagues of all 26 European countries analysed, ranging from 51.0% to 58.8% and averaging 54.2%. In every country, this was less than the corresponding men's home advantage which averaged 60.0%. Crowd effects, both on players and referees, and different gender perceptions of territorial protection are plausible reasons for the differences found. Using a regression model that controlled for the competitive balance of each league, as well as for crowd size, the Gender Gap Index, which quantifies the status of women in each country, was a significant predictor of the difference between men's and women's home advantage. As the status of women becomes closer to that of men within a country, the difference in home advantage is less between the men's and women's football leagues.

Four Decades of Innovation: Impact of the League for Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Los Santos, Gerardo E.; O'Banion, Terry

2008-01-01

This article describes the League for Innovation in the Community College which will be celebrating throughout 2008 its 40th anniversary as one of the oldest and most significant organizations in the community college world. Created in 1968, when community colleges were being established at the rate of one per week, the League became a beacon for…

Forearm Flexor Injuries Among Major League Baseball Players: Epidemiology, Performance, and Associated Injuries.

PubMed

Hodgins, Justin L; Trofa, David P; Donohue, Steve; Littlefield, Mark; Schuk, Michael; Ahmad, Christopher S

2018-06-01

Despite evidence highlighting the importance of the forearm flexor muscles of elite baseball players, no studies have reported on the epidemiology of flexor strains and their associated outcomes. To examine the incidence, associated injuries, and outcomes associated with forearm flexor injuries among major and minor league baseball players. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Injury data attributed to forearm flexor injuries among Major League Baseball (MLB) and minor league teams between 2010 and 2014 were obtained from the professional baseball Health and Injury Tracking System. This analysis included the number of players injured, seasonal timing of injury, days spent on the disabled list (DL), preinjury performance data, and subsequent injuries. A total of 134 and 629 forearm flexor injuries occurred in MLB and the minor leagues, respectively. The mean player age was 28.6 and 22.8 years in the MLB and minor leagues, respectively. The mean time spent on the DL for MLB players was 117.0 days, as opposed to 93.9 days in the minor leagues ( P = .272). Interestingly, pitcher performance declined in all categories examined leading up to the season of injury, with significant differences in walks plus hits per inning pitched ( P = .04) and strike percentage ( P = .036). Of MLB players with a forearm injury, subsequent injuries included 50 (37.3%) shoulder, 48 (35.8%) elbow, and 24 (17.9%) forearm injuries. Among injured minor league players, subsequent injuries included 170 (27.0%) shoulder, 156 (24.8%) elbow, and 83 (13.2%) forearm injuries. These rates of subsequent injuries were significantly higher compared with the rates of injuries sustained among players without forearm injuries in both leagues ( P < .001). Finally, 26 (19.4%) MLB and 56 (8.9%) minor league players required an ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, rates that were significantly higher compared with players without a flexor strain ( P < .001). Flexor-pronator injuries are responsible for

77 FR 10618 - Western Coal Traffic League-Petition for Declaratory Order

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-22

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 33506] Western Coal... proceeding on September 28, 2011, Western Coal Traffic League--Petition for Declaratory Order, FD 35506 (STB... INFORMATION: In this proceeding, the Western Coal Traffic League (WCTL), and other parties,\\1\\ argue that the...

The role of peer physical activity champions in the workplace: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Edmunds, Sarah; Clow, Angela

2016-05-01

Peer health champions have been suggested as an important component of multilevel workplace interventions to promote healthy behaviours such as physical activity (PA). There is accumulating quantitative evidence of their effectiveness but as yet little exploration of why and how champions influence peer behaviour. The current study explores the role of peer physical activity champions (PPACs) in influencing colleagues' PA behaviour from the perspectives of both champions and colleagues. Seven months after the introduction of a workplace PA programme in 17 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), two focus groups were held with PPACs and four with programme participants. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Three overarching themes were developed: how PPACs encourage PA, valuable PPAC characteristics and sustaining motivation for the PPAC role. Both direct encouragement from PPACs and facilitation of wider PA supportive social networks within the workplace encouraged behaviour change. PA behaviour change is a delicate subject and it was important that PPACs provided enthusiastic and persistent encouragement without seeming judgemental. Being a PA role model was also a valuable characteristic. The PPACs found it satisfying to see positive changes in their colleagues who had become more active. However, colleagues often did not engage in suggested activities and PPACs required resilience to maintain personal motivation for the role despite this. Incorporating PPACs into SME-based PA interventions is acceptable to employees. It is recommended that PPAC training includes suggestions for facilitating social connections between colleagues. Sensitivity is required when initiating and engaging in conversations with colleagues about increasing their PA. Programmes should ensure PPACs themselves are provided with social support, especially from others in the same role, to help sustain motivation for their role. These findings will be useful to health

Defending Champions Reign Supreme at 2017 Student Science Jeopardy Tournament | Poster

Cancer.gov

Anuk Dayaprema and Evan Yamaguchi, champions of the 2016 Student Science Jeopardy Tournament, have done it again. After a grueling competition, they emerged victorious for the second year in a row at the 2017 Student Science Jeopardy Tournament, sponsored by the Scientific Library.

Opening Up the Pandora's Box of Sustainability League Tables of Universities: A Kafkaesque Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, David R.

2017-01-01

The aim of this paper is to explore the institutional impact of sustainability league tables on current university agendas. It focuses on a narrative critique of one such league table, the UK's "Green League Table", compiled and reported by the student campaigning NGO, "People & Planet" annually between 2007 and 2013.…

League Bilong Laif: Rugby, Education and Sport-for-Development Partnerships in Papua New Guinea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherry, Emma; Schulenkorf, Nico

2016-01-01

League Bilong Laif (LBL) is a sport-for-development (SFD) programme that was established in 2013 as a three-way partnership between the Australian Government, the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Government (Department of Education) and the Australian Rugby League Commission (National Rugby League). As a contribution to addressing low rates of school…

Concussion in youth rugby union and rugby league: a systematic review.

PubMed

Kirkwood, Graham; Parekh, Nikesh; Ofori-Asenso, Richard; Pollock, Allyson M

2015-04-01

Children and adolescents who play rugby are at increased risk of concussion and its effects. Competitive rugby union and rugby league feature as major sports in the school sport curriculum in the UK. There is a need for a thorough understanding of the epidemiology of concussion in youth rugby, the mechanisms involved in injuries and predisposing risk factors. The publication databases Pubmed, Embase and SportDISCUS were searched in April 2014 for primary research studies of child and adolescent rugby union and rugby league (under 20 years) in English language with data on concussion injuries. The review was conducted within a larger all injury systematic review on rugby union and rugby league where key words used in the search included rugby, injury and concussion with child, adolescent, paediatric and youth. There were 25 studies retrieved with data on child or adolescent rugby and concussion, 20 were on rugby union, three on rugby league and in two the code of rugby was unspecified. There was significant heterogeneity in the definitions of injuries and of concussion. The incidence of child and adolescent match concussion ranged from 0.2 to 6.9 concussions per 1000 player-hours for rugby union and was 4.6 and 14.7 concussions per 1000 player-hours for rugby league, equivalent to a probability of between 0.3% and 11.4% for rugby union and of 7.7% and 22.7% for rugby league. There is a significant risk of concussion in children and adolescents playing rugby union and rugby league evident from the studies included in this systematic review. There is a need for reliable data through routine monitoring and reporting in schools and clubs and in hospital emergency departments in order to inform prevention. Concussion protocols should be implemented and tested. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Concerns on Little League Elbow.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, Michael J.; Bell, Gerald W.

1995-01-01

Little league elbow is a common overuse injury resulting from repetitive valgus stress on the elbow during overhead throwing. Prevention and treatment should emphasize education of athletes, parents, and coaches about its etiology. The paper examines bone development, noting that the condition is highly treatable if diagnosed in early development.…

Black Americans and Public Policy: Perspectives of the National Urban League.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Urban League, Inc., New York, NY.

This collection of six commentaries represents the National Urban League's perspective on public policies needed to promote the interests of black Americans. Each commentary focuses on the present condition of blacks, details the impact of recent policy intiatives, and delineate's the League's proposals for improvement. "Black Americans and…

Endurance exercise performance: the physiology of champions

PubMed Central

Joyner, Michael J; Coyle, Edward F

2008-01-01

Efforts to understand human physiology through the study of champion athletes and record performances have been ongoing for about a century. For endurance sports three main factors – maximal oxygen consumption , the so-called ‘lactate threshold’ and efficiency (i.e. the oxygen cost to generate a give running speed or cycling power output) – appear to play key roles in endurance performance. and lactate threshold interact to determine the ‘performance ‘ which is the oxygen consumption that can be sustained for a given period of time. Efficiency interacts with the performance to establish the speed or power that can be generated at this oxygen consumption. This review focuses on what is currently known about how these factors interact, their utility as predictors of elite performance, and areas where there is relatively less information to guide current thinking. In this context, definitive ideas about the physiological determinants of running and cycling efficiency is relatively lacking in comparison with and the lactate threshold, and there is surprisingly limited and clear information about the genetic factors that might pre-dispose for elite performance. It should also be cautioned that complex motivational and sociological factors also play important roles in who does or does not become a champion and these factors go far beyond simple physiological explanations. Therefore, the performance of elite athletes is likely to defy the types of easy explanations sought by scientific reductionism and remain an important puzzle for those interested in physiological integration well into the future. PMID:17901124

The League of Nations and U.S. World Roles. Lesson Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romey, Barbara

1994-01-01

Asserts that the issue of U.S. participation in the League of Nations is usually presented as a failure by Woodrow Wilson and the Republicans to compromise. Presents a lesson that clarifies the choice confronting the United States in 1919-20 and interprets the league as a historic innovation. (CFR)

Lower-extremity isokinetic strength profiling in professional rugby league and rugby union.

PubMed

Brown, Scott R; Brughelli, Matt; Griffiths, Peter C; Cronin, John B

2014-03-01

While several studies have documented isokinetic knee strength in junior and senior rugby league players, investigations of isokinetic knee and hip strength in professional rugby union players are limited. The purpose of this study was to provide lower-extremity strength profiles and compare isokinetic knee and hip strength of professional rugby league and rugby union players. 32 professional rugby league and 25 professional rugby union players. Cross-sectional analysis. Isokinetic dynamometry was used to evaluate peak torque and strength ratios of the dominant and nondominant legs during seated knee-extension/ flexion and supine hip-extension/flexion actions at 60°/s. Forwards from both codes were taller and heavier and had a higher body-mass index than the backs of each code. Rugby union forwards produced significantly (P < .05) greater peak torque during knee flexion in the dominant and nondominant legs (ES = 1.81 and 2.02) compared with rugby league forwards. Rugby league backs produced significantly greater hip-extension peak torque in the dominant and nondominant legs (ES = 0.83 and 0.77) compared with rugby union backs. There were no significant differences in hamstring-to-quadriceps ratios between code, position, or leg. Rugby union forwards and backs produced significantly greater knee-flexion-to-hip-extension ratios in the dominant and nondominant legs (ES = 1.49-2.26) than rugby union players. It seems that the joint torque profiles of players from rugby league and union codes differ, which may be attributed to the different demands of each code.

NASA Alumni League Dialogue

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-03-04

Former NASA Administrator James Beggs smiles during a dialogue on the future of the space program, Friday, March 4, 2011, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Beggs was NASA's sixth administrator serving from July 1981 to December 1985. The dialogue was part of the program “The State of the Agency: NASA Future Programs Presentation” sponsored by the NASA Alumni League with support from the AAS, AIAA, CSE and WIA.Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

Randomness in Competitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben-Naim, E.; Hengartner, N. W.; Redner, S.; Vazquez, F.

2013-05-01

We study the effects of randomness on competitions based on an elementary random process in which there is a finite probability that a weaker team upsets a stronger team. We apply this model to sports leagues and sports tournaments, and compare the theoretical results with empirical data. Our model shows that single-elimination tournaments are efficient but unfair: the number of games is proportional to the number of teams N, but the probability that the weakest team wins decays only algebraically with N. In contrast, leagues, where every team plays every other team, are fair but inefficient: the top √{N} of teams remain in contention for the championship, while the probability that the weakest team becomes champion is exponentially small. We also propose a gradual elimination schedule that consists of a preliminary round and a championship round. Initially, teams play a small number of preliminary games, and subsequently, a few teams qualify for the championship round. This algorithm is fair and efficient: the best team wins with a high probability and the number of games scales as N 9/5, whereas traditional leagues require N 3 games to fairly determine a champion.

Enhancing the NFLs Counter-Terrorism Efforts: Is the Leagues Security Scheme Able to Effectively Thwart Terrorist Attacks

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

League (EPL), football, mass gatherings, National Football League (NFL), safety manuals, soccer , sports security, soccer , terrorism, terrorist...fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN SECURITY STUDIES (HOMELAND SECURITY AND DEFENSE) from the NAVAL...kurtbadenhausen/2015/07/15/the-worlds-50-most-valuable-sports- teams-2015/. 3 professional league, the English Premier soccer league, earns $2.7 billion.6 In

Football league win prediction based on online and league table data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Par, Prateek; Gupt, Ankit Kumar; Singh, Samarth; Khare, Neelu; Bhattachrya, Sweta

2017-11-01

As we are proceeding towards an internet driven world, the impact of internet is increasing in our day to lives. This not only gives impact on the virtual world but also leave a mark in the real world. The social media sites contains huge amount of information, the only thing is to collect the relevant data and analyse the data to form a real world prediction and it can do far more than that. In this paper we study the relationship between the twitter data and the normal data analysis to predict the winning team in the NFL (National Football League).The prediction is based on the data collected on the on-going league which includes performance of each player and their previous statistics. Alongside with the data available online we are combining the twitter data which we extracted by the tweets pertaining to specific teams and games in the NFL season and use them alongside statistical game data to build predictive models for future or the outcome of the game i.e. which team will lose or win depending upon the statistical data available. Specifically the tweets within the 24 hours of match will be considered and the main focus of twitter data will be upon the last hours of tweets i.e. pre-match twitter data and post-match twitter data. We are experimenting on the data and using twitter data we are trying to increase the performance of the existing predictive models that uses only the game stats to predict the future.

Preparing the next generation of maternal and newborn health leaders: the maternal and newborn health champions initiatives.

PubMed

Dao, Blami; Otolorin, Emmanuel; Gomez, Patricia P; Carr, Catherine; Sanghvi, Harshad

2015-06-01

A champion in health care can be defined as any health professional who has the requisite knowledge and skills in a relevant health field, who is respected by his/her peers and supported by his/her supervisors, and who takes the lead to promote or introduce evidence-based interventions to improve the quality of care. Jhpiego used a common approach during two distinct initiatives to identify individuals in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean whose expertise in their clinical service area and whose leadership capacity could be strengthened to enable them to serve as champions for maternal and newborn health (MNH). These champions have gone on to contribute to the improvement of MNH in their respective countries and regions. The lessons learned from this approach are shared so they can be used by other organizations to design leadership development strategies for MNH in low-resource countries. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Semi-Professional Rugby League Players have Higher Concussion Risk than Professional or Amateur Participants: A Pooled Analysis.

PubMed

King, Doug; Hume, Patria; Gissane, Conor; Clark, Trevor

2017-02-01

A combined estimate of injuries within a specific sport through pooled analysis provides more precise evidence and meaningful information about the sport, whilst controlling for between-study variation due to individual sub-cohort characteristics. The objective of this analysis was to review all published rugby league studies reporting injuries from match and training participation and report the pooled data estimates for rugby league concussion injury epidemiology. A systematic literature analysis of concussion in rugby league was performed on published studies from January 1990 to October 2015. Data were extracted and pooled from 25 studies that reported the number and incidence of concussions in rugby league match and training activities. Amateur rugby league players had the highest incidence of concussive injuries in match activities (19.1 per 1000 match hours) while semi-professional players had the highest incidence of concussive injuries in training activities (3.1 per 1000 training hours). This pooled analysis showed that, during match participation activities, amateur rugby league participants had a higher reported concussion injury rate than professional and semi-professional participants. Semi-professional participants had nearly a threefold greater concussion injury risk than amateur rugby league participants during match participation. They also had nearly a 600-fold greater concussion injury risk than professional rugby league participants during training participation.

NASA Alumni League Dialogue

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-03-04

Former NASA Administrator James Beggs is seen during a dialogue with present NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on the future of the space program, Friday, March 4, 2011, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Beggs was NASA's sixth administrator serving from July 1981 to December 1985. The dialogue was part of the program “The State of the Agency: NASA Future Programs Presentation” sponsored by the NASA Alumni League with support from the AAS, AIAA, CSE and WIA.Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

Ivy League Football: Hard-Core Unemployment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iman, Raymond S.

1971-01-01

Decries the discrimination accorded to Ivy League football players by Pro Football owners and suggests corrective measures including a Head Start program involving preseason coaching for Ivy Leaguers, formation of a Department of Recreational Studies headed by Ara Parseghian or Darrell Royal, and a remedial course for punters during Christmas…

Analysis of age, stature, body mass, BMI and quality of elite soccer players from 4 European Leagues.

PubMed

Bloomfield, J; Polman, R; Butterly, R; O'Donoghue, P

2005-03-01

The aim was to identify which league (English Premier League, Spanish La Liga Division, Italian Serie A and German Bundesliga) contained the highest quality players and whether differences in age, stature, body mass and BMI existed between the different positions in different leagues. Data were collected concerning 2,085 professional soccer players playing in these 4 leagues during the 2001-2002 season. Player quality was determined by the leagues' number of international players and their nations' FIFA World Ranking (FWR). The La Liga Division contained the highest quality players (mean FWR) (11.5+/-13.8), followed by the Serie A (13.3+/-21.3), the Premier League (30.6+/-27.3) and the Bundesliga (30.7+/-27.1), respectively. Also, differences were found between the age, stature, body mass and BMI of players in different positions and in the different leagues. Age had a significant influence on position with goalkeepers (years) (27.4+/-5.3) being older than midfielders (26.2+/-4.3) and forwards (25.8+/-4.2) and defenders (26.8+/-4.3) being older than forwards. Players from the Bundesliga had the greatest stature (m) (1.83+/-0.06), body mass (kg) (77.5+/-6.4) and BMI (kg x m(-2)) (23.2+/-1.1) of the 4 leagues. In reflection, La Liga's players had the shortest stature (1.80+/-0.06) and the Serie A players had the least body mass (74.3+/-5.4) and BMI (22.8+/-1.1). The differences discovered suggest either differences in playing style and physical demands of the different leagues, different physical conditioning methods or, alternatively, that there are desirable characteristics of players with teams in all 4 leagues seeking such players.

A Day at FIRST Lego League

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntyre, Nancy

2012-01-01

This article features an after-school FIRST Lego League (FLL) program at Chaminade Middle School in Chatsworth, California, USA. The after-school FLL program feeds into the high school FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) program wherein aspiring young engineers come to the high school team with several years of FLL experience. Through the FLL…

Leagues Revive Debate in City Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keller, Bess

2008-01-01

This article describes how the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues is reviving debate competitions among high school students in city schools. Starting in Atlanta in 1985 and boosted by seed money from the billionaire George Soros' Open Society Institute, urban educators and their supporters in 2002 formed the National Association for…

Analysis of Physical Collisions in Elite National Rugby League Match Play.

PubMed

Cummins, Cloe; Orr, Rhonda

2015-09-01

To investigate the impact forces of collision events during both attack and defense in elite rugby league match play and to compare the collision profiles between playing positions. 26 elite rugby league players. Player collisions were recorded using an integrated accelerometer in global positioning system units (SPI-Pro X, GPSports). Impact forces of collisions in attack (hit-ups) and defense (tackles) were analyzed from 359 files from outside backs (n = 78), adjustables (n = 97), wide-running forwards (n = 136), and hit-up forwards (n = 48) over 1 National Rugby League season. Hit-up forwards were involved in 0.8 collisions/min, significantly more than all other positional groups (wide-running forwards P = .050, adjustables P = .042, and outside backs P = .000). Outside backs experienced 25% fewer collisions per minute than hit-up forwards. Hit-up forwards experienced a collision within the 2 highest classifications of force (≥ 10 g) every 2.5 min of match play compared with 1 every 5 and 9 min for adjustables and outside backs, respectively. Hit-up forwards performed 0.5 tackles per minute of match play, 5 times that of outside backs (ES = 1.90; 95% CI [0.26,3.16]), and 0.2 hit-ups per minute of match play, twice as many as adjustables. During a rugby league match, players are exposed to a significant number of collision events. Positional differences exist, with hit-up and wide-running forwards experiencing greater collision events than adjustables and outside backs. Although these results may be unique to the individual team's defensive- and attacking-play strategies, they are indicative of the significant collision profiles in professional rugby league.

65 Years & Counting: AASL and School Librarians--Still Champions of Intellectual Freedom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Helen R.

2016-01-01

The American Association of School Librarians and its members have always been champions of intellectual freedom. It is a core value of school librarians and has been--and remains--an integral part of AASL's culture. Intellectual freedom is deeply embedded in AASL's standards, position statements, member-focused publications, conferences, award…

Joe Louis as a Key Functionary: White Reactions toward a Black Champion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Art

1985-01-01

Investigates White Americans' responses toward Joe Louis, the Black champion. Focuses on the Louis-Schmeling heavyweight title fight of 1938 as exemplifying Louis' role as a key functionary for the American system. Argues that Louis's achieved status as the American representative fighting against Nazism did not negate Whites' negative perception…

Supporting Nurse Health Champions: Developing a "New Generation" of Health Improvement Facilitators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blake, H.; Chambers, D.

2012-01-01

In efforts to respond to key government public health initiatives for settings-based health promotion, the "Workplace Health Champion" role has emerged as a method of promoting health within the UK healthcare setting. Health promotion techniques used by these individuals are based on psychological theories that are known to motivate…

NCI at Frederick Team Receives 2014 HHS Green Champions Award | Poster

Cancer.gov

A team of NCI and Leidos Biomedical Research employees at NCI at Frederick received the Energy and Fleet Management Award, one of the 2014 Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Green Champions Awards, for comparing the costs and energy usage of two -80°C freezer technologies. This was the first scientific study to be jointly conducted by Leidos Biomedical Research’s

The Control of Externalities in Sports Leagues: An Analysis of Restrictions in the National Hockey League

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlton, Dennis W.; Frankel, Alan S.; Landes, Elisabeth M.

2004-01-01

This paper provides one of the few successful demonstrations of the efficiency of certain types of restrictions in the context of a joint venture. The joint venture we examine is the National Hockey League (NHL) in the 1980s, which was then composed of 21 separately owned teams. (It now has 30 teams.) The restriction we analyze is the NHL rule on…

A cognitive-behavioural analysis of mental toughness in national rugby league football teams.

PubMed

Golby, Jim; Sheard, Michael; Lavallee, David

2003-04-01

This study examined the relations between demographic characteristics of rugby players and selected aspects of psychological performance in rugby league football. Mental toughness was assessed using Psychological Performance Inventory and Hardiness on the Personal Views Survey III-R. Participants (N=70) were international rugby league footballers representing four teams (Wales, France, Ireland, England) in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. Participants completed the questionnaires in training camp. Welsh-nationality players had a significantly higher mean score on two of the hardiness subscales. Hardiness measures displayed the greatest and most frequently statistically significant differences. The findings concur with previous work indicating superior hardiness is related to improved performance in sports.

NASA Alumni League Dialogue

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-03-04

Former NASA Administrator James Beggs, left, and present NASA Administrator Charles Bolden conduct a dialogue on the future of the space program, Friday, March 4, 2011, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Beggs was NASA's sixth administrator serving from July 1981 to December 1985. Bolden took over the post as NASA's 12th administrator in July 2009. The dialogue is part of the program “The State of the Agency: NASA Future Programs Presentation” sponsored by the NASA Alumni League with support from the AAS, AIAA, CSE and WIA.Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

A Comparison of the National Football League's Annual National Football League Combine 1999-2000 to 2015-2016.

PubMed

Fitzgerald, Corey F; Jensen, Randall L

2018-06-06

Fitzgerald, CF and Jensen, RL. A Comparison of the National Football League's annual National Football League combine 1999-2000 to 2015-2016. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-The purpose of this study was to determine if elite football players are becoming bigger, faster, and stronger over the past decade by analyzing individual performances at the National Football League's (NFL) Combine. This study was conducted with (N = 1,263) subjects from the 1999-2000 (99-00) NFL Combines (n = 635) and the 2015-2016 (15-16) NFL Combines (n = 628) separated by position. Data were collected for height, weight, 40-yd (36.58 m) dash, NFL 225 lb. (102.06 kg) repetitions test, vertical jump (VJ), broad jump (BJ), pro-agility shuttle, and 3-cone drill. Statistical significance between the years for all subjects participating in the NFL Combine was found for the 40-yd dash (99-00: mean ± SD = 4.85 ± 3.2; 15-16: 4.80 ± 3.5; p = 0.002) and VJ (99-00 = 32.30 ± 4.08; 15-16: 32.86 ± 4.17; p = 0.028) at the alpha p < 0.05 level. Statistical significance was also found for BJ (99-00 = 111.37 ± 8.81; 15-16: 115.03 ± 9.22; p < 0.001) and the 3-cone drill (99-00 = 7.41 ± 0.42; 15-16: 7.29 ± 4.1; p < 0.001) at the alpha p < 0.001 level. There were no statistically significant findings (p > 0.05) for weight or height found across all subjects by combine years. Results indicate that elite football players have improved their performance, when comparing results from 1999-2000 to 2015-2016. These finding may be beneficial to NFL franchises in their prospective player assessments.

Mild traumatic brain injury in major and Minor League Baseball players.

PubMed

Green, Gary A; Pollack, Keshia M; D'Angelo, John; Schickendantz, Mark S; Caplinger, Roger; Weber, Kathleen; Valadka, Alex; McAllister, Thomas W; Dick, Randall W; Mandelbaum, Bert; Curriero, Frank C

2015-05-01

Although mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is not as common in professional baseball as in collision sports, it does occur and frequently results in significant loss of time away from the sport. To date, no study has investigated MTBI among an entire cohort of professional baseball players. To investigate MTBIs in major and minor league baseball players to determine the most common mechanisms of injury, activity at time of injury, position, level of play, and time lost, as well as ultimately inform prevention efforts. A secondary objective was to document the association between MTBI and return to play using several different measures. Descriptive epidemiologic study. Data were captured from a newly implemented league-wide injury surveillance system that records injuries among all professional baseball players as entered by certified athletic trainers and physicians. The MTBIs were identified with respect to level of play, activity, field location, and mechanism of injury. Time loss was assessed by 3 measures of return to play, and MTBI game rates were reported as injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures. Data were combined over the 2011-2012 seasons for analysis, and results were presented separately for minor and major league players. Chi-square tests were used to test the hypothesis of equal proportions between the various categories of MTBI injury characteristics. There were 41 reported MTBIs in the major leagues and 266 in the minor leagues over the 2-year period under study. The overall MTBI game rate across both major and minor league ball clubs was 0.42 per 1000 athlete-exposures. The median time lost was 9 days. Mild traumatic brain injury accounted for 1% of all injuries resulting in time lost from play. For MTBIs that occurred while fielding, catchers were significantly overrepresented. No differences were noted among the 3 measures of time lost. Mild traumatic brain injury is an important problem in professional baseball players, especially for catchers

Tapering Practices of Croatian Open-Class Powerlifting Champions.

PubMed

Grgic, Jozo; Mikulic, Pavle

2017-09-01

Grgic, J and Mikulic, P. Tapering practices of Croatian open-class powerlifting champions. J Strength Cond Res 31(9): 2371-2378, 2017-The aim of this study was to explore tapering practices among 10 Croatian open-class powerlifting champions (mean ± SD: age 29.2 ± 3.2 years; Wilks coefficient 355.1 ± 54.8). The athletes were interviewed about their tapering practices using a semi-structured interview after which the audio content was transcribed. The athletes reported decreasing training volume during the taper by 50.5 ± 11.7% using a step type or an exponential type of taper with a fast decay. Training intensity was maintained or increased during the taper, and it reached its highest values 8 ± 3 days before the competition. Training frequency was reduced or maintained during the taper. The final week included a reduction in training frequency by 47.9 ± 17.5% with the last training session performed 3 ± 1 days before the competition. The participants typically stated that the main reasons for conducting the taper were maintaining strength and reducing the amount of fatigue. They also stated that (a) the taper was structured identically for the squat, bench press, and the deadlift; (b) the training during the taper was highly specific, the assistance exercises were removed, and the same equipment was used as during competition; (c) the source of information for tapering was their coach, and training fluctuated based on the coach's feedback; and (d) nutrition, foam rolling, static stretching, and massage were all given extra attention during the taper. These results may aid athletes and coaches in strength sports in terms of the optimization of tapering variables.

Australian Football League concussion guidelines: what do community players think?

PubMed

White, Peta E; Donaldson, Alex; Sullivan, S John; Newton, Joshua; Finch, Caroline F

2016-01-01

Preventing concussion in sport is a global challenge. To assess community-level adult male Australian Football players' views on following the Australian Football League's (AFL) concussion guidelines. 3 focus groups, each comprising 6 players from 1 regional league, were conducted until saturation of issues raised. Discussions followed a semistructured script and were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was conducted by 2 coders independently. Identified advantages of the guidelines included highlighting the seriousness of concussion; changing the culture around playing with concussion and shifting return-to-play decision responsibility from players to others. Disadvantages included players being removed from play unnecessarily; removal of players' rights to decide if they are fit to play and players changing their behaviours to avoid being removed from play. Identified facilitators to guideline use included local league enforcement; broad information dissemination and impartial medically trained staff to assess concussion. Identified barriers to guideline use included players' desire to play at all costs; external pressure that encouraged players to return to play prematurely; and inconvenience and cost. Players generally understand that the AFL concussion guidelines protect their long-term welfare. However, their desire to play at all costs and help their team win is a common barrier to reporting concussion and adhering to guidelines. Leagues should take a lead role by mandating and enforcing the use of the guidelines and educating coaches, game day medical providers and players. The return-to-play component of the guidelines is complex and needs further consideration in the context of community sport.

Australian Football League concussion guidelines: what do community players think?

PubMed Central

White, Peta E; Donaldson, Alex; Sullivan, S John; Newton, Joshua

2016-01-01

Background Preventing concussion in sport is a global challenge. To assess community-level adult male Australian Football players’ views on following the Australian Football League's (AFL) concussion guidelines. Methods 3 focus groups, each comprising 6 players from 1 regional league, were conducted until saturation of issues raised. Discussions followed a semistructured script and were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was conducted by 2 coders independently. Results Identified advantages of the guidelines included highlighting the seriousness of concussion; changing the culture around playing with concussion and shifting return-to-play decision responsibility from players to others. Disadvantages included players being removed from play unnecessarily; removal of players’ rights to decide if they are fit to play and players changing their behaviours to avoid being removed from play. Identified facilitators to guideline use included local league enforcement; broad information dissemination and impartial medically trained staff to assess concussion. Identified barriers to guideline use included players’ desire to play at all costs; external pressure that encouraged players to return to play prematurely; and inconvenience and cost. Conclusions Players generally understand that the AFL concussion guidelines protect their long-term welfare. However, their desire to play at all costs and help their team win is a common barrier to reporting concussion and adhering to guidelines. Leagues should take a lead role by mandating and enforcing the use of the guidelines and educating coaches, game day medical providers and players. The return-to-play component of the guidelines is complex and needs further consideration in the context of community sport. PMID:28890801

Home Advantage in Men's and Women's Spanish First and Second Division Water Polo Leagues.

PubMed

Prieto, Jaime; Gómez, Miguel-Ángel; Pollard, Richard

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to quantify the home advantage in both men's and women's First and Second Division water polo leagues, to compare the results obtained according to sex of participants and the level of competition, and to test for possible differences in home advantage when considering the interaction between these two factors. The sample comprised four seasons from 2007-2008 to 2010-2011 for a total of 1942 games analyzed. The results showed the existence of home advantage in both men's and women's First and Second Divisions. After controlling for the competitive balance of each league in each season, there was a significant difference between men's and women's leagues, with higher home advantage for men's leagues (58.60% compared with 53.70% for women's leagues). There was also a significant difference between the levels of competition, with greater home advantage for the Second Division (57.95% compared with 54.35% for First Division). No significant differences in home advantage were found when considering the interaction between sex of participants and the level of competition. The results in relation to sex of participants and the level of competition are consistent with previous studies in other sports such as football or handball.

Fabricated World Class: Global University League Tables, Status Differentiation and Myths of Global Competition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

David, Matthew

2016-01-01

UK media coverage of global university league tables shows systematic bias towards the Russell Group, although also highlighting tensions within its membership. Coverage positions UK "elite" institutions between US superiority and Asian ascent. Coverage claims that league table results warrant UK university funding reform. However,…

The history of the Greek Anti-Malaria League and the influence of the Italian School of Malariology.

PubMed

Tsiamis, Costas; Piperaki, Evangelia Theophano; Tsakris, Athanassios

2013-03-01

In 1905, a group of eminent Greek physicians led by Professor of Hygiene and Microbiology Constantinos Savvas and the pediatrician Dr. Ioannis Kardamatis founded the Greek Anti-Malaria League. The League assumed a role that the State would not, and for the next 25 years organized the country's anti-malaria campaign. During its first steps, the Greek Anti-Malaria League adopted the principles of Professor Angelo Celli's Italian Anti-Malaria League. The League's accomplishments include a decrease in malarial prevalence, due to mass treatment with quinine, new legislation ensuring the provision of quinine, State monopoly and the collection of epidemiologic data. However, defeat in the Greek-Turkish War (1922) and the massive influx of one million Greek refugees that ensued, led to a change in malarial epidemiology. In 1928, following a visit to Italy, the Greek League adopted the organization and knowledge of the Italian Malaria Schools in Rome and in Nettuno, and this experience served as the basis of their proposal to the State for the development of the anti-malaria services infrastructure. The State adopted many of Professor Savvas' proposals and modified his plan according to Greek needs. The League's experience, accumulated during its 25 years of struggle against malaria, was its legacy to the campaigns that eventually accomplished the eradication of malaria from Greece after World War II.

Green Team Recognized with HHS Green Champion Award Honorable Mention | Poster

Cancer.gov

Courtesy of the NCI at Frederick Green Team The NCI at Frederick Green Team received a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Green Champion Award honorable mention in June for the team’s plant swap initiative, begun in October 2012.  “The Green Team has been doing a great job this past year, and it is wonderful that their efforts have been recognized by the HHS through

Venous Thromboembolism Within Professional American Sport Leagues

PubMed Central

Bishop, Meghan; Astolfi, Matthew; Padegimas, Eric; DeLuca, Peter; Hammoud, Sommer

2017-01-01

Background: Numerous reports have described players in professional American sports leagues who have been sidelined with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or a pulmonary embolism (PE), but little is known about the clinical implications of these events in professional athletes. Purpose: To conduct a retrospective review of injury reports from the National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Football League (NFL) to take a closer look at the incidence of DVT/PE, current treatment approaches, and estimated time to return to play in professional athletes. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: An online search of all team injury and media reports of DVT/PE in NHL, MLB, NBA, and NFL players available for public record was conducted by use of Google, PubMed, and SPORTDiscus. Searches were conducted using the professional team name combined with blood clot, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis. Results: A total of 55 venous thromboembolism (VTE) events were identified from 1999 through 2016 (NHL, n = 22; MLB, n = 16; NFL, n = 12; NBA, n = 5). Nineteen athletes were reported to have an upper extremity DVT, 15 had a lower extremity DVT, 15 had a PE, and 6 had DVT with PE. Six athletes sustained more than 1 VTE. The mean age at time of VTE was 29.3 years (range, 19-42 years). Mean (±SD) time lost from play was 6.7 ± 4.9 months (range, 3 days to career end). Seven athletes did not return to play. Players with upper extremity DVT had a faster return to play (mean ± SD, 4.3 ± 2.7 months) than those with lower extremity DVT (5.9 ± 3.8 months), PE (10.8 ± 6.8 months), or DVT with PE (8.2 ± 2.6 months) (F = 5.69, P = .002). No significant difference was found regarding time of return to play between sports. Conclusion: VTE in professional athletes led to an average of 6.7 months lost from play. The majority of athletes were able to return to play after a period of anticoagulation

Venous Thromboembolism Within Professional American Sport Leagues.

PubMed

Bishop, Meghan; Astolfi, Matthew; Padegimas, Eric; DeLuca, Peter; Hammoud, Sommer

2017-12-01

Numerous reports have described players in professional American sports leagues who have been sidelined with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or a pulmonary embolism (PE), but little is known about the clinical implications of these events in professional athletes. To conduct a retrospective review of injury reports from the National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Football League (NFL) to take a closer look at the incidence of DVT/PE, current treatment approaches, and estimated time to return to play in professional athletes. Descriptive epidemiology study. An online search of all team injury and media reports of DVT/PE in NHL, MLB, NBA, and NFL players available for public record was conducted by use of Google, PubMed, and SPORTDiscus. Searches were conducted using the professional team name combined with blood clot , pulmonary embolism , and deep vein thrombosis . A total of 55 venous thromboembolism (VTE) events were identified from 1999 through 2016 (NHL, n = 22; MLB, n = 16; NFL, n = 12; NBA, n = 5). Nineteen athletes were reported to have an upper extremity DVT, 15 had a lower extremity DVT, 15 had a PE, and 6 had DVT with PE. Six athletes sustained more than 1 VTE. The mean age at time of VTE was 29.3 years (range, 19-42 years). Mean (±SD) time lost from play was 6.7 ± 4.9 months (range, 3 days to career end). Seven athletes did not return to play. Players with upper extremity DVT had a faster return to play (mean ± SD, 4.3 ± 2.7 months) than those with lower extremity DVT (5.9 ± 3.8 months), PE (10.8 ± 6.8 months), or DVT with PE (8.2 ± 2.6 months) ( F = 5.69, P = .002). No significant difference was found regarding time of return to play between sports. VTE in professional athletes led to an average of 6.7 months lost from play. The majority of athletes were able to return to play after a period of anticoagulation or surgery. Those with an upper extremity DVT returned to play

Little League Baseball and Players' Self-Esteem.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawkins, Donna B.; Gruber, Joseph J.

1982-01-01

The effect of a season of little league baseball on the self-esteem of 94 pre-adolescent players was investigated. The Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory and a newly devised Baseball-Self scale were administered. Significant improvements in players' total Self-esteem, Home-Parents and School-Academic scores were found. (Author/PN)

Developing Clinical Leaders in Primary Care: The US Air Force Diabetes Champion Course

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-03

The US Air Force Diabetes Center of Excellence designed the Diabetes Champion Course (DCC), a semi-annual, 3-day course, to train primary care teams ...and patient flow in a team -based setting. Each team is tasked to identify local deficits and make a Plan of Action (POA) for implementation.

Mechanical Properties of Sprinting in Elite Rugby Union and Rugby League.

PubMed

Cross, Matt R; Brughelli, Matt; Brown, Scott R; Samozino, Pierre; Gill, Nicholas D; Cronin, John B; Morin, Jean-Benoît

2015-09-01

To compare mechanical properties of overground sprint running in elite rugby union and rugby league athletes. Thirty elite rugby code (15 rugby union and 15 rugby league) athletes participated in this cross-sectional analysis. Radar was used to measure maximal overground sprint performance over 20 or 30 m (forwards and backs, respectively). In addition to time at 2, 5, 10, 20, and 30 m, velocity-time signals were analyzed to derive external horizontal force-velocity relationships with a recently validated method. From this relationship, the maximal theoretical velocity, external relative and absolute horizontal force, horizontal power, and optimal horizontal force for peak power production were determined. While differences in maximal velocity were unclear between codes, rugby union backs produced moderately faster split times, with the most substantial differences occurring at 2 and 5 m (ES 0.95 and 0.86, respectively). In addition, rugby union backs produced moderately larger relative horizontal force, optimal force, and peak power capabilities than rugby league backs (ES 0.73-0.77). Rugby union forwards had a higher absolute force (ES 0.77) despite having ~12% more body weight than rugby league forwards. In this elite sample, rugby union athletes typically displayed greater short-distance sprint performance, which may be linked to an ability to generate high levels of horizontal force and power. The acceleration characteristics presented in this study could be a result of the individual movement and positional demands of each code.

Shoulder functional performance status of Minor League professional baseball pitchers.

PubMed

Fronek, Jan; Yang, Jingzhen Ginger; Osbahr, Daryl C; Pollack, Keshia M; ElAttrache, Neal S; Noonan, Thomas J; Conte, Stan A; Mandelbaum, Bert R; Yocum, Lewis A

2015-01-01

The Overhead Shoulder and Elbow Score (Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic [KJOC] score) among healthy or uninjured professional baseball pitchers is lacking. We hypothesized that shoulder function and performance status measured by the KJOC score among active Minor League professional baseball pitchers were high at pre-participation and that the pitchers who had not been previously treated for a shoulder injury and were playing without arm trouble had significantly higher KJOC scores than their counterparts. In this cross-sectional survey, data on pre-participation KJOC scores, along with other study measures, were collected from a cohort of Minor League professional baseball pitchers. Generalized estimating equations with a Poisson distribution were used for analysis. A total of 366 Minor League professional pitchers were included, with a mean KJOC score of 92.8 points (SD, 12.1 points), suggesting that participating pitchers' shoulder function and performance were high. Participating pitchers who had not received treatment for a shoulder injury had significantly higher KJOC scores than those who had received treatment, either surgical or nonsurgical (β = 0.0238, P = .0495). In addition, pitchers who were not currently injured, were playing without arm trouble, or had not missed games in the past 12 months because of a shoulder injury also had statistically significantly higher KJOC scores than their counterparts. This study provides an empirical profile of the KJOC score for a large sample of active Minor League professional baseball pitchers and identifies risk factors associated with decreased KJOC scores. Copyright © 2015 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A new method for comparing rankings through complex networks: Model and analysis of competitiveness of major European soccer leagues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Criado, Regino; García, Esther; Pedroche, Francisco; Romance, Miguel

2013-12-01

In this paper, we show a new technique to analyze families of rankings. In particular, we focus on sports rankings and, more precisely, on soccer leagues. We consider that two teams compete when they change their relative positions in consecutive rankings. This allows to define a graph by linking teams that compete. We show how to use some structural properties of this competitivity graph to measure to what extend the teams in a league compete. These structural properties are the mean degree, the mean strength, and the clustering coefficient. We give a generalization of the Kendall's correlation coefficient to more than two rankings. We also show how to make a dynamic analysis of a league and how to compare different leagues. We apply this technique to analyze the four major European soccer leagues: Bundesliga, Italian Lega, Spanish Liga, and Premier League. We compare our results with the classical analysis of sport ranking based on measures of competitive balance.

Collaboration, campaigns and champions for appropriate imaging: feedback from the Zagreb workshop.

PubMed

Remedios, D; Brkljacic, B; Ebdon-Jackson, S; Hierath, M; Sinitsyn, V; Vassileva, J

2018-04-01

Leading radiologists and representatives from national radiation protection regulatory authorities and health ministries from 19 countries of the European region worked together with five experts at the workshop on justification and appropriate use of imaging in Zagreb, Croatia, from 26 to 28 October 2017 jointly organised by the IAEA and the European Society of Radiology. The workshop served as a forum to exchange information on challenges and solutions for improving justification and the appropriate use of diagnostic imaging. Common barriers to improving the use of imaging referral guidelines were discussed and the need for increased collaboration identified. Examples of good practices were presented, including use of Clinical Decision Support (CDS) systems to facilitate rapid and good justification decisions. The workshop identified some of the needs of European countries for achieving more appropriate imaging proposing wider use of collaboration, campaigns and champions. • Drivers for appropriate imaging in Europe are similar to those elsewhere globally. • Implementing imaging referral guidelines is the main barrier to more appropriate imaging. • Clinical Decision Support systems (CDS) facilitates good referral practice and justification decisions. • Collaboration, campaigns and champions may improve awareness, appropriateness and audit.

Metabolic power demands of rugby league match play.

PubMed

Kempton, Tom; Sirotic, Anita Claire; Rampinini, Ermanno; Coutts, Aaron James

2015-01-01

To describe the metabolic demands of rugby league match play for positional groups and compare match distances obtained from high-speed-running classifications with those derived from high metabolic power. Global positioning system (GPS) data were collected from 25 players from a team competing in the National Rugby League competition over 39 matches. Players were classified into positional groups (adjustables, outside backs, hit-up forwards, and wide-running forwards). The GPS devices provided instantaneous raw velocity data at 5 Hz, which were exported to a customized spreadsheet. The spreadsheet provided calculations for speed-based distances (eg, total distance; high-speed running, >14.4 km/h; and very-high-speed running, >18.1 km/h) and metabolic-power variables (eg, energy expenditure; average metabolic power; and high-power distance, >20 W/kg). The data show that speed-based distances and metabolic power varied between positional groups, although this was largely related to differences in time spent on field. The distance covered at high running speed was lower than that obtained from high-power thresholds for all positional groups; however, the difference between the 2 methods was greatest for hit-up forwards and adjustables. Positional differences existed for all metabolic parameters, although these are at least partially related to time spent on the field. Higher-speed running may underestimate the demands of match play when compared with high-power distance-although the degree of difference between the measures varied by position. The analysis of metabolic power may complement traditional speed-based classifications and improve our understanding of the demands of rugby league match play.

A World of Difference: A Global Survey of University League Tables. Canadian Education Report Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Usher, Alex; Savino, Massimo

2006-01-01

In this document we discuss 19 university league tables and ranking systems from around the world. Sixteen of these are "national" league tables collected from ten countries (Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States); three are "international" or…

Premier League Reading Stars. Annual Review 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Literacy Trust, 2010

2010-01-01

Premier League Reading Stars (PLRS) is an educational project that harnesses the motivational power of football to encourage families to enjoy reading. It targets those hard to reach groups in society who may not have shown an interest in reading, but who do have a passion for football. PLRS has been running since 2003 following the creation of a…

Scottish Premier League Reading Stars Evaluation Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Literacy Trust, 2009

2009-01-01

Scottish Premier League (SPL) Reading Stars uses the motivational power of football to attract families who need support with literacy into a positive and friendly learning environment. It ran for the first time between March and August 2009 and attracted 225 children and 190 adults to take part in a series of inspirational learning sessions in 23…

Children’s Environmental Health Faculty Champions Initiative: A Successful Model for Integrating Environmental Health into Pediatric Health Care

PubMed Central

Rogers, Bonnie; McCurdy, Leyla Erk; Slavin, Katie; Grubb, Kimberly; Roberts, James R.

2009-01-01

Background Pediatric medical and nursing education lack the environmental health content needed to properly prepare health care professionals to prevent, recognize, manage, and treat environmental exposure–related diseases. The need for improvements in health care professionals’ environmental health knowledge has been expressed by leading institutions. However, few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of programs that incorporate pediatric environmental health (PEH) into curricula and practice. Objective We evaluated the effectiveness of the National Environmental Education Foundation’s (NEEF) Children’s Environmental Health Faculty Champions Initiative, which is designed to build environmental health capacity among pediatric health care professionals. Methods Twenty-eight pediatric health care professionals participated in a train-the-trainer workshop, in which they were educated to train other health care professionals in PEH and integrate identified PEH competencies into medical and nursing practice and curricula. We evaluated the program using a workshop evaluation tool, action plan, pre- and posttests, baseline and progress assessments, and telephone interviews. Results During the 12 months following the workshop, the faculty champions’ average pretest score of 52% was significantly elevated (p < 0.0001) to 65.5% on the first posttest and to 71.5% on the second posttest, showing an increase and retention of environmental health knowledge. Faculty champions trained 1,559 health care professionals in PEH, exceeding the goal of 280 health care professionals trained. Ninety percent of faculty champions reported that PEH had been integrated into the curricula at their institution. Conclusion The initiative was highly effective in achieving its goal of building environmental health capacity among health care professionals. The faculty champions model is a successful method and can be replicated in other arenas. PMID:19478972

At Yale, an Unlikely Champion for "The Building that Won't Go Away"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biemiller, Lawrence

2008-01-01

It is most surprising that Yale University is spending $126-million to renovate and add to a 1963 Modernist building that almost everyone has hated for decades. Aside from that, the project's champion is a high-society architect whose own career refutes pretty much the whole Modernist design theology. This article talks about the renovation of…

An Analysis of the Performance, Governance, and Authority of the Virginia High School League, Inc.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jefferies, Scott

2017-01-01

The Virginia High School League is a private, non-profit organization whose member schools include public high schools and one private school in the Commonwealth of Virginia (Virginia High School League Organization, 2015). This organization manages and supervises athletics and other extracurricular activities such as forensics, debate, drama and…

Implementation of the guidelines for targeted temperature management after cardiac arrest: a longitudinal qualitative study of barriers and facilitators perceived by hospital resuscitation champions

PubMed Central

Kim, Young-Min; Lee, Seung Joon; Jo, Sun Jin; Park, Kyu Nam

2016-01-01

Objectives To identify the barriers to and facilitators of implementing guidelines for targeted temperature management (TTM) after cardiac arrest perceived by hospital resuscitation champions and to investigate the changes in their perceptions over the early implementation period. Design A longitudinal qualitative study (up to 2 serial semistructured interviews over 1 year and focus groups). The individual interviews and focus groups were transcribed and coded by 2 independent assessors. Contents were analysed thematically; group interaction was also examined. Setting 21 hospitals, including community and tertiary care centres in South Korea. Participants 21 hospital champions (14 acting champions and 7 managerial champions). Results The final data set included 40 interviews and 2 focus groups. The identified barriers and facilitators could be classified into 3 major themes: (1) healthcare professionals’ perceptions of the guidelines and protocols, (2) interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration and (3) organisational resources. Lack of resources was the most commonly agreed on barrier for the acting champions, whereas lack of interdisciplinary collaboration was the most common barrier for the managerial champions. Educational activities and sharing successfully treated cases were the most frequently identified facilitators. Most of the participants identified and agreed that cooling equipment was an important barrier as well as a facilitator of successful TTM implementation. Perception of the guidelines and protocols has improved with the accumulation of clinical experience over the study period. Conclusions Healthcare professionals’ internal barriers to TTM implementation may be influenced by new guidelines and can be changed with the accumulation of successful clinical experiences during the early implementation period. Promoting interprofessional and interdisciplinary collaboration through educational activities and the use of cooling equipment

Alcoholic dogs and glory for all: the Anti-Saloon League and public relations, 1913.

PubMed

Lamme, Margot Opdycke

2007-01-01

In 1913, the Anti-Saloon League of America declared its intention to pursue national prohibition. While it continued to adhere to its core principles of agitation, it expanded its communication efforts and entered a partnership with the Scientific Temperance Federation, a spin-off of the education arm of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. The League's tactics were not necessarily new to the temperance movement -- or even to other reform movements of the time. What did set it apart was its single-minded focus on stopping the liquor traffic. Tracing through archival artifacts the League's communication strategies and tactics during 1913, then, this study contributes to a larger body of work that seeks to expand on the traditional model of public relations history.

FIRST LEGO League Kickoff

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

Randall Hicks (right), Jacobs Technology's Education Services manager at NASA John C. Stennis Space Center, answers questions about the playing field for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League's 2007 Challenge, `Power Puzzle.' More than 140 teachers, mentors, parents and students from 15 schools attended the Sept. 15 FLL season kickoff at StenniSphere, the visitor center at SSC. The teams from southern and central Mississippi and Mobile, Ala., who came to SSC heard rules for and asked questions about `Power Puzzle,' and saw robot demonstrations by Gulfport and Picayune high schools' past FIRST Robotics competitions. Using LEGO Mindstorms NXT kits, FLL teams of children ages 9-14 will spend the next three months building and programming robots to perform 'Power Puzzle's' challenge tasks, then pit them in competitions. They also will submit a research project about how energy choices impact the environment and the economy. The season will culminate at the Mississippi Championship Tournament on Dec. 8 at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. FLL, considered the `little league' of the FIRST Robotics Competition, partners FIRST and the LEGO Group. Competitions aim to inspire and celebrate science and technology using real-world context and hands-on experimentation. NASA recognizes FIRST activities as an excellent hands-on method to increase student knowledge of science, engineering, technology and mathematics. Schools represented in this year's kickoff were: Madison Avenue Upper Elementary, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians' Conehatta Elementary, Hattiesburg's Lillie Burney Elementary, Pearl Upper Elementary, Long Beach Middle, Oktibehha Elementary, d'Iberville Middle, Saucier's West Wortham Middle, Picayune's Nicholson Elementary and Roseland Park Baptist Church Academy, Bay St. Louis' St. Stanislaus College and Mobile's Davidson High, as well as two home-school groups from the Jackson area.

FIRST LEGO League Kickoff

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-09-15

Randall Hicks (right), Jacobs Technology's Education Services manager at NASA John C. Stennis Space Center, answers questions about the playing field for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League's 2007 Challenge, `Power Puzzle.' More than 140 teachers, mentors, parents and students from 15 schools attended the Sept. 15 FLL season kickoff at StenniSphere, the visitor center at SSC. The teams from southern and central Mississippi and Mobile, Ala., who came to SSC heard rules for and asked questions about `Power Puzzle,' and saw robot demonstrations by Gulfport and Picayune high schools' past FIRST Robotics competitions. Using LEGO Mindstorms NXT kits, FLL teams of children ages 9-14 will spend the next three months building and programming robots to perform 'Power Puzzle's' challenge tasks, then pit them in competitions. They also will submit a research project about how energy choices impact the environment and the economy. The season will culminate at the Mississippi Championship Tournament on Dec. 8 at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. FLL, considered the `little league' of the FIRST Robotics Competition, partners FIRST and the LEGO Group. Competitions aim to inspire and celebrate science and technology using real-world context and hands-on experimentation. NASA recognizes FIRST activities as an excellent hands-on method to increase student knowledge of science, engineering, technology and mathematics. Schools represented in this year's kickoff were: Madison Avenue Upper Elementary, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians' Conehatta Elementary, Hattiesburg's Lillie Burney Elementary, Pearl Upper Elementary, Long Beach Middle, Oktibehha Elementary, d'Iberville Middle, Saucier's West Wortham Middle, Picayune's Nicholson Elementary and Roseland Park Baptist Church Academy, Bay St. Louis' St. Stanislaus College and Mobile's Davidson High, as well as two home-school groups from the Jackson area.

The League of Astronomers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Nancy H.; Brandel, A.; Paat, A. M.; Schmitz, D.; Sharma, R.; Trujillo, J.; Laws, C. S.

2014-01-01

The League of Astronomers is committed to engaging the University of Washington (UW) and the greater Seattle communities through outreach, research, and events. Since its re-founding two years ago, the LOA has provided a clear connection between the UW Astronomy Department, undergraduate students, and members of the public. Weekly outreach activities such as public star parties and planetarium talks in both the UW Planetarium and the Mobile Planetarium have connected enthusiastic LOA volunteers with hundreds of public observers. In addition, collaboration with organizations like the Seattle Astronomical Society and the UW Society of Physics Students has allowed the LOA to reach an even greater audience. The club also provides opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research projects. The UW Student Radio Telescope (SRT) and the Manastash Ridge Observatory (MRO) both allow students to practice collecting their own data and turning it into a completed project. Students have presented many of these research projects at venues like the UW Undergraduate Research Symposium and meetings of the American Astronomical Society. For example, the LOA will be observing newly discovered globular clusters at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO) in Victoria, B.C. and constructing color-magnitude diagrams. The LOA also helps engage students with the Astronomy major through a variety of events. Bimonthly seminars led by graduate students on their research and personal experiences in the field showcase the variety of options available for students in astronomy. Social events hosted by the club encourage peer mentoring and a sense of community among the Astronomy Department’s undergraduate and graduate students. As a part of one of the nation’s largest undergraduate astronomy programs, members of the League of Astronomers have a unique opportunity to connect and interact with not only the Seattle public but also the greater astronomical community.

Building Nuclear Communities: The Hanford Education Action League.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ratliff, Jeanne; Salvador, Michael

Many scholars have examined the jeremiad in American rhetoric and political discourse. The Hanford Education Action League (HEAL), which influenced policy changes in the operations of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington, is a social movement organization whose founding members used the jeremiad to create a symbolic community which…

Creating the "International Mind": The League of Nations Attempts to Reform History Teaching, 1920-1939

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osborne, Ken

2016-01-01

After the First World War, the League of Nations, through its International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation, attempted to reshape the teaching of history in its member states. The League's supporters realized that its long-term success depended in part on supportive public opinion and that this, in turn, had implications for education. Aware…

Increase in ACL and PCL injuries after implementation of a new professional football league.

PubMed

Krutsch, Werner; Zeman, Florian; Zellner, Johannes; Pfeifer, Christian; Nerlich, Michael; Angele, Peter

2016-07-01

In the season 2008-2009, a third professional football league was established in Germany. This study analysed the influence of increased training and playing intensity on severe knee injuries in football players. In a prospective controlled one-season trial, injury incidence and injury patterns of players of the newly established professional football league were analysed, particularly with regard to ruptures of the anterior (ACL) and posterior (PCL) cruciate ligaments. Players of the highest amateur level served as a control group. Four hundred and eight players of 24 teams were allocated to two groups. The overall training exposure was significantly (p < 0.001) higher in the new professional league (335.3 h per player) than at the amateur level (286.6 h per player). Players at both levels showed similar overall injury rates and injury patterns. However, players in the professional league had a significantly higher (p = 0.04) incidence of ACL and PCL injuries, than players at the amateur level. More than 90 % of all ACL and PCL ruptures in both groups were sustained by players, who had played at least one level lower in the previous season. In addition, injuries of players who had sustained repeat injuries over the season were more severe. The introduction of a new professional football league increased the training and playing intensity of players as well as the number of ACL and PCL ruptures. A specific injury prevention concept, particularly for players facing rapidly increasing training and playing intensity, seems to be mandatory. Prospective controlled cohort study, Level II.

Home Advantage in Men’s and Women’s Spanish First and Second Division Water Polo Leagues

PubMed Central

Prieto, Jaime; Gómez, Miguel-Ángel; Pollard, Richard

The purpose of this study was to quantify the home advantage in both men’s and women’s First and Second Division water polo leagues, to compare the results obtained according to sex of participants and the level of competition, and to test for possible differences in home advantage when considering the interaction between these two factors. The sample comprised four seasons from 2007–2008 to 2010–2011 for a total of 1942 games analyzed. The results showed the existence of home advantage in both men’s and women’s First and Second Divisions. After controlling for the competitive balance of each league in each season, there was a significant difference between men’s and women’s leagues, with higher home advantage for men’s leagues (58.60% compared with 53.70% for women’s leagues). There was also a significant difference between the levels of competition, with greater home advantage for the Second Division (57.95% compared with 54.35% for First Division). No significant differences in home advantage were found when considering the interaction between sex of participants and the level of competition. The results in relation to sex of participants and the level of competition are consistent with previous studies in other sports such as football or handball. PMID:24146714

Strategic intensity: a conversation with world chess champion Garry Kasparov.

PubMed

Kasparov, Garry

2005-04-01

It's hard to find a better exemplar for competition than chess. The image of two brilliant minds locked in a battle of skill and will-in which chance plays little or no apparent role-is compelling. Even people who have scant knowledge of the game instinctively recognize that chess is unusual in terms of its intellectual complexity and the strategic demands it places on players. Can strategists learn anything from chess players about what it takes to win? To find out, H BR senior editor Diane L. Coutu talked with Garry Kasparov, the world's number one player since 1984. Kasparov believes that success in both chess and business is very much a question of psychological advantage; the complexity of the game demands that players rely heavily on their instincts and on gamesmanship. In this wide-ranging interview, Kasparov explores the power of chess as a model for business competition; the balance that chess players strike between intuition and analysis; the significance of his loss to IBM's chess-playing computer, Deep Blue; and how his legendary rivalry with Anatoly Karpov, Kasparov's predecessor as World Chess Champion, affected his own success. Kasparov also shares his solution to what he calls the champion's dilemma, a question for all world masters, whether they are in business, sports, or chess: Where does a virtuoso go after he has accomplished everything he's ever wanted to, even beyond his wildest imagination? If you are lucky, says Kasparov, your enemies will push you to be passionate about staying at the top.

Giuseppe Sergi, "champion" of Darwinism?

PubMed

Volpone, Alessandro

2011-01-01

The Italian anthropologist, psychologist and evolutionist Giuseppe Sergi (1841-1936) may be regarded in some respects today as an "atypical" Darwinist, but, almost paradoxically, he was considered a "champion" of Darwinism by colleagues and commentators of his own time. Probably, two aspects of his work are responsible for this apparent anomaly: his faith in the so-called soft inheritance and his claims regarding a theory concerning the polyphyletic origin of human races. The soft inheritance theory, however, was needed by Sergi to support ideas regarding the complexity of inheritance in man, a fact that, in his opinion, could not completely be put down to mechanical laws, and polygeny was useful when trying to rectify the problem concerning the incompleteness of the fossil record. In both cases, it is possible to show that he was involved in supporting Darwinian theory during the most severe crisis of its consensus in Italy and at International level, between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. Finally, the apparent unorthodox features which can be found in Sergi's ideas appear to be, in Kuhnian terms, ad hoc hypotheses put forward by Sergi himself in order to support the paradigm.

Comprehensive social equity study for the Baltimore Urban League.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-04-01

This report was commissioned by the Greater Baltimore Urban League (GBUL) to the : Graduate Program in City and Regional Planning and the National Transportation Center : at Morgan State University. The purpose of the report is to answer two broad re...

Performance indicators analysis at Brazilian and Italian women's volleyball leagues according to game location, game outcome, and set number.

PubMed

Campos, Fabio A D; Stanganélli, Luiz C R; Campos, Leandra C B; Pasquarelli, Bruno N; Gómez, Miguel-Angel

2014-04-01

This study was done to investigate the advantage of playing at home in elite women's volleyball leagues and the influence of performance indicators in the game score according to set number. The sample consisted of 240 games of the Brazilian Volleyball League (n = 132 games) and the Italian Volleyball League (n = 108 games) from the 2011-2012 season. The relationship of performance indicators (including serve, attack, block, and opponents' errors) with the game outcome (win or lose) was assessed. The results showed that there was a home advantage effect in women's volleyball leagues, with a higher prevalence of victory for the home teams in Brazilian and Italian leagues (58 and 56%, respectively). When related to the performance indicators and among the aspects that were most highly correlated with victory, the attack was the technical indicator that explained most of the results of volleyball games.

Challenges Facing Healthwatch, a New Consumer Champion in England.

PubMed

Carter, Pam; Martin, Graham

2016-01-21

This article engages with debates about the conceptualisation and practical challenges of patient and public involvement (PPI) in health and social care services. Policy in this area in England has shifted numerous times but increasingly a consumerist discourse seems to override more democratic ideas concerning the relationship between citizens and public services. Recent policy change in England has seen the creation of new consumer champion bodies in the form of local Healthwatch. The article describes these new organisational structures for PPI and shows how those who seek to influence planning and delivery of services or comment or complain about aspects of their care face considerable complexity. This is due, in part, to the ambiguous remit set out for newly instigated Healthwatch organisations by government. Drawing on governance theory, we show that it can also be understood as a function of an increasingly polycentric governance arena. Challenges that flow from this include problems of specifying jurisdictional responsibility, accountability, and legitimacy. We review Healthwatch progress to date, then we set out four challenges facing local Healthwatch organisations before discussing the implications of these for patients and the public. The first challenge relates to non-coterminous boundaries and jurisdictional integrity. Secondly, establishing the unique features of Healthwatch is problematic in the crowded PPI arena. The third challenge arises from limited resources as well as the fact that resources flow to Healthwatch from the local authorities that Healthwatch are expected to hold to account. The fourth challenge we identify is how local Healthwatch organisations negotiate the complexity of being a partner to statutory and other organisations, while at the same time being expected to champion local people's views. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Spinal injuries in New Zealand rugby and rugby league--a twenty year survey.

PubMed

Armour, K S; Clatworthy, B J; Bean, A R; Wells, J E; Clarke, A M

1997-12-12

To establish trends in frequency of serious spinal cord injuries in rugby and rugby league over a 20 year period and to elucidate patterns of injury from retrospective analysis of cases admitted to New Zealand's two spinal injuries units. A detailed survey of unit records with follow-up of selected patients; statistical analysis of data. During the 20 years 1976 to 1995, 119 rugby and 22 rugby league players (total 141) were admitted to New Zealand's two spinal injuries units suffering serious spinal injuries and 47 of these became permanently confined to wheelchairs. There was a steady increase in frequency throughout the period studied. Of the injuries 83% occurred in forwards and 17% in backs. In rugby it was the scrum which produced most injuries, and in rugby league it was the tackle. The early season month of April produced most spinal injuries. In the eighteen months since intense compulsory educational programmes on safety were introduced by the New Zealand Rugby Union there have been no serious spinal cord injuries from rugby scrums. Contrary to widespread belief, there has not been a decrease in spinal cord injuries in rugby following rule changes in the mid 1980s. The information produced by this retrospective study has been an effective educational platform to make rugby and rugby league safer.

Premier League Reading STARS 2013/14. Evaluation Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pabion, Clémence

2015-01-01

The National Literacy Trust's Premier League Reading Stars programme (PLRS) is a reading intervention for children aged 8 to 13 that captures the motivational power of football to inspire children and young people to read more and to improve their literacy skills. PLRS is delivered by teachers and librarians. The programme delivers statutory…

Strength, speed and power characteristics of elite rugby league players.

PubMed

de Lacey, James; Brughelli, Matt E; McGuigan, Michael R; Hansen, Keir T

2014-08-01

The purpose of this article was to compare strength, speed, and power characteristics between playing position (forwards and backs) in elite rugby league players. A total of 39 first team players (height, 183.8 ± 5.95 cm; body mass, 100.3 ± 10.7 kg; age, 24 ± 3 years) from a National Rugby League club participated in this study. Testing included 10-, 40-m sprint times, sprint mechanics on an instrumented nonmotorized treadmill, and concentric isokinetic hip and knee extension and flexion. Backs, observed to have significantly (p ≤ 0.05) lighter body mass (effect size [ES] = 0.98), were significantly faster (10-m ES = 1.26; 40-m ES = 1.61) and produced significantly greater relative horizontal force and power (ES = 0.87 and 1.04) compared with forwards. However, no significant differences were found between forwards and backs during relative isokinetic knee extension, knee flexion, relative isokinetic hip extension, flexion, prowler sprints, sprint velocity, contact time, or flight time. The findings demonstrate that backs have similar relative strength in comparison with forwards, but run faster overground and produce significantly greater relative horizontal force and power when sprinting on a nonmotorized instrumented treadmill. Developing force and power in the horizontal direction may be beneficial for improving sprint performance in professional rugby league players.

Factors That Influence Running Intensity in Interchange Players in Professional Rugby League.

PubMed

Delaney, Jace A; Thornton, Heidi R; Duthie, Grant M; Dascombe, Ben J

2016-11-01

Rugby league coaches adopt replacement strategies for their interchange players to maximize running intensity; however, it is important to understand the factors that may influence match performance. To assess the independent factors affecting running intensity sustained by interchange players during professional rugby league. Global positioning system (GPS) data were collected from all interchanged players (starters and nonstarters) in a professional rugby league squad across 24 matches of a National Rugby League season. A multilevel mixed-model approach was employed to establish the effect of various technical (attacking and defensive involvements), temporal (bout duration, time in possession, etc), and situational (season phase, recovery cycle, etc) factors on the relative distance covered and average metabolic power (P met ) during competition. Significant effects were standardized using correlation coefficients, and the likelihood of the effect was described using magnitude-based inferences. Superior intermittent running ability resulted in very likely large increases in both relative distance and P met . As the length of a bout increased, both measures of running intensity exhibited a small decrease. There were at least likely small increases in running intensity for matches played after short recovery cycles and against strong opposition. During a bout, the number of collision-based involvements increased running intensity, whereas time in possession and ball time out of play decreased demands. These data demonstrate a complex interaction of individual- and match-based factors that require consideration when developing interchange strategies, and the manipulation of training loads during shorter recovery periods and against stronger opponents may be beneficial.

The Little League and the Imperatives of Interdependence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cleveland, Harlan

The adult leaders of the Little League baseball organization announced that their "world series" would be limited to American teams. This raises a question about the capacity of Americans to adjust to a world in which power is diffused and centers of decision are plural. First one must consider whether the leaders of public higher…

Implementation of the guidelines for targeted temperature management after cardiac arrest: a longitudinal qualitative study of barriers and facilitators perceived by hospital resuscitation champions.

PubMed

Kim, Young-Min; Lee, Seung Joon; Jo, Sun Jin; Park, Kyu Nam

2016-01-05

To identify the barriers to and facilitators of implementing guidelines for targeted temperature management (TTM) after cardiac arrest perceived by hospital resuscitation champions and to investigate the changes in their perceptions over the early implementation period. A longitudinal qualitative study (up to 2 serial semistructured interviews over 1 year and focus groups). The individual interviews and focus groups were transcribed and coded by 2 independent assessors. Contents were analysed thematically; group interaction was also examined. 21 hospitals, including community and tertiary care centres in South Korea. 21 hospital champions (14 acting champions and 7 managerial champions). The final data set included 40 interviews and 2 focus groups. The identified barriers and facilitators could be classified into 3 major themes: (1) healthcare professionals' perceptions of the guidelines and protocols, (2) interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration and (3) organisational resources. Lack of resources was the most commonly agreed on barrier for the acting champions, whereas lack of interdisciplinary collaboration was the most common barrier for the managerial champions. Educational activities and sharing successfully treated cases were the most frequently identified facilitators. Most of the participants identified and agreed that cooling equipment was an important barrier as well as a facilitator of successful TTM implementation. Perception of the guidelines and protocols has improved with the accumulation of clinical experience over the study period. Healthcare professionals' internal barriers to TTM implementation may be influenced by new guidelines and can be changed with the accumulation of successful clinical experiences during the early implementation period. Promoting interprofessional and interdisciplinary collaboration through educational activities and the use of cooling equipment with an automated feedback function can improve adherence to

League tables and school effectiveness: a mathematical model.

PubMed Central

Hoyle, Rebecca B; Robinson, James C

2003-01-01

'School performance tables', an alphabetical list of secondary schools along with aggregates of their pupils' performances in national tests, have been published in the UK since 1992. Inevitably, the media have responded by publishing ranked 'league tables'. Despite concern over the potentially divisive effect of such tables, the current government has continued to publish this information in the same form. The effect of this information on standards and on the social make-up of the community has been keenly debated. Since there is no control group available that would allow us to investigate this issue directly, we present here a simple mathematical model. Our results indicate that, while random fluctuations from year to year can cause large distortions in the league-table positions, some schools still establish themselves as 'desirable'. To our surprise, we found that 'value-added' tables were no more accurate than tables based on raw exam scores, while a different method of drawing up the tables, in which exam results are averaged over a period of time, appears to give a much more reliable measure of school performance. PMID:12590748

Harold and Kumar Go to the Ivy League

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oppenheimer, Mark

2008-01-01

For having achieved a mild cult status after doing the movie "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," lead actors John Cho and Kal Penn deserve their fame, their million-dollar paychecks, and their groupies. Do they deserve Ivy League teaching jobs? This spring Penn (whose real name is Kalpen Modi) taught a large lecture class, "Images of Asian…

The expected value of possession in professional rugby league match-play.

PubMed

Kempton, Thomas; Kennedy, Nicholas; Coutts, Aaron J

2016-01-01

This study estimated the expected point value for starting possessions in different field locations during rugby league match-play and calculated the mean expected points for each subsequent play during the possession. It also examined the origin of tries scored according to the method of gaining possession. Play-by-play data were taken from all 768 regular-season National Rugby League (NRL) matches during 2010-2013. A probabilistic model estimated the expected point outcome based on the net difference in points scored by a team in possession in a given situation. An iterative method was used to approximate the value of each situation based on actual scoring outcomes. Possessions commencing close to the opposition's goal-line had the highest expected point equity, which decreased as the location of the possession moved towards the team's own goal-line. Possessions following an opposition error, penalty or goal-line dropout had the highest likelihood of a try being scored on the set subsequent to their occurrence. In contrast, possessions that follow an opposition completed set or a restart were least likely to result in a try. The expected point values framework from our model has applications for informing playing strategy and assessing individual and team performance in professional rugby league.

Success of nonoperative management of adductor longus tendon ruptures in National Football League athletes.

PubMed

Schlegel, Theodore F; Bushnell, Brandon D; Godfrey, Jenna; Boublik, Martin

2009-07-01

Acute complete ruptures of the proximal adductor longus tendon are rare but challenging injuries to treat. The limited literature supports operative treatment, but data from management of chronic groin pain in athletes indicate that anatomical attachment of the tendon to the pubis may not be required for high-level function. Nonoperative management of complete adductor rupture can provide equal results to surgical repair in terms of return to play in the National Football League. Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Using the National Football League Injury Surveillance System, adductor tendon ruptures documented by magnetic resonance imaging were identified in 19 National Football League players from 1992 to 2004. The team physician for each respective player completed a survey with information about history, physical examination, magnetic resonance imaging findings, treatment, and outcomes. Statistics were analyzed with a Student unpaired t test. Fourteen players were treated nonoperatively, and 5 players were treated with surgical repair using suture anchors. In both groups, all players eventually returned to play in the National Football League. Mean time for return to play was 6.1 +/- 3.1 weeks (range, 3-12 weeks) for the nonoperative group and 12.0 +/- 2.5 weeks (range, 10-16 weeks) for the operative group (P = .001). One player in the operative group suffered the complication of a draining wound and heterotopic ossification. Players represented a variety of positions, and 12 of 19 (63%) had experienced prior symptoms or events. Nonoperative treatment of proximal adductor tendon rupture results in a statistically significantly faster return to play than does operative treatment in athletes competing in the National Football League and avoids the risks associated with surgery while providing an equal likelihood of return to play at the professional level.

An Assessment of the Attitudes of Three Big Football Teams' Supporters in Turkey towards Fanaticism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tasmektepligil, Mehmet Yalcin

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the attitudes of the spectators of the three big football teams in Turkey towards being a supporter. The study was conducted on a total of 429 individuals who were members of the supporters unions of Besiktas, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe teams, current champions of Turkey's Spor Toto Super League, which have…

Dental caries in Arab League countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Khan, Soban Qadir

2014-08-01

The aim of this review was to determine prevalence of dental caries in primary and permanent teeth in the 2-20-year-old population of the Arab league. A literature search was performed on Pubmed, Summon and Google Scholar using the key words 'Dental caries', 'dmft' and 'DMFT'. A total of 293 articles were found, of which 35 passed our inclusion criteria and were included in analysis. Tables were made separately for primary and permanent teeth; the age group for primary teeth was 2-12 years and for permanent teeth 6-20 years. A meta-analysis was run by using data extracted from the studies included. Heterogeneity was tested by forest plot and chi-square test, and considerable heterogeneity was found. Mean decayed, missing and filled teeth (dmft) was 4.341 (95% CI 3.714, 4.969) and in permanent teeth (DMFT) was 2.469 (95% CI 2.019, 2.919) from a random effect model. Publication bias diagnostics suggested missing of four studies of primary teeth caries data and eight studies of permanent teeth caries data to obtain symmetry in the funnel plot. The incidence of caries in primary teeth was found to be high compared with caries in permanent teeth in the Arab League. This study does not provide a comprehensive picture of caries prevalence in the Arab League because in many of these countries only a few studies were performed. Therefore, these data cannot provide a complete picture of the prevalence of caries in those countries. Additional studies are needed to better evaluate the prevalence of caries in children and young adults in Arab League countries. © 2014 FDI World Dental Federation.

The first prospective injury audit of League of Ireland footballers

PubMed Central

Fitzharris, Nigel; Jones, Ashley; Francis, Peter

2017-01-01

Objectives Football has the highest sports participation (10.6%) in Ireland ahead of its Gaelic counterpart (3.9%). Research into injury incidence and patterns in Irish football is non-existent. The aim of this study was to conduct a prospective injury audit of League of Ireland (semiprofessional) footballers during the 2014 season (8 months, 28 games). Methods A total of 140 semiprofessional League of Ireland footballers were prospectively followed between March and November 2014. Data were collected in accordance with the international consensus on football injury epidemiology. Results The injury rate was 9.2/1000 hour exposure to football (95% CI 6.2 to 12.9, p<0.05). Players were at a higher risk of injury during a match compared with training (23.1 (95% CI 15.2 to 31.3) vs 4.8 (95% CI 2.2 to 7.7)/1000 hours, p<0.05). Injuries were most common during non-contact activity (54.6%), mainly running (30.9%), and occurred almost three times more often in the second half (56% vs 21%, p<05). Strains (50.1%) and sprains (20.3%) were the most common injury types, and the thigh region was injured most often (28.3%). Conclusions The prevalence of injury in League of Ireland football is similar to that of European professional football, although the incidence of injury is higher. The incidence of injury is in line with that of Dutch amateur football. PMID:29071112

South Africa: ANC Youth League President found guilty of hate speech.

PubMed

Sinclair, Kelly

2010-06-01

On 15 March 2010, the Johannesburg Equality Court found African National Congress (ANC) Youth League President Julius Malema guilty of hate speech and harassment for his comments regarding rape survivors.

Champions' perspectives on implementing the National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Ageing and Aged Care Strategy in Queensland.

PubMed

McPhail, Ruth; Fulop, Liz

2016-01-01

Objective The National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) Ageing and Aged Care Strategy was introduced by the Commonwealth Government in 2012. The present study explored perceptions of the first Aged Care Champions (trained employees) of the opportunities, challenges and barriers to implementing the Strategy in Queensland. Methods The present study was an exploratory study of Champions who were nominated by their providers to build capacity around the Strategy for introduction into their organisations. The Champions (n = 62) were surveyed before commencing their training programs. Quantitative and qualitative material was collected on how the Champions perceived the introduction of the six standards within their organisation. Results Champions perceived that there were opportunities to improve inclusivity, leverage organisational support and increase training and support to staff. Key challenges identified were internal attitudes and values, a lack of resources and a need for training and networking. Significant barriers included a lack of management support, resistant staff and pre-existing prejudicial values. Conclusions Providers and practitioners can leverage the opportunity to increase organisational levels of inclusivity, demonstrate organisational support to improve outcomes for clients and stakeholders and, importantly, provide staff training and development critical to the successful implementation of the Strategy. What is known about the topic? Many LGBTI elders have faced a lived history of oppression and discrimination and have special health care needs. As they age, their needs for greater levels of care increase, but for many so to do their concerns about receiving equitable treatment. What does this paper add? The National LGBTI Ageing and Aged Care Strategy was introduced to address the concerns and needs of LGBTI elders and ensure inclusive and supportive care. This study explores the opportunities, challenges and barriers as

Don't Read University Rankings like Reading Football League Tables: Taking a Close Look at the Indicators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soh, Kay Cheng

2011-01-01

The outcome of university ranking is of much interest and concern to the many stakeholders, including university's sponsors, administrators, staff, current and prospective students, and the public. The results of rankings presented in the form of league tables, analogous to football league tables, attract more attention than do the processes by…

Ivy League Agrees to End Collaboration on Financial Aid.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaschik, Scott

1991-01-01

The Ivy League colleges, formally charged with violating federal antitrust laws, agreed to stop setting joint financial-aid policies and sharing information about aid packages. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology denies violating any laws. A group of 23 prestigious institutions, the Overlap Group, have collaborated annually on financial aid.…

Kinanthropometric profile of Cuban women Olympic volleyball champions.

PubMed

Carvajal, Wiliam; Betancourt, Hamlet; León, Sofia; Deturnel, Yanel; Martínez, Miriam; Echevarría, Ivis; Castillo, María Eugenia; Serviat, Noemí

2012-04-01

Athletes' kinanthropometric profiles are widely addressed in the scientific literature. Such profiles are particularly important in volleyball because absolute size contributes a significant percentage of total variance associated with athletic success. As in other team sports, volleyball players' kinanthropometric attributes correlate with the game's tactical demands. From 1992 through 2000, the Cuban women's volleyball team achieved top global performance, winning first place in three successive Summer Olympic Games. Describe the kinanthropometric profiles of Cuban women Olympic volleyball champions during 1992-2000 and compare these by position played. Measurements were taken of body composition, somatotype, proportionality and several anthropometric indicators in 41 Cuban women volleyball players, grouped by playing position. All were members of the national team that participated in the Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996) and Sydney (2000). Mean and standard deviations were calculated for all study variables. Analysis of variance was used to compare means for different positions for the variables weight; height; percent adipose, muscle and bone mass; body mass index; and muscle-to-bone ratio. Discriminant analysis was performed to identify anthropometric dimensions differentiating playing positions (center, spiker and setter), using p<0.05 as significance threshold. Results were presented in tables and figures. Centers presented greater absolute size and higher average adipose (22.8±1.7 kg) and bone (7.1±0.6 kg) mass. The mean somatotype of all volleyball players was balanced mesomorphic (2.7-3.6-2.9). Classified by position, centers (2.9-3.4-3.4) and spikers (2.8-3.6-2.9) presented an average mesomorphic-ectomorphic somatotype, and setters (2.6-3.7-2.6) were balanced mesomorphic. On assessing Somatotype Attitudinal Mean (SAM), centers and spikers showed more intrapositional homogeneity than that of setters. Centers were significantly

Evaluating injury risk in first and second league professional Portuguese soccer: muscular strength and asymmetry.

PubMed

Carvalho, Alberto; Brown, Scott; Abade, Eduardo

2016-06-01

Strength imbalances between the hamstrings and quadriceps are an essential predictor for hamstring strain in soccer. The study aimed to investigate and compare the muscle strength imbalances of professional soccer players of different performance levels. One hundred and fifty nine senior male professional soccer players from first (n = 75) and second league (n = 84) Portuguese clubs participated in this study. Muscle strength was evaluated with a REV9000 isokinetic dynamometer. Maximal peak torque data were used to calculate quadriceps and hamstrings strength during concentric and eccentric actions, bilateral asymmetry, conventional strength ratios and dynamic control ratios. Second league athletes produced slightly lower conventional strength ratios in the right and left legs (ES = 0.22, p = 0.17 and ES = 0.36, p = 0.023, respectively) compared to the first league athletes. No significant differences were found in dynamic control ratios or in bilateral asymmetry among first and second league athletes. These findings do not show a clear link between the competitive level and injury risk in soccer players. However, some of the differences found, particularly in conventional strength ratios, highlight the importance of performing off-season and pre-season strength assessments to prescribe and adjust individual strength training programs among professional soccer players.

Evaluating injury risk in first and second league professional Portuguese soccer: muscular strength and asymmetry

PubMed Central

Carvalho, Alberto; Brown, Scott

2016-01-01

Abstract Strength imbalances between the hamstrings and quadriceps are an essential predictor for hamstring strain in soccer. The study aimed to investigate and compare the muscle strength imbalances of professional soccer players of different performance levels. One hundred and fifty nine senior male professional soccer players from first (n = 75) and second league (n = 84) Portuguese clubs participated in this study. Muscle strength was evaluated with a REV9000 isokinetic dynamometer. Maximal peak torque data were used to calculate quadriceps and hamstrings strength during concentric and eccentric actions, bilateral asymmetry, conventional strength ratios and dynamic control ratios. Second league athletes produced slightly lower conventional strength ratios in the right and left legs (ES = 0.22, p = 0.17 and ES = 0.36, p = 0.023, respectively) compared to the first league athletes. No significant differences were found in dynamic control ratios or in bilateral asymmetry among first and second league athletes. These findings do not show a clear link between the competitive level and injury risk in soccer players. However, some of the differences found, particularly in conventional strength ratios, highlight the importance of performing off-season and pre-season strength assessments to prescribe and adjust individual strength training programs among professional soccer players. PMID:28149364

Relative age effect in elite soccer: More early-born players, but no better valued, and no paragon clubs or countries

PubMed Central

Doyle, John R.

2018-01-01

The paper analyses two datasets of elite soccer players (top 1000 professionals and UEFA Under-19 Youth League). In both, we find a Relative Age Effect (RAE) for frequency, but not for value. That is, while there are more players born at the start of the competition year, their transfer values are no higher, nor are they given more game time. We use Poisson regression to derive a transparent index of the discrimination present in RAE. Also, because Poisson is valid for small frequency counts, it supports analysis at the disaggregated levels of country and club. From this, we conclude there are no paragon clubs or countries immune to RAE; that is clubs and countries do not differ systematically in the RAE they experience; also, that Poisson regression is a powerful and flexible method of analysing RAE data. PMID:29420576

Depression and anxiety symptoms in 17 teams of female football players including 10 German first league teams.

PubMed

Junge, Astrid; Prinz, Birgit

2018-02-02

Information on the prevalence of mental health problems of elite athletes is inconclusive, most probably due to methodological limitations, such as low response rates, heterogeneous samples. To evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of depression and anxiety symptoms in high-level female football players. Female football players of 10 German first league (Bundesliga) and 7 lower league teams were asked to answer a questionnaire on players' characteristics, the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale. A total of 290 players (184 first and 106 lower league players) took part in the study. The CES-D score indicated mild to moderate symptoms of depression in 48 (16.6%) and severe symptoms in 41 (14.1%) players. The GAD-7 score indicated an at least moderate generalised anxiety disorder in 24 (8.3%) players. The prevalence of depression symptoms and generalised anxiety disorders was similar to the female general population of similar age. However, significantly more second league players reported symptoms of depression than first league players, and thus the prevalence of depression symptoms in second league players was higher than in the general population. Only a third of the 45 (15.7%) players who stated that they currently wanted or needed psychotherapeutic support received it. The prevalence of depression and generalised anxiety symptoms in elite football players is influenced by personal and sport-specific variables. It is important to raise awareness of athletes' mental health problems in coaches and team physicians, to reduce stigma and to provide low-threshold treatment. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

What You Don't Find out about England's Educational Performance in the PISA League Table. Election Factsheet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burge, Bethan

2015-01-01

This election factsheet highlights the following points: (1) It isn't always possible to say with certainty from looking at a country's rank in the PISA educational league tables alone whether one country or economy has definitely performed better than another; (2) England's position in the league tables is dependent on which countries and…

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in a National Football League player.

PubMed

Omalu, Bennet I; DeKosky, Steven T; Minster, Ryan L; Kamboh, M Ilyas; Hamilton, Ronald L; Wecht, Cyril H

2005-07-01

We present the results of the autopsy of a retired professional football player that revealed neuropathological changes consistent with long-term repetitive concussive brain injury. This case draws attention to the need for further studies in the cohort of retired National Football League players to elucidate the neuropathological sequelae of repeated mild traumatic brain injury in professional football. The patient's premortem medical history included symptoms of cognitive impairment, a mood disorder, and parkinsonian symptoms. There was no family history of Alzheimer's disease or any other head trauma outside football. A complete autopsy with a comprehensive neuropathological examination was performed on the retired National Football League player approximately 12 years after retirement. He died suddenly as a result of coronary atherosclerotic disease. Studies included determination of apolipoprotein E genotype. Autopsy confirmed the presence of coronary atherosclerotic disease with dilated cardiomyopathy. The brain demonstrated no cortical atrophy, cortical contusion, hemorrhage, or infarcts. The substantia nigra revealed mild pallor with mild dropout of pigmented neurons. There was mild neuronal dropout in the frontal, parietal, and temporal neocortex. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy was evident with many diffuse amyloid plaques as well as sparse neurofibrillary tangles and tau-positive neuritic threads in neocortical areas. There were no neurofibrillary tangles or neuropil threads in the hippocampus or entorhinal cortex. Lewy bodies were absent. The apolipoprotein E genotype was E3/E3. This case highlights potential long-term neurodegenerative outcomes in retired professional National Football League players subjected to repeated mild traumatic brain injury. The prevalence and pathoetiological mechanisms of these possible adverse long-term outcomes and their relation to duration of years of playing football have not been sufficiently studied. We recommend

The Irish brawn drain: English League clubs and Irish footballers, 1946-1995.

PubMed

McGovern, P

2000-09-01

This paper draws on world systems and resource dependency theories to show how the changing recruitment practices of English League clubs have deepened the brawn drain from Irish football, thereby compounding its underdevelopment. An analysis of the origins, method of recruitment and destinations of Irish players (North and South) who appeared in the English League between 1946 and 1995 shows that English clubs imported large numbers of Irish players throughout the second half of the twentieth century. However, it was the inclusion of Irish teenagers within the youth policies of the largest clubs in the period after the 1970s that marked a break from the traditional pattern of buyer-supplier relations. Instead of continuing to purchase players who had established reputations within the Irish leagues, English clubs began to hire the most promising schoolboys before they joined Irish sides. As this practice spread, it eventually eliminated a valuable source of income: the selling of players to English clubs. Despite this development it would, however, be inappropriate to view the relationship between the Irish and English football industries as a simple zero sum game as Irish clubs benefit from employing highly trained young players who return home after failing to establish careers in England.

A randomized comparison between league tables and funnel plots to inform health care decision-making.

PubMed

Anell, Anders; Hagberg, Oskar; Liedberg, Fredrik; Ryden, Stefan

2016-12-01

Comparison of provider performance is commonly used to inform health care decision-making. Little attention has been paid to how data presentations influence decisions. This study analyzes differences in suggested actions by decision-makers informed by league tables or funnel plots. Decision-makers were invited to a survey and randomized to compare hospital performance using either league tables or funnel plots for four different measures within the area of cancer care. For each measure, decision-makers were asked to suggest actions towards 12-16 hospitals (no action, ask for more information, intervene) and provide feedback related to whether the information provided had been useful. Swedish health care. Two hundred and twenty-one decision-makers at administrative and clinical levels. Data presentations in the form of league tables or funnel plots. Number of actions suggested by participants. Proportion of appropriate actions. For all four measures, decision-makers tended to suggest more actions based on the information provided in league tables compared to funnel plots (44% vs. 21%, P < 0.001). Actions were on average more appropriate for funnel plots. However, when using funnel plots, decision-makers more often missed to react even when appropriate. The form of data presentation had an influence on decision-making. With league tables, decision-makers tended to suggest more actions compared to funnel plots. A difference in sensitivity and specificity conditioned by the form of presentation could also be identified, with different implications depending on the purpose of comparisons. Explanations and visualization aids are needed to support appropriate actions. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

The Effects of the Project Champion's Leadership Style on Global Information Technology User Acceptance and Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ekiko, Mbong C.

2014-01-01

The research problem was the lack of knowledge about the effect of leadership style of the project champion on global information technology (IT) project outcomes, resulting in a high failure rate of IT projects accompanied by significant waste of resources. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to evaluate the relationship…

The effects of medial ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction on Major League pitching performance.

PubMed

Keller, Robert A; Steffes, Matthew J; Zhuo, David; Bey, Michael J; Moutzouros, Vasilios

2014-11-01

Medial ulnar collateral ligament (MUCL) reconstruction is commonly performed on Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers. Previous studies have reported that most pitchers return to presurgical statistical performance levels after MUCL reconstruction. Pitching performance data--specifically, earned run average (ERA), walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP), winning percentage, and innings pitched--were acquired for 168 MLB pitchers who had undergone MUCL reconstruction. These data were averaged over the 3 years before surgery and the 3 years after surgery and also acquired from 178 age-matched, uninjured MLB pitchers. Of the pitchers who had MUCL reconstruction surgery, 87% returned to MLB pitching. However, compared with presurgical data, pitching performance declined in terms of ERA (P = .001), WHIP (P = .011), and innings pitched (P = .026). Pitching performance also declined in the season before the surgery compared with previous years (ERA, P = .014; WHIP, P = .036; innings pitched, P < .001; winning percentage, P = .004). Compared with age-matched control pitchers, the MUCL reconstruction pitchers had significantly more major league experience at the same age (P < .001). MUCL reconstruction allows most players to return to pitching at the major league level. However, after MUCL reconstruction, there is a statistically significant decline in pitching performance. There appears to be a statistically significant decline in pitching performance the year before reconstructive surgery, and this decline is also a risk factor for requiring surgery. In addition, there is an increased risk of MUCL reconstruction for pitchers who enter the major leagues at a younger age. Copyright © 2014 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

School league tables: a new population based predictor of dental restorative treatment need.

PubMed

Crowley, Evelyn; O'Brien, Graham; Marcenes, Wagner

2003-06-01

To test whether dental restorative treatment need was related to the school league tables and level of social deprivation of the school ward. An ecological study using clinical data aggregated at school level, collected in the school dental screening examinations (1996-97), National Census (1991) and the results of the UK school league tables--Key Stage 2 SATs (1996-97). State primary schools in the Greenwich District of SE London, UK (1996-97). 12,854 pupils (6-11 years of age) in 62 schools. The percentage of 6 to 11 year old pupils per school requiring dental restorative treatment. Deprivation as measured by the overall Jarman Under Privileged Area Index (UPA) of the school ward was not associated with dental restorative treatment need (p > 0.05). Only two components of the Jarman Index, level of unemployment and the number of lone parent families in the school ward were found to be significantly associated with dental restorative treatment need (p < 0.05). Results of stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that the association with the school league table results in all three subjects, English, Mathematics and Science remained statistically significant after adjusting for levels of unemployment and single parents. Results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that a high level of dental restorative treatment need was significantly associated with poor school league table results in English, Mathematics and Science (p < 0.05) after adjusting for the overall Jarman score of the school ward. A separate analysis for the 11-year-old pupils aggregated by school (n = 46 schools) gave similar results. Aggregate measures of academic achievement may be a potential indicator of dental restorative treatment need.

Successful implementation of an enhanced recovery after surgery programme for elective colorectal surgery: a process evaluation of champions' experiences.

PubMed

Gotlib Conn, Lesley; McKenzie, Marg; Pearsall, Emily A; McLeod, Robin S

2015-07-17

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is a multimodal evidence-based approach to patient care that has become the standard in elective colorectal surgery. Implemented globally, ERAS programmes represent a considerable change in practice for many surgical care providers. Our current understanding of specific implementation and sustainability challenges is limited. In January 2013, we began a 2-year ERAS implementation for elective colorectal surgery in 15 academic hospitals in Ontario. The purpose of this study was to understand the process enablers and barriers that influenced the success of ERAS implementation in these centres with a view towards supporting sustainable change. A qualitative process evaluation was conducted from June to September 2014. Semi-structured interviews with implementation champions were completed, and an iterative inductive thematic analysis was conducted. Following a data-driven analysis, the Normalization Process Theory (NPT) was used as an analytic framework to understand the impact of various implementation processes. The NPT constructs were used as sensitizing concepts, reviewed against existing data categories for alignment and fit. Fifty-eight participants were included: 15 surgeons, 14 anaesthesiologists, 15 nurses, and 14 project coordinators. A number of process-related implementation enablers were identified: champions' belief in the value of the programme, the fit and cohesion of champions and their teams locally and provincially, a bottom-up approach to stakeholder engagement targeting organizational relationship-building, receptivity and support of division leaders, and the normalization of ERAS as everyday practice. Technical enablers identified included effective integration with existing clinical systems and using audit and feedback to report to hospital stakeholders. There was an overall optimism that ERAS implementation would be sustained, accompanied by concern about long-term organizational support. Successful ERAS

Does Education Matter? Major League Baseball Players and Longevity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalist, David E.; Peng, Yingwei

2007-01-01

The authors used duration analysis to examine the longevity of Major League Baseball players. Using data on players who were born between 1945 and 1964, the authors found that the hazard rate of death for players who only attended high school was almost 2.0 times higher than those players who attended a 4-year university, evidence that the…

[The League of Nations Health Organization and the rise of Latin American participation, 1920-40].

PubMed

Weindling, Paul

2006-01-01

The League of Nations Health Organization collaborated with Latin American specialists in public health and infectious diseases from the early 1920s to the outbreak of the Second World War. The League developed studies of infant health and nutrition, and leprosy. The approach was expert-oriented, and designed to develop public health on a scientific basis. There were conferences, tours and reports in Latin America. This paper demonstrates that the Latin American collaboration with the Health Organization was extensive and multi-faceted.

Championing person-first language: a call to psychiatric mental health nurses.

PubMed

Jensen, Mary E; Pease, Elizabeth A; Lambert, Kris; Hickman, Diane R; Robinson, Ora; McCoy, Kathleen T; Barut, Jennifer K; Musker, Kathleen M; Olive, Dana; Noll, Connie; Ramirez, Jeffery; Cogliser, Dawn; King, Joan Kenerson

2013-01-01

At the heart of recovery-oriented psychiatric mental health care are the dignity and respect of each person and the ways in which helping professionals convey a person's uniqueness, strengths, abilities, and needs. "Person-first language" is a form of linguistic expression relying on words that reflect awareness, a sense of dignity, and positive attitudes about people with disabilities. As such, person-first language places emphasis on the person first rather than the disability (e.g., "person with schizophrenia" rather than "a schizophrenic"). This article champions the use of person-first language as a foundation for recovery-oriented practice and enhanced collaborative treatment environments that foster respect, human dignity, and hope.

76 FR 60965 - Western Coal Traffic League-Petition for Declaratory Order

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-30

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35506] Western Coal Traffic League--Petition for Declaratory Order AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board. ACTION: Notice of declaratory order proceeding; request for comments. SUMMARY: The Board is initiating a declaratory order...

Applied sport science of rugby league.

PubMed

Johnston, Rich D; Gabbett, Tim J; Jenkins, David G

2014-08-01

Rugby league is a team sport in which players engage in repeated high-intensity exercise involving frequent collisions. Recent research, much of which has involved global positioning system (GPS) technology, has provided coaches and sport scientists with a deeper understanding of match demands, particularly at the elite level. This has allowed for the development of training programmes that prepare players for the most intense contact and running demands likely to be experienced in competition. At the elite level, rugby league players have well-developed aerobic and anaerobic endurance, muscular strength and power, reactive agility, and speed. Upper- and lower-body strength and aerobic power are associated with a broad range of technical and sport-specific skills, in addition to a lower risk of injury. Significant muscle damage (as estimated from creatine kinase concentrations) and fatigue occurs as a result of match-play; while muscle function and perceptual fatigue generally return to baseline 48 h following competition, increases in plasma concentrations of creatine kinase can last for up to 5 days post-match. Well-developed physical qualities may minimise post-match fatigue and facilitate recovery. Ultimately, the literature highlights that players require a broad range of physical and technical skills developed through specific training. This review evaluates the demands of the modern game, drawing on research that has used GPS technology. These findings highlight that preparing players based on the average demands of competition is likely to leave them underprepared for the most demanding passages of play. As such, coaches should incorporate drills that replicate the most intense repeated high-intensity demands of competition in order to prepare players for the worst-case scenarios expected during match-play.

League Constitution and Bylaws for Girls' Interscholastic Programs (Suggested Guide).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Mary Ann

This guide was developed to assist with the problems of organization and administration of girls' interscholastic sports programs. Guidelines are presented for the following: (a) a statement of basic principles, (b) a constitution, (c) league bylaws, (d) operating codes, (e) conduct of contests, (f) archery, (g) badminton, (h) basketball, (i)…

Movement analysis of Australian national league soccer players using global positioning system technology.

PubMed

Wehbe, George M; Hartwig, Timothy B; Duncan, Craig S

2014-03-01

Player activity profiles of match play provide valuable information for optimal athlete training prescriptions, competition strategies, and managing load and recovery and are currently lacking in elite Australian-league (A-League) soccer. The aims of the study were, therefore, to (a) determine match activity profiles for elite A-League soccer players and make match-half and positional comparisons and (b) examine the effect of situational factors including evolving match status (drawing, winning, or losing) and goals being scored and conceded on selected match activity profile variables. Global positioning system tracking devices were used to determine activity profiles of 19 elite male adult soccer players during 8 preseason matches (n = 95 files). Total distance, average speed, high-intensity running (HIR) distance, and very high-intensity running distance decreased from the first to the second half by 7.92, 9.47, 10.10, and 10.99%, respectively. Midfielders covered 11.69% more total distance, 28.08% more HIR distance, and had a 10.93% higher average speed than defenders (p ≤ 0.05; d = 1.90, 1.03, and 1.83, respectively). Attackers performed 27.50 and 30.24% less medium accelerations than defenders and midfielders, respectively (p < 0.01; d = 1.54, and 1.73). When the team was winning, average speed was 4.17% lower than when the team was drawing (p ≤ 0.05, d = 0.32). Scoring or conceding goals did not appear to affect HIR. This study adds to limited knowledge of match demands in elite A-League soccer. The match activity profiles provide descriptive benchmarks that could be used to make comparisons with other elite level soccer populations while also providing a framework for game-specific training prescription, competition strategy, and load management. The generalization that defenders experience a relatively lower match load may be questionable given their relatively high acceleration and deceleration demands.

Playing by the Rules: Researching, Teaching and Learning Sexual Ethics with Young Men in the Australian National Rugby League

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albury, Kath; Carmody, Moira; Evers, Clifton; Lumby, Catharine

2011-01-01

In 2004, the Australian National Rugby League (NRL) commissioned the Playing By The Rules research project in response to allegations of sexual assault by members of a professional rugby league team. This article offers an overview of the theoretical and methodological approaches adopted by the team, and the subsequent workplace education…

An Integrated Constraint Programming Approach to Scheduling Sports Leagues with Divisional and Round-robin Tournaments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carlsson, Mats; Johansson, Mikael; Larson, Jeffrey

Previous approaches for scheduling a league with round-robin and divisional tournaments involved decomposing the problem into easier subproblems. This approach, used to schedule the top Swedish handball league Elitserien, reduces the problem complexity but can result in suboptimal schedules. This paper presents an integrated constraint programming model that allows to perform the scheduling in a single step. Particular attention is given to identifying implied and symmetry-breaking constraints that reduce the computational complexity significantly. The experimental evaluation of the integrated approach takes considerably less computational effort than the previous approach.

Agency Agreements Process Champion Support Intern

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miksa, Ember

2018-01-01

This document will provide information on the 2018 Spring semester NIFS Intern who represented the Office of Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) as a Reimbursable Accountant at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). This intern supported the Agency Agreements Process Champions and Team Lead, Susan Kroskey, Sandy Massey and Mecca Murphy, with major initiatives to advance the KSC OCFO's vision of creating and innovating healthy financial management practices that maximize the value of resources entrusted to NASA. These initiatives include, but are not limited to: updating the Agency Guidance and NASA Procedural Guidance 9090.1 Agreements, implementing a new budget structure to be utilized across all centers, submitting a Call Request (CRQ) to enhance non-federal customer reporting, initiating a discussion to incorporate a 3-year funding program for NASA agreements, and undertaking the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Audit. In support of these initiatives, this intern identified technical methods to enhance and reduce the workload of financial processes for reimbursable and non-reimbursable agreements, prepared reports in support of accounting functions, and performed administrative work and miscellaneous technical tasks in support of the OCFO as requested. In conclusion of the internship, the intern will become knowledgeable on reimbursable accounting, reimbursable policy, types of reimbursable agreements, the agreements process, estimated pricing reports, and the roles and responsibilities of the Financial Accounting and Financial Services offices.

The Effect of Caffeine on Repeat-High-Intensity-Effort Performance in Rugby League Players.

PubMed

Wellington, Brandon M; Leveritt, Michael D; Kelly, Vincent G

2017-02-01

Repeat-high-intensity efforts (RHIEs) have recently been shown to occur at critical periods of rugby league matches. To examine the effect that caffeine has on RHIE performance in rugby league players. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design, 11 semiprofessional rugby league players (age 19.0 ± 0.5 y, body mass 87.4 ± 12.9 kg, height 178.9 ± 2.6 cm) completed 2 experimental trials that involved completing an RHIE test after either caffeine (300 mg caffeine) or placebo (vitamin H) ingestion. Each trial consisted of 3 sets of 20-m sprints interspersed with bouts of tackling. During the RHIE test, 20-m-sprint time, heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and blood lactate were measured. Total time to complete the nine 20-m sprints during the caffeine condition was 1.0% faster (28.46 ± 1.4 s) than during the placebo condition (28.77 ± 1.7 s) (ES = 0.18, 90%CI -0.7 to 0.1 s). This resulted in a very likely chance of caffeine being of benefit to RHIE performance (99% likely to be beneficial). These improvements were more pronounced in the early stages of the test, with a 1.3%, 1.0%, and 0.9% improvement in sprint performance during sets 1, 2, and 3 respectively. There was no significant difference in RPE across the 3 sets (P = .47, 0.48, 1.00) or mean HR (P = .36), maximal HR (P = .74), or blood lactate (P = .50) between treatment conditions. Preexercise ingestion of 300 mg caffeine produced practically meaningful improvements in RHIE performance in rugby league players.

New Fantasy Football League Tests NCAA's Rules on Amateur Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moser, Kate

2008-01-01

The long-simmering debate over the commercialization of college sports reached a boiling point recently when CBS, the NCAA's key corporate partner, announced that it was creating a fantasy football league that uses college athletes' names. Not everyone however, is quite so enthusiastic. Some observers see it as part of a continuing assault on the…

Competency champions in the clinical competency committee: a successful strategy to implement milestone evaluations and competency coaching.

PubMed

Ketteler, Erika R; Auyang, Edward D; Beard, Kathy E; McBride, Erica L; McKee, Rohini; Russell, John C; Szoka, Nova L; Nelson, M Timothy

2014-01-01

To create a clinical competency committee (CCC) that (1) centers on the competency-based milestones, (2) is simple to implement, (3) creates competency expertise, and (4) guides remediation and coaching of residents who are not progressing in milestone performance evaluations. We created a CCC that meets monthly and at each meeting reviews a resident class for milestone performance, a competency (by a faculty competency champion), a resident rotation service, and any other resident or issue of concern. University surgical residency program. The CCC members include the program director, associate program directors, director of surgical curriculum, competency champions, departmental chair, 2 at-large faculty members, and the administrative chief residents. Seven residents were placed on remediation (later renamed as coaching) during the academic year after falling behind on milestone progression in one or more competencies. An additional 4 residents voluntarily placed themselves on remediation for medical knowledge after receiving in-training examination scores that the residents (not the CCC membership) considered substandard. All but 2 of the remediated/coached residents successfully completed all area milestone performance but some chose to stay on the medical knowledge competency strategy. Monthly meetings of the CCC make milestone evaluation less burdensome. In addition, the expectations of the residents are clearer and more tangible. "Competency champions" who are familiar with the milestones allow effective coaching strategies and documentation of clear performance improvements in competencies for successful completion of residency training. Residents who do not reach appropriate milestone performance can then be placed in remediation for more formal performance evaluation. The function of our CCC has also allowed us opportunity to evaluate the required rotations to ensure that they offer experiences that help residents achieve competency performance necessary

Community College League of California Pocket Profile, 2002. 3rd Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Community Coll. League of California, Sacramento.

This document is a pocket profile from the Community College League of California (CCLC), which represents 72 community college districts and 108 community colleges. The report offers information on general governance and institutional missions, enrollment figures, community college student demographics, and student educational costs. (1) the Los…

Changes in athlete burnout and motivation over a 12-week league tournament.

PubMed

Cresswell, Scott L; Eklund, Robert C

2005-11-01

To date, empirical reports of an association between motivation and athlete burnout have been exclusively based on cross-sectional research. Conclusions regarding the nature of the relationship between motivation and burnout are limited because they do not provide longitudinal information. To examine the relationship between burnout and motivation across a 12-wk league tournament (pretournament, midtournament, and end of tournament). Data were collected on using the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire and Sport Motivation Scale from 102 adult professional male rugby players at three different times during a 12-wk league tournament. Linear mixed modeling was used to explore hypothesized relationships between individual key characteristics of burnout and factors/covariates across time. Within the models, amotivation, the least self-determined type of motivation, had a large positive association with key characteristics of burnout. Self-determined forms of motivation (i.e., intrinsic motivation) exhibited significant negative associations with burnout. Extrinsic motivation, proposed to exist between intrinsic and amotivation on the self-determination continuum, was negatively associated with sport devaluation and reduced accomplishment as well as positively associated with physical and emotional exhaustion. Other factors related to burnout within the analysis included time (pretournament, in tournament, and end of tournament), team membership, number of injuries, years of national domestic league experience, and win/loss history. Overall, the results reflect the burnout experience may vary over time and support the potential utility of a self-determination theory explanation of burnout.

Higher Education Ranking and Leagues Tables: Lessons Learned from Benchmarking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Proulx, Roland

2007-01-01

The paper intends to contribute to the debate on ranking and league tables by adopting a critical approach to ranking methodologies from the point of view of a university benchmarking exercise. The absence of a strict benchmarking exercise in the ranking process has been, in the opinion of the author, one of the major problems encountered in the…

A comparison of physiological and anthropometric characteristics among playing positions in junior rugby league players

PubMed Central

Gabbett, T

2005-01-01

Objectives: To compare the physiological and anthropometric characteristics of specific playing positions and positional playing groups in junior rugby league players. Methods: Two hundred and forty junior rugby league players underwent measurements of standard anthropometry (body mass, height, sum of four skinfolds), muscular power (vertical jump), speed (10, 20, and 40 m sprint), agility (L run), and estimated maximal aerobic power (multi-stage fitness test) during the competitive phase of the season, after players had obtained a degree of match fitness. Results: Props were significantly (p<0.05) taller, heavier, and had greater skinfold thickness than all other positions. The halfback and centre positions were faster than props over 40 m. Halfbacks had significantly (p<0.05) greater estimated maximal aerobic power than props. When data were analysed according to positional similarities, it was found that the props positional group had lower 20 and 40 m speed, agility, and estimated maximal aerobic power than the hookers and halves and outside backs positional groups. Differences in the physiological and anthropometric characteristics of other individual playing positions and positional playing groups were uncommon. Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate that few physiological and anthropometric differences exist among individual playing positions in junior rugby league players, although props are taller, heavier, have greater skinfold thickness, lower 20 and 40 m speed, agility, and estimated maximal aerobic power than other positional playing groups. These findings provide normative data and realistic performance standards for junior rugby league players competing in specific individual positions and positional playing groups. PMID:16118309

Disc herniations in the national football league.

PubMed

Gray, Benjamin L; Buchowski, Jacob M; Bumpass, David B; Lehman, Ronald A; Mall, Nathan A; Matava, Matthew J

2013-10-15

Retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database. To determine the overall incidence, location, and type of disc herniations in professional football players to target treatment issues and prevention. Disc herniations represent a common and debilitating injury to the professional athlete. The NFL's (National Football League's) Sports Injury Monitoring System is a surveillance database created to monitor the league for all injuries, including injuries to the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. A retrospective analysis was performed on all disc herniations to the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine during a 12-season period (2000-2012) using the NFL's surveillance database. The primary data points included the location of the injury, player position, activity at time of injury, and playing time lost due to injury. During the 12 seasons, 275 disc herniations occurred in the spine. In regard to location, 76% occurred in the lumbar spine and most frequently affected the L5-S1 disc. The offensive linemen were most frequently injured. As expected, blocking was the activity that caused most injuries. Lumbar disc herniations rose in prevalence and had a mean loss of playing time of more than half the season (11 games). Thoracic disc herniations led to the largest mean number of days lost overall, whereas players with cervical disc herniations missed the most practices. Disc herniations represent a significant cause of morbidity in the NFL. Although much attention is placed on spinal cord injuries, preventive measures targeting the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine may help to reduce the overall incidence of these debilitating injuries.Level of Evidence: N/A.

Disc herniations in the National Football League.

PubMed

Gray, Benjamin L; Buchowski, Jacob M; Bumpass, David B; Lehman, Ronald A; Mall, Nathan A; Matava, Matthew J

2013-10-15

Retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database. To determine the overall incidence, location, and type of disc herniations in professional football players to target treatment issues and prevention. Disc herniations represent a common and debilitating injury to the professional athlete. The NFL's (National Football League's) Sports Injury Monitoring System is a surveillance database created to monitor the league for all injuries, including injuries to the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. A retrospective analysis was performed on all disc herniations to the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine during a 12-season period (2000–2012) using the NFL's surveillance database. The primary data points included the location of the injury, player position, activity at time of injury, and playing time lost due to injury. During the 12 seasons, 275 disc herniations occurred in the spine. In regard to location, 76% occurred in the lumbar spine and most frequently affected the L5–S1 disc. The offensive linemen were most frequently injured. As expected, blocking was the activity that caused most injuries. Lumbar disc herniations rose in prevalence and had a mean loss of playing time of more than half the season (11 games). Thoracic disc herniations led to the largest mean number of days lost overall, whereas players with cervical disc herniations missed the most practices. Disc herniations represent a significant cause of morbidity in the NFL. Although much attention is placed on spinal cord injuries, preventive measures targeting the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine may help to reduce the overall incidence of these debilitating injuries. N/A

Efficiency of competitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben-Naim, E.; Hengartner, N. W.

2007-08-01

League competition is investigated using random processes and scaling techniques. In our model, a weak team can upset a strong team with a fixed probability. Teams play an equal number of head-to-head matches and the team with the largest number of wins is declared to be the champion. The total number of games needed for the best team to win the championship with high certainty T grows as the cube of the number of teams N , i.e., Ttilde N3 . This number can be substantially reduced using preliminary rounds where teams play a small number of games and subsequently, only the top teams advance to the next round. When there are k rounds, the total number of games needed for the best team to emerge as champion, Tk , scales as follows, Tk˜Nγk with γk=[1-(2/3)k+1]-1 . For example, γk=9/5,27/19,81/65 for k=1,2,3 . These results suggest an algorithm for how to infer the best team using a schedule that is linear in N . We conclude that league format is an ineffective method of determining the best team, and that sequential elimination from the bottom up is fair and efficient.

Evaluation of the League General Insurance Company child safety seat distribution program

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-05-01

This report presents an evaluation of the child safety seat distribution initiated by the League General Insurance Company in June 1979. The program provides child safety seats as a benefit under the company's auto insurance policies to policy-holder...

Do players and staff sleep more during the pre- or competitive season of elite rugby league?

PubMed

Caia, Johnpaul; Scott, Tannath J; Halson, Shona L; Kelly, Vincent G

2017-09-01

This study establishes the sleep behaviour of players and staff during the pre- and competitive seasons of elite rugby league. For seven days during both the pre- and competitive seasons, seven rugby league players and nine full-time staff from one professional Australian rugby league club had their sleep monitored via wrist actigraphy and self-report sleep diaries. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance determined differences between the pre- and competitive season in players and staff, with effect sizes (ES) used to interpret the practical magnitude of differences. Findings show an earlier bed time and wake time for players (-34 min, ES = 1.5; ±0.5 and -39 min, 2.1; ±0.5 respectively) and staff (-29 min, ES = 0.8; ±0.3 and -35 min, ES = 1.7; ±0.4 respectively) during pre-season when compared to the competitive season. Despite this, no differences were seen when considering the amount of time in bed, sleep duration or sleep efficiency obtained between the pre- and competitive seasons. Our results suggest that early morning training sessions scheduled during pre-season advances wake time in elite rugby league. However, both players and staff can aim to avoid reductions in sleep duration and sleep efficiency with subsequent adjustment of night time sleep patterns. This may be particularly pertinent for staff, who wake earlier than players during both the pre- and competitive seasons.

The Evolution of Champion Cross-Country-Skier Training: From Lumberjacks to Professional Athletes.

PubMed

Sandbakk, Øyvind

2017-02-01

Competitive cross-country (XC) skiing has traditions extending back to the mid-19th century and was included as a men's event in the first Winter Games in 1924. Since then, tremendous improvements in equipment, track preparation, and knowledge about training have prompted greater increases in XC-skiing speeds than in any other Olympic sport. In response, this commentary focuses on how the training of successful XC skiers has evolved, with interviews and training data from surviving Norwegian world and Olympic XC champions as primary sources. Before 1970, most male champion XC skiers were lumberjacks who ran or skied long distances to and from felling areas while working long days in the woods. In addition, they trained as much as possible, with increased intensity during the autumn, while less work but more ski-specific training and competitions were done during the winter. Until the 1970s, few XC skiers were women, whom coaches believed tolerated less training than men did. Today's XC skiers are less physically active, but the influence of both science and the systematic approaches of former athletes and coaches have gradually taught XC skiers to adopt smarter, more goal-oriented training practices. Although the very high VO 2 max of world-class XC skiers has remained the same since the 1960s, new events in modern XC skiing have additionally required superior upper-body power, high-speed techniques, and tactical flexibility. These elements also emerge in the training of today's best skiers; women's physiological capacities and training routines especially seem to have improved dramatically.

Violence in television commercials during nonviolent programming. The 1996 Major League Baseball playoffs.

PubMed

Anderson, C

1997-10-01

To identify the frequency of violent television commercials aired during major league baseball playoffs, traditionally thought to be a family-oriented viewing time. All 6 World Series games televised on the Fox Television Network (Fox), all 5 American League Championship Series playoff games televised by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), and 4 first-round playoff games televised by ESPN Sports Television Network (ESPN) were videotaped in October 1996. During the 15 televised games reviewed, 104 (6.8%) of the 1528 commercials contained violent content. Sixty-one commercials (10 per game) that included violent interactions were noted during the World Series, 30 (6 per game) during the American League Championship Series, and 13 (3 per game) during the 4 first-round playoff games for a total of 104. In these 104 violent commercials, 69 contained at least 1 violent act, 90 contained at least 1 violent threat, and 27 contained evidence of at least 1 violent consequence. Seventy (67.3%) of the violent commercials were promotions for television programs, 7 (6.7%) were cable television program advertisements, and 20 (19.2%) were big-screen movie promotions. Twenty (71.4%) of 28 big-screen movie promotions were violent. Twenty-two (21.2%) of the 104 violent commercials and 7 "nonviolent" commercials contained blood or other graphic content, all of which were televised during the Fox presentation of the World Series. Fox also accounted for all 24 violent commercials that used a knife. Guns were involved in 25 violent commercials on NBC (5.0 per game), in 20 on Fox (3.33 per game), and in 7 on ESPN (1.75 per game). Overt violent content in commercials during the 1996 major league playoffs was common and consisted mainly of promotions for television programs and big-screen movies. It is counterintuitive to find such commercials in nonviolent programming and makes it difficult for parents to avoid exposing their children to this form of violence.

BCS or Just BS: How College Football Could Crown the Wrong National Champion? Just Do the Math--Correctly!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teasley, C.E. Wynn; Hornyak, Martin

2010-01-01

The 2009 college football season is here, but there has been a continuing controversy swirling over how the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) selects its national champion. College football uses a multi-criterion decision matrix (MCDM) evaluation technique to determine which two teams will play for the national championship. We analyzed the BCS…

The life history and immature stages of the weevil Anthonomus monostigma Champion (Coleoptera: Curculiondidae) on Miconia calvescens DC (Melastomataceae)

Treesearch

Eduardo Chacón-Madrigal; M.Tracy Johnson; Paul Hanson

2012-01-01

We describe and illustrate the life history and immature stages of Anthonomus monostigma Champion (Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Anthonomini). This weevil is a fruit borer in Miconia calvescens DC (Melastomataceae), a Neotropical tree that is invasive in Pacific islands. The larva has three instars, and development from egg to...

Effects of physical, technical, and tactical factors on final ladder position in semiprofessional rugby league.

PubMed

Gabbett, Tim J

2014-07-01

A limitation of most rugby league time-motion studies is that researchers have examined the demands of single teams, with no investigations of all teams in an entire competition. This study investigated the activity profiles and technical and tactical performances of successful and less-successful teams throughout an entire rugby league competition. In total, 185 rugby league players representing 11 teams from a semiprofessional competition participated in this study. Global positioning system analysis was completed across the entire season. Video footage from individual matches was also coded via notational analysis for technical and tactical performance of teams. Trivial to small differences were found among Top 4, Middle 4, and Bottom 4 teams for absolute and relative total distances covered and distances covered at low speeds. Small, nonsignificant differences (P = .054, ES = 0.31) were found between groups for the distance covered sprinting, with Top 4 teams covering greater sprinting distances than Bottom 4 teams. Top 4 teams made more meters in attack and conceded fewer meters in defense than Bottom 4 teams. Bottom 4 teams had a greater percentage of slow play-the-balls in defense than Top 4 teams (74.8% ± 7.3% vs 67.2% ± 8.3%). Middle 4 teams showed the greatest reduction in high-speed running from the first to the second half (-20.4%), while Bottom 4 teams completed 14.3% more high-speed running in the second half than in the first half. These findings demonstrate that a combination of activity profiles and technical and tactical performance are associated with playing success in semiprofessional rugby league players.

"Extraordinary Understandings" of Composition at the University of Chicago: Frederick Champion Ward, Kenneth Burke, and Henry W. Sams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beasley, James P.

2007-01-01

While Richard Weaver, R. S. Crane, Richard McKeon, and Robert Streeter have been most identified with rhetoric at the University of Chicago and its institutional return in the 1950s, the archival record demonstrates that Frederick Champion Ward, dean of the undergraduate "College" from 1947 to 1954, and Henry W. Sams, director of English…

Evaluation of a pilot oral health promotion programme 'Keep Smiling': perspectives from GDPs, health champions and school staff.

PubMed

Yusuf, H; Wright, K; Robertson, C

2015-04-24

To evaluate a pilot oral health promotion programme (fluoride varnish and tooth brushing), targeting 3-7-year-olds in primary schools in a deprived area of London. A pilot programme was conducted among five primary schools targeting 3-7-year-old children in a deprived area of London. The programme consisted of a fluoride varnish application and tooth brushing sessions. Outcome (participation rates) and process evaluations were carried out using semi-structured interviews with school staff, health champions and dentists. Overall, 79.2% of the targeted children participated in tooth brushing and 68.6% of children received fluoride varnish. The programme received positive feedback from school staff, dental teams and health champions. It raised awareness of dental health among all stakeholders and provided children with a unique experience, creating a positive image of dental teams. Community engagement and collaboration between health, education and the voluntary sector is feasible and integral in developing oral health promotion programmes aimed at children attending primary schools in a deprived area of London.

The influence of age, playing position, anthropometry and fitness on career attainment outcomes in rugby league.

PubMed

Till, Kevin; Cobley, Steve; Morley, David; O'hara, John; Chapman, Chris; Cooke, Carlton

2016-01-01

This study evaluated the influence of annual-age category, relative age, playing position, anthropometry and fitness on the career attainment outcomes of junior rugby league players originally selected for a talent identification and development (TID) programme. Junior rugby league players (N = 580) were grouped retrospectively according to their career attainment level (i.e., amateur, academy and professional). Anthropometric (height, sitting height, body mass, sum of four skinfolds), maturational (age at peak height velocity; PHV) and fitness (power, speed, change of direction speed, estimated[Formula: see text]) characteristics were assessed at the Under 13s, 14s and 15s annual-age categories. Relative age (Q2 = 8.5% vs. Q4 = 25.5%) and playing position (Pivots = 19.5% vs. Props = 5.8%) influenced the percentage of players attaining professional status. Anthropometry and fitness had a significant effect on career attainment at the Under 14 (P = 0.002, η(2) = 0.16) and 15 (P = 0.01, η(2) = 0.12) annual-age categories. Findings at the Under 14s showed future professional players were significantly later maturing compared to academy and amateur players. Findings suggest that relative age, playing position, anthropometry and fitness can influence the career attainment of junior rugby league players. TID programmes within rugby league, and other related team sports, should be aware and acknowledge the factors influencing long-term career attainment, and not delimit development opportunities during early adolescence.

Three-Compartment Body Composition in Academy and Senior Rugby League Players.

PubMed

Till, Kevin; Jones, Ben; O'Hara, John; Barlow, Matthew; Brightmore, Amy; Lees, Matthew; Hind, Karen

2016-03-01

To compare the body size and 3-compartment body composition between academy and senior professional rugby league players using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Academy (age 18.1 ± 1.1 y, n = 34) and senior (age 26.2 ± 4.6 y, n = 63) rugby league players received 1 total-body DXA scan. Height, body mass, and body-fat percentage alongside total and regional fat mass, lean mass, and bone mineral content (BMC) were compared. Independent t tests with Cohen d effect sizes and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), controlling for height and body mass, with partial eta-squared (η2) effect sizes, were used to compare total and regional body composition. Senior players were taller (183.2 ± 5.8 vs 179.2 ± 5.7 cm, P = .001, d = 0.70) and heavier (96.5 ± 9.3 vs 86.5 ± 9.0 kg, P < .001, d = 1.09) with lower body-fat percentage (16.3 ± 3.7 vs 18.0 ± 3.7%, P = .032, d = 0.46) than academy players. MANCOVA identified significant overall main effects for total and regional body composition between academy and senior players. Senior players had lower total fat mass (P < .001, η2 = 0.15), greater total lean mass (P < .001, η2 = 0.14), and greater total BMC (P = .001, η2 = 0.12) than academy players. For regional sites, academy players had significantly greater fat mass at the legs (P < .001, η2 = 0.29) than senior players. The lower age, height, body mass, and BMC of academy players suggest that these players are still developing musculoskeletal characteristics. Gradual increases in lean mass and BMC while controlling fat mass is an important consideration for practitioners working with academy rugby league players, especially in the lower body.

The Use of an Orthopaedic Rating System in Major League Baseball

PubMed Central

McGahan, Patrick J.; Fronek, Jan; Hoenecke, Heinz R.; Keefe, Daniel

2014-01-01

Background: Although the majority of Major League Baseball teams use an orthopaedic rating system to evaluate draft picks, little has been published on the topic. Hypothesis: Our goal was to assess the attitudes among Major League Baseball physicians regarding 3 common diagnoses in pitching prospects, through the use of an orthopaedic rating system. Our hypothesis was that the assigned orthopaedic grades would vary among physicians, diagnoses, and operative-versus-nonoperative and recent-versus-past treatment. Study Design: Survey. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Methods: A survey in the form of 12 clinical vignettes was used to query Major League Baseball physicians regarding ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries, type II superior labrum anterior posterior (SLAP) tears, and internal impingement. Respondents graded draft picks using an orthopaedic rating system. The vignettes covered both operative and nonoperative and recent and past treatment (successful return to pitching for 1 year). Results: The orthopaedic grades assigned by respondents were as follows (minimal, moderate, severe risk): past UCL reconstruction (73%, 27%, 0%), recent UCL reconstruction (19%, 77%, 4%), past UCL strain (28%, 60%, 12%), recent UCL strain (0%, 48%, 52%), past SLAP repair (52%, 48%, 0%), recent SLAP repair (4%, 64%, 32%), past SLAP nonoperative (28%, 60%, 12%), recent SLAP nonoperative (0%, 36%, 64%), past internal impingement operative (24%, 68%, 8%), recent internal impingement operative (8%, 32%, 60%), past internal impingement nonoperative (24%, 68%, 8%), and recent internal impingement nonoperative (4%, 48%, 44%). Conclusion: Team physicians are optimistic regarding the outcome of UCL reconstruction. In contrast, UCL strains, type II SLAP lesions, and internal impingement carry a guarded prognosis. For all diagnoses, regardless of treatment, the prognosis improved if a player returned to pitching for 1 full season. Clinical Relevance: This study represents a first step toward

"Role Models" among Elite Young Male Rugby League Players in Britain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleming, Scott; Hardman, Alun; Jones, Carwyn; Sheridan, Heather

2005-01-01

There is a taken-for-granted acceptance that sports stars have responsibilities as "role models", yet the concept of a "role model" is unclear. The present study addressed the choice of "role models" amongst elite young British rugby league players, and the reasons for their choices. During the summer of 2002 under-13…

The Reporting of University League Table Employability Rankings: A Critical Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christie, Fiona

2017-01-01

Which are the best and worst universities in the UK for getting a job when you graduate? This question attracts readers of the employability rankings in national league tables. This study critically reviews the employability measure used in the rankings and its subsequent reporting in public news and commentary sources, such as national and local…

Hand Blisters in Major League Baseball Pitchers: Current Concepts and Management.

PubMed

McNamara, Andrew R; Ensell, Scott; Farley, Timothy D

2016-01-01

Friction blisters are a common sequela of many athletic activities. Their significance can range from minor annoyance to major performance disruptions. The latter is particularly true in baseball pitchers, who sustain repeated trauma between the baseball seams and the fingers of the pitching hand, predominately at the tips of the index and long fingers. Since 2010, 6 Major League Baseball (MLB) players accounted for 7 stints on the disabled list (DL) due to blisters. These injuries resulted in a total of 151 days spent on the DL. Since 2012, 8 minor league players spent time on the DL due to blisters. Moreover, there have been several documented and publicized instances of professional baseball pitchers suffering blisters that did not require placement on the DL but did result in injury time and missed starts. The purpose of this article is to review the etiology and pathophysiology of friction blisters with particular reference to baseball pitchers; provide an overview of past and current prevention methods; and discuss our experience in treating friction blisters in MLB pitchers.

Who Is Your Champion? A Close Look at How Plant and Animal Structures Can Help Solve a Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Caryn; Ethington, Roberta L.; Stark, Alyssa Y.

2016-01-01

Everyone has problems, from the smallest ant competing for a food source to the largest elephant needing to cool down. Fortunately, organisms have structures that function to help them solve these problems. So when a group of fourth-grade students look for solutions to their problems, who do they turn to? A biological champion, of course! Plants…

Evolution of game-play in the Australian Football League from 2001 to 2015.

PubMed

Woods, Carl T; Robertson, Sam; Collier, Neil French

2017-10-01

This study investigated the evolution of game-play manifested via team performance indicator characteristics in the Australian Football League (AFL) from the 2001 to 2015 seasons. The mean values for 18 performance indicators were collated for every AFL team over 15-seasons. A multivariate analysis was used to uncover temporal trends in the dataset. Compared to the 2004 season, the 2005 to 2010 seasons were characterised by large growth in the counts of handballs (d = 0.83; 90% CI = 0.22-1.43), disposals (d = 1.24; 90% CI = 0.59-1.87), uncontested possessions (d = 1.37; 90% CI = 0.71-2.01), clangers (d = 2.14; 90% CI = 1.39-2.86) and marks (d = 1.43; 90% CI = 0.76-2.07). Contrastingly, the effective disposal percentage declined rapidly during the same period. The number of inside 50 m counts remained stable throughout the 15-season period. The ordination plot of league-wide performance indicator characteristics illustrated a distinct cluster from the 2001 to 2004 seasons, an abrupt shift from the 2005 to 2009 seasons, and an emergent (re)stabilisation from the 2010 to 2015 seasons. The results demonstrate the synchronous league-wide evolution of game-play in the AFL from the 2001 to 2015 seasons. Amongst other constituents, this evolution likely reflects the introduction of modernised coaching strategies, rule changes and changing perceptions of rule interpretations.

Nutritional knowledge and eating habits of professional rugby league players: does knowledge translate into practice?

PubMed

Alaunyte, Ieva; Perry, John L; Aubrey, Tony

2015-01-01

Adequate nutrient intake is important to support training and to optimise performance of elite athletes. Nutritional knowledge has been shown to play an important role in adopting optimal nutrition practices. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the level of nutritional knowledge and dietary habits in elite English rugby league players using the eatwell plate food categories. General nutritional knowledge questionnaires were collected during the Super League competitive season in the first team squad of 21 professional Rugby league players (mean age 25 ± 5 yrs, BMI 27 ± 2.4 kg/m2, experience in game 6 ± 4 yrs). According to their nutritional knowledge scores, the players were assigned to either good or poor nutritional knowledge group (n = 11, n = 10, respectively). Their dietary habits were assessment using a food frequency questionnaire. The findings revealed that nutritional knowledge was adequate (mean 72.82%) in this group of athletes with the highest scores in dietary advice section (85.71%), followed by food groups (71.24%) and food choice (69.52%). The majority of athletes were not aware of current carbohydrate recommendations. This translated into their dietary habits as many starchy and fibrous foods were consumed only occasionally by poor nutritional knowledge group. In terms of their eating habits, the good nutritional knowledge group consumed significantly more fruit and vegetables, and starchy foods (p <.05). Nutritional knowledge was positively correlated to fruit and vegetables consumption (rs = .52, p <.05) but not to any other eatwell plate categories. The study identified adequate general nutritional knowledge in professional rugby league players with the exception of recommendation for starchy and fibrous foods. Players who scored higher in nutritional knowledge test were more likely to consume more fruits, vegetables and carbohydrate-rich foods.

Return-to-play rates in National Football League linemen after treatment for lumbar disk herniation.

PubMed

Weistroffer, Joseph K; Hsu, Wellington K

2011-03-01

There is a paucity of evidence demonstrating clinical outcomes of high-end athletes sustaining a treatment for lumbar disk herniation. To evaluate the ability of a National Football League lineman to return to play after lumbar diskectomy. Case series; Level of evidence, 4. National Football League offensive and defensive linemen diagnosed with a lumbar disk herniation were identified by previously published protocols using multiple sources of the public record. Demographic and statistical performance data were compiled for each player both before and after treatment. A total of 66 linemen (36 offensive and 30 defensive) met the inclusion criteria. Fifty-two were treated surgically, and 14 were treated nonsurgically. On average, this group had a body mass index of 35.4 and was 27.6 years old. Of those players treated surgically, 80.8% (42/52) successfully returned to play an average of 33 games over 3.0 years, with 63.5% (33/52) becoming starters after treatment. Conversely, only 28.6% (4/14) of linemen successfully returned to play after nonoperative intervention, which was significantly lower than those treated with a diskectomy (P < .05). Of the linemen in the surgical cohort, 13.5% (7/52) required revision decompression, and 85.7% (6/7) of these players successfully returned to play. National Football League linemen have high return-to-play rates after lumbar diskectomy. Furthermore, because those linemen requiring revision decompression successfully returned to play 85.7% of the time, this cohort should not be denied surgical treatment after recurrent problems. Although the data in our study suggest that National Football League linemen who are treated surgically have superior outcomes to those treated nonoperatively, because of the limitations with the methodology used in this study, further prospective studies are necessary to accurately compare treatment effects and to determine the long-term prognosis for these athletes after retirement.

Reliability and Usefulness of Linear Sprint Testing in Adolescent Rugby Union and League Players.

PubMed

Darrall-Jones, Joshua D; Jones, Ben; Roe, Gregory; Till, Kevin

2016-05-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate (a) whether there were differences in sprint times at 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 m between rugby union and rugby league players, (b) determine the reliability and usefulness of linear sprint testing in adolescent rugby players. Data were collected on 28 rugby union and league academy players over 2 testing sessions, with 3-day rest between sessions. Rugby league players were faster at 5 m than rugby union players, with further difference unclear. Sprint time at 10, 20, 30, and 40 m was all reliable (coefficient of variation [CV] = 3.1, 1.8, 2.0, and 1.3%) but greater than the smallest worthwhile change (SWC [0.2 × between-subject SD]), rating the test as marginal for usefulness. Although the test was incapable of detecting the SWC, we recommend that practitioners and researchers use Hopkins' proposed method; whereby plotting the change score of the individual at each split (±typical error [TE] expressed as a CV) against the SWC and visually inspecting whether the TE crosses into the SWC are capable of identifying whether a change is both real (greater than the noise of the test, i.e., >TE) and of practical significance (>SWC). Researchers and practitioners can use the TE and SWC from this study to assess changes in performance of adolescent rugby players when using single beam timing gates.

[Effects of climate and grazing on the vegetation cover change in Xilinguole League of Inner Mongolia, North China].

PubMed

Wang, Hai-Mei; Li, Zheng-Hai; Wang, Zhen

2013-01-01

Based on the monthly temperature and precipitation data of 15 meteorological stations and the statistical data of livestock density in Xilinguole League in 1981-2007, and by using ArcGIS, this paper analyzed the spatial distribution of the climate aridity and livestock density in the League, and in combining with the ten-day data of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in 1981-2007, the driving factors of the vegetation cover change in the League were discussed. In the study period, there was a satisfactory linear regression relationship between the climate aridity and the vegetation coverage. The NDVI and the livestock density had a favorable binomial regression relationship. With the increase of NDVI, the livestock density increased first and decreased then. The vegetation coverage had a complex linear relationship with livestock density and climate aridity. The NDVI had a positive correlation with climate aridity, but a negative correlation with livestock density. Compared with livestock density, climate aridity had far greater effects on the NDVI.

Television commercial violence during nonviolent programming: the 1998 major league baseball playoffs.

PubMed

Anderson, C R

2000-10-01

To identify the frequency of violent commercials during the major league baseball playoffs in 1998 and to compare it with the 1996 playoffs. All 4 World Series games televised on the Fox Television Network (Fox), all 6 National League Championship Series (NLCS) televised by Fox, and 5 of 6 American League Championship Series (ALCS) playoff games televised by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) were videotaped in October 1998. The results were compared with a similar study that analyzed the 1996 playoffs. Forty-four commercials (11.0 per game) that included violent interactions were noted during the World Series, 53 violent commercials (8.8 per game) during the NLCS, and 40 (8.0 per game) during the ALCS for a total of 137. Of these 137 violent commercials, 78 contained at least 1 violent act, 126 contained at least 1 violent threat, and 12 contained evidence of at least 1 violent consequence. One hundred five of the 137 violent commercials (76.6%) were television promotions and 23 (16.8%) were for big-screen movie promotions. Twenty-three of 35 big-screen movie promotions (65.7%) were violent. Ten of the 137 violent commercials (7.3%) contained obvious blood, of which 9 were televised by NBC. There were, however, an additional 20 commercials televised by Fox that contained visible blood if the videotape was slowed or paused. Sixty-three of the 137 violent commercials (46.0%) used fire and explosions, of which 53 were televised by Fox and 10 by NBC. Guns were involved in 86 of 137 violent commercials (62.8%), with Fox accounting for 64 (6.4 per game) and NBC accounting for 22 (4.4 per game). Knives were used in 1 violent commercial on both Fox and NBC. Comparisons that can be made to 1996 include the following: 1) violent commercials during the World Series (both televised by Fox) increased from 10.1 to 11.0 per game; and 2) violent commercials during the ALCS (both televised by NBC) increased from 6.0 to 8.0 per game. Commercials during the 1998 major league

Modelling The Effect of Changing Point Systems to Teams’ Competition Standing in A Malaysian Soccer Super League

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mat Yusof, Muhammad; Khalid, Ruzelan; Hamid, Mohamad Shukri Abdul; Mansor, Rosnalini; Sulaiman, Tajularipin

2018-05-01

In a sports league such as in a soccer league, the teams’ competition standing is based on a cumulative point system. Typically, the standard point system is given to every single match for win, draw and lose teams is the 3-1-0 point system. In this paper, we explore the effect of changing point systems to teams’ competition standing by changing the weightage values for win, draw and lose teams. Three types of point systems are explored in our soccer simulation model; firstly the 3-1-0, secondly the 2-1-0 and thirdly the 4-1-0 point system. Based on the teams participating in a Malaysian soccer Super League, our simulation result shows that there are small changes in term of teams’ competition standing when we compared the actual rank and the simulation rank position. However, the 4-1-0 point system recorded the highest Pearson correlation value which is 0.97, followed by the 2-1-0 point system (0.95) and thirdly the 3-1-0 point system (0.94).

Jaasc Cooperation League for Education and Public Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Jun-Ichi; JAASC Committee

The JAASC Japanese Astronomy Aeronautical Science Space Science cooperation league has been established in 2000 among the related institutes for education and public outreach. The participating institutes are National Astronomical Observatory of Japan Institute of Space and Astronautical Science National Space Development Agency of Japan National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan Young Astronomers Club Japan Science and Technology Corporation and Japan Space Forum. These institutes started several joint efforts such as making web site for beginners in general public or educational materials for junior high school. This is a challenging trial for Japanese institutes to cooperate beyond the barrier of the

The Overtime Rule in the National Football League: Fair or Unfair?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorgievski, Nicholas; DeFranco, Thomas C.; Swaminatha, Hariharan; Sofronas, Kimberly S.

2010-01-01

In 1974, the National Football League (NFL) initiated a sudden death overtime rule for games ending in a tie score at the end of regulation time. The rule states that the sudden death system of determining the winner shall prevail when the score is tied at the end of the regulation playing time of all NFL games. The team scoring first during…

Chasing Rainbows: A Comment on School Choice and the National Football League

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beal, Brent D.; Olson Beal, Heather K.

2013-01-01

In this article, Brent Beal, and Heather Olson Beal respond to comments made about their article: "Rethinking the Market Metaphor: School Choice, the Common Good, and the National Football League," appearing in this issue of the Journal of School Choice. Comments were made by Vitteritti, Houck, Coulson, Bast, and Merrifield. In their…

What makes champions? A review of the relative contribution of genes and training to sporting success.

PubMed

Tucker, Ross; Collins, Malcolm

2012-06-01

Elite sporting performance results from the combination of innumerable factors, which interact with one another in a poorly understood but complex manner to mould a talented athlete into a champion. Within the field of sports science, elite performance is understood to be the result of both training and genetic factors. However, the extent to which champions are born or made is a question that remains one of considerable interest, since it has implications for talent identification and management, as well as for how sporting federations allocate scarce resources towards the optimisation of high-performance programmes. The present review describes the contributions made by deliberate practice and genetic factors to the attainment of a high level of sporting performance. The authors conclude that although deliberate training and other environmental factors are critical for elite performance, they cannot by themselves produce an elite athlete. Rather, individual performance thresholds are determined by our genetic make-up, and training can be defined as the process by which genetic potential is realised. Although the specific details are currently unknown, the current scientific literature clearly indicates that both nurture and nature are involved in determining elite athletic performance. In conclusion, elite sporting performance is the result of the interaction between genetic and training factors, with the result that both talent identification and management systems to facilitate optimal training are crucial to sporting success.

MR Spectroscopy Findings in Retired Professional Rugby League Players.

PubMed

Gardner, Andrew J; Iverson, Grant L; Wojtowicz, Magdalena; Levi, Christopher R; Kay-Lambkin, Frances; Schofield, Peter W; Zafonte, Ross; Shultz, Sandy R; Lin, Alexander P; Stanwell, Peter

2017-03-01

The aim of this study was to examine brain neurometabolite concentrations in retired rugby league players who had a history of numerous self-reported concussions. Participants were 16 retired professional rugby league players (ages 30-45 years) with an extensive history of concussion and participation in contact sports, and 16 age- and education-matched controls who had no history of neurotrauma or participation in contact sports. All completed a clinical interview, psychological and cognitive testing, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) investigation. MRS voxels were placed in posterior cingulate grey matter and parietal white matter. Neurometabolite concentrations were quantified using LCModel. It was hypothesized that retired athletes would differ on N-acetyl aspartate, myo-inositol, choline, glutamate, and glutathione. Retired players had significantly lower concentrations of grey matter glutathione (p=0.02, d=0.91). They did not significantly differ in concentrations of other neurometabolites. There were no significant differences between groups on measures of depression, anxiety, or cognitive functioning. The retired athletes reported significantly greater alcohol use (p<0.01; Cohen's d=1.49), and they had worse manual dexterity using their non-dominant hand (p=0.03; d=1.08). These preliminary findings suggest that MRS might be modestly sensitive to biochemical differences in athletes after their athletic careers have ended in the absence of clinical differences in cognitive performance and self-reported psychological functioning. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Family League 2011-12 Out of School Time Programs in Baltimore City

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Linda S.; Connolly, Faith; Kommajesula, Alok H.

2013-01-01

Out of School Time (OST) programs have been shown to promote positive personal, academic and social development (Huang, Gribbons, Kim, Lee, & Baker, 2000; Welsh et al., 2002). The Family League of Baltimore City works with partners to sponsor a range of after-school programs in Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) to provide healthy…

Concussion in the National Football League: viewpoint of an elite player.

PubMed

DeLamielleure, Joe

2014-01-01

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy resulting from head hits and concussions is an unfortunate illness that has affected numerous football players, especially in the National Football League. Many of my fellow players suffer from this problem, and many have died prematurely because of it. I make some suggestions for improving the situation for retired and current players. © 2014 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

Match Demands of Senior and Junior Players During International Rugby League.

PubMed

Dempsey, Gary M; Gibson, Neil V; Sykes, Dave; Pryjmachuk, Bradley C; Turner, Anthony P

2018-06-01

Dempsey, GM, Gibson, NV, Sykes, D, Pryjmachuk, BC, and Turner, AP. Match demands of senior and junior players during International Rugby League. J Strength Cond Res 32(6): 1678-1684, 2018-This study aims to quantify and compare the positional game demands of international junior and senior rugby league competition for the first time. Global positioning system (GPS) and video analysis were used to track 118 elite male rugby league players (57 seniors aged 28.7 ± 4.4 years; 61 juniors aged 17.2 ± 0.5 years) over 10 international matches (6 senior; 4 junior) characterized as either forwards (n = 67) or backs (n = 51). There were significant increases in the offensive carries (0.18 cf. 0.09 n·min; r = 0.56) and defensive tackles (0.36 cf. 0.23 n·min; r = 0.3) between senior and junior players, and forwards and backs (0.16 cf. 0.09; r = 0.34 and 0.41 cf. 0.14; r = 0.52), respectively. Running demands were significantly greater in backs than forwards (independent of playing level) for total distance (6,962 ± 1,263 m cf. 4,879 ± 1,824 m; r = 0.55), individualized high-speed distances (310 ± 158 m cf. 250 ± 171 m; r = 0.2), high-intensity accelerations (28.7 ± 12.1 m·s cf. 21.9 ± 11.7 m·s; r = 0.27), and decelerations (57.2 ± 18.3 m·s cf. 43.0 ± 17.8 m·s; r = 0.38). Positional differences were eliminated when reported relative to minutes played. From a practical perspective, although running demands relative to time on the pitch may prepare junior players for senior competition, it is not representative of the increased body mass and contact frequency within the senior game. Coaches should therefore reflect these differences within their physical preparation programs to prepare junior athletes accordingly for progression to the senior level.

Player Activity Profiles in the Australian Second-Tier Rugby League Competitions.

PubMed

Hausler, Joanne; Halaki, Mark; Orr, Rhonda

2016-09-01

To investigate activity profiles of Australian rugby league players during match play by competition, position, and match outcome in the New South Wales (NSW) second-tier competitions. Eighteen NSW Cup (NSWC) and 22 National Youth Competition (NYC) players, participating in this prospective cohort study, were categorized into 3 positional groups: forwards, adjustables, and outside backs. Global positioning system devices were used to examine activity profiles (distance and relative distance covered in walking, jogging, moderate, high, very high, and sprinting speed zones and quantification of high-speed movement) during match play in 21 NSWC and 22 NYC matches (N = 339 files). NSWC players performed more sprints (36.5 ± 9.3 vs 28.4 ± 9.2) and greater relative distance in moderate speed zones (18.4 ± 3.2 vs 15.8 ± 3.1 m/min) than NYC. NSWC outside backs covered greater relative distance in jogging (29.4 ± 2.9 vs 24.8 ± 2.7 m/min) and moderate speed zones (17.0 ± 2.6 vs 12.8 ± 2.8 m/min) than their NYC counterparts. Adjustables performed more sprints (39.4 ± 10.1 vs 27.0 ± 9.2), high-intensity accelerations (3.7 ± 1.4 vs 1.9 ± 1.4), and relative distance (84.8 ± 4.3 vs 88.6 ± 4.8 m/min) than forwards and greater relative distance (81.5 ± 3.8 m/min) and sprints (31.0 ± 8.0) than outside backs. Adjustables recorded greater relative distance (19.8 m/min) in moderate speed zones than forwards (16.7 ± 3.1 m/min) and outside backs (14.9 ± 2.7 m/min). Adjustables covered ~685 m more than outside backs during a win. This is the first study to document the activity profiles of the NSW second-tier rugby league competition. The findings underscore the elevated match demands of adjustables and indicate higher intensity of play in NSWC than NYC that may more closely resemble the demands of National Rugby League match play.

KSC-04PD-1317

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the Orbiter Processing Facility, Jay Feaster, general manager of the National Hockey League 2004 Champions Tampa Bay Lightning, displays the Stanley Cup. At right is KSC Deputy Director Woodrow Whitlow. The cup was also briefly available for viewing by employees in the KSC Training Auditorium. Feaster brought the cup to KSC while on a tour. The Stanley Cup weighs 35 pounds and is more than 100 years old. The Lightning will be added to the cup in September.

Injuries in Little League Baseball from 1987 through 1996: Implications for Prevention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mueller, Frederick O.; Marshall, Stephen W.; Kirby, Daniel P.

2001-01-01

Examined injury patterns in Little League baseball players over time, using insurance data from 17,221,210 players. Ball-related injuries were the most common. Batters had the greatest number of such injuries. One-quarter of the injuries were considered severe, and 13 players died. Though youth baseball appears to be very safe, there are areas…

Morphological and motor characteristics of Croatian first league female football players.

PubMed

Jelaska, Petra Mandić; Katić, Ratko; Jelaska, Igor

2013-05-01

The aim of this study was to determine the structure of morphological and motor characteristics of Croatian first league female football players and their impact on the estimated quality of the players. According to the goal of the research, a sample consisted of 70 Croatian first league female football players. Participants were measured in 18 tests for assessing morphological characteristics, a set of 12 basic motor abilities tests and a set of 7 tests for assessing football-specific motor abilities. Exploratory factor analysis strategy was applied separately to all measured tests: morphological, basic motor abilities and football specific motor abilities. Factor analysis of morphological tests has shown existence of 3 significant latent dimensions that explain 64% of the total variability. Factors are defined as transverse dimensionality of the skeleton and voluminosity (35%), subcutaneous fat tissue (16%) and longitudinal dimensionality of the skeleton (13%). In the area of basic motor abilities, four factors were extracted. The first factor is responsible for the integration of agility and explosive power of legs, i.e. a factor of movement regulation (agility/lower body explosiveness) (23%), the second one defines muscle tone regulation (15%), the third one defines the frequency of leg movements (12%), while the fourth one is recognized as responsible for the manifestation of basic strength, particularly of basic core strength (19%). Two factors were isolated in the space of football-specific motor abilities: football-specific efficiency (53%) and situational football coordination (27%). Furthermore, by use of factor analysis on extracted latent dimensions (morphological, basic and football specific motor abilities) two higher order factors (explaining 87% of common variability) were extracted. They were named morphological-motor factor (54%) and football-specific motor abilities factor (33%). It is assumed that two extracted higher-order factors fully

Head impacts in a junior rugby league team measured with a wireless head impact sensor: an exploratory analysis.

PubMed

King, Doug; Hume, Patria; Gissane, Conor; Clark, Trevor

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency, magnitude, and distribution of head impacts sustained by players in a junior rugby league over a season of matches. METHODS The authors performed a prospective cohort analysis of impact magnitude, frequency, and distribution on data collected with instrumented XPatches worn behind the ear of players in an "under-11" junior rugby league team (players under 11 years old). RESULTS A total of 1977 impacts were recorded. Over the course of the study, players sustained an average of 116 impacts (average of 13 impacts per player per match). The measured linear acceleration ranged from 10g to 123g (mean 22g, median 16g, and 95th percentile 57g). The rotational acceleration ranged from 89 rad/sec 2 to 22,928 rad/sec 2 (mean 4041 rad/sec 2 , median 2773 rad/sec 2 , and 95th percentile 11,384 rad/sec 2 ). CONCLUSIONS The level of impact severity based on the magnitude of impacts for linear and rotational accelerations recorded was similar to the impacts reported in studies of American junior and high school football, collegiate football, and youth ice hockey players, but the players in the rugby league cohort were younger, had less body mass, and played at a slower speed than the American players. Junior rugby league players are required to tackle the player to the ground and use a different tackle technique than that used in American football, likely increasing the rotational accelerations recorded at the head.

An analysis of use of crowd medical services at an English football league club.

PubMed

Leary, Alison; Greenwood, Peter; Hedley, Barry; Agnew, Jim; Thompson, Desmond; Punshon, Geoffrey

2008-07-01

Although crowd medical services in English league football are common, there is little data examining the use of such services. The aim of this study was to provide detailed data by examining the usage of the Crowd Medical Service at a First Division Football Club (Millwall FC) over six Football League seasons. This usage has implications in terms of resources, provision of level of service and training needs of staff. A prospective data collection form was designed and used to capture all episodes of care over the length of six football league seasons, each approximately 9 months in duration which resulted in a census of activity. This included episodes that did not normally require detailed documentation for statutory purposes, such as informal advice. There were 445 episodes of care recorded over 146 home games. Over six years presentation was consistent. This gives a mean of 3.14 episodes per game (2.7-4.1). There is little research in this area and so it is difficult to compare uptake with other clubs. The episodes of care were broadly grouped into medical (67.0%) or injury (33.0%). Most of those presenting did so with non-emergent (pre-existing) medical problems or minor injuries. Staff (for example Stewards) made up 44% of consultations. One hundred and eight people had a primary and secondary reason for presenting. Such episodes are more time consuming and in turn have an impact on resources. Some stated they had presented because of ease of access to the service, they found access to their General Practitioner (GP) difficult or were not registered with a GP at all. The principal focus of a crowd medical service is to manage a major incident and medically emergent spectators. The majority of presentations were minor injuries and pre-existing medical conditions. In addition staff make up a significant proportion of the users. Some re-focussing of guidance is therefore necessary if these results are typical of English League Football. In turn this reflects a

Health policy in interwar Greece: the intervention by the League of Nations Health Organisation.

PubMed

Theodorou, Vassiliki; Karakatsani, Despina

2008-01-01

The first serious attempts to deal with public health problems in Greece were undertaken between 1925 and 1935. This period also witnessed setbacks to developments in public health, caused by the lack of welfare infrastructure for social relief, as well as extensive health problems brought about by the settlement in Greece of 1,300,000 refugees from Asia Minor. In 1928 following the example set by other European countries, the Liberal Government appealed to international health organisations for support in order to effectively deal with these problems. This contribution constitutes a case study addressing the following issues: a) the impact the League of Nations Health Organisation intervention had on the establishment of public health services; b) the framework for a collaboration of the Rockefeller Foundation and the League of Nations Health Organisation; and c) the factors that led to the failure of the health care reorganisation.

The 4th annual European League Against Rheumatism congress in Lisbon: a personal perspective

PubMed Central

Wollheim, Frank A

2004-01-01

The 4th annual European League Against Rheumatism congress, held in Lisbon, 18–21 June 2003, had a record turnout of more than 8600 delegates and the abstract submissions increased to 2600. A heat wave and a somewhat substandard venue hampered some of the activities, notably the poster sessions. The scientific program was comprehensive and of a high class, and it was organized in 10–12 parallel sessions. The European League Against Rheumatism standing committees are expanding their activities and stimulating European cooperation (e.g. by creating databases and guidelines, and by starting research programs). The standing committees presented several areas where European cooperative work is in progress. Advances in drug therapy were a prominent theme and were well presented. Commercialism remains a problem for this meeting as for other similar large meetings, where satellite symposia surround the scientific program of the congress and often duplicate this. PMID:14979931

Baseball caps of the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians in the flight deck

NASA Image and Video Library

1995-10-25

STS073-E-5135 (26 Oct. 1995) --- Baseball caps from the two 1995 World Series representative franchises float near the cabin windows of the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Columbia, with the Earth in the background. The American League champion Cleveland Indians and their National League counterpart Atlanta Braves were engaged in a scheduled best-of-seven World Series throughout the first portion of the scheduled 16-day mission in space. Off-duty crewmembers came out of a rest period to set up the scene in tribute to the October classic. The crew will continue working in shifts around the clock on a diverse assortment of United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2) experiments located in the science module. Fields of study include fluid physics, materials science, biotechnology, combustion science and commercial space processing technologies. The frame was exposed with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC).

The effects of differential and variable training on the quality parameters of a handball throw.

PubMed

Wagner, Herbert; Müller, Erich

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to undertake a comprehensive temporal, effective, and practical training study (variable and differential learning) that would offer athletes the opportunity to increase their performance, and to analyse the effects by measuring kinematics and quality parameters. Two participants of differing standards--a player of the first Austrian League and an Olympic and World Champion--but of similar anthropometric characteristics were recruited. One of the participants (Austrian League) was tested on five different occasions (pre-test and four retests) to measure the effects of four different training phases using kinematic analysis. The results of the study indicate an increase in ball velocity within the differential training phases (first, second, and fourth phases), different proximal-to-distal sequences of the participants, and a change of movement pattern during training measured by the segment velocities and the angle-time courses.

Physics League Across Numerous Countries for Kick-ass Students (PLANCKS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haasnoot, Irene

2016-01-01

Physics League Across Numerous Countries for Kick-ass Students (PLANCKS) is an international theoretical physics competition for bachelor and master students. The intention of PLANCKS is to increase international collaboration and stimulate the personal development of individual contestants. This is done by organizing a three-day-event which take place every year and is hosted by different countries. Besides the contest, social and scientific activities will be organised, including an opening symposium where leading physicists give lectures to inspire the participants.

A League Table of Teenage Births in Rich Nations. Innocenti Report Card.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adamson, Peter; Brown, Giorgina; Micklewright, John; Wright, Anna

This third Innocenti Report Card presents the most up-to-date and comprehensive survey so far of teenage birth rates in the industrialized world. And it attempts at least a partial analysis of why some countries have teenage birth rates that are ten or even fifteen times higher than others. The starting point is a new league table of teenage birth…

Sports injuries in Plus League volleyball players.

PubMed

Cieśla, E; Dutkiewicz, R; Mgłosiek, M; Nowak-Starz, G; Markowska, M; Jasiński, P; Dudek, J

2015-06-01

Although physical activity brings a range of lifelong health benefits, it may also lead to injuries that pose a significant threat to health. It is particularly noticeable in people involved in professional sports where sport-related injuries commonly occur and are associated with intense exercise which aims to improve physical fitness. The article attempts to determine incidence of sports injuries reported by Plus League volleyball players, as well as to identify their most common types and causes. The research project involved 90 Plus League volleyball players aged 18-37 with the average age of 25.11 (SD±5.378). A method of diagnostic survey was applied to collect empirical data by means of questionnaire developed by the authors (researchers). The results were statistically analysed and verified with the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and χ2 test at the significance level (or critical P-value) of P≤0.05. Over 87% of the respondents suffered from at least one sport-related injury. In total, 362 injuries occurred, on average 4.02 injuries per one volleyball player. The most common sports injuries involved ankle or talocrural joint (46 injuries), knee and lower leg muscles (30), interphalangeal articulations of fingers (30) as well as shoulder joint. More than half of the injuries (57%) occurred twice or three times. Volleyball players commonly sustain injuries through contact with an opposing player in competition. Sport-specific injuries may also occur due to exhaustion, lack of rest and undertreated injuries. The most common volleyball-related injuries are primarily talocrural joint, hand and shoulder injuries. Common types of injuries that can affect volleyball players include muscles, joints and ligaments injuries, sprains and strains as well as bruises. Most of these injuries are caused by exhaustion, contact with an opposing player during competition and fatigue. The incidence of sport-related injuries seems to be influenced by such factors as somatic

The Atlanta Urban Debate League: Exploring the Making of a Critical Literacy Space

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cridland-Hughes, Susan

2016-01-01

The Atlanta Urban Debate League was established in 1985 as an after school program focused on providing debate outreach to high school students in the Atlanta public schools. Still in operation today, volunteers work with current students in public middle and high schools in Atlanta, supporting students as they practice reading, writing, speaking…

Intra-individual variability in the sleep of senior and junior rugby league athletes during the competitive season.

PubMed

Caia, Johnpaul; Halson, Shona L; Scott, Tannath J; Kelly, Vincent G

2017-01-01

This study examined the sleep intra-individual variability (IIV) of rugby league athletes across senior and junior levels during one week of the competitive season. Forty-five rugby league athletes across elite senior, sub-elite senior and elite junior levels each wore actigraphy monitors for seven days during the competitive season, and completed a subjective sleep diary each morning upon waking. Linear mixed models were used to assess differences in sleep measures between playing levels. Intra-individual standard deviations for each sleep measure were calculated for each athlete to determine their respective IIV, allowing differences in IIV between groups to be assessed. Elite junior athletes went to bed later (ES = 0.94 ± 0.50, p < 0.05) and woke later than elite senior athletes (ES = 0.94 ± 0.40, p < 0.05), while also displaying greater IIV when considering time in bed (ES = 1.14 ± 0.60, p < 0.05) and sleep duration (ES = 1.53 ± 0.64, p < 0.05) compared with elite senior athletes. Similarly, IIV was more pronounced in elite junior players for time in bed (ES = 0.88 ± 0.60, p < 0.05) and sleep duration (ES = 1.03 ± 0.64, p < 0.05) compared with sub-elite senior athletes. Despite this, elite junior athletes still obtained sufficient sleep duration, efficiency and quality. The outcomes of this investigation show a distinct difference in the habitual sleep-wake patterns of senior and junior rugby league athletes, and show how sleep IIV differs between playing levels in rugby league.

KSC-04PD-1318

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the Orbiter Processing Facility, Jay Feaster, general manager of the National Hockey League 2004 Champions Tampa Bay Lightning, sits next to the Stanley Cup in front of the open hatch into Discovery. The cup was also briefly available for viewing by employees in the KSC Training Auditorium. Feaster brought the cup to KSC while on a tour. The Stanley Cup weighs 35 pounds and is more than 100 years old. The Lightning will be added to the cup in September.

KSC-04PD-1314

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Jay Feaster, general manager of the National Hockey League 2004 Champions Tampa Bay Lightning, stands next to the Stanley Cup, which he brought to KSC while on a tour. The cup stands next to the orbiter Discovery in the Orbiter Processing Facility. The cup was also briefly available for viewing by employees in the KSC Training Auditorium. The Stanley Cup weighs 35 pounds and is more than 100 years old. The Lightning will be added to the cup in September.

A comparison of hierarchical cluster analysis and league table rankings as methods for analysis and presentation of district health system performance data in Uganda.

PubMed

Tashobya, Christine K; Dubourg, Dominique; Ssengooba, Freddie; Speybroeck, Niko; Macq, Jean; Criel, Bart

2016-03-01

In 2003, the Uganda Ministry of Health introduced the district league table for district health system performance assessment. The league table presents district performance against a number of input, process and output indicators and a composite index to rank districts. This study explores the use of hierarchical cluster analysis for analysing and presenting district health systems performance data and compares this approach with the use of the league table in Uganda. Ministry of Health and district plans and reports, and published documents were used to provide information on the development and utilization of the Uganda district league table. Quantitative data were accessed from the Ministry of Health databases. Statistical analysis using SPSS version 20 and hierarchical cluster analysis, utilizing Wards' method was used. The hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted on the basis of seven clusters determined for each year from 2003 to 2010, ranging from a cluster of good through moderate-to-poor performers. The characteristics and membership of clusters varied from year to year and were determined by the identity and magnitude of performance of the individual variables. Criticisms of the league table include: perceived unfairness, as it did not take into consideration district peculiarities; and being oversummarized and not adequately informative. Clustering organizes the many data points into clusters of similar entities according to an agreed set of indicators and can provide the beginning point for identifying factors behind the observed performance of districts. Although league table ranking emphasize summation and external control, clustering has the potential to encourage a formative, learning approach. More research is required to shed more light on factors behind observed performance of the different clusters. Other countries especially low-income countries that share many similarities with Uganda can learn from these experiences. © The Author 2015

A comparison of hierarchical cluster analysis and league table rankings as methods for analysis and presentation of district health system performance data in Uganda†

PubMed Central

Tashobya, Christine K; Dubourg, Dominique; Ssengooba, Freddie; Speybroeck, Niko; Macq, Jean; Criel, Bart

2016-01-01

In 2003, the Uganda Ministry of Health introduced the district league table for district health system performance assessment. The league table presents district performance against a number of input, process and output indicators and a composite index to rank districts. This study explores the use of hierarchical cluster analysis for analysing and presenting district health systems performance data and compares this approach with the use of the league table in Uganda. Ministry of Health and district plans and reports, and published documents were used to provide information on the development and utilization of the Uganda district league table. Quantitative data were accessed from the Ministry of Health databases. Statistical analysis using SPSS version 20 and hierarchical cluster analysis, utilizing Wards’ method was used. The hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted on the basis of seven clusters determined for each year from 2003 to 2010, ranging from a cluster of good through moderate-to-poor performers. The characteristics and membership of clusters varied from year to year and were determined by the identity and magnitude of performance of the individual variables. Criticisms of the league table include: perceived unfairness, as it did not take into consideration district peculiarities; and being oversummarized and not adequately informative. Clustering organizes the many data points into clusters of similar entities according to an agreed set of indicators and can provide the beginning point for identifying factors behind the observed performance of districts. Although league table ranking emphasize summation and external control, clustering has the potential to encourage a formative, learning approach. More research is required to shed more light on factors behind observed performance of the different clusters. Other countries especially low-income countries that share many similarities with Uganda can learn from these experiences. PMID:26024882

The National Football League and chronic traumatic encephalopathy: legal implications.

PubMed

Korngold, Caleb; Farrell, Helen M; Fozdar, Manish

2013-01-01

The growing awareness of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has the potential to change the public perception and on-field rules of the National Football League (NFL). More than 3,000 ex-NFL players or their relatives are engaged in litigation alleging that the NFL failed to acknowledge and address the neuropsychiatric risks associated with brain injuries that result from playing in the NFL. This article explores the intersection between the medical and legal aspects of CTE in the NFL from a forensic psychiatry perspective.

They Can't Take Our Souls: Teachers' League of South Africa Reflections of Apartheid.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wieder, Alan

2001-01-01

Presents three case studies of members of the Teachers' League of South Africa who taught from the 1940s through 1985 and challenged the apartheid regime. Analyzes the relevance of these stories in relation to apartheid and explores the lives and work of these progressive teachers. (SM)

Attitudes on Inclusion of a Player with Disabilities in a Regular Softball League.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Block, Martin E.; Malloy, Mike

1998-01-01

A study examined the attitudes of 88 girls (ages 10-12) without disabilities, parents, and coaches toward the inclusion of a child with a disability in a regular fast-pitch softball league. Players and parents had a favorable attitude toward inclusion and modifying game rules. Coaches were undecided about inclusion and rule modifications.…

Catching up with Harvard: Results from Regression Analysis of World Universities League Tables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Mei; Shankar, Sriram; Tang, Kam Ki

2011-01-01

This paper uses regression analysis to test if the universities performing less well according to Shanghai Jiao Tong University's world universities league tables are able to catch up with the top performers, and to identify national and institutional factors that could affect this catching up process. We have constructed a dataset of 461…

New York Newspaper Coverage of Jackie Robinson in His First Major League Season.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washburn, Pat

Sports articles appearing in three New York City newspapers in Jackie Robinson's first season as a major league baseball player were examined to determine if there was biased reporting based on racial prejudice. The sports pages of the New York "Times," the "Herald Tribune," and the "Daily News" for 44 days in 1947…

National Rugby League athletes and tendon tap reflex assessment: a matched cohort clinical study.

PubMed

Maurini, James; Ohmsen, Paul; Condon, Greg; Pope, Rodney; Hing, Wayne

2016-11-04

Limited research suggests elite athletes may differ from non-athletes in clinical tendon tap reflex responses. In this matched cohort study, 25 elite rugby league athletes were compared with 29 non-athletes to examine differences in tendon reflex responses. Relationships between reflex responses and lengths of players' careers were also examined. Biceps, triceps, patellar and Achilles tendon reflexes were clinically assessed. Right and left reflexes were well correlated for each tendon (r S  = 0.7-0.9). The elite rugby league athletes exhibited significantly weaker reflex responses than non-athletes in all four tendons (p < 0.005). Biceps reflexes demonstrated the largest difference and Achilles reflexes the smallest difference. Moderate negative correlations (r S  = -0.3-0.6) were observed between reflex responses and lengths of players' careers. Future research is required to further elucidate mechanisms resulting in the observed differences in tendon reflexes and to ensure clinical tendon tap examinations and findings can be interpreted appropriately in this athletic population.

Exceeding Pitch Count Recommendations in Little League Baseball Increases the Chance of Requiring Tommy John Surgery as a Professional Baseball Pitcher

PubMed Central

Erickson, Brandon J.; Chalmers, Peter N.; Axe, Michael J.; Romeo, Anthony A.

2017-01-01

Background: Empirical evidence has suggested a connection between youth pitch counts and subsequent elbow injury. For players within the Little League World Series (LLWS), detailed historical player data are available. Some of these players progress to both professional play and require an ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (UCLR). Purpose: To determine the percentage of LLWS pitchers who proceed to play professional (major or minor league) baseball, the rate of UCLR in former LLWS pitchers who played professional baseball, and the risk to those who exceeded current pitch count recommendations while playing in the LLWS. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: All LLWS pitchers from 2001 through 2009 from all teams and countries were identified, and all performance data were extracted. A professional (major and minor league) baseball database was then searched to determine whether each former LLWS pitcher played professional baseball. These professional players were then searched for using publicly available databases to determine whether they underwent UCLR. Results: Overall, 638 adolescents pitched in the LLWS between 2001 and 2009; 62 (10%) progressed to professional play. Of the 56 minor league players, 25 (45%) pitched. Of the 6 Major League Baseball players, 3 (50%) pitched. Three former LLWS pitchers (5%) who played professionally underwent UCLR. In former LLWS pitchers who exceeded pitch counts and played professionally, 50% (2/4) required UCLR, while only 1.7% (1/58) of those who did not exceed pitch count recommendations required UCLR (P = .009). Similarly, among former LLWS pitchers who subsequently played professionally, 23.1% of those who played as a pitcher required UCLR while 0% of those who also played other positions required UCLR (P = .008). Conclusion: Progression from LLWS pitching to professional baseball is uncommon. Among youth players, both diversification (playing other positions besides pitcher) as well as following

The Validity and Contributing Physiological Factors to 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test Performance in Rugby League.

PubMed

Scott, Tannath J; Duthie, Grant M; Delaney, Jace A; Sanctuary, Colin E; Ballard, David A; Hickmans, Jeremy A; Dascombe, Ben J

2017-09-01

Scott, TJ, Duthie, GM, Delaney, JA, Sanctuary, CE, Ballard, DA, Hickmans, JA, and Dascombe, BJ. The validity and contributing physiological factors to 30-15 intermittent fitness test performance in rugby league. J Strength Cond Res 31(9): 2409-2416, 2017-This study examined the validity of the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test (30-15IFT) within rugby league. Sixty-three Australian elite and junior-elite rugby league players (22.5 ± 4.5 years, 96.1 ± 9.5 kg, Σ7 skinfolds: 71.0 ± 18.7 mm) from a professional club participated in this study. Players were assessed for anthropometry (body mass, Σ7 skinfolds, lean mass index), prolonged high-intensity intermittent running (PHIR; measured by 30-15IFT), predicted aerobic capacity (MSFT) and power (AAS), speed (40 m sprint), repeated sprint, and change of direction (COD-505 agility test) ability before and after an 11-week preseason training period. Validity of the 30-15IFT was established using Pearson's coefficient correlations. Forward stepwise regression model identified the fewest variables that could predict individual final velocity (VIFT) and change within 30-15IFT performance. Significant correlations between VIFT and Σ7 skinfolds, repeated sprint decrement, V[Combining Dot Above]O2maxMSFT, and average aerobic speed were observed. A total of 71.8% of the adjusted variance in 30-15IFT performance was explained using a 4-step best fit model (V[Combining Dot Above]O2maxMSFT, 61.4%; average aerobic speed, 4.7%; maximal velocity, 4.1%; lean mass index, 1.6%). Across the training period, 25% of the variance was accounted by ΔV[Combining Dot Above]O2maxMSFT (R = 0.25). These relationships suggest that the 30-15IFT is a valid test of PHIR within rugby league. Poor correlations were observed with measures of acceleration, speed, and COD. These findings demonstrate that although the 30-15IFT is a valid measure of PHIR, it also simultaneously examines various physiological capacities that differ between sporting cohorts.

Investigating the Impact of the Premier League Reading Stars Programme on Children's Attainment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pabion, Clémence

2014-01-01

The evaluation of the Premier League Reading Stars (PLRS) programme in 2013 has established that the intervention is having a positive impact on the attainment of participating children in reading and writing: Three out of four children made at least six months' progress in just ten weeks. One child in three made a year's progress or more. The…

Depression, Anxiety, and Alcohol Use in Elite Rugby League Players Over a Competitive Season.

PubMed

Du Preez, Etienne J; Graham, Kenneth S; Gan, Thomas Y; Moses, Bassam; Ball, Chris; Kuah, Donald E

2017-11-01

To assess the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and rates of alcohol misuse in elite rugby league players in Australasia. A cross-sectional, epidemiological study with repeated measures. Surveys were conducted during the 2015 preseason and in-season. Four hundred four elite rugby league players participated preseason and 278 players in-season. Symptoms of depression were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scale, symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) with the GAD-7 scale, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Consumption scale was used to assess hazardous alcohol use. The overall prevalence of depression was 12.6% preseason and 10.1% in-season. Generalized anxiety disorder had a prevalence of 14.6% and 10.1% for these 2 periods. Overall, 68.6% of players had hazardous levels of alcohol use preseason, and 62.8% in-season. There was no significant difference for any of the main outcomes between the periods. Players with a history of mental illnesses had 5.62 greater odds (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.62-12.04) of depression than those without during preseason, and 22.08 greater odds (95% CI, 7.77-62.71) in-season. Players reporting ≥3 previous concussions had 2.02 greater odds (95% CI, 1.07-3.82) of depression than those reporting ≤2 in the preseason sample. Rugby league players have a lower prevalence of depression compared with studies of the general population and other athletes, but a higher prevalence of GAD, and high rates of alcohol misuse. Clubs may consider implementing regular screening for these conditions. Further prospective research to determine causality of independent factors is required.

Elbow Injuries in Professional Baseball: Epidemiological Findings From the Major League Baseball Injury Surveillance System.

PubMed

Ciccotti, Michael G; Pollack, Keisha M; Ciccotti, Michael C; D'Angelo, John; Ahmad, Christopher S; Altchek, David; Andrews, James; Curriero, Frank C

2017-08-01

Elbow injuries cause significant disability for the throwing athlete. Scant data are available on the distribution and characteristics of these injuries in elite baseball players. No study exists that focuses solely on the epidemiological characteristics of elbow injuries in professional baseball players using a comprehensive injury surveillance system. Professional baseball players have a high occurrence of elbow injuries influenced by factors including length of time playing, time period within the annual baseball season, and specific position played. Descriptive epidemiological study. Data on elbow injuries occurring during the 2011-2014 seasons were collected from Major League Baseball's Health Injury and Tracking System, a comprehensive injury surveillance system. Each specific type of elbow injury was evaluated with respect to overall injury rate, years as a professional player, mechanism of injury, treatment, average time lost, and return to play. During the study period, 3185 elbow injuries (n = 430 Major League; n = 2755 Minor League) occurred. The mean number of days missed and percentage requiring surgery were similar between Major and Minor League players. Overall, 20.0% (650/3185) of the injuries required surgical treatment. Pitchers were the most likely to incur an elbow injury (40.0% of injured athletes were pitchers), were the most likely to require surgery (34.2% of injured pitchers required surgery), and had the greatest mean number of days missed when treated nonsurgically (33.2 days). Medial injuries composed 42.1% (1342/3185) of all elbow injuries. Of all elbow surgeries performed during the study period, the highest percentage involved ligaments (372/650; 57.2%). Elbow injuries are a considerable source of disability in professional baseball players. Pitchers are most likely to incur these injuries, are most likely to require surgery, and have the highest mean number of days missed when treated nonsurgically. The most common injuries involve

Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts v. Bellotti.

PubMed

1989-02-07

The Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts instituted a class action suit challenging the constitutionality of a statute requiring minors seeking an abortion to obtain parental consent or to persuade a judge of their maturity to give informed consent or that abortion would be in their best interest. In order to invoke judicial review, the plaintiffs moved their suit to federal court. The District Court dismissed the case on grounds that federal review power would interfere with state administration. On appeal, the First Circuit Court of Appeals decided that the plaintiffs could proceed with their action. The Circuit Court found that federal adjudication would not unduly interfere with state administration and remanded the case for further proceedings. Although it affirmed the statute's validity, the circuit court ruled that the plaintiffs must be allowed the opportunity to demonstrate the statute's unconstitutionality.

Spanish translation and adaptation of Victoria Champion's Health Belief Model Scales for breast cancer screening--mammography.

PubMed

Medina-Shepherd, Rosario; Kleier, Jo Ann

2010-01-01

Victoria Champion used the constructs of the Health Belief Model as the foundation for developing Champion's Health Belief Scales for Mammography Screening (CHBMS). The instrument has been used to collect health beliefs about breast screening behaviors among various ethnic populations but has not been translated, adapted, or psychometrically evaluated in the Hispanic population. The purpose of this article was to report the translation and adaptation process from English to Spanish and the psychometric estimates of the validity and reliability of CHBMS-Spanish. The original instrument was translated from English to Spanish by a professional translator and back-translated into English by a focus group of healthcare professionals. The tool was given to 5 monolingual women to evaluate for content validity, translation validity, and cultural appropriateness. A total of 200 self-identified Hispanic women, literate in speaking and reading Spanish, aged 45 to 75 years, and without history of breast cancer were included in the analyses. The items of the scale formed coherent subsets that were relatively independent of each other and aligned to the 3 factors prescribed by the Health Belief Model constructs. Internal consistency values presented acceptable Cronbach alpha levels ranging from .69 to .83. Test-retest reliability correlations were .57 for susceptibility, .63 for benefits, and .83 for barriers. Overall, the Spanish version of CHBMS demonstrated acceptable preliminary values of reliability and validity. Further psychometric testing is recommended. The Spanish version of the CHBMS can be used by practicing nurses as an instrument to assess health beliefs concerning mammography screening among Spanish-speaking Hispanic women.

Champions are racers, not pacers: an analysis of qualification patterns of Olympic and IAAF World Championship middle distance runners.

PubMed

Hanley, Brian; Hettinga, Florentina J

2018-05-03

The aim of this study was to analyse qualification patterns in middle distance running and identify whether athletes adopt theoretically optimal tactics, or whether the will to win overrides these. The performances of 295 men and 258 women finalists in the Olympic and IAAF World Championship 800 m and 1500 m events from 1999 to 2017 were analysed across all three rounds of competition. Finishing position, time and ranking amongst all competitors were found for each athlete. Position in the final was correlated with finishing position in the heats and semi-finals (all P < 0.001), but not with finishing times in those rounds. Of the 57 champions, 40 won both their heat and semi-final, even though a lower automatic qualification position would have been sufficient, and only 18 achieved a season's best time in the final. The will to win amongst the eventual champions (and other medallists) suggests predominantly ego oriented behaviour that is encouraged by a performance climate, and which did not appear to differ between men and women. Coaches and athletes are recommended to note that championship-specific physiological and psychological factors are important to develop in training and prior competition to improve both short- and long-term championship strategies.

Influence of Field Position on Rugby League Players Requiring Shoulder Reconstruction.

PubMed

Bokor, D J; Sundaram, A; Graham, P L

2016-06-01

A consecutive series of patients sustaining their index anterior instability while playing Rugby League and requiring shoulder reconstruction was retrospectively reviewed and evaluated. The details of their on-field position and hand dominance at time of injury, the side of injury, and mechanism of injury were collated and statistically analyzed. A total of 173 Bankart repairs were performed on 132 patients, and 102 players had one injury while 30 had 2 or more injuries. Players are more likely to injure their non-dominant side (P=0.009) in the first-time injury. Whereas second and subsequent injuries were not associated with a particular side (P=0.81). Applying a Bonferroni correction to the chi-squared goodness-of-fit test of position at time of injury revealed players on the wing had a significantly lower frequency of injury (P<0.001), whereas the full back had a significantly higher frequency of injury (P<0.001). 30 players sustained 69 re-dislocations with the lock and fullback positions incurring significantly more re-injuries and the wing position fewer re-injuries than expected (P<0.006). Understanding which player positions on the rugby league field are more likely to sustain an anterior instability will assist medical and support staff to optimize the pre-season conditioning and post surgical rehabilitation of players. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Proposed International League Against Epilepsy Classification 2010: new insights.

PubMed

Udani, Vrajesh; Desai, Neelu

2014-09-01

The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Classification of Seizures in 1981 and the Classification of the Epilepsies, in 1989 have been widely accepted the world over for the last 3 decades. Since then, there has been an explosive growth in imaging, genetics and other fields in the epilepsies which have changed many of our concepts. It was felt that a revision was in order and hence the ILAE commissioned a group of experts who submitted the initial draft of this revised classification in 2010. This review focuses on what are the strengths and weaknesses of this new proposed classification, especially in the context of a developing country.

Anthropometric and Three-Compartment Body Composition Differences between Super League and Championship Rugby League Players: Considerations for the 2015 Season and Beyond

PubMed Central

Jones, Ben; Till, Kevin; Barlow, Matthew; Lees, Matthew; O’Hara, John Paul; Hind, Karen

2015-01-01

Super League (SL) and Championship (RLC) rugby league players will compete against each other in 2015 and beyond. To identify possible discrepancies, this study compared the anthropometric profile and body composition of current SL (full-time professional) and RLC (part-time semi-professional) players using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). A cross-sectional design involved DXA scans on 67 SL (n=29 backs, n=38 forwards) and 46 RLC (n=20 backs, n=26 forwards) players during preseason. A one-way ANOVA was used to compare age, stature, body mass, soft tissue fat percentage, bone mineral content (BMC), total and regional (i.e., arms, legs and trunk) fat and lean mass between SL forwards, SL backs, RLC forwards and RLC backs. No significant differences in age, stature or body mass were observed. SL forwards and backs had relatively less soft tissue fat (17.5 ± 3.7 and 14.8 ± 3.6 vs. 21.4 ± 4.3 and 20.8 ± 3.8%), greater BMC (4,528 ± 443 and 4,230 ± 447 vs. 4,302 ± 393 and 3,971 ± 280 g), greater trunk lean mass (37.3 ± 3.0 and 35.3 ± 3.8 vs. 34.9 ± 32.3 and 32.3 ± 2.6 kg) and less trunk fat mass (8.5 ± 2.7 and 6.2 ± 2.1 vs. 10.7 ± 2.8 and 9.5 ± 2.9 kg) than RLC forwards and backs. Observed differences may reflect selection based on favourable physical attributes, or training adaptations. To reduce this discrepancy, some RLC players should reduce fat mass and increase lean mass, which may be of benefit for the 2015 season and beyond. PMID:26221720

ACL Report. A Report of the Activities of the American Classical League 1977-1978.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawall, Gilbert

Five topics of interest to persons involved in classical studies are discussed in this report: (1) "A Survey of the Classical Scene" focusses on the future of classical studies in elementary and secondary schools with some mention of the situation in colleges and universities. (2) "ACL: The State of the League" includes…

Equal Opportunity Employers: The Department of Defense and Major League Baseball

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

indication of the black athlete’s presence in American sports: Of the more than 1,300 players in the NFL, about 60 percent are Black. In the NBA , black...enabled today’s successes to manifest themselves. The Nearo Leacue Although, black players were forbidden from playing within the white league, this...actuality as opposing player had spit in his face. ’I don’t know any other player that could have gone through2 what he did and been successful

KSC-04PD-1315

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Jack Legere, NASA Quality Assurance specialist for the Shuttle Program, displays the Stanley Cup to employees in the Orbiter Processing Facility. Behind him is Discovery. Jay Feaster, general manager of the National Hockey League 2004 Champions Tampa Bay Lightning, brought the cup to KSC while on a tour. The cup was also briefly available for viewing by employees in the KSC Training Auditorium. The Stanley Cup weighs 35 pounds and is more than 100 years old. The Lightning will be added to the cup in September.

Time-loss injuries versus non-time-loss injuries in the first team rugby league football: a pooled data analysis.

PubMed

Gissane, Conor; Hodgson, Lisa; Jennings, De

2012-09-01

To describe the injury rates in first team rugby league in terms of those injuries that require missed playing time and those that do not. A pooled data analysis from 2 independent databases. Rugby league match and training environment over several seasons from 1990 to 2003. Injuries were reported as rates per 1000 hours of participation and as percentages with their associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 1707 match injuries were recorded. Of these injuries, 257 required players to miss the subsequent match. The remaining 1450 injuries did not require players to miss the next game. They represented 85% (95% CI, 83-87) of all injuries received and recorded. The ratio of non-time-loss (NTL) to time-loss (TL) injuries was 5.64 (95% CI, 4.96-6.42). There were 450 training injuries, of which 81 were TL injuries and 369 NTL injuries. The NTL training injury rate was 4.56 (95% CI, 3.58-5.79) times higher than TL injury rate. Non-time-loss injuries represent the largest proportion of injuries in rugby league. If NTL injuries are not recorded, the workload of practitioners is likely to be severely underestimated.

The relative efficacy of three recovery modalities after professional rugby league matches.

PubMed

Webb, Nicholas P; Harris, Nigel K; Cronin, John B; Walker, Craig

2013-09-01

This study investigated the relative efficacy of postgame recovery modalities on jump height performance and subjective ratings of muscle soreness and muscle damage at 1, 18, and 42 hours after professional rugby league competition games. Twenty-one professional rugby league players performed 3 different postmatch recovery modalities: cold water immersion (CWI), contrast water therapy (CWT), and active recovery (ACT). The effects of the recovery treatments were analyzed with mixed modeling including a covariate (fatigue score) to adjust for changes in the intensity of each match on the postmatch values of the dependent variables of interest. Standardization of effects was used to make magnitude-based inferences, presented as mean with ±90% confidence limits. Cold water immersion and CWT clearly recovered jump height performance (CWI 2.3 ± 3.7%; CWT 3.5 ± 4.1%), reduced muscle soreness (CWI -0.95 ± 0.37; CWT -0.55 ± 0.37), and decreased creatine kinase (CWI -11.0 ± 15.1%; CWT 18.2 ± 20.1%) by 42 hours postgame compared with ACT. Contrast water therapy was however clearly more effective compared with CWI on the recovery of muscle soreness and creatine kinase by 42 hours postgame. Based on these findings, CWT recovery is recommended postmatch for team rugby sports.

Double-Play: Using Minor League Baseball to Apply Themes and Standards in Human Geography Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeitler, Ezra

2013-01-01

Growing student interest in sports provides geography teachers with a special opportunity to make connections between it and fundamental concepts in the discipline. This article examines the structure, arrangement, relationships, and distinctions among minor league baseball franchise locations, stadia, and team names, and presents examples of…

Use of the King-Devick test for sideline concussion screening in junior rugby league.

PubMed

King, D; Hume, P; Gissane, C; Clark, T

2015-10-15

To determine whether the King-Devick (K-D) test used as a sideline test in junior rugby league players over 12 matches in a domestic competition season could identify witnessed and incidentally identified episodes of concussion. A prospective observational cohort study of a club level junior rugby league team (n=19) during the 2014 New Zealand competition season involved every player completing two pre-competition season baseline trials of the K-D test. Players removed from match participation, or who reported any signs or symptoms of concussion were assessed on the sideline with the K-D test and referred for further medical assessment. Players with a pre- to post-match K-D test difference >3s were referred for physician evaluation. The baseline test-retest reliability of the K-D test was high (rs=0.86; p<0.0001). Seven concussions were medically identified in six players who recorded pre- to post-match K-D test times greater than 3s (mean change of 7.4s). Post-season testing of players demonstrated improvement of K-D time scores consistent with learning effects of using the K-D test (67.7s vs. 62.2s). Although no witnessed concussions occurred during rugby play, six players recorded pre- to post-match changes with a mean delay of 4s resulting in seven concussions being subsequently confirmed post-match by health practitioners. All players were medically managed for a return to sports participation. The K-D test was quickly and easily administered making it a practical sideline tool as part of the continuum of concussion assessment tools for junior rugby league players. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Family Life Program for the Women's Home Leagues of the Salvation Army. Leader's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salvation Army. New York, NY.

This guide, one of a series of Education for Parenthood manuals developed for use in Salvation Army demonstration programs, offers a course to be used by the Army's Women's Home Leagues, other women's groups, or young married couples. Subject matter focuses on changing patterns of family life, parent-child relationships, and ways to strengthen the…

Movement Demands and Running Intensities of Semi-Professional Rugby League Players during A 9’s Tournament: A Case Study

PubMed Central

Inglis, Paul; Bird, Stephen P.

2017-01-01

The objective of the study was to describe the movement demands and running intensities of semi-professional rugby league players during a rugby league 9’s (RL9’s) tournament. Six semi-professional rugby league players competed in a RL9’s tournament over a two-day period comprising of six games. Movement demands and running intensities were recorded using Global Positioning System (GPS) devices providing data on distance and speeds. Data is presented as mean (95% Confidence Intervals) with changes (≥ 75%) likely to exceed the smallest worthwhile change (0.2) considered practically important. Outside backs performed significantly (p < 0.05) more relative VHSR (3.9 m [3.5-4.3] vs 2.4 m [2.1-2.8]) absolute (97.7 m [81.3-114.1] vs 22.6m [15.8-29.3]) and relative (5.0 m·min-1 [4.2-5.9] vs 1.2 m·min-1 [0.8-1.6]) sprint distance than the forwards. Outside backs also performed significantly (p < 0.05) more absolute (97.7 m [81.3-114.1] vs 43.9 m [27.2-60.7]) and relative (5.0 m·min-1 [4.2-5.9] vs 2.3 m·min-1 [1.4-3.2]) sprint distance than the adjustables. Moderate (0.6 – 1.2) to very large (> 2.0) decreases in performance variables were observed over the two days. The biggest magnitude of change over the two days was seen with very large decreases in relative HSR (- 2.10) and sprint (- 2.14) distance. Between playing groups, the outside backs had the biggest decrease in running intensity with a very large (- 2.32) significant (p < 0.05) decrease in VHSR on day 2 (3.3 m·min-1 [2.5 – 4.1]) compared to day 1 (4.9 m·min-1 [4.4 – 5.4]). Running intensities are decreased during an intensified RL9’s tournament in semi-professional rugby league players. The observed decreases in running performances between playing groups are in agreement with previous research and may support the use of individualized player monitoring and recovery management during a RL9’s tournament-style competition. Key points Running intensities are decreased during an intensified

About a Week in Nottingham. Themes from the Conference of the International League for Social Commitment in Adult Education (2nd, Nottingham, England, July 13-18, 1986).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International League for Social Commitment in Adult Education, London (England).

The first five papers in these proceedings focus on the organization and process of the International League for Social Commitment in Adult Education (ILSCAE). They are "Product into Process: The International League, Its Background, Organization, and Structure" (Anette Svensson, Alan Tuckett); "The Language Question" (John Payne); "Gender Issues"…

Comment on Brent Beal's and Heather Olson Beal's "Rethinking the Market Metaphor: School Choice, the Common Good, and the National Football League"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bast, Joseph L.

2013-01-01

In their article "Rethinking the Market Metaphor: School Choice, the Common Good, and the National Football League," Brent D. Beal and Heather K. Olson Beal (this issue) promise to update some of the arguments made by Jeffrey R. Henig (1994) and add an interesting twist by proposing the National Football League (NFL) as a possible…

Rate of return to pitching and performance after Tommy John surgery in Major League Baseball pitchers.

PubMed

Erickson, Brandon J; Gupta, Anil K; Harris, Joshua D; Bush-Joseph, Charles; Bach, Bernard R; Abrams, Geoffrey D; San Juan, Angielyn M; Cole, Brian J; Romeo, Anthony A

2014-03-01

Medial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction is a common procedure performed on Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers in the United States. To determine (1) the rate of return to pitching (RTP) in the MLB after UCL reconstruction, (2) the RTP rate in either the MLB and minor league combined, (3) performance after RTP, and (4) the difference in the RTP rate and performance between pitchers who underwent UCL reconstruction and matched controls without UCL injuries. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Major League Baseball pitchers with symptomatic medial UCL deficiency who underwent UCL reconstruction were evaluated. All player, elbow, and surgical demographic data were analyzed. Controls matched by age, body mass index, position, handedness, and MLB experience and performance were selected from the MLB during the same years as those undergoing UCL reconstruction. An "index year" was designated for controls, analogous to the UCL reconstruction year in cases. Return to pitching and performance measures in the MLB were compared between cases and controls. Student t tests were performed for analysis of within-group and between-group variables, respectively. A total of 179 pitchers with UCL tears who underwent reconstruction met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Of these, 148 pitchers (83%) were able to RTP in the MLB, and 174 pitchers were able to RTP in the MLB and minor league combined (97.2%), while only 5 pitchers (2.8%) were never able to RTP in either the MLB or minor league. Pitchers returned to the MLB at a mean 20.5 ± 9.72 months after UCL reconstruction. The length of career in the MLB after UCL reconstruction was 3.9 ± 2.84 years, although 56 of these patients were still currently actively pitching in the MLB at the start of the 2013 season. The revision rate was 3.9%. In the year before UCL reconstruction, pitching performance declined significantly in the cases versus controls in the number of innings pitched, games played, and wins and

Bauru School of Dentistry Tele-Health League: an educational strategy applied to research, teaching and extension among applications in tele-health

PubMed Central

da SILVA, Andressa Sharllene Carneiro; RIZZANTE, Fabio Antonio Piola; PICOLINI, Mirela Machado; de CAMPOS, Karis; CORRÊA, Camila de Castro; FRANCO, Elen Caroline; PARDO-FANTON, Cássia de Souza; BLASCA, Wanderléia Quinhoneiro; BERRETIN-FELIX, Giédre

2011-01-01

Tele-health is more than an innovative alternative; it is an excellent tool that enables access to health and education in health, making it possible to minimize distances, optimize time and reduce costs. Based on these advantages, some Brazilian Universities have used these actions in strategies of education, research and extension, aiming at the application of Tele-health in Brazil. In that way, the Bauru School of Dentistry - University of São Paulo (FOB-USP) has applied the use of information and communication technologies in health by means of a "Tele-Health League" (TL), in order to diagnose, prevent and treat diseases, in addition to educate the population and health services. Objective The present study aims to introduce the characteristics of the Tele-Health League of FOB-USP, as well as the development of its projects. Material and Methods The Tele-Health League consisted as a Diffusion Course approved by the Provost of Culture and Academic Extension of the University of São Paulo. It is composed as a large group enclosing professoriate coordinator, academician principal, contributing professors and league members, those, diversified between undergraduates students, graduated, health employees, technology and information areas. The participant members are evaluated by the presence frequency (minimum of 85%), and by the performance of tests and paperwork about the theoretical content provided. Results In four years of activities, the TLFOB-USP obtained a high satisfaction index (90%), an increased number of vacancies due to the interest to become a member, more commitment of the professors of the University and the accomplishment of association with other Brazilian leagues. It is emphasized that the approval percentage of the course results in approval from approximately half of its members. Also, it is important to identify and repair the causes related to the quitting of some members. Conclusions The results showed that the TLFOB-USP members, adjoining

Bauru School of Dentistry Tele-Health League: an educational strategy applied to research, teaching and extension among applications in tele-health.

PubMed

Silva, Andressa Sharllene Carneiro da; Rizzante, Fabio Antonio Piola; Picolini, Mirela Machado; Campos, Karis de; Corrêa, Camila de Castro; Franco, Elen Caroline; Pardo-Fanton, Cássia de Souza; Blasca, Wanderléia Quinhoneiro; Berretin-Felix, Giédre

2011-01-01

Tele-health is more than an innovative alternative; it is an excellent tool that enables access to health and education in health, making it possible to minimize distances, optimize time and reduce costs. Based on these advantages, some Brazilian Universities have used these actions in strategies of education, research and extension, aiming at the application of Tele-health in Brazil. In that way, the Bauru School of Dentistry - University of São Paulo (FOB-USP) has applied the use of information and communication technologies in health by means of a "Tele-Health League" (TL), in order to diagnose, prevent and treat diseases, in addition to educate the population and health services. The present study aims to introduce the characteristics of the Tele-Health League of FOB-USP, as well as the development of its projects. The Tele-Health League consisted as a Diffusion Course approved by the Provost of Culture and Academic Extension of the University of São Paulo. It is composed as a large group enclosing professoriate coordinator, academician principal, contributing professors and league members, those, diversified between undergraduates students, graduated, health employees, technology and information areas. The participant members are evaluated by the presence frequency (minimum of 85%), and by the performance of tests and paperwork about the theoretical content provided. In four years of activities, the TLFOB-USP obtained a high satisfaction index (90%), an increased number of vacancies due to the interest to become a member, more commitment of the professors of the University and the accomplishment of association with other Brazilian leagues. It is emphasized that the approval percentage of the course results in approval from approximately half of its members. Also, it is important to identify and repair the causes related to the quitting of some members. The results showed that the TLFOB-USP members, adjoining to the professor's participants, develop projects

Player Selection Bias in National Football League Draftees.

PubMed

Beyer, Kyle S; Fukuda, David H; Redd, Michael J; Stout, Jeffrey R; Hoffman, Jay R

2016-11-01

Beyer, KS, Fukuda, DH, Redd, MJ, Stout, JR, and Hoffman, JR. Player selection bias in National Football League draftees. J Strength Cond Res 30(11): 2965-2971, 2016-Relative age effects (RAEs) have been studied as a potential factor associated with player selection bias in numerous sports. However, little research has examined the role of RAEs among National Football League (NFL) draftees. The purpose of the current study was to determine the existence of RAEs in NFL draftees from the last 10 NFL drafts. Draftee birth dates were collected and divided into calendar and scholastic quarters (SQ1-SQ4). To determine the presence of RAEs in specific subsets, NFL draftees were grouped according to round drafted, position, level of conference play, and age at the time of the draft. Significant χ tests (p ≤ 0.05) comparing observed birth-date distributions vs. the expected birth-date distribution from the general population were followed up by calculating the standardized residual for each quarter (z > ±2.0 indicating significance). Overall, no RAEs were seen when birth-date distribution was assessed using calendar quarters (p = 0.47), but more draftees were born in SQ2 (December-February) than expected (p < 0.01; z = +2.2). Significantly more draftees were born in SQ2 than expected for middle-round draftees (p = 0.01; z = +2.4), skill positions (p = 0.03; z = +2.3), Power Five college draftees (p < 0.01; z = +2.6), and early draftees (p < 0.01; z = +3.1). However, reverse RAEs were seen among late draftees, with fewer draftees being born in SQ2 (z = -3.6) and more being born in SQ4 (June-August; z = +2.6) than expected. In contrast to previous research, the current study observed significant RAEs in NFL draftees from the last 10 years. This player selection bias should be considered when evaluating long-term athlete development models in American football.

THE INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE AGAINST EPILEPSY AT THE THRESHOLD OF ITS SECOND CENTURY: YEAR 1

PubMed Central

MOSHÉ, Solomon L.; PERUCCA, EMILIO; WIEBE, SAMUEL; MATHERN, GARY W.

2010-01-01

In July 2009, the International League against Epilepsy (ILAE) developed its four-year strategic plan in collaboration with past, current, and future leaders (www.ilae-epilepsy.org). This is the first yearly progress report, prepared by the management committee and the chair of the Strategic Task Force, to highlight progress toward achieving the plan’s goals. PMID:21219305

The League of Astronomers: Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paat, Anthony; Brandel, A.; Schmitz, D.; Sharma, R.; Thomas, N. H.; Trujillo, J.; Laws, C. S.; Astronomers, League of

2014-01-01

The University of Washington League of Astronomers (LOA) is an organization comprised of University of Washington (UW) undergraduate students. Our main goal is to share our interest in astronomy with the UW community and with the general public. The LOA hosts star parties on the UW campus and collaborates with the Seattle Astronomical Society (SAS) on larger Seattle-area star parties. At the star parties, we strive to teach our local community about what they can view in our night sky. LOA members share knowledge of how to locate constellations and use a star wheel. The relationship the LOA has with members of SAS increases both the number of events and people we are able to reach. Since the cloudy skies of the Northwest prevent winter star parties, we therefore focus our outreach on the UW Mobile Planetarium, an inflatable dome system utilizing Microsoft’s WorldWide Telescope (WWT) software. The mobile planetarium brings astronomy into the classrooms of schools unable to travel to the UW on-campus planetarium. Members of the LOA volunteer their time towards this project and we make up the majority of the Mobile Planetarium volunteers. Our outreach efforts allow us to connect with the community and enhance our own knowledge of astronomy.

In Pursuit of Becoming a Senior Coach: The Learning Culture for Australian Football League Coaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mallett, Clifford J.; Rossi, Tony; Rynne, Steven B.; Tinning, Richard

2016-01-01

Background and Purpose: Given the turbulent and highly contested environment in which professional coaches work, a prime concern to coach developers is how coaches learn their craft. Understanding the learning and development of senior coaches (SCs) and assistant coaches (ACs) in the Australian Football League (AFL--the peak organisation for…

Promoting wellbeing and improving access to mental health care through community champions in rural India: the Atmiyata intervention approach.

PubMed

Shields-Zeeman, Laura; Pathare, Soumitra; Walters, Bethany Hipple; Kapadia-Kundu, Nandita; Joag, Kaustubh

2017-01-01

There are limited accounts of community-based interventions for reducing distress or providing support for people with common mental disorders (CMDs) in low and middle-income countries. The recently implemented Atmiyata programme is one such community-based mental health intervention focused on promoting wellness and reducing distress through community volunteers in a rural area in the state of Maharashtra, India. This case study describes the content and the process of implementation of Atmiyata and how community volunteers were trained to become Atmiyata champions and mitras ( friends ). The Atmiyata programme trained Atmiyata champions to provide support and basic counselling to community members with common mental health disorders, facilitate access to mental health care and social benefits, improve community awareness of mental health issues, and to promote well-being. Challenges to implementation included logistical challenges (difficult terrain and weather conditions at the implementation site), content-related challenges (securing social welfare benefits for people with CMDs), and partnership challenges (turnover of public health workers involved in referral chain, resistance from public sector mental health specialists). The case study serves as an example for how such a model can be sustained over time at low cost. The next steps of the programme include evaluation of the impact of the Atmiyata intervention through a pre-post study and adapting the intervention for further scale-up in other settings in India.

Scheduling for the National Hockey League Using a Multi-objective Evolutionary Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craig, Sam; While, Lyndon; Barone, Luigi

We describe a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm that derives schedules for the National Hockey League according to three objectives: minimising the teams' total travel, promoting equity in rest time between games, and minimising long streaks of home or away games. Experiments show that the system is able to derive schedules that beat the 2008-9 NHL schedule in all objectives simultaneously, and that it returns a set of schedules that offer a range of trade-offs across the objectives.

Syndesmosis and lateral ankle sprains in the National Football League.

PubMed

Osbahr, Daryl C; Drakos, Mark C; O'Loughlin, Padhraig F; Lyman, Stephen; Barnes, Ronnie P; Kennedy, John G; Warren, Russell F

2013-11-01

Syndesmosis sprains in the National Football League (NFL) can be a persistent source of disability, especially compared with lateral ankle injuries. This study evaluated syndesmosis and lateral ankle sprains in NFL players to allow for better identification and management of these injuries. Syndesmosis and lateral ankle sprains from a single NFL team database were reviewed over a 15-year period, and 32 NFL team physicians completed a questionnaire detailing their management approach. A comparative analysis was performed analyzing several variables, including diagnosis, treatment methods, and time lost from sports participation. Thirty-six syndesmosis and 53 lateral ankle sprains occurred in the cohort of NFL players. The injury mechanism typically resulted from direct impact in the syndesmosis and torsion in the lateral ankle sprain group (P=.034). All players were managed nonoperatively. The mean time lost from participation was 15.4 days in the syndesmosis and 6.5 days in the lateral ankle sprain groups (P⩽.001). National Football League team physicians varied treatment for syndesmosis sprains depending on the category of diastasis but recommended nonoperative management for lateral ankle sprains. Syndesmosis sprains in the NFL can be a source of significant disability compared with lateral ankle sprains. Successful return to play with nonoperative management is frequently achieved for syndesmosis and lateral ankle sprains depending on injury severity. With modern treatment algorithms for syndesmosis sprains, more aggressive nonoperative treatment is advocated. Although the current study shows that syndesmosis injuries require longer rehabilitation periods when compared with lateral ankle sprains, the time lost from participation may not be as prolonged as previously reported. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

What is the impact of research champions on integrating research in mental health clinical practice? A quasiexperimental study in South London, UK.

PubMed

Oduola, Sherifat; Wykes, Til; Robotham, Dan; Craig, Tom K J

2017-09-11

Key challenges for mental health healthcare professionals to implement research alongside clinical activity have been highlighted, such as insufficient time to apply research skills and lack of support and resources. We examined the impact of employing dedicated staff to promote research in community mental health clinical settings. Quasiexperiment before and after study. South London and Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust. 4455 patients receiving care from 15 community mental health teams between 1 December 2013 and 31 December 2014. The proportion of patients approached for research participation in clinical services where research champions were present (intervention group), and where research champions were not present (comparison group). Patients in the intervention group were nearly six times more likely to be approached for research participation (Adj. OR=5.98; 95% CI 4.96 to 7.22). Investing in staff that promote and drive research in clinical services increases opportunities for patients to hear about and engage in clinical research studies. However, investment needs to move beyond employing short-term staff. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test performances within an entire football league during a full season.

PubMed

Mohr, Magni; Krustrup, Peter

2014-01-01

The study examined Yo-Yo intermittent recovery level 2 (YYIR2) and submaximal YYIR1 test performances in 172 male semi-professional football players (age; 25.8 ± 4.1 years) representing all teams in a top league at pre-season, start-season, mid-season and end-season. YYIR2 performance was 847 ± 227 m (±SD) at pre-season and rose (P < 0.05) by 128 ± 113 m to 975 ± 205 m at start of season and further (P < 0.05) by 59 ± 102 m to 1034 ± 211 m at mid-season. Submaximal YYIR1 HR was 90.9 ± 4.2% HR(max) at pre-season, which was higher (P < 0.05) than at start, mid and end of season (87.0 ± 3.9, 85.9 ± 4.1 and 87.0 ± 3.7% HR(max), respectively). Peak YYIR2 performance and minimum YYIR1 HR were 1068 ± 193 m and 85.1 ± 3.8% HR(max), respectively, with ~50% of the players peaking at mid-season. Top-teams and middle-teams had higher (P < 0.05) peak YYIR2 scores (1094 ± 205 and 1121 ± 152 m, respectively) than bottom-teams (992 ± 185 m). YYIR2 performance was 16% higher (P < 0.05) and YYIR1 HR was 1.4% HR(max) lower (P < 0.05) for regular players than non-regular players at pre-season and remained lower (P < 0.05) throughout the season. Central defenders had poorer (P < 0.05) YYIR performances compared to other positional roles. In conclusion, YYIR performances are highly variable within a football league over a season and are influenced by league ranking, regularity of competitive play and playing position.

The impact of a cervical spine diagnosis on the careers of National Football League athletes.

PubMed

Schroeder, Gregory D; Lynch, T Sean; Gibbs, Daniel B; Chow, Ian; LaBelle, Mark W; Patel, Alpesh A; Savage, Jason W; Nuber, Gordon W; Hsu, Wellington K

2014-05-20

Cohort study. To determine the effect of cervical spine pathology on athletes entering the National Football League. The association of symptomatic cervical spine pathology with American football athletes has been described; however, it is unknown how preexisting cervical spine pathology affects career performance of a National Football League player. The medical evaluations and imaging reports of American football athletes from 2003 to 2011 during the combine were evaluated. Athletes with a cervical spine diagnosis were matched to controls and career statistics were compiled. Of a total of 2965 evaluated athletes, 143 players met the inclusion criteria. Athletes who attended the National Football League combine without a cervical spine diagnosis were more likely to be drafted than those with a diagnosis (P = 0.001). Players with a cervical spine diagnosis had a decreased total games played (P = 0.01). There was no difference in the number of games started (P = 0.08) or performance score (P = 0.38). In 10 athletes with a sagittal canal diameter of less than 10 mm, there was no difference in years, games played, games started, or performance score (P > 0.24). No neurological injury occurred during their careers. In 7 players who were drafted with a history of cervical spine surgery (4 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, 2 foraminotomy, and 1 suboccipital craniectomy with a C1 laminectomy), there was no difference in career longevity or performance when compared with matched controls. This study suggests that athletes with preexisting cervical spine pathology were less likely to be drafted than controls. Players with preexisting cervical spine pathology demonstrated a shorter career than those without; however, statistically based performance and numbers of games started were not different. Players with cervical spinal stenosis and those with a history of previous surgery demonstrated no difference in performance-based outcomes and no reports of neurological

"The Major Forces that Need to Back Medical Tourism Were … in Alignment": Championing Development of Barbados's Medical Tourism Sector.

PubMed

Johnston, Rory; Crooks, Valorie A; Snyder, Jeremy; Whitmore, Rebecca

2015-01-01

Governments around the world have expressed interest in developing local medical tourism sectors, framing the industry as an opportunity for economic growth and health system improvement. This article addresses questions about how the desire to develop a medical tourism sector in a country emerges and which stakeholders are involved in both creating momentum and informing its progress. Presenting a thematic analysis of 19 key informant interviews conducted with domestic and international stakeholders in Barbados's medical tourism sector in 2011, we examine the roles that "actors" and "champions" at home and abroad have played in the sector's development. Physicians and the Barbadian government, along with international investors, the Medical Tourism Association, and development agencies, have promoted the industry, while actors such as medical tourists and international hospital accreditation companies are passively framing the terms of how medical tourism is unfolding in Barbados. Within this context, we seek to better understand the roles and relationships of various actors and champions implicated in the development of medical tourism in order to provide a more nuanced understanding of how the sector is emerging in Barbados and elsewhere and how its development might impact equitable health system development. © The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions:]br]sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Championing telemedicine adoption and utilization in healthcare organizations in New Zealand.

PubMed

Al-Qirim, Nabeel

2007-01-01

This research explored the adoption and the utilisation of telemedicine (TM) in two healthcare organizations (HCOs) in New Zealand (NZ). The research utilised the technological innovation theories, as a guiding theoretical framework, to develop a set of potential determinants which could assist in understanding the adoption and the depth of the TM phenomenon in the two HCOs. Using case studies design, the findings across the two cases revealed that TM was adopted according to its cost-benefit analysis. Although this approach was found to be important in assessing the adoption of TM, not considering the importance of other factors, highlighted in this research, such as the compatibility and the trialability aspects of the TM technology had a detrimental impact on the success of TM in both cases. This research stressed the need for the tight coupling between the roles of both the administrative and the clinical managers in HCOs in order to champion TM adoption and diffusion and to overcome many of the barriers that could hinder telemedicine success in HCOs in NZ. The research points to other implications with respect to the literature and highlights further research in this important area.

Understanding How Participants Become Champions and Succeed in Adopting Healthy Lifestyles: A Storytelling of a Community Health and Nutrition Program at a Land-Grant University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keo, Phalla Duong

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate and understand the experiences of participants who become champions and succeed in adopting healthy lifestyles. The setting was a health and nutrition educational program at University of Minnesota Extension. The main research questions were: How do participants in the Community Health Education Program…

Community health promotion and medical provision for neonatal health-CHAMPION cluster randomised trial in Nagarkurnool district, Telangana (formerly Andhra Pradesh), India.

PubMed

Boone, Peter; Eble, Alex; Elbourne, Diana; Frost, Chris; Jayanty, Chitra; Lakshminarayana, Rashmi; Mann, Vera; Mukherjee, Rohini; Piaggio, Gilda; Reddy, Padmanabh

2017-07-01

In the mid-2000s, neonatal mortality accounted for almost 40% of deaths of children under 5 years worldwide, and constituted 65% of infant deaths in India. The neonatal mortality rate in Andhra Pradesh was 44 per 1,000 live births, and was higher in the rural areas and tribal regions, such as the Nagarkurnool division of Mahabubnagar district (which became Nagarkurnool district in Telangana in 2014). The aim of the CHAMPION trial was to investigate whether a package of interventions comprising community health promotion and provision of health services (including outreach and facility-based care) could lead to a reduction of the order of 25% in neonatal mortality. The design was a trial in which villages (clusters) in Nagarkurnool with a population < 2,500 were randomised to the CHAMPION package of health interventions or to the control arm (in which children aged 6-9 years were provided with educational interventions-the STRIPES trial). A woman was eligible for the CHAMPION package if she was married and <50 years old, neither she nor her husband had had a family planning operation, and she resided in a trial village at the time of a baseline survey before randomisation or married into the village after randomisation. The CHAMPION intervention package comprised community health promotion (including health education via village health worker-led participatory discussion groups) and provision of health services (including outreach, with mobile teams providing antenatal check-ups, and facility-based care, with subsidised access to non-public health centres [NPHCs]). Villages were stratified by travel time to the nearest NPHC and tribal status, and randomised (1:1) within strata. The primary outcome was neonatal mortality. Secondary outcomes included maternal mortality, causes of death, health knowledge, health practices including health service usage, satisfaction with care, and costs. The baseline survey (enumeration) was carried out between August and November 2007

Community health promotion and medical provision for neonatal health—CHAMPION cluster randomised trial in Nagarkurnool district, Telangana (formerly Andhra Pradesh), India

PubMed Central

Boone, Peter; Eble, Alex; Frost, Chris; Mann, Vera; Reddy, Padmanabh

2017-01-01

Background In the mid-2000s, neonatal mortality accounted for almost 40% of deaths of children under 5 years worldwide, and constituted 65% of infant deaths in India. The neonatal mortality rate in Andhra Pradesh was 44 per 1,000 live births, and was higher in the rural areas and tribal regions, such as the Nagarkurnool division of Mahabubnagar district (which became Nagarkurnool district in Telangana in 2014). The aim of the CHAMPION trial was to investigate whether a package of interventions comprising community health promotion and provision of health services (including outreach and facility-based care) could lead to a reduction of the order of 25% in neonatal mortality. Methods and findings The design was a trial in which villages (clusters) in Nagarkurnool with a population < 2,500 were randomised to the CHAMPION package of health interventions or to the control arm (in which children aged 6–9 years were provided with educational interventions—the STRIPES trial). A woman was eligible for the CHAMPION package if she was married and <50 years old, neither she nor her husband had had a family planning operation, and she resided in a trial village at the time of a baseline survey before randomisation or married into the village after randomisation. The CHAMPION intervention package comprised community health promotion (including health education via village health worker–led participatory discussion groups) and provision of health services (including outreach, with mobile teams providing antenatal check-ups, and facility-based care, with subsidised access to non-public health centres [NPHCs]). Villages were stratified by travel time to the nearest NPHC and tribal status, and randomised (1:1) within strata. The primary outcome was neonatal mortality. Secondary outcomes included maternal mortality, causes of death, health knowledge, health practices including health service usage, satisfaction with care, and costs. The baseline survey (enumeration) was

Adapting Champion's Breast Cancer Fear Scale to colorectal cancer: psychometric testing in a sample of older Chinese adults.

PubMed

Leung, Doris Y P; Wong, Eliza M L; Chan, Carmen W H

2014-06-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common type of cancer in both men and women, and older adults are more susceptible to this disease. Previous studies suggest that cancer fear may be a key predictor of participation in cancer screening. Yet there is a lack of validated measuring tools of fear relating to CRC for the Chinese older adult population. This study aims to test the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Colorectal Cancer Fear Scale (CRCFS), adapting from the Champion's Breast Cancer Fear Scale. The CRCFS was developed by altering the wording 'breast cancer' to 'colorectal cancer'. Interviewer-administered surveys were carried out with a convenience sample of 250 community-dwelling adults aged at least 60 years old without a history of cancer. A subsample of 40 participants completed the scale again at one-month. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the one-factor model provided excellent fits to the overall data, and two randomly split samples. Cronbach's alpha of the scale was 0.95 and test-retest reliability was 0.52. Positive and significant correlations of CRC Cancer Fear with CRC-related susceptibility, severity and barriers were observed. A non-linear relationship with benefits was found. The findings provide support for the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the Champion Cancer Fear with an adaption to CRC in a sample of community dwelling older Chinese adults. The scale provides a useful tool to assess CRC-related fear, which interventions should address in order to improve screening rates among older Chinese adults. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PLAYERS' PERCEPTIONS OF HOME ADVANTAGE IN THE AUSTRALIAN RUGBY LEAGUE COMPETITION.

PubMed

Mcguckin, Teneale A; Sinclair, Wade H; Sealey, Rebecca M; Bowman, Paul W

2015-12-01

This study was designed to pilot a survey to explore players' perception of home advantage in a rugby league. Twenty-seven players from one team with an identified home advantage believed a home advantage existed as a result of their home crowd (52%), family and friends' support (41%), normal travel (45%) and sleeping arrangements (37%), home weather conditions (48%), and familiarity with playing amenities (37%). However, the players were less definite about influences while playing away from home. The current sample of players identified differing influences, highlighting individual variations in perceived determinants. Individual interviews or focus groups will be required for further exploration.

Epidemiology and history of knee injury and its impact on activity limitation among football premier league professional referees.

PubMed

Mahdavi Mohtasham, Hamid; Shahrbanian, Shahnaz; Khoshroo, Fatemeh

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the epidemiology and history of knee injury and its impact on activity limitation among football premier league professional referees in Iran. This was a descriptive study. 59 Football Premier League professional referees participated in the study. The knee injury related information such as injury history and mechanism was recorded. Injury related symptoms and their impacts on the activity limitation, ability to perform activities of daily living as well participation in sports and recreational activities was obtained through the Knee Outcome Survey (KOS). The results indicated that 31 out of 59 participants reported the history of knee injury. In addition, 18.6%, 22.4% and 81% of the referees reported that they had been injured during the last 6 months of the last year, and at some point in their refereeing careers, respectively. Results further indicated that 48.8% of the injuries occurred in the non-dominant leg and they occurred more frequently during training sessions (52%). Furthermore, the value of KOS was 85 ± 13 for Activities of Daily Living subscale and 90 ± 9 for Sports and Recreational Activities subscale of the KOS. Knee injury was quite common among the Football Premier League professional referees. It was also indicated that the injuries occurred mainly due to insufficient physical fitness. Therefore, it is suggested that football referees undergo the proper warm-up program to avoid knee injury.

Vitamin D profile in National Football League players.

PubMed

Maroon, Joseph C; Mathyssek, Christina M; Bost, Jeffrey W; Amos, Austin; Winkelman, Robert; Yates, Anthony P; Duca, Mark A; Norwig, John A

2015-05-01

By maintaining phosphate and calcium homeostasis, vitamin D is critical for bone health and possibly physical performance. Hence, vitamin D is important to athletes. Few studies have investigated vitamin D levels in relation to fractures and performance in athletes, and no published study has included a multiracial sample of professional American football players. To assess vitamin D levels, including the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency, in professional American football players and to evaluate the association of vitamin D levels with race, fracture history, and the ability to obtain a contract position, which may be a marker for athletic performance. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Serum vitamin D levels of 80 professional football players from a single team in the National Football League were obtained during the 2011 off-season (mean age, 26.5±3.7 years; black, n=67 [84%]). These levels were used to compare injury reports from the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons. Statistical analyses were performed to test if vitamin D levels were related to race, fracture history, and the ability to obtain a contract position. Mean vitamin D level was 27.4±11.7 ng/mL, with significantly lower levels for black players (25.6±11.3 ng/mL) versus white players (37.4±8.6 ng/mL; F 1,78=13.00, P=.001). All athletes who were vitamin D deficient were black. When controlling for number of professional years played, vitamin D levels were significantly lower in players with at least 1 bone fracture when compared with no fractures. Players who were released during the preseason because of either injury or poor performance had significantly lower vitamin D levels than did players who played in the regular season. Black professional football players have a higher rate of vitamin D deficiency than do white players. Furthermore, professional football players with higher vitamin D levels were more likely to obtain a contract position in the National Football League

26 CFR 1.501(c)(6)-1 - Business leagues, chambers of commerce, real estate boards, and boards of trade.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... trade. Thus, its activities should be directed to the improvement of business conditions of one or more... to be self-sustaining, is not a business league. An association engaged in furnishing information to...

26 CFR 1.501(c)(6)-1 - Business leagues, chambers of commerce, real estate boards, and boards of trade.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... trade. Thus, its activities should be directed to the improvement of business conditions of one or more... to be self-sustaining, is not a business league. An association engaged in furnishing information to...

26 CFR 1.501(c)(6)-1 - Business leagues, chambers of commerce, real estate boards, and boards of trade.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... trade. Thus, its activities should be directed to the improvement of business conditions of one or more... to be self-sustaining, is not a business league. An association engaged in furnishing information to...

26 CFR 1.501(c)(6)-1 - Business leagues, chambers of commerce, real estate boards, and boards of trade.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... trade. Thus, its activities should be directed to the improvement of business conditions of one or more... to be self-sustaining, is not a business league. An association engaged in furnishing information to...

Prevalence of Os Styloideum in National Hockey League Players

PubMed Central

Greditzer, Harry G.; Hutchinson, Ian D.; Geannette, Christian S.; Hotchkiss, Robert N.; Kelly, Bryan T.; Potter, Hollis G.

2017-01-01

Background: Os styloideum describes an accessory carpal ossicle between the trapezoid, the capitate, and the second and third metacarpals. Injuries to this tissue have been described as part of the carpal boss syndrome. While the etiology of os styloideum remains uncertain, it may represent a physiologic response to altered loading forces in the wrist, similar to the development of cam-type deformity in the hips of ice hockey players or the Bennett lesion in the shoulders of baseball pitchers. Hypothesis: Professional hockey players will have a higher prevalence of os styloideum compared with the general population. Study Design: Case series. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Methods: A retrospective review of 16 professional hockey players from 4 different National Hockey League (NHL) teams who underwent unilateral imaging of the wrist was performed. Seventeen wrists were reviewed for the presence of os styloideum. Results: Thirteen of 16 players (81%) had an os styloideum, representing an increased prevalence compared with the general population. Previous clinical and cadaveric studies estimated a general prevalence of up to 19% (P < 0.001). For the 10 players who had their leading wrist scanned, 9 had an os styloideum (90%). Ten of 11 (91%) players demonstrated a bone marrow edema pattern within the metacarpal and the os styloideum on magnetic resonance imaging. There was no significant association between the presence of an os styloideum and the player’s position, leading wrist, or years in the league. Conclusion: There appears to be an increased prevalence of os styloideum among NHL players, and team physicians should consider this finding while formulating a differential diagnosis for dorsal wrist pain. Clinical Relevance: This study identified NHL players as having an increased prevalence of os styloideum compared with the general population. By doing so, these findings represent an opportunity to enhance our understanding of the etiology, clinical significance

Anthropometric characteristics of Australian junior representative rugby league players.

PubMed

Cheng, Hoi Lun; O'Connor, Helen; Kay, Shelley; Cook, Rebecca; Parker, Helen; Orr, Rhonda

2014-09-01

To comprehensively describe anthropometric characteristics of Australian junior elite rugby league players and assess potential anthropometric dissimilarities between players of varying positional groups, ethnicity (Polynesian vs. non-Polynesian) and playing level (junior vs. professional; using published data from Australian professional players). Cross-sectional study. Height, body mass, eight skinfolds, five girths and two bone breadths were measured with body fat (BF%) and somatotype calculated using population-appropriate equations. mean ± SD. This study recruited 116 junior players. Mean age, mass and BF% were 17 ± 1 y, 87.0 ± 11.6 kg and 14.0 ± 4.6% respectively. Compared to backs, forwards had greater mass (92.6 ± 12.2 vs. 80.9 ± 7.1 kg), skinfolds, girths, femur breadth, BF% (16.1 ± 4.8% vs. 11.8 ± 3.2%) (all p<0.01), and were more endo- and mesomorphic, but less ectomorphic (all p<0.001). Compared to other positional groups, props had greater mass, adiposity, calf girth and endomorphy, while adjustables (fullbacks, five-eighths, halfbacks, hookers) had the shortest stature (all p<0.01). Polynesians exhibited greater height (181.0 ± 5.7 vs. 178.7 ± 6.3 cm), mass (90.6 ± 11.7 vs. 84.7 ± 11.1 kg), arm and calf girths, bone breadths and mesomorphy (7.6 ± 1.2 vs. 6.7 ± 1.1) than non-Polynesians (all p<0.05). Juniors had lower height, mass, waist and smaller sum of skinfolds than professional players (all p<0.05). Greater mass, mesomorphy, adiposity and bone size in forwards is desirable for tackling and attacking and may protect against high impact forces sustained in this position. Advantageous anthropometric attributes exhibited in Polynesian players may influence selection into junior elite rugby league teams. Anthropometric data from this study may assist other junior players and coaches with training, dietary modification and position allocation. Copyright © 2013 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Preseason Training on the Sleep Characteristics of Professional Rugby League Players.

PubMed

Thornton, Heidi R; Delaney, Jace A; Duthie, Grant M; Dascombe, Ben J

2018-02-01

To investigate the influence of daily and exponentially weighted moving training loads on subsequent nighttime sleep. Sleep of 14 professional rugby league athletes competing in the National Rugby League was recorded using wristwatch actigraphy. Physical demands were quantified using GPS technology, including total distance, high-speed distance, acceleration/deceleration load (SumAccDec; AU), and session rating of perceived exertion (AU). Linear mixed models determined effects of acute (daily) and subacute (3- and 7-d) exponentially weighted moving averages (EWMA) on sleep. Higher daily SumAccDec was associated with increased sleep efficiency (effect-size correlation; ES = 0.15; ±0.09) and sleep duration (ES = 0.12; ±0.09). Greater 3-d EWMA SumAccDec was associated with increased sleep efficiency (ES = 0.14; ±0.09) and an earlier bedtime (ES = 0.14; ±0.09). An increase in 7-d EWMA SumAccDec was associated with heightened sleep efficiency (ES = 0.15; ±0.09) and earlier bedtimes (ES = 0.15; ±0.09). The direction of the associations between training loads and sleep varied, but the strongest relationships showed that higher training loads increased various measures of sleep. Practitioners should be aware of the increased requirement for sleep during intensified training periods, using this information in the planning and implementation of training and individualized recovery modalities.

Asymmetry after hamstring injury in English Premier League: issue resolved, or perhaps not?

PubMed

Barreira, P; Drust, B; Robinson, M A; Vanrenterghem, J

2015-06-01

Hamstring injuries constitute one of the most concerning injuries in English Premier League football, due to its high primary incidence but also its recurrence. Functional methods assessing hamstring function during high-risk performance tasks such as sprinting are vital to identify potential risk factors. The purpose of this study was to assess horizontal force deficits during maximum sprint running on a non-motorized treadmill in football players with previous history of hamstring strains as a pre-season risk-assessment in a club setting. 17 male football players from one Premier League Club were divided into 2 groups, experimental (n=6, age=24.5±2.3 years) and control (n=11, age=21.3±1.2 years), according to history of previous hamstring injury. Participants performed a protocol including a 10-s maximum sprint on a non-motorized treadmill. Force deficits during acceleration phase and steady state phases of the sprint were assessed between limbs and between groups. The main outcome measures were horizontal and vertical peak forces during the acceleration phase or steady state. There were no significant differences in peak forces between previously injured and non-injured limbs, or between groups, challenging the ideas around functional force deficits in sprint running as a diagnostic measure of hamstring re-injury risk. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Experiential Learning in the Introductory Class: The Role of Minor League Hockey in Teaching Social Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forrest, Krista D.

2005-01-01

To convince my students they are surrounded by social psychology, we attended a minor league hockey game. During the next class period I asked students to write a brief paragraph about their experiences. From those paragraphs I chose four reoccurring themes to analyze from a social psychological perspective. My introductory classes and I benefited…

Intersection of Re-Designated National League for Nursing Centers of Excellence(TM) and Quality in Nursing Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merriam, Deborah

2013-01-01

Nursing education is challenged to meet a growing demand for nurses, while substantiating the quality of the educational experience as well as the achievement of desired student outcomes. The National League for Nursing (NLN) Centers of Excellence (COE) in Nursing Education(TM) program represents high performing nursing schools which utilize…

Influence of field position and phase of play on the physical demands of match-play in professional rugby league forwards.

PubMed

Gabbett, Tim J; Polley, Chris; Dwyer, Dan B; Kearney, Simon; Corvo, Alex

2014-09-01

No study has investigated the influence of field position and phase of play on the physical demands of match-play in professional rugby league forwards. We investigated the physical demands placed on forwards in elite rugby league matches, with special reference to how these demands differed between attack and defence, and in different field positions. Cohort study. Twenty-two rugby league players (26 ± 3 years) from the same professional club participated in this study. Global positioning system (GPS) analysis was completed during 23 matches. Video footage was synchronised with the GPS files and coded for the time spent in attack and defence, and in one of three different field positions (0-30 m, 31-70 m, 71-100 m). The physical demands of defence were consistently greater than attack. Moderate to large differences (ES=0.62-1.41) were found between defence and attack for distance covered (109 ± 16 m/min vs. 82 ± 12 m/min), low speed distance (104 ± 15 m/min vs. 78 ± 11 m/min), frequency of collisions (1.9 ± 0.7/min vs. 0.8 ± 0.3/min), and repeated high-intensity effort bouts (1 every 4.9 ± 5.1 min vs. 1 every 9.4 ± 6.1 min). The running demands and frequency of repeated high-intensity effort bouts were greater when defending in the opposition's 30 m zone (i.e. 71-100 m), with repeated high-intensity effort bouts also occurring more frequently when defending the team's own try-line and when attacking the opposition's try-line. Specific training drills designed to replicate the attacking and defensive demands of different field positional zones are likely to be effective in preparing players for the most demanding activities that occur in professional rugby league match-play. Copyright © 2013 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seasonal change in bone, muscle and fat in professional rugby league players and its relationship to injury: a cohort study

PubMed Central

Georgeson, Erin C; Weeks, Benjamin K; McLellan, Chris; Beck, Belinda R

2012-01-01

Objectives To examine the anthropometric characteristics of an Australian National Rugby League team and identify the relationship to type and incidence of injuries sustained during a professional season. It was hypothesised that body composition would not change discernibly across a season and that injury would be negatively related to preseason bone and muscle mass. Design A repeated measure, prospective, observational, cohort study. Setting Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia. Participants 37 professional male Australian National Rugby League players, 24.3 (3.8) years of age were recruited for preseason 1 testing, of whom 25 were retested preseason 2. Primary and secondary outcome measures Primary outcome measures included biometrics; body composition (bone, muscle and fat mass; dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry; XR800, Norland Medical Systems, Inc); bone geometry and strength (peripheral quantitative CT; XCT 3000, Stratec); calcaneal broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA; QUS-2, Quidel); diet and physical activity history. Secondary outcome measures included player injuries across a single playing season. Results Lean mass decreased progressively throughout the season (pre=81.45(7.76) kg; post=79.89(6.72) kg; p≤0.05), while whole body (WB) bone mineral density (BMD) increased until mid-season (pre=1.235(0.087) g/cm2; mid=1.296(0.093) g/cm2; p≤0.001) then decreased thereafter (post=1.256(0.100); p≤0.001). Start-of-season WB BMD, fat and lean mass, weight and tibial mass measured at the 38% site predicted bone injury incidence, but no other relationship was observed between body composition and injury. Conclusions Significant anthropometric changes were observed in players across a professional rugby league season, including an overall loss of muscle and an initial increase, followed by a decrease in bone mass. Strong relationships between anthropometry and incidence of injury were not observed. Long-term tracking of large rugby league cohorts is

Determinants of Major League Baseball Pitchers' Career Length.

PubMed

Hardy, Rich; Ajibewa, Tiwaloluwa; Bowman, Ray; Brand, Jefferson C

2017-02-01

To investigate variables (injury, position, performance, and pitching volume) that affect the career longevity of Major League Baseball pitchers. To be eligible, pitchers must have entered Major League Baseball between 1989 and 1992 without missing information for the variables on the website http://www.baseball-reference.com. The variables assessed were average innings pitched per year before and after age 25 years, earned run average, walks and hits divided by innings pitched, strikeout to walk ratio, pitching position, time on the disabled list, length of career, and starting and retirement age. We used analysis of variance to compare the differences between groups and a regression model to assess the relationship between variables before age 25 years and career length. Mean retirement age for the group was 31.74 (95% confidence interval 30.83-32.65) and mean career length was 10.97 (95% confidence interval, 10.02-11.92) years. Innings pitched after age 25 years increased slightly, but not significantly, from the number of innings pitched before age 25 years, 85.35 versus 74.25, P = .5063. Career earned run average was not significantly different after age 25 years compared with before age 25 years, 4.83 versus 5.58, respectively, P = .8834. Both strikeout to walk ratio, 1.55 to 1.77, P = .0022, and walks and hits divided by innings pitched, 1.63 to 1.50, P = .0339, improved significantly after age 25 years compared with before age 25 years. The position the player started and ended his career (starter or reliever) did not influence career length. Multiple regression analysis comparing the variables from before age 25 revealed only the number of innings pitched before age 25 were positively related to career length, R 2  = 0.1408, P < .0001. All other variables analyzed before age 25 years were not significantly related to career length. The only studied variable that had significant relationship, which was weak to low, with career length was

Outcomes in revision Tommy John surgery in Major League Baseball pitchers.

PubMed

Liu, Joseph N; Garcia, Grant H; Conte, Stan; ElAttrache, Neal; Altchek, David W; Dines, Joshua S

2016-01-01

With the recent rise in the number of Tommy John surgeries, a proportionate rise in revisions is expected. However, much is unknown regarding the current revision rate of Tommy John surgery, return to play, and change in performance in Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers. Publicly available databases were used to obtain a list of all MLB pitchers who underwent primary and revision Tommy John surgery. Pitching performance preoperatively and postoperatively for pitchers who returned to 1 or more MLB games after revision surgery was compared with controls matched for age and position. Since 1999, 235 MLB pitchers have undergone Tommy John surgeries; 31 pitchers (13.2%) underwent revision surgery, and 37% underwent revision within 3 years of the index procedure. Twenty-six revisions had more than 2 years of follow-up; 17 pitchers (65.4%) returned to pitch at least 1 major league game, whereas only 11 (42.3%) returned to pitch 10 or more games. Of those who returned to MLB competition, the average length of recovery was 20.76 months. Compared with controls matched for age and position, MLB pitchers undergoing revision surgery had a statistically shorter career after revision surgery (4.9 vs 2.6 seasons, P = .002), pitched fewer innings, and had fewer total pitches per season. The rate of revision Tommy John surgery is substantially higher than previously reported. For MLB pitchers, return to play after revision surgery is much lower than after primary reconstruction. The overall durability of MLB pitchers after revision ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction decreases significantly compared with controls matched for age and matched controls. Copyright © 2016 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Making the Best of a World Dominated by League Tables? New Developments in the International Ranking of Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, 2010

2010-01-01

Two interesting initiatives have started to develop more balanced international league tables of universities. The first initiative is being taken by UK magazine the Times Higher Education (THE), which recently entered into a collaboration with both the international academic community and research-metrics company Thomsons Reuters to create an…

[Correct inhalation therapy: instructions provided by Internet-based video screens. An initiative of the German Airway League].

PubMed

Knipel, V; Criée, C P; Windisch, W

2013-03-01

Inhalation therapy is well recognized as a cornerstone treatment of airway diseases. In daily practice, however, high failure rates of inhalation technique are evident, which substantially attenuates the treatment success. In 2011 the German Airway League has initiated the production of video screens for correct inhalation aimed at providing an efficient and globally available platform for information. All devices regularly used have been filmed and published via internet and DVD; thereby, video screens, spoken text passages, and visual insertion of information have been combined. Here, all important steps of inhalation therapy like preparation, performance, and termination have been covered. Video screens of 20 different devices lasting between 1:42 and 3:11 min:sec have been produced between July 2011 and January 2013 and published on the YouTube channel of the German Airway League with more than 70.000 clicks so far (27. February 2013). Pragmatic, internet-based video screens on the correct inhalation therapy are available and are cost-free. Further studies aimed at evaluating the benefits of these screens are necessary. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Criterion and Construct Validity of an Isometric Midthigh-Pull Dynamometer for Assessing Whole-Body Strength in Professional Rugby League Players.

PubMed

Dobbin, Nick; Hunwicks, Richard; Jones, Ben; Till, Kevin; Highton, Jamie; Twist, Craig

2018-02-01

To examine the criterion and construct validity of an isometric midthigh-pull dynamometer to assess whole-body strength in professional rugby league players. Fifty-six male rugby league players (33 senior and 23 youth players) performed 4 isometric midthigh-pull efforts (ie, 2 on the dynamometer and 2 on the force platform) in a randomized and counterbalanced order. Isometric peak force was underestimated (P < .05) using the dynamometer compared with the force platform (95% LoA: -213.5 ± 342.6 N). Linear regression showed that peak force derived from the dynamometer explained 85% (adjusted R 2  = .85, SEE = 173 N) of the variance in the dependent variable, with the following prediction equation derived: predicted peak force = [1.046 × dynamometer peak force] + 117.594. Cross-validation revealed a nonsignificant bias (P > .05) between the predicted and peak force from the force platform and an adjusted R 2 (79.6%) that represented shrinkage of 0.4% relative to the cross-validation model (80%). Peak force was greater for the senior than the youth professionals using the dynamometer (2261.2 ± 222 cf 1725.1 ± 298.0 N, respectively; P < .05). The isometric midthigh pull assessed using a dynamometer underestimates criterion peak force but is capable of distinguishing muscle-function characteristics between professional rugby league players of different standards.

Body Mass Index Versus Body Fat Percentage in Prospective National Football League Athletes: Overestimation of Obesity Rate in Athletes at the National Football League Scouting Combine.

PubMed

Provencher, Matthew T; Chahla, Jorge; Sanchez, George; Cinque, Mark E; Kennedy, Nicholas I; Whalen, Jim; Price, Mark D; Moatshe, Gilbert; LaPrade, Robert F

2018-04-01

Provencher, MT, Chahla, J, Sanchez, G, Cinque, ME, Kennedy, NI, Whalen, J, Price, MD, Moatshe, G, and LaPrade, RF. Body mass index versus body fat percentage in prospective national football league athletes: overestimation of obesity rate in athletes at the national football league scouting combine. J Strength Cond Res 32(4): 1013-1019, 2018-Obesity has been previously noted as a major issue in the National Football League (NFL), where it has been shown that 97% of all players demonstrate a body mass index (BMI) of ≥25.0 with a reported obesity rate of 56% (BMI ≥ 30.0). However, BMI does not take into account body composition by mass, and may overestimate prevalence of obesity. The purposes of this study were (a) to determine the validity of BMI as a measure of body fat percentage and obesity in athletes at the NFL Combine, (b) to define the obesity rate based on body fat percentage compared with BMI, and (c) to determine the relationship between draft status and body composition. It was hypothesized that the rate of obesity, as measured by air displacement plethysmography (ADP), would be less than the rate of obesity as measured using BMI. Athletes who competed at the 2010 through 2016 NFL Combines were included in this study. Air displacement plethysmograph testing at the Combine was performed through BOD POD Body Composition Tracking System with collection of the following metrics: body fat percentage (%), and compared with BMI based on weight and height. In addition, the metrics were evaluated for differences over the 7-year study period to determine temporal changes and to determine draft status based on position relative to BOD POD calculations. A total of 1,958 NFL Combine participants completed ADP body composition testing. Based on BMI (≥30.0), the obesity rate was 53.4% versus an 8.9% obesity rate when using ADP. Drafted players demonstrated a significantly lower body fat percentage than undrafted players (p ≤ 0.05), with the exception of

Influence of field size on the physiological and skill demands of small-sided games in junior and senior rugby league players.

PubMed

Gabbett, Tim J; Abernethy, Bruce; Jenkins, David G

2012-02-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of changes in field size on the physiological and skill demands of small-sided games in elite junior and senior rugby league players. Sixteen elite senior rugby league players ([mean ± SE] age, 23.6 ± 0.5 years) and 16 elite junior rugby league players ([mean ± SE] age, 17.3 ± 0.3 years) participated in this study. On day 1, 2 teams played an 8-minute small-sided game on a small field (10-m width × 40-m length), whereas the remaining 2 teams played the small-sided game on a larger sized field (40-m width × 70-m length). On day 2, the groups were crossed over. Movement was recorded by a global positioning system unit sampling at 5 Hz. Games were filmed to count the number of possessions and the number and quality of disposals. The games played on a larger field resulted in a greater (p < 0.05) total distance covered, and distances covered in moderate, high, and very-high velocity movement intensities. Senior players covered more distance at moderate, high, and very-high intensities, and less distance at low and very-low intensities during small-sided games than junior players. Although increasing field size had no significant influence (p > 0.05) over the duration of recovery periods for junior players, larger field size significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the amount of short-, moderate-, and long-duration recovery periods in senior players. No significant between-group differences (p > 0.05) were detected for games played on a small or large field for the number or quality of skill involvements. These results suggest that increases in field size serve to increase the physiological demands of small-sided games but have minimal influence over the volume or quality of skill executions in elite rugby league players.

Final Report of the Evaluation of the Benjamin Franklin Urban League Street Academy, ESEA Title I 1969-1970.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teaching and Learning Research Corp., New York, NY.

The purpose of the Benjamin Franklin Urban League Street Academy Program is to help students stay in school, help dropouts to return to school, or help students enter the job market. The program was evaluated in three categories: East Side Cluster Service, summer enrichment, and educational programs. The major evaluation objectives were to…

Does the way concussion is portrayed affect public awareness of appropriate concussion management: the case of rugby league.

PubMed

McLellan, Tracey L; McKinlay, Audrey

2011-09-01

It is important to identify factors that might adversely affect appropriate medical consultation and management of concussion. One factor that might present a barrier to timely intervention is media portrayal of concussion in sporting events, such as professional rugby league. Accordingly, the current study employed a surveillance method of publicly available broadcast information to establish the incidence rate of probable concussion in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership 2010 season and examined how these injury events were shown to be managed with respect to return-to-play procedures. The incident rate for probable concussion was higher than previously reported: 11.10\\1000 player hours (95% CI 5.78 to 16.40) and was likely underestimated. Importantly, most injured players were shown to continue playing or return to play despite being visibly concussed and described as such by the commentary team. Although 'return-to-play decisions' for professional players are guided by medical assessment, the authors discuss whether the way concussion is portrayed might affect public awareness of appropriate concussion management.

Dementia in a retired world boxing champion: case report and literature review.

PubMed

Nowak, L A; Smith, G G; Reyes, P F

2009-01-01

Dementia in retired boxers, also referred to as "dementia pugilistica" (DP), is usually attributed to repeated concussive and subconcussive blows to the head. We report the case of a former world boxing champion whose progressive cognitive decline could be ascribed to DP, cerebral infarcts and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. This case demonstrates that dementia in retired boxers may be caused and/or exacerbated by etiologic factors other than DP. We correlated the clinical features with the histochemical and immunohistochemical changes observed on autopsy brain material from a retired boxer, reviewed the literature on boxing-related dementia, and compared our findings with previous reports on DP. Neuropathologic examination revealed numerous neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), rare neuritic plaques (NPs), multiple cerebral infarcts, fenestrated septum pellucidum, atrophic and gliotic mamillary bodies, and pale substantia nigra and locus ceruleus. Our neuropathologic data confirmed the notion that dementia in retired boxers could be due to several factors such as DP, multiple cerebral infarcts and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Our findings illustrate the need to comprehensively examine former boxers with dementia as well as carefully evaluate the neuropathologic changes that may cause or contribute to the patient's cognitive and behavioral symptoms. Such an approach is crucial in order to provide prompt and more definitive therapies.

Changes in pitching mechanics after ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction in major league baseball pitchers.

PubMed

Portney, Daniel A; Lazaroff, Jake M; Buchler, Lucas T; Gryzlo, Stephen M; Saltzman, Matthew D

2017-08-01

Medial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction is a common procedure performed on Major League Baseball pitchers. Variations in pitching mechanics before and after UCL reconstructive surgery are not well understood. Publicly available pitch tracking data (PITCHf/x) were compared for all Major League Baseball pitchers who underwent UCL reconstruction between 2008 and 2013. Specific parameters analyzed were fastball percentage, release location, velocity, and movement of each pitch type. These data were compared before and after UCL reconstructive surgery and compared with a randomly selected control cohort. There were no statistically significant changes in pitch selection or pitch accuracy after UCL reconstruction, nor was there a decrease in pitch velocity. The average pitch release location for 4-seam and 2-seam fastballs, curveballs, and changeups is more medial after UCL reconstruction (P < .01). Four-seam fastballs and sliders showed decreased horizontal breaking movement after surgery (P < .05), whereas curveballs showed increased downward breaking movement after surgery (P < .05). Pitch selection, pitch velocity, and pitch accuracy do not significantly change after UCL reconstruction, nor do players who require UCL reconstruction have significantly different pitch selection, velocity, or accuracy than a randomly selected control cohort. Pitch release location is more medial after UCL reconstruction for all pitch types except sliders. Breaking movement of fastballs, sliders, and curveballs changes after UCL reconstruction. Copyright © 2017 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cardiac surgical outcomes improvement led by a physician champion working with a nurse clinical coordinator.

PubMed

Stanford, John R; Swaney-Berghoff, Laurie; Recht, Kimberly

2012-01-01

Cardiac surgical outcomes improvement in a community hospital was driven by a physician champion working with a nurse clinical coordinator. Specific system improvements implemented were (1) nurse checklists of vital signs, cardiovascular function parameters, and life support appliance operation; (2) use of the EuroSCORE system of preoperative patient risk assessment; (3) monthly morbidity and mortality conferences; and (4) daily patient progress tracking. The hospital received 1 star (bottom 12% of hospitals for quality outcomes) from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Database in 2006 prior to program inception, 2 stars (middle 76% of hospitals for quality outcomes) in 2007 and 2008, and 3 stars (top 12% of hospitals) in 2009. The physician and nurse together combined a strategy for clinical improvement with the cultural practices at the hospital to ensure that system improvements approved at the strategic level were implemented at the point of care. Both strategy and culture must be addressed to ensure patient outcomes improvement.

A developmental and psychoeducational approach to reducing conflict and abuse in little league and youth sports. The sport psychiatrist's role.

PubMed

Kamm, R L

1998-10-01

To stress a point made earlier, whether backyard or Little League, the tone of the youth sports experience is greatly influenced by the player and team selection process. All possible steps should therefore be taken to ensure that the draft is held on high moral ground, and that the adult participants, even on the Major Little League level, behave cooperatively rather than competitively. If it is the community's hope that Little League will "build character, and not characters," it must embrace Shields and Bredemeier's work and flood the Draft Room with the four virtues of compassion, fairness, sportspersonship, and integrity. In one attempt to achieve fairness and balance, some leagues enter player evaluations into a data base and allow a properly programmed computer to project equal teams. It might be best, however, to borrow a page from backyard baseball, and make team selection a more cooperative venture. Wolff has proposed such a draft model. He recommends that each child's name be placed on a big blackboard at the beginning of the draft. All assembled give their assessment of each child's baseball ability, and a consensus skill-level number (one through five) is entered next to each player's name. If there are 72 names, and the league wishes to form six teams of 12 players each, dividing up the rated players so that the skill levels balance would assure everyone (coaches, parents, the league, and by extension, the community) that the teams were of relatively equal strength. No coach at this point would know to which team he or she was being assigned, so there would be no motive for "stacking" a given team. Each team would be designated by a letter of the alphabet, and the six letters would be thrown into a hat. The six coaches would then blindly pick a team from the hat. If a coach desired that his or her child play on his or her team, fair adjustments (trades) could be made subject to majority agreement. The three draft models can be summarized as follows

Modifying Rules of a Regular Girls Softball League to Facilitate the Inclusion of a Child with Severe Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernabe, Elaine A.; Block, Martin E.

1994-01-01

Coaches and players were assisted in modifying select rules of a girls' fast-pitch softball league so as to accommodate the skill limitations of a player with moderate to severe disabilities. The girl's batting average and on-base average indicated that modifications were effective. The player was well received by her teammates and other teams.…

Final Report of the Evaluation of the 1970-71 Benjamin Franklin Urban League Street Academy. ESEA Title I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erickson, Edsel; Wortham, James

The objective of the Benjamin Franklin Urban League Street Academy, funded under Title I of the Elementary Secondary Education Act of 1965, is to help students to stay in school or to help dropouts to return to school, or enter the world of work prepared and motivated to adjust and achieve satisfactorily. The major evaluation objectives of this…

Does self-perceived sleep reflect sleep estimated via activity monitors in professional rugby league athletes?

PubMed

Caia, Johnpaul; Thornton, Heidi R; Kelly, Vincent G; Scott, Tannath J; Halson, Shona L; Cupples, Balin; Driller, Matthew W

2018-07-01

This study examined agreement between self-perceived sleep and sleep estimated via activity monitors in professional rugby league athletes. 63 athletes, from three separate teams wore actigraphy monitors for 10.3 ± 3.9 days. During the monitoring period, ratings of perceived sleep quality (on a 1-5 and 1-10 Likert scale), and an estimate of sleep duration were recorded daily. Agreement between sleep estimated via activity monitors and self-perceived sleep was examined using mean bias, Pearson correlation (r) and typical error of the estimate (TEE). 641 nights of sleep were recorded, with a very large, positive correlation observed between sleep duration estimated via activity monitors and subjective sleep duration (r = 0.85), and a TEE of 48 minutes. Mean bias revealed subjective sleep duration overestimated sleep by an average of 19.8 minutes. The relationship between sleep efficiency estimated via activity monitors and self-perceived sleep quality on a 1-5 (r = 0.22) and 1-10 Likert scale (r = 0.28) was limited. The outcomes of this investigation support the use of subjective measures to monitor sleep duration in rugby league athletes when objective means are unavailable. However, practitioners should be aware of the tendency of athletes to overestimate sleep duration.

Arthroscopic Surgical Technique for an Acute Talar Dome Osteochondral Lesion in a Professional Rugby League Player.

PubMed

Sullivan, Martin; Fraser, Ethan J; Linklater, James; Harris, Craig; Morgan, Kieran

2017-06-01

Talar osteochondral lesions represent challenging clinical entities, particularly in high-demand athletes. Surgical treatment of large lesions often requires a 2-step procedure, or the use of osteotomy in the case of autologous osteochondral transfer, which can delay return to sport. A professional rugby league player underwent surgery for a complex injury to the ankle. A talar osteochondral lesion with a maximal diameter of 15 mm was treated in an arthroscopic fashion using the cartilage taken from the completely displaced osteochondral fragment. Cartilage was cut into chips and combined with bone graft product containing platelet-derived growth factor and a porous collagen scaffold. Autologous cartilage was then reimplanted arthroscopically. The patient was allowed full ankle motion from 2 weeks postoperatively, and weightbearing was commenced at 6 weeks. Follow-up imaging and functional outcomes, including return to sport, were assessed at regular intervals. The patient was able to return to professional rugby league by 23 weeks postoperatively. Magnetic resonance imaging at 16 months postoperatively showed restoration of the subchondral plate and osseous infill. At final follow-up, the patient remained pain free and was playing at preinjury level. This report describes good outcomes using a novel, 1-step cartilage repair technique to treat a large talar osteochondral lesion in a professional athlete. Level V: Expert opinion.

Premier League academy soccer players' experiences of competing in a tournament bio-banded for biological maturation.

PubMed

Cumming, Sean P; Brown, Daniel J; Mitchell, Siobhan; Bunce, James; Hunt, Dan; Hedges, Chris; Crane, Gregory; Gross, Aleks; Scott, Sam; Franklin, Ed; Breakspear, Dave; Dennison, Luke; White, Paul; Cain, Andrew; Eisenmann, Joey C; Malina, Robert M

2018-04-01

Individual differences in the growth and maturation have been shown to impact player performance and development in youth soccer. This study investigated Premier League academy players' experiences of participating in a tournament bio-banded for biological maturation. Players (N = 66) from four professional soccer clubs aged 11 and 14 years and between 85-90% of adult stature participated in a tournament. Players competed in three 11 vs 11 games on a full size pitch with 25-min halves. Sixteen players participated in four 15-min focus groups and were asked to describe their experiences of participating in the bio-banded tournament in comparison to age group competition. All players described their experience as positive and recommended the Premier League integrate bio-banding into the existing games programme. In comparison to age-group competitions, early maturing players described the bio-banded games more physically challenging, and found that they had to adapt their style of play placing a greater emphasis on technique and tactics. Late maturing players considered the games to be less physically challenging, yet appreciated the having more opportunity to use, develop and demonstrate their technical, physical, and psychological competencies. Bio-banding strategies appear to contribute positively towards the holistic development of young soccer players.

Injury incidence in a men's elite bandy league: an epidemiological study of a full regular season.

PubMed

Timpka, T; Risto, O; Borg, K; Johansson, J

2007-12-01

Bandy is a popular European winter team-sport. The best bandy teams participate in semi-professional leagues, where the play-off games attract more than 10,000 spectators. Injury patterns in elite bandy have not been investigated previously. The aim of this study is to examine the incidence and types of injuries sustained during elite bandy games for men. Twelve of the 16 teams in the Swedish elite bandy league during the 2002 season participated in the study. In total, 36 injuries were recorded, corresponding to 7.3 injuries/1000 player game hours and 5.7 injuries/1000 athlete exposures. Collision was the most common injury cause (47%), while contusion was the most common injury type (25%), followed by fracture (22%) and ligament rupture (19%). The study showed that the injury incidence in elite bandy is low, but also that the injuries that are still sustained are relatively severe. This pattern can be explained by the fact that even though bandy rules do not allow body checks, collisions between skaters moving at high speeds still cause the majority of injuries. Further studies of the injury rehabilitation practices, and the implementation and evaluation of safety programs in elite bandy are warranted.

Concussions are associated with decreased batting performance among Major League Baseball players.

PubMed

Wasserman, Erin B; Abar, Beau; Shah, Manish N; Wasserman, Daniel; Bazarian, Jeffrey J

2015-05-01

Concussions impair balance, visual acuity, and reaction time--all of which are required for high-level batting performance--but the effects of concussion on batting performance have not been reported. The authors examined this relationship between concussion and batting performance among Major League Baseball (MLB) players. Batting performance among concussed MLB players will be worse upon return to play than batting performance among players missing time for noninjury reasons. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. The authors identified MLB players who sustained a concussion between 2007 and 2013 through league disabled-list records and a Baseball Prospectus database. For a comparison group, they identified players who went on paternity or bereavement leave during the same period. Using repeated-measures generalized linear models, the authors compared 7 batting metrics between the 2 groups for the 2 weeks upon return, as well as 4 to 6 weeks after return, controlling for pre-leave batting metrics, number of days missed, and position. The authors identified 66 concussions and 68 episodes of bereavement/paternity leave to include in the analysis. In the 2 weeks after return, batting average (.235 vs .266), on-base percentage (.294 vs .326), slugging percentage (.361 vs .423), and on-base plus slugging (.650 vs .749) were significantly lower among concussed players relative to the bereavement/paternity leave players (time×group interaction, P<.05). In weeks 4 to 6 after leave, these metrics were slightly lower in concussed players but not statistically significantly so. Although concussed players may be asymptomatic upon return to play, the residual effects of concussion on the skills required for batting may still be present. Further work is needed to clarify the mechanism through which batting performance after concussion is adversely affected and to identify better measures to use for return-to-play decisions. © 2015 The Author(s).

Performance Outcomes After Hook of Hamate Fractures in Major League Baseball Players.

PubMed

Guss, Michael S; Begly, John P; Ramme, Austin J; Taormina, David P; Rettig, Michael E; Capo, John T

2017-07-17

Major League Baseball (MLB) players are at risk of hook of hamate fractures. There is a paucity of data assessing the effect of a hook of hamate fracture on MLB players' future athletic performance. To determine if MLB players who sustain hook of hamate fractures demonstrate decreased performance upon return to competition when compared with their performance before injury and that of their control-matched peers. Retrospective Case-Control Design. Retrospective Database Study. 18 MLB players who sustained hook of hamate fractures. Data for 18 MLB players with hook of hamate fractures incurred over 26 seasons (1989 to 2014) were obtained from injury reports, press releases, and player profiles ( www.mlb.com and www.baseballreference.com ). Player age, position, number of years in the league, mechanism of injury and treatment were recorded. Individual season statistics for the two seasons immediately prior to injury and the two seasons after injury for the main performance variable - wins above replacement (WAR) were obtained. Eighteen controls matched by player position, age, and performance statistics were identified. A performance comparison of the cohorts was performed. Post-injury performance compared to pre-injury performance and matched-controls. Mean age at the time of injury was 25.1 years with a mean of 4.4 seasons of MLB experience prior to injury. All injuries were sustained to their nondominant batting hand. All players underwent operative intervention. There was no significant change in WAR or ISO when pre-injury and post-injury performance was compared. When compared with matched-controls, no significant decline in performance in WAR the first season and second season after injury was found. MLB players sustaining hook of hamate fractures can reasonably expect to return to their pre-injury performance levels following operative treatment.

Evaluation of Ischemic and Bleeding Risks Associated With 2 Parenteral Antiplatelet Strategies Comparing Cangrelor With Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors: An Exploratory Analysis From the CHAMPION Trials.

PubMed

Vaduganathan, Muthiah; Harrington, Robert A; Stone, Gregg W; Deliargyris, Efthymios N; Steg, Ph Gabriel; Gibson, C Michael; Hamm, Christian W; Price, Matthew J; Menozzi, Alberto; Prats, Jayne; Elkin, Steven; Mahaffey, Kenneth W; White, Harvey D; Bhatt, Deepak L

2017-02-01

In the context of contemporary pharmacotherapy, optimal antiplatelet management with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been well established. To compare the ischemic and bleeding risks associated with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPIs) and a potent P2Y12 antagonist, cangrelor, in patients undergoing PCI. An exploratory analysis of pooled patient-level data from the 3 phase 3 Cangrelor vs Standard Therapy to Achieve Optimal Management of Platelet Inhibition (CHAMPION PCI, CHAMPION PLATFORM, and CHAMPION PHOENIX) trials of patients undergoing elective or nonelective PCI. The participants included 10 929 patients assigned to cangrelor but not receiving GPIs (cangrelor alone) and 1211 patients assigned to clopidogrel (or placebo) and receiving routine GPIs (clopidogrel-GPI). Patients requiring bailout or rescue GPI therapy were excluded. To account for risk imbalances, 1:1 propensity score matching based on 16 baseline clinical variables yielded 1021 unique matched pairs. The present study's data analysis was conducted from October 28, 2015, to August 6, 2016. The primary efficacy end point was the composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, ischemia-driven revascularization, or stent thrombosis at 48 hours. Safety was assessed by 3 validated bleeding scales (Global Use of Strategies to Open Occluded Coronary Arteries [GUSTO], Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction [TIMI], and Acute Catheterization and Urgent Intervention Triage) and requirement for blood transfusions. Of the 12 140 patients included in the analysis, 8779 were men (72.3%), and the mean (SD) age was 63.2 (11.3) years. Patients in the clopidogrel-GPI group were more likely to be male (75.6% vs 71.9%), younger (median, 60 [range, 23-91] years vs 64 [range, 26-95] years), enrolled from the United States (77.9% vs 40.0%), and present with an acute coronary syndrome, but they had lower comorbid disease burden and were less likely to receive bivalirudin (8.8% vs 27.3%). In

Teacher Mobility and Transnational, "British World" Space: The League of the Empire's "Interchange of Home and Dominion Teachers", 1907-1931

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crutchley, Jody

2015-01-01

This article explores the experiences of teachers who participated in the League of the Empire's "Interchange of Home and Dominion Teachers" scheme through a tripartite approach to "British World" space. First, it identifies the mechanisms through which exchanges were established. It analyses the patterns of teacher mobility…

The Application of an Implementation Science Framework to Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs: Be a Champion!

PubMed Central

Moore, Justin B.; Carson, Russell L.; Webster, Collin A.; Singletary, Camelia R.; Castelli, Darla M.; Pate, Russell R.; Beets, Michael W.; Beighle, Aaron

2018-01-01

Comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAPs) have been endorsed as a promising strategy to increase youth physical activity (PA) in school settings. A CSPAP is a five-component approach, which includes opportunities before, during, and after school for PA. Extensive resources are available to public health practitioners and school officials regarding what should be implemented, but little guidance and few resources are available regarding how to effectively implement a CSPAP. Implementation science provides a number of conceptual frameworks that can guide implementation of a CSPAP, but few published studies have employed an implementation science framework to a CSPAP. Therefore, we developed Be a Champion! (BAC), which represents a synthesis of implementation science strategies, modified for application to CSPAPs implementation in schools while allowing for local tailoring of the approach. This article describes BAC while providing examples from the implementation of a CSPAP in three rural elementary schools. PMID:29354631

Qualitative evaluation and economic estimates of an infection control champions program.

PubMed

Lloyd-Smith, Elisa; Curtin, Jim; Gilbart, Wayne; Romney, Marc G

2014-12-01

In many North American hospitals, conventional infection control operational models often struggle to provide sufficient support to frontline health care workers. The objective of this study was to describe a sustainable infection control champion (ICC) program based on findings from focus groups. A distributed model of infection control was established by placing infection prevention and control-trained ICCs in 3 Canadian hospitals for a period of 12 months. Subsequently, semistructured focus groups were conducted to describe overall feasibility and impeding and critical factors affecting sustainability. An economic estimate of the ICC program compared with the cost of hiring a new infection control practitioner was also calculated. Focus group participants considered the program feasible. Barriers included lack of time and staff turnover. Themes critical for the successful implementation of an ICC program included defined ICC roles and goals, adequate support and resources for the ICC, engagement with all levels of staff, flexible structure, and program evaluation. The cost per bed of the ICC program was less than the cost per bed of hiring a new infection control practitioner. A distributed model of providing infection prevention and control services may have benefit when hospital infection control teams are underresourced, as is often the case. Several key factors are needed for the successful implementation of an ICC program. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Variable Resistance Training Promotes Greater Strength and Power Adaptations Than Traditional Resistance Training in Elite Youth Rugby League Players.

PubMed

Rivière, Maxence; Louit, Loic; Strokosch, Alasdair; Seitz, Laurent B

2017-04-01

Rivière, M, Louit, L, Strokosch, A, and Seitz, LB. Variable resistance training promotes greater strength and power adaptations than traditional resistance training in elite youth rugby league players. J Strength Cond Res 31(4): 947-955, 2017-The purpose of this study was to examine the strength, velocity, and power adaptations in youth rugby league players in response to a variable resistance training (VRT) or traditional free-weight resistance training (TRAD) intervention. Sixteen elite youth players were assigned to a VRT or TRAD group and completed 2 weekly upper- and lower-body strength and power sessions for 6 weeks. Training programs were identical except that the VRT group trained the bench press exercise with 20% of the prescribed load coming from elastic bands. Bench press 1 repetition maximum (1RM) and bench press mean velocity and power at 35, 45, 65, 75, and 85% of 1RM were measured before and after the training intervention, and the magnitude of the changes was determined using effect sizes (ESs). The VRT group experienced larger increases in both absolute (ES = 0.46 vs. 0.20) and relative (ES = 0.41 vs. 0.19) bench press 1RM. Similar results were observed for mean velocity as well as both absolute and relative mean power at 35, 45, 65, 75, and 85% of 1RM. Furthermore, both groups experienced large gains in both velocity and power in the heavier loads but small improvements in the lighter loads. The improvements in both velocity and power against the heavier loads were larger for the VRT group, whereas smaller differences existed between the 2 groups in the lighter loads. Variable resistance training using elastic bands may offer a greater training stimulus than traditional free-weight resistance training to improve upper-body strength, velocity, and power in elite youth rugby league players.

Qualitative Impact Assessment 2010: An Independent Study Conducted by BDRC Continental, Ltd., February-July 2010. Premier League Reading Stars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Literacy Trust, 2010

2010-01-01

Premier League Reading Stars (PLRS) is in its eighth year. To complement a pre-post quantitative survey, an impact evidence base was required to inform consideration of continued funding into 2011 and beyond. PLRS is very highly regarded among child participants, parents, and librarians. The structure of the scheme, its basis on football, and the…

How jet lag impairs Major League Baseball performance.

PubMed

Song, Alex; Severini, Thomas; Allada, Ravi

2017-02-07

Laboratory studies have demonstrated that circadian clocks align physiology and behavior to 24-h environmental cycles. Examination of athletic performance has been used to discern the functions of these clocks in humans outside of controlled settings. Here, we examined the effects of jet lag, that is, travel that shifts the alignment of 24-h environmental cycles relative to the endogenous circadian clock, on specific performance metrics in Major League Baseball. Accounting for potential differences in home and away performance, travel direction, and team confounding variables, we observed that jet-lag effects were largely evident after eastward travel with very limited effects after westward travel, consistent with the >24-h period length of the human circadian clock. Surprisingly, we found that jet lag impaired major parameters of home-team offensive performance, for example, slugging percentage, but did not similarly affect away-team offensive performance. On the other hand, jet lag impacted both home and away defensive performance. Remarkably, the vast majority of these effects for both home and away teams could be explained by a single measure, home runs allowed. Rather than uniform effects, these results reveal surprisingly specific effects of circadian misalignment on athletic performance under natural conditions.

[Football, television and emergency services].

PubMed

Miró, O; Sánchez, M; Borrás, A; Millá, J

2000-04-15

To know the influence of televised football on the use of emergency department (ED). We assessed the number, demographic characteristics and acuity of patients attended during the broadcast of football matches played by FC Barcelona during Champions' League (n = 12), and they were compared with days without televised football (n = 12). Televised football was associated with a decrease in visits to ED (-18%; p = 0.002). Such a decrease was observed for all ED units, but only for traumatology unit reached statistical significance (-28%; p = 0.006). Decay of ED visits were mainly due to a decrease of low-acuity consults (-30%; p = 0.04). There is a significant decrease on ED use associated with televised football.

26 CFR 1.501(c)(6)-1 - Business leagues, chambers of commerce, real estate boards, and boards of trade.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 7 2014-04-01 2013-04-01 true Business leagues, chambers of commerce, real estate boards, and boards of trade. 1.501(c)(6)-1 Section 1.501(c)(6)-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Exempt Organizations § 1.501(c)(6)-1 Business...

The 2016 International League of Dermatological Societies' revised glossary for the description of cutaneous lesions.

PubMed

Nast, A; Griffiths, C E M; Hay, R; Sterry, W; Bolognia, J L

2016-06-01

In order to facilitate effective communication in dermatology, a clearly defined glossary with precise descriptions is essential. The International League of Dermatological Societies' (ILDS) 'Glossary of basic dermatology lesions' was first published in 1987. A quarter of a century later, the ILDS made the decision to revise and expand this nomenclature. Revision and expansion of an international nomenclature for the description of cutaneous lesions. The ILDS nominated a committee on nomenclature. Based on a review of the literature and major textbooks, the committee assembled a list of terms and definitions. National member societies of the ILDS were then invited to participate in a Delphi voting exercise (two rounds for basic descriptive terms, one round for additional terms). The committee reviewed and consolidated comments and consented the final version. The revised and expanded version of the ILDS nomenclature includes 13 basic terms and over 100 additional descriptive terms. Forty-six and then 34 national member societies participated in the first and second voting rounds, respectively. A unifying nomenclature is crucial for effective communication among dermatologists and those who care for skin diseases. The next step will be a roll-out programme to national member societies of the ILDS that will include translations into languages other than English and adaptations reflecting local circumstances. © 2016 International League of Dermatological Societies and the Authors. British Journal of Dermatology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Association of Dermatologists.

Association Between Playing American Football in the National Football League and Long-term Mortality.

PubMed

Venkataramani, Atheendar S; Gandhavadi, Maheer; Jena, Anupam B

2018-02-27

Studies of the longevity of professional American football players have demonstrated lower mortality relative to the general population but they may have been susceptible to selection bias. To examine the association between career participation in professional American football and mortality risk in retirement. Retrospective cohort study involving 3812 retired US National Football League (NFL) players who debuted in the NFL between 1982 and 1992, including regular NFL players (n = 2933) and NFL "replacement players" (n = 879) who were temporarily hired to play during a 3-game league-wide player strike in 1987. Follow-up ended on December 31, 2016. NFL participation as a career player or as a replacement player. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality by December 31, 2016. Cox proportional hazards models were estimated to compare the observed number of years from age 22 years until death (or censoring), adjusted for birth year, body mass index, height, and position played. Information on player death and cause of death was ascertained from a search of the National Death Index and web-based sources. Of the 3812 men included in this study (mean [SD] age at first NFL activity, 23.4 [1.5] years), there were 2933 career NFL players (median NFL tenure, 5 seasons [interquartile range {IQR}, 2-8]; median follow-up, 30 years [IQR, 27-33]) and 879 replacement players (median NFL tenure, 1 season [IQR, 1-1]; median follow-up, 31 years [IQR, 30-33]). At the end of follow-up, 144 NFL players (4.9%) and 37 replacement players (4.2%) were deceased (adjusted absolute risk difference, 1.0% [95% CI, -0.7% to 2.7%]; P = .25). The adjusted mortality hazard ratio for NFL players relative to replacements was 1.38 (95% CI, 0.95 to 1.99; P = .09). Among career NFL players, the most common causes of death were cardiometabolic disease (n = 51; 35.4%), transportation injuries (n = 20; 13.9%), unintentional injuries (n = 15; 10.4%), and neoplasms (n = 15

Anthropometric, body composition and somatotype characteristics of elite female volleyball players from the highest Spanish league.

PubMed

Martín-Matillas, Miguel; Valadés, David; Hernández-Hernández, Elena; Olea-Serrano, Fátima; Sjöström, Michael; Delgado-Fernández, Manuel; Ortega, Francisco B

2014-01-01

This study aimed to describe morphological characteristics of elite female volleyball players from the highest Spanish league, with special focus on differences by performance level and playing positions. Nearly all female players playing in the highest Spanish volleyball league during season 2003/2004 participated in this study (N=148 elite players, 92% of the total). Anthropometric, body composition and somatotype parameters according to performance and playing positions were analysed. The players' characteristics were as follows; body mass 72.3 ± 8.4 kg; stature 179.8 ± 7.1 cm; body fat 24.0 ± 3.1% and skeletal muscle mass 27.3 ± 2.9 kg. Mean somatotype was 3.1 ± 0.7; 3.4 ± 0.9; 3.1 ± 0.9 characterised as central with a tendency to balanced mesomorph. Top level players (whose teams were better classified in the team performance ranking) were taller, had higher skeletal muscle mass and ectomorphy, and had a lower level of adiposity markers, compared with lower level players. Players selected for their respective National teams (individual performance) were taller, heavier, had higher muscle mass and lower endomorphy than non-selected players. Differences according to playing positions were found. This study provides a complete set of reference data on anthropometry, body composition and somatotype of elite female volleyball players. Morphological differences have been identified according to performance level and playing position.

Changes in physical size among major league baseball players and its attribution to elite offensive performance.

PubMed

Crotin, Ryan L; Forsythe, Charles M; Bhan, Shivam; Karakolis, Thomas

2014-10-01

Major League Baseball (MLB) players have not been longitudinally examined for changes in physical size. Height, weight, and body mass indices (BMIs) were examined among offensive league leaders (OLL) and MLB reference cohorts at 1970, 1990, and 2010. Anthropometric values were expected to increase successively, where OLL were expected to be larger at each respective time point. A Mixed Model analysis of variance (p ≤ 0.05) examined anthropometric differences over time within and between groups. Mass and BMI increased over successive years with the largest effect seen between 1990 and 2010 (p < 0.001). A significant height reduction was shown for OLL from 1970 to 1990 (p ≤ 0.05), being the only significant decrease in physical size; yet, leaders were heavier and taller compared with the MLB reference population (p < 0.014). Results show that physical size has evolved in MLB, with the OLL being the largest players shown at each year in succession. Professional baseball scouts may have been influenced by greater offensive prowess shown by larger athletes; yet, increased secular anthropometrics must also be factored in greater heights, weights, BMIs shown over time in MLB. It is possible that greater participation in strength and conditioning programs at an earlier age, advances in sport nutrition, and potential abuse of anabolic drugs are factors perpetuating growth rates at present.

The University of the National Football League: How Technology, Injury Surveillance, and Health Care Have Improved the Safety of America's Game.

PubMed

Matava, Matthew J; Görtz, Simon

2016-07-01

American football has become one of the most popular sports in the United States. Despite the millions of players at all levels of competition who gain the physical, social, and psychological rewards that football provides, many interested stakeholders continue to ask, "Is football safe?" Although there are only approximately 1,700 players on National Football League (NFL) rosters, the injuries they sustain have garnered the most attention-and criticism-from the national media. Increased public awareness of the injury potential football possesses has led to an open debate and a major shift in public sentiment over the past 5 years. Although no sport is perfectly safe, the question is whether it can be made relatively safe and if the long-term consequences are worth the risk. This article reviews the methods by which one sports league-the NFL-has used advances in medical technology and injury surveillance to improve the health and safety of its players. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Plastic People in Pinstripe Suits: An Exploration of the Views of Irish Parents on the Publication of School League Tables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCormack, O.; Lynch, R.; Hennessy, J.

2015-01-01

While the publication of school league tables is prohibited by law in Ireland, the publication of data categorising university placements achieved per school has become common practice. A central argument advanced in this endeavour includes the provision of information for parents. The views of parents on this issue have, until now, not been…

Qualitative exploration of the views of healthy living champions from pharmacies in England.

PubMed

Rutter, Paul; Vryaparj, Gursharan

2015-02-01

In England, the 'Healthy Living Pharmacy (HLP)' initiative has been trialed; positive outcomes led to national roll-out across England to 20 pathfinder sites. A HLP provides health promotion/prevention services through a structured framework to meet local population need. Non-pharmacist staff receive additional training so that they can provide these services, and are known as Healthy Living Champions (HLCs). To explore HLCs views on their role and to identify any barriers or facilitators in performing the role. Fourteen semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted during February and March 2013 in NHS Dudley, and analysed using the principles of content analysis. Three themes emerged from the interviews; HLC job role; training; and public awareness. HLC staff showed high levels of motivation, a strong desire to help people and felt a sense of personal reward, resulting in increased levels of job satisfaction. Training had improved their confidence but they still had reservations in offering services such as alcohol intervention and weight management. All believed that public awareness was low despite advertising. HLCs were positive toward their new role and derived job satisfaction from helping people to improve their health, although on-going training and support was perceived as important.

A Cascade of Champions: A Qualitative Study about the MA-CORD Media Competition Implementation

PubMed Central

Criss, Shaniece; Tran, Alvin; Ganter, Claudia; Aftosmes-Tobio, Alyssa; Gortmaker, Steven; Viswanath, Kasisomayajula; Kwass, Jo-Ann; Davison, Kirsten K.

2016-01-01

A media competition was part of the Massachusetts Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (MA-CORD) Study. Criss et al., previously outlined the development and implementation of the competition, including variation in reach and adoption of the intervention across schools and afterschool programs. In this qualitative study, we examine community, provider, and organizational factors that explain the variation of media competition reach in school and afterschool programs, and describe the awareness of the media competition across other community sectors. Durlak and DuPre’s ecological framework for understanding effective implementation provided the theoretical underpinnings for this study. Fifty-four key informant interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed. Organizational capacity of committed teachers/staff and adaptability of the media competition seemed to be drivers for higher reach within school and afterschool programs. Salient themes that emerged as facilitators of effective implementation were having a cascade of champions and providing opportunity to participate in the media competition outside traditional class time. Clinics and coalitions were identified as additional sectors aware of the media competition. Specifically, our findings offer a new perspective on intervention design and a recommended direction for further study. PMID:27058550

Injury profile of a professional soccer team in the premier league of iran.

PubMed

Hassabi, Mohammad; Mohammad-Javad Mortazavi, Seyed; Giti, Mohammad-Reza; Hassabi, Majid; Mansournia, Mohammad-Ali; Shapouran, Sara

2010-12-01

Despite numerous studies which have been done regarding soccer injuries worldwide, there is lack of available data considering the epidemiology of injuries in the Iranian soccer premier league, although it is the most popular sport in the country. The main goal of this research was to determine the incidence of physical injuries in the studied population, considering other characteristics such as site, type and mechanism as well. Twenty one adult male professional soccer players (age 24±3), members of a team (Tehran-Pas) participating in Iranian premier league, were followed during a 4-month period. The injury characteristics and exposure times were recorded by the team physician during all the matches and training sessions. The total exposure time was 2610 playing hours (2352 h of training versus 258 h of competition). Eighty six percent of the injuries were acute. Incidence of acute injuries was 16.5 (95% CI: 12-22) per 1000 hours of playing (11.5 per 1000 hrs of training and 62 per 1000 hrs of competition). The most common types of injuries were strains followed by contusions, each of which constituted 30% of acute injuries. More than 80% of injuries occurred in lower limbs, especially in thigh and groin regions. Nearly 60% of acute injuries occurred in dominant side of the body, and collision was the reason of about half of the acute injuries. Severity of more than 70% of the injuries was minor. On average each injury had led the player being off the field for about 10 days. The incidence of injury in this research is in range of numbers obtained in important international tournaments but the rate of injuries during training sessions is higher than comparable studies.

Red shirt colour is associated with long-term team success in English football.

PubMed

Attrill, Martin J; Gresty, Karen A; Hill, Russell A; Barton, Robert A

2008-04-01

The colour of sportswear has been shown to influence the outcome of bouts for several different combat sports. The generality of these effects, and whether they extend to collaborative forms of contests (team sports), is uncertain. Since 1947, English football teams wearing red shirts have been champions more often than expected on the basis of the proportion of clubs playing in red. To investigate whether this indicates an enhancement of long-term performance in red-wearing teams, we analysed the relative league positions of teams wearing different hues. Across all league divisions, red teams had the best home record, with significant differences in both percentage of maximum points achieved and mean position in the home league table. The effects were not due simply to a difference between teams playing in a colour and those playing in a predominantly white uniform, as the latter performed better than teams in yellow hues. No significant differences were found for performance in matches away from home, when teams commonly do not wear their "home" colours. A matched-pairs analysis of red and non-red wearing teams in eight English cities shows significantly better performance of red teams over a 55-year period. These effects on long-term success have consequences for colour selection in team sports, confirm that wearing red enhances performance in a variety of competitive contexts, and provide further impetus for studies of the mechanisms underlying these effects.

What are the minimum requirements for ketogenic diet services in resource-limited regions? Recommendations from the International League Against Epilepsy Task Force for Dietary Therapy.

PubMed

Kossoff, Eric H; Al-Macki, Nabil; Cervenka, Mackenzie C; Kim, Heung D; Liao, Jianxiang; Megaw, Katherine; Nathan, Janak K; Raimann, Ximena; Rivera, Rocio; Wiemer-Kruel, Adelheid; Williams, Emma; Zupec-Kania, Beth A

2015-09-01

Despite the increasing use of dietary therapies for children and adults with refractory epilepsy, the availability of these treatments in developing countries with limited resources remains suboptimal. One possible contributory factor may be the costs. There is often reported a significant perceived need for a large ketogenic diet team, supplements, laboratory studies, and follow-up visits to provide this treatment. The 2009 Epilepsia Consensus Statement described ideal requirements for a ketogenic diet center, but in some situations this is not feasible. As a result, the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Task Force on Dietary Therapy was asked to convene and provide practical, cost-effective recommendations for new ketogenic diet centers in resource-limited regions of the world. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 International League Against Epilepsy.

The International Society of Hypertension and World Hypertension League call on governments, nongovernmental organizations and the food industry to work to reduce dietary sodium.

PubMed

Campbell, Norman R C; Lackland, Daniel T; Chockalingam, Arun; Lisheng, Liu; Harrap, Stephen B; Touyz, Rhian M; Burrell, Louise M; Ramírez, Agustín J; Schmieder, Roland E; Schutte, Aletta E; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj; Schiffrin, Ernesto L

2014-02-01

The International Society of Hypertension and the World Hypertension League have developed a policy statement calling for reducing dietary salt. The policy supports the WHO and the United Nations recommendations, which are based on a comprehensive and up-to-date review of relevant research. The policy statement calls for broad societal action to reduce dietary salt, thus reducing blood pressure and preventing hypertension and its related burden of cardiovascular disease. The hypertension organizations and experts need to become more engaged in the efforts to prevent hypertension and to advocate strongly to have dietary salt reduction policies implemented. The statement is being circulated to national hypertension organizations and to international nongovernmental health organizations for consideration of endorsement. Member organizations of the International Society of Hypertension and the World Hypertension League are urged to support this effort.

World and Olympic mountain bike champions' anthropometry, body composition and somatotype.

PubMed

Sánchez-Muñoz, Cristóbal; Muros, José J; Zabala, Mikel

2018-06-01

The aim of the study was to describe the anthropometric profile of male Olympic cross country (XCO) mountain bikers. Fifty one XCO bikers participated in this study, divided into an elite group who competed in top level international competitions, and a non-elite group who competed at a national level. The elite group was further classified according to whether they had been world or Olympic champion mountain bikers (WOC) or not (NWOC). The anthropometric profiles included the measurements of height, weight, arm span, skinfolds, girths, and breadths. Body Mass Index (BMI), body composition and somatotype were also calculated. Variables was described as mean, standard deviation and range. The standardizing of the variables was carried out using the Shapiro-Wilk with Lillieforts correction and homoscedasticity was analyzed using the Levene Test. After verifying that the variables were normal, the data were analyzed using non-paired t-tests (elite vs. non-elite and WOC vs. NWOC). Elite riders had significantly lower BMI, lower percentage of fat, total thigh area and larger thigh muscle area than the sub-elite riders, and presented significantly lower values for the endomorphic component and higher values for the ectomorphic component. The mean somatotype of the elite riders could be defined as ecto-mesomorphic (1.7-4.6-3.1). Comparisons between of WOC riders and NWOC, showed that the WOC bikers had a significantly higher value for weight, arm span, upper arm girth relaxed and upper arm girth flexed and tensed, calf girth, total upper arm area, and upper arm muscle area than the NWOC riders group.

Crowd medical services in the English Football League: remodelling the team for the 21st century using a realist approach

PubMed Central

Leary, Alison; Kemp, Anthony; Greenwood, Peter; Hart, Nick; Agnew, James; Barrett, John; Punshon, Geoffrey

2017-01-01

Objectives To evaluate the new model of providing care based on demand. This included reconfiguration of the workforce to manage workforce supply challenges and meet demand without compromising the quality of care. Design Currently the Sports Ground Safety Authority recommends the provision of crowd medical cover at English Football League stadia. The guidance on provision of services has focused on extreme circumstances such as the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, while the majority of demand on present-day services is from patients with minor injuries, exacerbations of injuries and pre-existing conditions. A new model of care was introduced in the 2009/2010 season to better meet demand. A realist approach was taken. Data on each episode of care were collected over 14 consecutive football league seasons at Millwall FC divided into two periods, preimplementation of changes and postimplementation of changes. Data on workforce retention and volunteer satisfaction were also collected. Setting The data were obtained from one professional football league team (Millwall FC) located in London, UK. Primary and secondary outcomes The primary outcome was to examine the demand for crowd medical services. The secondary outcome was to remodel the service to meet these demands. Results In total, 981 episodes of care were recorded over the evaluation period of 14 years. The groups presenting, demographic and type of presentation did not change over the evaluation. First aiders were involved in 87.7% of episodes of care, nurses in 44.4% and doctors 17.8%. There was a downward trend in referrals to hospital. Workforce feedback was positive. Conclusions The new workforce model has met increased service demands while reducing the number of referrals to acute care. It involves the first aid workforce in more complex care and key decision-making and provides a flexible registered healthcare professional team to optimise the skill mix of the team. PMID:29273665

Aggression, Violence and Injury in Minor League Ice Hockey: Avenues for Prevention of Injury.

PubMed

Cusimano, Michael D; Ilie, Gabriela; Mullen, Sarah J; Pauley, Christopher R; Stulberg, Jennifer R; Topolovec-Vranic, Jane; Zhang, Stanley

2016-01-01

In North America, more than 800,000 youth are registered in organized ice hockey leagues. Despite the many benefits of involvement, young players are at significant risk for injury. Body-checking and aggressive play are associated with high frequency of game-related injury including concussion. We conducted a qualitative study to understand why youth ice hockey players engage in aggressive, injury-prone behaviours on the ice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 61 minor ice hockey participants, including male and female players, parents, coaches, trainers, managers and a game official. Players were aged 13-15 playing on competitive body checking teams or on non-body checking teams. Interviews were manually transcribed, coded and analyzed for themes relating to aggressive play in minor ice hockey. Parents, coaches, teammates and the media exert a large influence on player behavior. Aggressive behavior is often reinforced by the player's social environment and justified by players to demonstrate loyalty to teammates and especially injured teammates by seeking revenge particularly in competitive, body-checking leagues. Among female and male players in non-body checking organizations, aggressive play is not reinforced by the social environment. These findings are discussed within the framework of social identity theory and social learning theory, in order to understand players' need to seek revenge and how the social environment reinforces aggressive behaviors. This study provides a better understanding of the players' motivations and environmental influences around aggressive and violent play which may be conducive to injury. The findings can be used to help design interventions aimed at reducing aggression and related injuries sustained during ice hockey and sports with similar cultures and rules.

Aggression, Violence and Injury in Minor League Ice Hockey: Avenues for Prevention of Injury

PubMed Central

Cusimano, Michael D.; Ilie, Gabriela; Mullen, Sarah J.; Pauley, Christopher R.; Stulberg, Jennifer R.; Topolovec-Vranic, Jane; Zhang, Stanley

2016-01-01

Background In North America, more than 800,000 youth are registered in organized ice hockey leagues. Despite the many benefits of involvement, young players are at significant risk for injury. Body-checking and aggressive play are associated with high frequency of game-related injury including concussion. We conducted a qualitative study to understand why youth ice hockey players engage in aggressive, injury-prone behaviours on the ice. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 61 minor ice hockey participants, including male and female players, parents, coaches, trainers, managers and a game official. Players were aged 13–15 playing on competitive body checking teams or on non-body checking teams. Interviews were manually transcribed, coded and analyzed for themes relating to aggressive play in minor ice hockey. Results Parents, coaches, teammates and the media exert a large influence on player behavior. Aggressive behavior is often reinforced by the player’s social environment and justified by players to demonstrate loyalty to teammates and especially injured teammates by seeking revenge particularly in competitive, body-checking leagues. Among female and male players in non-body checking organizations, aggressive play is not reinforced by the social environment. These findings are discussed within the framework of social identity theory and social learning theory, in order to understand players’ need to seek revenge and how the social environment reinforces aggressive behaviors. Conclusion This study provides a better understanding of the players’ motivations and environmental influences around aggressive and violent play which may be conducive to injury. The findings can be used to help design interventions aimed at reducing aggression and related injuries sustained during ice hockey and sports with similar cultures and rules. PMID:27258426

How jet lag impairs Major League Baseball performance

PubMed Central

Song, Alex; Severini, Thomas; Allada, Ravi

2017-01-01

Laboratory studies have demonstrated that circadian clocks align physiology and behavior to 24-h environmental cycles. Examination of athletic performance has been used to discern the functions of these clocks in humans outside of controlled settings. Here, we examined the effects of jet lag, that is, travel that shifts the alignment of 24-h environmental cycles relative to the endogenous circadian clock, on specific performance metrics in Major League Baseball. Accounting for potential differences in home and away performance, travel direction, and team confounding variables, we observed that jet-lag effects were largely evident after eastward travel with very limited effects after westward travel, consistent with the >24-h period length of the human circadian clock. Surprisingly, we found that jet lag impaired major parameters of home-team offensive performance, for example, slugging percentage, but did not similarly affect away-team offensive performance. On the other hand, jet lag impacted both home and away defensive performance. Remarkably, the vast majority of these effects for both home and away teams could be explained by a single measure, home runs allowed. Rather than uniform effects, these results reveal surprisingly specific effects of circadian misalignment on athletic performance under natural conditions. PMID:28115724

Concussions during the 1997 Canadian Football League season.

PubMed

Delaney, J S; Lacroix, V J; Leclerc, S; Johnston, K M

2000-01-01

To examine the incidence and characteristics of concussions for one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL). Retrospective survey. 289 players reporting to CFL training camp. Of these, 154 players had played in the CFL during the 1997 season. Based on self-reported symptoms, calculations were made to determine the number of concussions experienced during the previous season, the duration of symptoms, the time for return to play after concussion, and any associated risk factors for concussions. Of all the athletes who played during the 1997 season, 44.8% experienced symptoms of a concussion. Only 18.8% of these concussed players recognized they had suffered a concussion. 69.6% of all concussed players experienced more than one episode. Symptoms lasted at least 1 day in 25.8% of cases. The odds of experiencing a concussion increased 13% with each game played. A past history of a loss of consciousness while playing football and a recognized concussion while playing football were both associated with increased odds of experiencing a concussion during the 1997 season. Many players experienced a concussion during the 1997 CFL season, but the majority of these players may not have recognized that fact. Players need to be better informed about the symptoms and effects of concussions.

Bringing the Game into Disrepute": The Ben Cousins Saga, Sports Entertainment, Player Welfare and Surveillance in the Australian Football League

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Peter; Hickey, Christopher

2012-01-01

In 2007 the elite Australian Rules footballer Ben Cousins was suspended by the Australian Football League for 12 months for "bringing the game into disrepute". Cousins was the first, and at the time of writing, the only player to be suspended by the AFL for actions and behaviors that were claimed to be damaging to the reputation of the…

Major League Baseball pace-of-play rules and their influence on predicted muscle fatigue during simulated baseball games.

PubMed

Sonne, Michael W L; Keir, Peter J

2016-11-01

Major League Baseball (MLB) has proposed rule changes to speed up baseball games. Reducing the time between pitches may impair recovery from fatigue. Fatigue is a known precursor to injury and may jeopardise joint stability. This study examined how fatigue accumulated during baseball games and how different pace of play initiatives may influence fatigue. Pitcher data were retrieved from a public database. A predictive model of muscle fatigue estimated muscle fatigue in 8 arm muscles. A self-selected pace (22.7 s), 12 s pace (Rule 8.04 from the MLB) and a 20 s rest (a pitch clock examined in the 2014 Arizona Fall League (AFL)) were examined. Significantly more muscle fatigue existed in both the AFL and Rule 8.04 conditions, when compared to the self-selected pace condition (5.01 ± 1.73%, 3.95 ± 1.20% and 3.70 ± 1.10% MVC force lost, respectively). Elevated levels of muscle fatigue are predicted in the flexor-pronator mass, which is responsible for providing elbow stability. Reduced effectiveness of the flexor-pronator mass may reduce the active contributions to joint rotational stiffness, increasing strain on the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and possibly increasing injury risk.

A validation of the new definition of drug-resistant epilepsy by the International League Against Epilepsy.

PubMed

Téllez-Zenteno, Jose F; Hernández-Ronquillo, Lizbeth; Buckley, Samantha; Zahagun, Ricardo; Rizvi, Syed

2014-06-01

To establish applicability, the recently proposed International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) consensus on drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) requires testing in clinical and research settings. This study evaluates the reliability and validity of these criteria in a clinical population. In phase I, two independent evaluators reviewed 97 randomly selected medical records of patients with epilepsy at two separate intervals. Both ILEA consensus and standard diagnostic criteria were employed. Kappa, weighted kappa, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used to determine interobserver and intraobserver variability. In phase II, ILAE consensus criteria were applied to 250 patients with epilepsy to determine risk factors associated with development of DRE and to calculate point prevalence. The interobserver agreement of the four definitions was as follows: Berg (0.56), Kwan and Brodie (0.58), Camfield and Camfield (0.69), and ILAE (0.77). The intraobserver agreement of the four definition was as follows: Berg (0.81), Kwan and Brodie (0.82), Camfield and Camfield (0.72), and ILAE (0.82). The prevalence of DRE was the following: with the Berg's definition was 28.4%, Kwan and Brodie 34%, Camfield and Camfield 37%, and with ILAE was 33%. This is first study to establish reliability and validity of ILAE criteria for the diagnosis of DRE. This new definition compares favorably with previously established constructs, which continue to retain clinical significance. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2014 International League Against Epilepsy.

Performance after rotator cuff tear and operative treatment: a case-control study of major league baseball pitchers.

PubMed

Namdari, Surena; Baldwin, Keith; Ahn, Albert; Huffman, G Russell; Sennett, Brian J

2011-01-01

Little is known about pitching performance or lack of it among Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers who undergo operative treatment of rotator cuff tears. To assess pitching performance outcomes in MLB players who needed operative treatment of rotator cuff tears and to compare performance in these athletes with that in a control group of MLB players. Case-control study. Publicly available player profiles, press releases, and team injury reports. Thirty-three MLB pitchers with documented surgery to treat rotator cuff tears and 117 control pitchers who did not have documented rotator cuff tears were identified. Major League Baseball pitching attrition and performance variables. Players who underwent rotator cuff surgery were no more likely not to play than control players. Performance variables of players who underwent surgery improved after surgery but never returned to baseline preoperative status. Players who needed rotator cuff surgery typically were more experienced and had better earned run averages than control players. Pitchers who had symptomatic rotator cuff tears that necessitated operative treatment tended to decline gradually in performance leading up to their operations and to improve gradually over the next 3 seasons. In contrast to what we expected, they did not have a greater attrition rate than their control counterparts; however, their performances did not return to preoperative levels over the course of the study.

Imaging Correlates of Memory and Concussion History in Retired National Football League Athletes.

PubMed

Strain, Jeremy F; Womack, Kyle B; Didehbani, Nyaz; Spence, Jeffrey S; Conover, Heather; Hart, John; Kraut, Michael A; Cullum, C Munro

2015-07-01

To our knowledge, this is the first study to show an association between concussion, cognition, and anatomical structural brain changes across the age spectrum in former National Football League athletes. To assess the relationship of hippocampal volume, memory performance, and the influence of concussion history in retired National Football League athletes with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This retrospective cohort study assessed differences between groups, mean hippocampal volumes, and memory performance by computing age quintiles based on group-specific linear regression models corrected for multiple comparisons for both athletes and control participants. The study was conducted starting in November 2010 and is ongoing at a research center in the northern region of Texas. This current analysis was conducted from October 9, 2013, to August 21, 2014. Participants included 28 retired National Football League athletes, 8 of whom had MCI and a history of concussion, 21 cognitively healthy control participants, and 6 control participants with MCI without concussion. Hippocampal volume, age, California Verbal Learning Test scores, and the number of grade 3 (G3) concussions. In addition, the number of games played was examined as an objective variable pertaining to football history. The mean (SD) age was 58.1 (13) years for the 28 former athletes and 59.0 (12) years for the 27 control participants. Retired athletes with concussion history but without cognitive impairment had normal but significantly lower California Verbal Learning Test scores compared with control participants (mean [SD], 52.5 [8] vs 60.24 [7]; P = .002); those with a concussion history and MCI performed worse (mean [SD], 37 [8.62]) compared with both control participants (P < .001) and athletes without memory impairment (P < .001). Among the athletes, 17 had a G3 concussion and 11 did not. Older retired athletes with at least 1 G3 concussion had significantly smaller

The role of anthropometric, performance and psychological attributes in predicting selection into an elite development programme in older adolescent rugby league players.

PubMed

Tredrea, Matthew; Dascombe, Ben; Sanctuary, Colin E; Scanlan, Aaron Terrence

2017-10-01

This study aimed to identify attributes that discriminate selected from non-selected players and predict selection into a rugby league development programme in older adolescent players. Anthropometric, performance and psychological attributes were measured in under-16 (N = 100) and under-18 (N = 60) rugby league players trialling for selection into a development programme with a professional Australian club. Sprint times (P < 0.001), predicted VO 2max (P = 0.002) and push-ups 1   min (P = 0.004) were superior in selected under-16 players, and sprint times (P ≤ 0.045), push-ups 1   min (P < 0.001) and chin-ups 1   min (P = 0.013) were superior in selected under-18 players. Further, 10-m sprint (β = -7.706, standard error [SE] = 2.412), VO 2max (β = 0.168, SE = 0.052) and body mass (β = 0.071, SE = 0.023) significantly predicted selection (R 2  = 0.339) in under-16 players, while push-ups 1   min (β = 0.564, SE = 0.250), 10-m sprint (β = -68.477, SE = 28.107), body mass (β = 0.360, SE = 0.155) and chronological age (β = -3.577, SE = 1.720) significantly predicted selection (R 2  = 0.894) in under-18 players. These findings emphasise the importance of performance attributes in junior rugby league and indicate talent identification test batteries should be age-specific in older adolescent players.

Reduced prevalence and severity of wounds following implementation of the Champions for Skin Integrity model to facilitate uptake of evidence-based practice in aged care.

PubMed

Edwards, Helen E; Chang, Anne M; Gibb, Michelle; Finlayson, Kathleen J; Parker, Christina; O'Reilly, Maria; McDowell, Jan; Shuter, Patricia

2017-12-01

To evaluate the implementation of the Champions for Skin Integrity model on facilitating uptake of evidence-based wound management and improving skin integrity in residents of aged care facilities. The incidence of skin tears, pressure injuries and leg ulcers increases with age, and such wounds can be a serious issue in aged care facilities. Older adults are not only at higher risk for wounds related to chronic disease but also injuries related to falls and manual handling requirements. A longitudinal, pre-post design. The Champions for Skin Integrity model was developed using evidence-based strategies for transfer of evidence into practice. Data were collected before and six months after implementation of the model. Data on wound management and skin integrity were obtained from two random samples of residents (n = 200 pre; n = 201 post) from seven aged care facilities. A staff survey was also undertaken (n = 126 pre; n = 143 post) of experience, knowledge and evidence-based wound management. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all variables. Where relevant, chi-square for independence or t-tests were used to identify differences between the pre-/postdata. There was a significant decrease in the number of residents with a wound of any type (54% pre vs 43% post, χ 2 4·2, p = 0·041), as well as a significant reduction in specific wound types, for example pressure injuries (24% pre vs 10% post, χ 2 14·1, p < 0·001), following implementation of the model. An increase in implementation of evidence-based wound management and prevention strategies was observed in the postimplementation sample in comparison with the preimplementation sample. This included use of limb protectors and/or protective clothing 6% pre vs 20% post (χ 2 17·0, p < 0·001) and use of an emollient or soap alternative for bathing residents (50% pre vs 74% post, χ 2 13·9, p = 0·001). Implementation of the model in this sample fostered an increase in implementation of

The Young Citizens League: Its Origins and Development in South Dakota to 1930. Country School Legacy: Humanities on the Frontier.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Philip L.

With the goal of improving citizenship and character education in the elementary school child through learning by doing in the form of a school-based club, the Young Citizens League (YCL) appeared in rural South Dakota early in the twentieth century, introduced by Michael M. Guhin and developed by E.C. Giffen. By 1930, at its peak, it had an…

A taxonomic monograph of the genus Tylodinus Champion (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Cryptorhynchinae: Tylodina) of Chiapas, Mexico.

PubMed

Luna-Cozar, Jesús; Anderson, Robert S; Jones, Robert W; León-Corté, Jorge L

2014-04-15

The species of the genus Tylodinus from the Mexican state of Chiapas are revised. We examined 989 specimens representing 36 species; 23 species are grouped into eight species groups with 13 species considered as Incertae sedis. A total of 32 species are described as new and one species is a new record for México. Species groups  (numbers of species in parentheses) and species are: Tylodinus buchanani species group (6) T. buchanani new species (type locality: Chiapas, Unión Juárez, Volcán Tacan), T. exiguus new species (type locality: Chiapas, Motozintla, 7 km SSW Motozintla de Mendoza), T. ixchel new species (type locality: Chiapas, Unión Juarez, Volcán Tacan), T. jonesi new species (type locality: Chiapas, Angel Albino Corzo, Reserva de la Biosfera el Triunfo, Campamento el Quetzal), T. variabilis new species (type locality: Chiapas, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Cerro Huitepec), T. wibmeri new species (type locality: Chiapas, Motozintla, 7 km SSW Motozintla de Mendoza); Tylodinus canaliculatus species group (3) T. canaliculatus Champion (Chiapas, Unión Juárez, Volcán Tacan, new record for  México), T. sepulturaensis new species (Type locality: Chiapas, Villa Corzo, Ejido Sierra Morena), T. triumforium new species (Type locality: Chiapas, La Concordia, 4 km SE Custepec); Tylodinus cavicrus species group (3) T. cavicrus Champion, T. pseudocavicrus new species (type locality: Chiapas, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Cerro Huitepec), T. rugosus new species (type locality: Chiapas, Villa Flores, Sierra Morena); Tylodinus coapillensis species group (2) T. coapillensis new species (type locality: Chiapas, Coapilla, ca. 10.5 km NE Coapilla), T. leoncortesi new species (type locality: Chiapas, Pueblo Nuevo Solistahuacán, La Yerbabuena); Tylodinus mutabilis species group (2) Tylodinus mutabilis new species (type locality: Chiapas, Villa Corzo, Ejido Sierra Morena), T. parvus new species (type locality: Chiapas, Trinitaria, Lagunas de Montebello); Tylodinus

Champions for social change: Photovoice ethics in practice and 'false hopes' for policy and social change.

PubMed

Johnston, Gloria

2016-01-01

Photovoice methodology is growing in popularity in the health, education and social sciences as a research tool based on the core values of community-based participatory research. Most photovoice projects state a claim to the third goal of photovoice: to reach policy-makers or effect policy change. This paper examines the concerns of raising false hopes or unrealistic expectations amongst the participants of photovoice projects as they are positioned to be the champions for social change in their communities. The impetus for social change seems to lie in the hands of those most affected by the issue. This drive behind collective social action forms, what could be termed, a micro-social movement or comparative interest group. Looking to the potential use of social movement theory and resource mobilisation concepts, this paper poses a series of unanswered questions about the ethics of photovoice projects. The ethical concern centres on the focus of policy change as a key initiative; yet, most projects remain vague about the implementation and outcomes of this focus.

Metabolic demands and replenishment of muscle glycogen after a rugby league match simulation protocol.

PubMed

Bradley, Warren J; Hannon, Marcus P; Benford, Victoria; Morehen, James C; Twist, Craig; Shepherd, Sam; Cocks, Matthew; Impey, Samuel G; Cooper, Robert G; Morton, James P; Close, Graeme L

2017-09-01

The metabolic requirements of a rugby league match simulation protocol and the timing of carbohydrate provision on glycogen re-synthesis in damaged muscle were examined. Fifteen (mean±SD: age 20.9±2.9 year, body-mass 87.3±14.1kg, height 177.4±6.0cm) rugby league (RL) players consumed a 6gkgday-1 CHO diet for 7-days, completed a time to exhaustion test (TTE) and a glycogen depletion protocol on day-3, a RL simulated-match protocol (RLMSP) on day-5 and a TTE on day-7. Players were prescribed an immediate or delayed (2-h-post) re-feed post-simulation. Muscle biopsies and blood samples were obtained post-depletion, before and after simulated match-play, and 48-h after match-play with PlayerLoad and heart-rate collected throughout the simulation. Data were analysed using effects sizes±90% CI and magnitude-based inferences. PlayerLoad (8.0±0.7 AUmin-1) and %HRpeak (83±4.9%) during the simulation were similar to values reported for RL match-play. Muscle glycogen very likely increased from immediately after to 48-h post-simulation (272±97 cf. 416±162mmolkg-1d.w.; ES±90%CI) after immediate re-feed, but changes were unclear (283±68 cf. 361±144mmolkg-1d.w.; ES±90%CI) after delayed re-feed. CK almost certainly increased by 77.9±25.4% (0.75±0.19) post-simulation for all players. The RLMSP presents a replication of the internal loads associated with professional RL match-play, although difficulties in replicating the collision reduced the metabolic demands and glycogen utilisation. Further, it is possible to replete muscle glycogen in damaged muscle employing an immediate re-feed strategy. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Single-Nanoflake Photo-Electrochemistry Reveals Champion and Spectator Flakes in Exfoliated MoSe 2 Films

DOE PAGES

Todt, Michael A.; Isenberg, Allan E.; Nanayakkara, Sanjini U.; ...

2018-03-06

Semiconducting transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanoflake thin films are promising large-area electrodes for photo-electrochemical solar energy conversion applications. However, their energy conversion efficiencies are typically much lower than those of bulk electrodes. It is unclear to what extent this efficiency gap stems from differences among nanoflakes (e.g., area, thickness, and surface structural features). It is also unclear whether individual exfoliated nanoflakes can achieve energy conversion efficiencies similar to those of bulk crystals. Here, we use a single-nanoflake photo-electrochemical approach to show that there are both highly active and completely inactive nanoflakes within a film. For the exfoliated MoSe 2 samples studiedmore » herein, 7% of nanoflakes are highly active champions, whose photocurrent efficiency exceeds that of the bulk crystal. However, 66% of nanoflakes are inactive spectators, which are mostly responsible for the overall lower photocurrent efficiency compared to the bulk crystal. The photocurrent collection efficiency increases with nanoflake area and decreases more at perimeter edges than at interior step edges. These observations, which are hidden in ensemble-level measurements, reveal the underlying performance issues of exfoliated TMD electrodes for photo-electrochemical energy conversion applications.« less

Tier-specific evolution of match performance characteristics in the English Premier League: it's getting tougher at the top.

PubMed

Bradley, Paul S; Archer, David T; Hogg, Bob; Schuth, Gabor; Bush, Michael; Carling, Chris; Barnes, Chris

2016-01-01

This study investigated the evolution of physical and technical performances in the English Premier League (EPL), with special reference to league ranking. Match performance observations (n = 14,700) were collected using a multiple-camera computerised tracking system across seven consecutive EPL seasons (2006-07 to 2012-13). Final league rankings were classified into Tiers: (A) 1st-4th ranking (n = 2519), (B) 5th-8th ranking (n = 2965), (C) 9th-14th ranking (n = 4448) and (D) 15th-20th ranking (n = 4768). Teams in Tier B demonstrated moderate increases in high-intensity running distance while in ball possession from the 2006-07 to 2012-13 season (P < 0.001; effect size [ES]: 0.68), with Tiers A, C and D producing less pronounced increases across the same period (P < 0.005; ES: 0.26, 0.41 and 0.33, respectively). Large increases in sprint distance were observed from the 2006-07 to 2012-13 season for Tier B (P < 0.001; ES: 1.21), while only moderate increases were evident for Tiers A, C and D (P < 0.001; ES: 0.75, 0.97 and 0.84, respectively). Tier B demonstrated large increases in the number of passes performed and received in 2012-13 compared to 2006-07 (P < 0.001; ES: 1.32-1.53) with small-to-moderate increases in Tier A (P < 0.001; ES: 0.30-0.38), Tier C (P < 0.001; ES: 0.46-0.54) and Tier D (P < 0.001; ES: 0.69-0.87). The demarcation line between 4th (bottom of Tier A) and 5th ranking (top of Tier B) in the 2006-07 season was 8 points, but this decreased to just a single point in the 2012-13 season. The data demonstrate that physical and technical performances have evolved more in Tier B than any other Tier in the EPL and could indicate a narrowing of the performance gap between the top two Tiers.

Normative neurocognitive data for National Football League players: an initial compendium.

PubMed

Solomon, Gary S; Lovell, Mark R; Casson, Ira R; Viano, David C

2015-03-01

The use of clinical neuropsychological tests in the evaluation of National Football League (NFL) players has been ongoing for more than two decades. Prior research has demonstrated that the NFL population may perform differently than the general population on standard paper and pencil neuropsychological tests. Given the increased interest in the longitudinal and long-term assessment of neurocognitive functioning in this group of athletes, we reviewed the published neuropsychological literature in an attempt to compile an initial compendium of available normative data on paper and pencil as well as computerized neuropsychological tests for this group of football players. Thirteen published studies met the inclusion criteria, and the results are presented by athlete status (active vs. retired) and classified by neuropsychological domain. Suggestions for potential core batteries with this population are discussed, as are directions for future research. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Mini-open repair of achilles rupture in the national football league.

PubMed

McCullough, Kirk A; Shaw, Christopher M; Anderson, Robert B

2014-01-01

Tears of the Achilles tendon in professional athletes are an infrequent yet devastating injury. Historical studies have demonstrated not only a poor rate of return to competitive play but have also noted significant declines in performance for those able to return. While classic treatment of these injuries in the competitive athlete has been an open, locked suture repair, this article reports on a consecutive series of professional football athletes who underwent mini-open repair. All athletes returned to professional football, with seven out of nine (78%) returning to National Football League (NFL) competition. Average return to play was 273 days (8.9 months), with one athlete returning at 166 days (5.4 months). There have been no reruptures and no sural nerve or wound healing complications. Although limited in number currently, mini-open repair in NFL athletes has allowed successful return to competitive play with no reruptures and a trend toward faster return to play compared with historical open repair outcomes.

[The 1935 veterinary agreements of the League of the Nations: A vision of a united veterinary Europe].

PubMed

Häsler, S

2018-01-01

A group of leading veterinary experts engaged by the league of the Nations created three new Veterinary Conventions focusing at consequently controlling the import, export and transit of animals and animal products. The aim was on one hand to facilitate trade and on the other hand to make sure that livestock epidemic laws were respected. The outbreak of war prevented the laws from coming into effect. Nevertheless they became the basis for veterinary regulations of the World Trade Organisation and of the European Union.

Anterior cruciate ligament injury profile in Italian Serie A1-A2 women's volleyball league.

PubMed

Devetag, Francesca; Mazzilli, Massimiliano; Benis, Roberto; LA Torre, Antonio; Bonato, Matteo

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess how anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures with subsequent surgery reconstruction impact on the professional career of A1-A2 Italian women's volleyball league players. Using an observational study with a retrospective case-series design for ACL ruptures, 125 teams with 1488 players were monitored. Subjects had to report level, role, injury modality, lower limb injured, laterality, period of the season and age. A total of 34 ACL ruptures were reported. Thirty-three (97%) were non-contact and 1 (3%) with contact. Twenty-one (61.7%) occurred in landing from a jump attack, 3 (8.8%) in landing from wall jump, 1 (3%) with apparent contact and 9 (26.5%) in other landing conditions. The most injured knee was the left limb (22, 64.7%) respect to the right limb (12, 35.3%). Fourteen (41.2%) ruptures occurred in spikers, 10 (29.4%) in middle blockers, 6 (17.6%) in setters, 3 (8.8%) in liberos and 1 (3%) in opposite hitters. Nine (26.5%) occurred in pre-season period, 16 (47%) in the first round, 4 (11.8%) in the second round, and 5 (14.7%) during play-off. The average age of the first ACL rupture was 23±3 years. We observed that female volleyball players of A1-A2 Italian volleyball league occurred mostly in a left non-contact ACL rupture during a landing condition and the spikers were the players most at risk. Therefore, it is desirable that coaches teach players variations of landing in order to avoid possible chronic overloading of ACL.

The malleability of spatial ability under treatment of a FIRST LEGO League-based robotics unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coxon, Steven Vincent

Spatial ability is important to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) success, but spatial talents are rarely developed in schools. Likewise, the gifted may become STEM innovators, but they are rarely provided with pedagogy appropriate to develop their abilities in schools. A stratified random sample of volunteer participants (n=75) ages 9-14 was drawn from 16 public school districts' gifted programs, including as many females (n=28) and children from groups traditionally underrepresented in gifted programs (n=18) as available. Participants were randomly divided into an experimental (n=38) and a control group (n=37) for an intervention study. All participants took the CogAT (form 6) Verbal Battery and the Project TALENT Spatial Ability Assessments. The experimental group participated in a simulation of the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) competition for 20 hours total over five consecutive days. All participants took the spatial measure another time. Experimental males evidenced significant and meaningful gains in measured spatial ability (Cohen's d = 0.87). Females did not evidence significant gains in measured spatial ability. This may be due to sampling error, gender differences in prior experience with LEGO, or differences in facets of spatial ability in the treatment or measurements. Further research studies with larger samples of females, other treatments and measurement tools, and longer treatment periods are recommended. The literature review revealed that FLL is beneficial for STEM engagement in both genders and its use in schools is recommended. The present study provides additional evidence for FLL's usefulness in increasing the number of individuals in the STEM pipeline. Keywords: spatial, gilled, talent, robotics, FIRST LEGO League, science

Turning on the care coordination switch in rural primary care: voices from the practices--clinician champions, clinician partners, administrators, and nurse care managers.

PubMed

Fagnan, Lyle J; Dorr, David A; Davis, Melinda; McGinnis, Paul; Mahler, Jo; King, Molly McCarthy; Michaels, LeAnn

2011-01-01

This study sought to understand the acceptability and feasibility of office-based nurse care management in medium to large rural primary care practices. A qualitative assessment of Care Management Plus (a focused medical home model for complex patients) implementation was conducted using semistructured interviews with 4 staff cohorts. Cohorts included clinician champions, clinician partners, practice administrators, and nurse care managers. Seven key implementation attributes were: a proven care coordination program; adequate staffing; practice buy-in; adequate time; measurement; practice facilitation; and functional information technology. Although staff was positive about the care coordination concept, model acceptability was varied and additional study is required to determine sustainability.

Performance, Return to Competition, and Reinjury After Tommy John Surgery in Major League Baseball Pitchers: A Review of 147 Cases.

PubMed

Makhni, Eric C; Lee, Randall W; Morrow, Zachary S; Gualtieri, Anthony P; Gorroochurn, Prakash; Ahmad, Christopher S

2014-06-01

Pitching performance metrics, durability, and reinjury after Tommy John surgery in professional baseball players have not been well described. The purpose of this study was to determine the likelihood of return to professional competition, reinjury rate, and change in performance after Tommy John surgery in Major League Baseball pitchers. The hypothesis was that performance metrics and durability will decline after surgery. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Publicly available records were accessed to generate a list of all Major League Baseball pitchers from 1999 to 2011 who had undergone ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction at any point in their careers; those with multiple reconstructive procedures were excluded. Return to active (≥1 game) or established (≥10 games) competition and/or placement on the disabled list was documented for each player. Among established players, pitching performance was compared pre- and postoperatively, as well as with age-matched control pitchers. Of 147 pitchers included, 80% returned to pitch in at least 1 Major League Baseball game. Only 67% of established pitchers returned to the same level of competition postoperatively, and 57% of established players returned to the disabled list because of injuries to the throwing arm. Finally, performance declined across several metrics after surgery compared with preinjury levels, such as earned run average, batting average against, walks plus hits per inning pitched, percentage of pitches thrown in the strike zone, innings pitched, percentage fastballs thrown, and average fastball velocity (P < .05 for all). However, these declines were not statistically different from similar declines found in age-matched controls who did not undergo Tommy John surgery. Return to the disabled list after Tommy John surgery is common among professional pitchers (>50%), and performance declines across several major metrics after surgery. Patients undergoing Tommy John surgery should be counseled

Impact of visors on eye and orbital injuries in the National Hockey League.

PubMed

Micieli, Jonathan A; Zurakowski, David; Ahmed, Iqbal Ike K

2014-06-01

Eye and orbital injuries are a significant risk to professional hockey league players and have resulted in career-ending injuries. The goal of this study was to determine the incidence, value lost, mechanism, and effect of visors on eye and orbital injuries over the last 10 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons: 2002-2003 to 2012-2013. Retrospective case-control study. Participants were 8741 NHL players who had played at least 1 game during the last 10 seasons. Using The Sports Network (TSN), ProSportsTransactions, and the Sporting News Hockey Register, NHL players were searched to identify eye and orbital injuries. The mechanism of injury was obtained from media reports and direct observation from online videos. The number of players wearing visors each year was obtained from The Hockey News annual visor survey. A total of 149 eye or orbital injuries over the last 10 seasons resulted in an overall incidence of 2.48 per 10 000 athlete exposures. A total of 1120 missed games led to a lost financial value of more than $33 million. Visor use among players grew from 32% in 2002-2003 to 73% in 2012-2013, and there was a significantly increased risk for having an eye or orbital injury when a visor was not worn (OR 4.23, 95% CI 2.84-6.30). Most injuries were a result of being hit by a deflected or direct puck (37%) followed by being struck by a high stick (28%). Players who did not wear a visor were found to be involved in more fights, hits, and penalty minutes (p < 0.001). Eye and orbital injuries are mostly accidental in nature and represent a significant risk and cost to the NHL and its players. Eye and orbital injuries are significantly more likely in players who do not wear visors. Copyright © 2014 Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Football fans and food: a case study of a football club in the English premier league.

PubMed

Ireland, Robin; Watkins, Francine

2010-05-01

Although there is growing awareness of the impact of diet on health, little attention has been given to the food available in our sports stadia. We used a football club (Citygrene FC) - Citygrene is a fictional name - in the English Premier League as a case study to examine the attitudes of male and female football supporters to the food and drink available at their home stadium (Citygrene Stadium). The research design used five focus groups of male and female fans. The discourse was audiotaped, transcribed, coded and analysed for themes. A football stadium in the English Premier League, England. The participants were season ticket holders drawn from two stands at Citygrene Stadium. The research showed a high level of dissatisfaction with the food and drink supplied. There were key differences in the views of the male and female participants in the focus groups, with the women more concerned about wider issues such as the lack of healthy food. Both men and women were aware of their role as consumers and felt that there was an opportunity for Citygrene to improve their catering profits, if they provided a better selection of food and drink and an improved service. The study shows that there is a demand for healthier food options (and a wider choice of food and drink in general), which may provide an economic opportunity for stadium and catering managers. In addition, a stadium may be considered a potential 'healthy setting', which can serve as a supportive environment for healthier food choices.

Challenges of Bystander Intervention in Male-Dominated Professional Sport: Lessons From the Australian Football League.

PubMed

Corboz, Julienne; Flood, Michael; Dyson, Sue

2016-03-01

Programs aimed at preventing violence against women have increasingly adopted bystander approaches, yet large gaps remain in our knowledge about what drives bystanders to act or not, particularly in settings where there is an increased risk of violence against women occurring. This article contributes to this gap by examining data from research with professional male athletes from the Australian Football League. Drawing from a mixed methods approach, including a survey and interviews with football players, we outline some of the challenges to bystander intervention faced by professional athletes and discuss some of the possible similarities and differences between these and other groups of men. © The Author(s) 2015.

A Comparison of Physical and Technical Performance Profiles Between Successful and Less-Successful Professional Rugby League Teams.

PubMed

Kempton, Thomas; Sirotic, Anita C; Coutts, Aaron J

2017-04-01

To examine differences in physical and technical performance profiles using a large sample of match observations drawn from successful and less-successful professional rugby league teams. Match activity profiles were collected using global positioning satellite (GPS) technology from 29 players from a successful rugby league team during 24 games and 25 players from a less-successful team during 18 games throughout 2 separate competition seasons. Technical performance data were obtained from a commercial statistics provider. A progressive magnitude-based statistical approach was used to compare differences in physical and technical performance variables between the reference teams. There were no clear differences in playing time, absolute and relative total distances, or low-speed running distances between successful and less-successful teams. The successful team possibly to very likely had lower higher-speed running demands and likely had fewer physical collisions than the less-successful team, although they likely to most likely demonstrated more accelerations and decelerations and likely had higher average metabolic power. The successful team very likely gained more territory in attack, very likely had more possessions, and likely committed fewer errors. In contrast, the less-successful team was likely required to attempt more tackles, most likely missed more tackles, and very likely had a lower effective tackle percentage. In the current study, successful match performance was not contingent on higher match running outputs or more physical collisions; rather, proficiency in technical performance components better differentiated successful and less-successful teams.

A SIR/CAR Systems Analysis of the Longitudinal Changes in Little League Baseball Comparing Windsor with the Rest of Ontario and Canada.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zarebski, John; Moriarty, Dick

The trends and changes occurring in Windsor District 5 Little League Baseball between 1971 and 1978 were closely monitored in order for researchers to discern the results of Sports Institute for Research/Change Agent Research (SIR/CAR) intervention in these programs. Comparisons of the 1972, 1976, and 1978 studies reveal that the values focus of…

The Trojan Lifetime Champions Health Survey: development, validity, and reliability.

PubMed

Sorenson, Shawn C; Romano, Russell; Scholefield, Robin M; Schroeder, E Todd; Azen, Stanley P; Salem, George J

2015-04-01

Self-report questionnaires are an important method of evaluating lifespan health, exercise, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcomes among elite, competitive athletes. Few instruments, however, have undergone formal characterization of their psychometric properties within this population. To evaluate the validity and reliability of a novel health and exercise questionnaire, the Trojan Lifetime Champions (TLC) Health Survey. Descriptive laboratory study. A large National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I university. A total of 63 university alumni (age range, 24 to 84 years), including former varsity collegiate athletes and a control group of nonathletes. Participants completed the TLC Health Survey twice at a mean interval of 23 days with randomization to the paper or electronic version of the instrument. Content validity, feasibility of administration, test-retest reliability, parallel-form reliability between paper and electronic forms, and estimates of systematic and typical error versus differences of clinical interest were assessed across a broad range of health, exercise, and HRQL measures. Correlation coefficients, including intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for continuous variables and κ agreement statistics for ordinal variables, for test-retest reliability averaged 0.86, 0.90, 0.80, and 0.74 for HRQL, lifetime health, recent health, and exercise variables, respectively. Correlation coefficients, again ICCs and κ, for parallel-form reliability (ie, equivalence) between paper and electronic versions averaged 0.90, 0.85, 0.85, and 0.81 for HRQL, lifetime health, recent health, and exercise variables, respectively. Typical measurement error was less than the a priori thresholds of clinical interest, and we found minimal evidence of systematic test-retest error. We found strong evidence of content validity, convergent construct validity with the Short-Form 12 Version 2 HRQL instrument, and feasibility of administration in an elite

Perceptions of the Coach–Athlete Relationship Predict the Attainment of Mastery Achievement Goals Six Months Later: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Study among F. A. Premier League Academy Soccer Players

PubMed Central

Nicholls, Adam R.; Earle, Keith; Earle, Fiona; Madigan, Daniel J.

2017-01-01

All football teams that compete within the F. A. Premier League possess an academy, whose objective is to produce more and better home-grown players that are capable of playing professionally. These young players spend a large amount of time with their coach, but little is known about player’s perception of the coach–athlete relationship within F. A. Premier League Academies. The objectives of this study were to examine whether perceptions of the coach–athlete relationship changed over six months and if the coach–athlete relationship predicted self-reported goal achievement among F. A. Premier League academy players. This study included cross-sectional (n = 104) and longitudinal (n = 52) assessments, in which academy soccer players completed a measure of the coach–athlete relationship and goal achievement across either one or two time periods. The cross-sectional data were subjected to bivariate correlations, whereas the longitudinal data were analyzed using multiple regressions. Perceptions of the coach–athlete relationship remained stable over time. The coach–athlete relationship predicted the achievement of mastery goals six months later. Enhancing the quality of the coach–athlete relationship among elite adolescent athletes appears to be a suitable way of maximizing mastery achievement goals, particularly among developmental athletes who participate in team sports. PMID:28572775

The New Classification of Seizures by the International League Against Epilepsy 2017.

PubMed

Fisher, Robert S

2017-06-01

This review presents the newly developed International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) 2017 classification of seizure types. The fundamental distinction is between seizures that begin focally in one hemisphere of the brain, generalized onset seizures that apparently originate in both hemispheres, and seizures of unknown onset. Focal seizures optionally can be subclassified according to whether awareness (a surrogate marker for consciousness) is intact or impaired. The next level of classification for focal seizures is motor (with subgroups automatisms, atonic, clonic, epileptic spasms, hyperkinetic, myoclonic, tonic), non-motor (with subgroups autonomic, behavior arrest, cognitive, emotional, sensory), and focal to bilateral tonic-clonic. Generalized seizures are categorized as motor (tonic-clonic, clonic, tonic, myoclonic, myoclonic-tonic-clonic, myoclonic-atonic, atonic, epileptic spasms) and non-motor/absence (typical, atypical, myoclonic, eyelid myoclonia). The classification allows new types of focal seizures and a few new generalized seizures, and clarifies terms used to name seizures.

The World Hypertension League: where now and where to in salt reduction

PubMed Central

Lackland, Daniel T.; Lisheng, Liu; Zhang, Xin-Hua; Nilsson, Peter M.; Niebylski, Mark L.

2015-01-01

High dietary salt is a leading risk for death and disability largely by causing increased blood pressure. Other associated health risks include gastric and renal cell cancers, osteoporosis, renal stones, and increased disease activity in multiple sclerosis, headache, increased body fat and Meniere’s disease. The World Hypertension League (WHL) has prioritized advocacy for salt reduction. WHL resources and actions include a non-governmental organization policy statement, dietary salt fact sheet, development of standardized nomenclature, call for quality research, collaboration in a weekly salt science update, development of a process to set recommended dietary salt research standards and regular literature reviews, development of adoptable power point slide sets to support WHL positions and resources, and critic of weak research studies on dietary salt. The WHL plans to continue to work with multiple governmental and non-governmental organizations to promote dietary salt reduction towards the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. PMID:26090335

Shoulder injuries to quarterbacks in the national football league.

PubMed

Kelly, Bryan T; Barnes, Ronnie P; Powell, John W; Warren, Russell F

2004-03-01

Quarterbacks are at risk for shoulder injury secondary to both the throwing motion as well as from contact injury. To delineate the incidence and etiology of shoulder injuries to quarterbacks in the National Football League (NFL). Using the NFL Injury Surveillance System (NFLISS), all reported injuries to quarterbacks between 1980 and 2001 were identified. A total of 1534 quarterback injuries were identified with a mean of 18.8 and a median of 6.0 days of playing time lost. The majority of these injuries occurred during a game (83.8%). Passing plays were responsible for 77.4% of all quarterback-related injuries. Shoulder injuries were the second most common injury reported (233 or 15.2%), following closely behind head injuries (15.4%). Direct trauma was responsible for 82.3% of the injuries, with acromioclavicular joint sprains being the most common injury overall (40%). Overuse injuries were responsible for 14% of the injuries, the most common being rotator cuff tendinitis (6.1%) followed by biceps tendinitis (3.5%). In this review, the vast majority of shoulder injuries in quarterbacks occurred as a result of direct trauma (82.3%), and less than 15% were overuse injuries resulting from the actual throwing motion.

Claims to protection: the rise and fall of feminist abolitionism in the League of Nations' Committee on the Traffic in Women and Children, 1919–1936.

PubMed

Pliley, Jessica R

2010-01-01

This article examines the League of Nations Advisory Committee on the Trafficking of Women and Children (CTW) to assess the impact of international feminists on the interwar anti-sex trafficking movement. It argues that women who were firmly embedded in the transnational and international women's rights movement built a coalition on the CTW to ensure the prominence of the feminist abolitionist position of sex trafficking in the 1920s. This position was defined by calls for equal standards of morality between the sexes, resistance to laws that treated prostitutes as a group and infringed on their human rights, and unwavering demands for the abolition of state-regulated prostitution. Changes in the personnel and bureaucratic structure of the CTW and the rising tide of nationalism served to undermine the feminist abolitionists' position in the League in the 1930s.

Season-long increases in perceived muscle soreness in professional rugby league players: role of player position, match characteristics and playing surface.

PubMed

Fletcher, Ben D; Twist, Craig; Haigh, Julian D; Brewer, Clive; Morton, James P; Close, Graeme L

2016-01-01

Rugby League (RL) is a high-impact collision sport characterised by repeated sprints and numerous high-speed impacts and consequently players often report immediate and prolonged muscle soreness in the days after a match. We examined muscle soreness after matches during a full season to understand the extent to which match characteristics influence soreness. Thirty-one elite Super League players provided daily measures of muscle soreness after each of the 26 competitive fixtures of the 2012 season. Playing position, phase of the season, playing surface and match characteristics were recorded from each match. Muscle soreness peaked at day 1 and was still apparent at day 4 post-game with no attenuation in the magnitude of muscle soreness over the course of the season. Neither playing position, phase of season or playing surface had any effects on the extent of muscle soreness. Playing time and total number of collisions were significantly correlated with higher ratings of muscle soreness, especially in the forwards. These data indicate the absence "contact adaptations" in elite rugby players with soreness present throughout the entire season. Strategies must now be implemented to deal with the physical and psychological consequences of prolonged feeling of pain.

Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Glenoid in a Major League Baseball Prospect: A Case Report.

PubMed

Grau, Luis Carlos; Jose, Jean; Sama, Andrew Joseph; Baraga, Michael Gerald

2016-01-01

A 16-year-old Major League Baseball prospect presented with persistent shoulder pain associated with throwing. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a large osteochondritis dissecans lesion in the posterosuperior aspect of the glenoid. The patient was restricted from throwing and underwent therapy to improve range of motion and throwing mechanics. Eight months after initiating nonoperative treatment, an MRI arthrogram demonstrated a healed lesion. At follow-up 2 years after treatment, full relief of symptoms had persisted. Osteochondritis dissecans lesions of the glenoid are extremely rare, but have the potential to heal in overhead-throwing athletes. To our knowledge, this is the only case reported in the literature that demonstrates a healed osteochondritis dissecans lesion of the glenoid following nonoperative treatment.

Intrinsic classes in the Union of European Football Associations soccer team ranking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ausloos, Marcel

2014-11-01

A strong structural regularity of classes is found in soccer teams ranked by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for the time interval 2009-2014. It concerns 424 to 453 teams according to the 5 competition seasons. The analysis is based on the rank-size theory considerations, the size being the UEFA coefficient at the end of a season. Three classes emerge: (i) the few "top" teams, (ii) 300 teams, (iii) the rest of the involved teams (about 150) in the tail of the distribution. There are marked empirical laws describing each class. A 3-parameter Lavalette function is used to describe the concave curving as the rank increases, and to distinguish the the tail from the central behavior.

Incidence and Characteristics of Injuries during the 2010 FELDA/FAM National Futsal League in Malaysia

PubMed Central

A. Hamid, Mohamad Shariff; Jaafar, Zulkarnain; Mohd Ali, Azril Syazwan

2014-01-01

Objective In Malaysia, futsal is a popular sport played by individuals across all ages and genders. Despite its popularity, information on futsal related injury in Malaysia is not available. The purpose of this study is to examine the injury incidence and injury patterns among amateur men and women futsal players in Malaysia. Methods Players reported injury to the tournament medical team during the FELDA/FAM National Futsal League 2010 were interviewed and assessed by a Sports Medicine registrar. Player's socio-demographic profiles and information about the injury were documented in the injury report form adapted from medical report form used by FIFA: Medical Assessment and Research Centre (F-Marc). Results A total of 86 injuries were reported from 141 matches, equivalent to an incidence of 91.5 injuries per 1000 player hours (95% CI 72.2 to 110.8), or 61.0 injuries per 1000 player matches (95% CI 48.1 to 73.9). Most were minor injuries resulted from contact with another player. Injuries often involved the lower extremity (44%) followed by the trunk (14%) and the upper limb (13%). Ankle (n = 7; 39%) and knee (n = 6; 33%) sprains were the most prevalent diagnoses of time-loss injuries. A significant association between time-loss and type of injury was found χ 2 (1,N = 86) = 3.99, p = 0.04. In addition, time-loss injury was significantly associated with playing surface χ 2 (1,N = 86) = 10.11, p = 0.018. Conclusion The injury rate during the FELDA/FAM National Amateur Futsal Men's League in Malaysia was lower compared with previous Futsal World Cups competition. Most injuries resulted from contact with another player were minor and did not lead to time-loss from participation. Time-loss injury was significantly associated with type of injury and playing surface. PMID:24733140

Incidence and characteristics of injuries during the 2010 FELDA/FAM National Futsal League in Malaysia.

PubMed

Hamid, Mohamad Shariff A; Jaafar, Zulkarnain; Mohd Ali, Azril Syazwan

2014-01-01

In Malaysia, futsal is a popular sport played by individuals across all ages and genders. Despite its popularity, information on futsal related injury in Malaysia is not available. The purpose of this study is to examine the injury incidence and injury patterns among amateur men and women futsal players in Malaysia. Players reported injury to the tournament medical team during the FELDA/FAM National Futsal League 2010 were interviewed and assessed by a Sports Medicine registrar. Player's socio-demographic profiles and information about the injury were documented in the injury report form adapted from medical report form used by FIFA: Medical Assessment and Research Centre (F-Marc). A total of 86 injuries were reported from 141 matches, equivalent to an incidence of 91.5 injuries per 1000 player hours (95% CI 72.2 to 110.8), or 61.0 injuries per 1000 player matches (95% CI 48.1 to 73.9). Most were minor injuries resulted from contact with another player. Injuries often involved the lower extremity (44%) followed by the trunk (14%) and the upper limb (13%). Ankle (n = 7; 39%) and knee (n = 6; 33%) sprains were the most prevalent diagnoses of time-loss injuries. A significant association between time-loss and type of injury was found χ2 (1,N = 86) = 3.99, p = 0.04. In addition, time-loss injury was significantly associated with playing surface χ2 (1,N = 86) = 10.11, p = 0.018. The injury rate during the FELDA/FAM National Amateur Futsal Men's League in Malaysia was lower compared with previous Futsal World Cups competition. Most injuries resulted from contact with another player were minor and did not lead to time-loss from participation. Time-loss injury was significantly associated with type of injury and playing surface.

Engaging communities to improve mental health in African and African Caribbean groups: a qualitative study evaluating the role of community well-being champions.

PubMed

Mantovani, Nadia; Pizzolati, Micol; Gillard, Steve

2017-01-01

Over the last decade, Britain has undergone reforms to promote engagement in local structures of governance. These reforms have encouraged the promotion of active citizenship and have been central to the government's public service modernisation agenda. This article presents the findings from a study evaluating a pilot outreach intervention which adopted a community engagement model to address the mental health needs of African and African Caribbean groups, which entailed a partnership between faith-based organisations, local public services and community organisations to co-produce the pilot project. Lay people were trained to raise awareness about mental health among these communities in South London. Between 2012 and 2013, a qualitative participatory approach was used to evaluate the pilot project, which enabled a researcher to take part in the engagement phase of the pilot project, and the project co-ordinators to be involved in the research process. Semi-structured, one-to-one interviews were carried out with 13 community and well-being champions (CWBCs) recruited from African and African Caribbean communities (seven male and six female). This study examines the impact of the relationship between the intervention and community through the participants' engagement in the pilot outreach project and the action undertaken as champions. We found that although CWBCs used circles of influence to share ideas about mental health and well-being and to encourage change, they encountered resistance on the part of the people they engaged with, which resulted from a lack of knowledge about mental health, taboos and ascribed stigma. We argue that CWBCs acted as healthy examples to communicate mental health knowledge to those approached, but that they needed to be equipped with bespoke communication skills to be able to talk about such sensitive issues as mental health. © 2015 The Authors. Health and Social Care in the Community Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

"Sorry, but They Don't Want Chinese Americans to Participate": A Case Study of Tracking in an Ivy League Chinese Language Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tian, Ye

2017-01-01

This study examines a Chinese language programme in an Ivy League institution through the lens of Tracking to re-conceptualise the achievement gap between Chinese heritage language learners (CHLLs) and non-heritage language learners. Like most prestigious universities in the U.S., Chinese language learners in this case study are put on one of two…

Addressing Early Retention in Antenatal Care Among HIV-Positive Women Through a Simple Intervention in Kinshasa, DRC: The Elombe "Champion" Standard Operating Procedure.

PubMed

Gill, Michelle M; Ditekemena, John; Loando, Aimé; Mbonze, Nana; Bakualufu, Jo; Machekano, Rhoderick; Nyombe, Cady; Temmerman, Marleen; Fwamba, Franck

2018-03-01

This cluster-randomized study aimed to assess the Elombe ("Champion") standard operating procedure (SOP), implemented by providers and Mentor Mothers, on HIV-positive pregnant women's retention between first and second antenatal visits. Sixteen facilities in Kinshasa were randomly assigned to intervention (SOP) or comparison (no SOP). Effect of the SOP was estimated using relative risk. Women in comparison facilities were more likely to miss second visits (RR 2.5, 95% CI 1.05-5.98) than women in intervention facilities (30.0%, n = 27 vs. 12.0%, n = 9, p < 0.002). Findings demonstrate that a simple intervention can reduce critical early loss to care in PMTCT programs providing universal, lifelong treatment.

Detecting deficits in change of direction performance using the preplanned multidirectional Australian football league agility test.

PubMed

Hart, Nicolas H; Spiteri, Tania; Lockie, Robert G; Nimphius, Sophia; Newton, Robert U

2014-12-01

The Australian Football League (AFL) agility test is a preplanned multidirectional circuit involving 5 directional changes of various magnitudes that might differently assess athletes of particular leg dominance. This study served to establish whether the AFL agility test appropriately examines athletes of differing limb dominance, while also quantifying performance deficits prevalent between limbs of Australian Footballers. Fifty-eight Australian Footballers were recruited from the Western Australian Football League (age = 21.9 ± 2.8 years; height = 183.7 ± 5.9 cm; weight = 86.4 ± 4.7 kg). Two circuits of the AFL agility test were set up in accordance with official specifications. The finish line of the second circuit was relocated to the opposite side to modify the starting direction. Footballers were randomized and counterbalanced between versions, performing 3 trials in each direction. Paired t-tests (p ≤ 0.05) were used to examine differences between dominant and nondominant trials. Independent t-tests (p ≤ 0.05) were used to identify differences between left and right leg dominant groups. The current version of the AFL agility test appropriately examined ∼61% of footballers in this cohort. The remaining ∼39% produced significantly faster times during the alternate version (0.63-0.82 seconds; p ≤ 0.001). All footballers demonstrated a performance deficit of 5-10% between limbs (∼0.72 seconds; p ≤ 0.001). Limb dominance (directional preference) was evident for all footballers. Change of direction capabilities should therefore be examined bilaterally to eliminate bias toward athletes with particular leg dominance profiles and to provide a limb deficit measure for enhanced athletic profiling outcomes.

Return to competition after an Achilles tendon rupture using both on and off the field load monitoring as guidance: A case report of a top-level soccer player.

PubMed

Fanchini, Maurizio; Impellizzeri, Franco M; Silbernagel, Karin Grävare; Combi, Franco; Benazzo, Franco; Bizzini, Mario

2018-01-01

To describe the Return to competition after Achilles Tendon rupture (ATR) in an elite soccer player. Case report. Return to sport (RTS) of a professional soccer player who suffered an ATR during a match. The RTS phase started 15 weeks after surgery and specific on-field activities were gradually introduced. Criteria used to monitor the transition through the different phases were strength and endurance of the calf muscle and ability to sustain specific on-field training loads (TL) monitored with Global Positioning System and heart-rate system. TLs were weekly compared to pre-injury values to evaluate recovery and to prescribe future sessions. A 39-year-old (height 178 cm, weight 75 kg) elite soccer defender player, playing in Italian Serie-A league. Days of absence were lower compared to a cohort presented in UEFA study (119 versus 161 ± 65 days, respectively). External-TL and Internal-TL were organized to gradually increase during RTS and resulted in higher values prior to return to competition compared to pre-injury values. Concentric plantar flexion peak torque increased till 9th months after surgery. Monitoring of the field activities allowed comparison with pre-injury values and provided a useful and functional criteria to pass return to team activity and competition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

U.S. National Football League athletes seeking unproven stem cell treatments.

PubMed

Matthews, Kirstin R W; Cuchiara, Maude L

2014-12-01

From professionals to weekend warriors, many athletes seek unproven stem cell (SC) treatments in an effort to heal injuries nonsurgically and/or to accelerate recovery times after surgery. Among the elite athletes opting for these treatments are high-profile U.S. National Football League (NFL) players. Over the past 5 years, several NFL players have publicly advocated for SC types of treatments and credit them as a major reason they could continue their careers after injuries. In this article, we describe the current problems associated with unproven SC treatments, focusing on treatments without U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval undertaken by NFL players in the past 5 years. Specifically, we highlight the types of treatments obtained and how the clinics advertise specifically to athletes. We also review the intended and unintended consequences of high-profile players receiving and advocating for these types of therapies. Our findings suggest that NFL players increasingly seek out unproven SC therapies to help accelerate recoveries from injuries. While most seem to receive treatment within the United States, several have traveled abroad for therapies unavailable domestically.

The effect of three different (-135°C) whole body cryotherapy exposure durations on elite rugby league players.

PubMed

Selfe, James; Alexander, Jill; Costello, Joseph T; May, Karen; Garratt, Nigel; Atkins, Stephen; Dillon, Stephanie; Hurst, Howard; Davison, Matthew; Przybyla, Daria; Coley, Andrew; Bitcon, Mark; Littler, Greg; Richards, Jim

2014-01-01

Whole body cryotherapy (WBC) is the therapeutic application of extreme cold air for a short duration. Minimal evidence is available for determining optimal exposure time. To explore whether the length of WBC exposure induces differential changes in inflammatory markers, tissue oxygenation, skin and core temperature, thermal sensation and comfort. This study was a randomised cross over design with participants acting as their own control. Fourteen male professional first team super league rugby players were exposed to 1, 2, and 3 minutes of WBC at -135°C. Testing took place the day after a competitive league fixture, each exposure separated by seven days. No significant changes were found in the inflammatory cytokine interleukin six. Significant reductions (p<0.05) in deoxyhaemoglobin for gastrocnemius and vastus lateralis were found. In vastus lateralis significant reductions (p<0.05) in oxyhaemoglobin and tissue oxygenation index (p<0.05) were demonstrated. Significant reductions (p<0.05) in skin temperature were recorded. No significant changes were recorded in core temperature. Significant reductions (p<0.05) in thermal sensation and comfort were recorded. Three brief exposures to WBC separated by 1 week are not sufficient to induce physiological changes in IL-6 or core temperature. There are however significant changes in tissue oxyhaemoglobin, deoxyhaemoglobin, tissue oxygenation index, skin temperature and thermal sensation. We conclude that a 2 minute WBC exposure was the optimum exposure length at temperatures of -135°C and could be applied as the basis for future studies.

Epidemiology and Impact of Abdominal Oblique Injuries in Major and Minor League Baseball

PubMed Central

Camp, Christopher L.; Conte, Stan; Cohen, Steven B.; Thompson, Matthew; D’ Angelo, John; Nguyen, Joseph T.; Dines, Joshua S.

2017-01-01

Background: Oblique injuries are known to be a common cause of time out of play for professional baseball players, and prior work has suggested that injury rates may be on the rise in Major League Baseball (MLB). Purpose: To better understand the current incidence of oblique injuries, determine their impact based on time out of play, and to identify common injury patterns that may guide future injury prevention programs. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiological study. Methods: Using the MLB Health and Injury Tracking System, all oblique injuries that resulted in time out of play in MLB and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) during the 2011 to 2015 seasons were identified. Player demographics such as age, position/role, and handedness were included. Injury-specific factors analyzed included the following: date of injury, timing during season, days missed, mechanism, side, treatment, and reinjury status. Results: A total of 996 oblique injuries occurred in 259 (26%) MLB and 737 (74%) MiLB players. Although the injury rate was steady in MiLB, the MLB injury rate declined (P = .037). A total of 22,064 days were missed at a mean rate of 4413 days per season and 22.2 days per injury. The majority of these occurred during batting (n = 455, 46%) or pitching (n = 348, 35%), with pitchers losing 5 days more per injury than batters (P < .001). The leading side was injured in 77% of cases and took 5 days longer to recover from than trailing side injuries (P = .009). Seventy-nine (7.9%) players received either a corticosteroid or platelet-rich plasma injection, and the mean recovery time was 11 days longer compared with those who did not receive an injection (P < .001). Conclusion: Although the rate of abdominal oblique injuries is on the decline in MLB, this is not the case for MiLB, and these injuries continue to represent a significant source of time out of play in professional baseball. The vast majority of injuries occur on the lead side, and these injuries result in the

Drinking by professional Australian Football League (AFL) players: prevalence and correlates of risk.

PubMed

Dietze, Paul M; Fitzgerald, John L; Jenkinson, Rebecca A

2008-11-03

To examine self-reported patterns of alcohol consumption and experience of alcohol-related harms among professional Australian Football League (AFL) players. Cross-sectional survey of player alcohol consumption and self-reported alcohol-related harms among members of all 16 professional AFL clubs. Data relating to the 2006 football year were collected between 25 July and 30 August 2006 at regular football training sessions using a self-administered structured questionnaire. Risky/high-risk drinking for long- and short-term harm at different times of the year; Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score. 582 AFL players completed the questionnaire (an 83% response rate). Alcohol consumption varied at different times of the year. During the playing season (approximately 22 weeks), the level of risky/high-risk consumption for long-term harm in AFL players (11/564 [2%]) was typically lower than in age-matched Australian men in the general population (15%). However, risky/high-risk consumption for long-term harm was higher in AFL players during the end-of-season period (approximately 2 weeks) (303/561 [54%]) and vacation period (6-8 weeks) (231/559 [41%]) than in age-matched Australian men. Risky/high-risk drinking for short-term harm on a monthly basis was frequent at all times of the year (eg, 395/560 [71%] in the pre-season period). The mean AUDIT score was 8.8 (95% CI, 8.4 to 9.1; range, 0 to 36). Reports of harmful effects of drinking and negative consequences, such as getting involved in a fight (physical or verbal) while drinking (146/556 [26%]), were common. Risky/high-risk consumption for short-term harm on a monthly basis was associated with a variety of player characteristics, such as usually drinking in public locations (odds ratio, 1.55 [95% CI, 1.02 to 2.35]). AUDIT score was associated with variables such as marital status, with married players scoring more than two points lower (95% CI, - 3.58 to - 0.58) than single players. Formal club rules

Trends in the Presentation, Management, and Outcomes of Little League Shoulder.

PubMed

Heyworth, Benton E; Kramer, Dennis E; Martin, Daniel J; Micheli, Lyle J; Kocher, Mininder S; Bae, Donald S

2016-06-01

With rising participation in youth sports such as baseball, proximal humeral epiphysiolysis, or Little League shoulder (LLS), is being seen with increasing frequency. However, there remains a paucity of literature regarding the causes, natural history, or treatment outcomes of LLS. To analyze the demographic, clinical, and diagnostic features of a population of LLS patients, with an emphasis on identifying underlying risk factors for the development and recurrence of LLS after nonoperative treatment. Case series; Level of evidence, 4. A departmental database at a high-volume regional children's hospital was queried to identify cases of LLS between 1999 and 2013. Medical records were reviewed to allow for analysis of age, sex, athletic information, physical examination and radiologic findings, treatment details, clinical course, and rates of recurrence. Ninety-five patients (93 males, 2 females; mean age, 13.1 years; range, 8-16 years) were diagnosed with LLS. The number of diagnosed cases increased annually over the study period. All patients had shoulder pain with overhead athletics; secondary symptoms included elbow pain in 13%, shoulder fatigue or weakness in 10%, and mechanical symptoms in 8%. While the majority of patients (97%) were baseball players (86% pitchers, 8% catchers, 7% other positions), a small subset (3%) were tennis players. On physical examination, 30% were reported to have glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD), defined as a decreased arc of rotational range of motion of the shoulder. Treatment recommendations included rest in 99% of cases, physical therapy in 79% (including 100% of patients with GIRD), and position change upon return to play in 26%. Average time to full resolution of symptoms was 2.6 months, while average time to return to competition was 4.2 months. Recurrent symptoms were reported in 7% of the overall cohort at a mean of 7.6 months after initial diagnosis. The odds of recurrence in the group with diagnosed GIRD (14

On-field performance of national football league players after return from concussion.

PubMed

Kumar, Neil S; Chin, Matthew; O'Neill, Craig; Jakoi, Andre M; Tabb, Loni; Wolf, Michael

2014-09-01

There are few data examining the short-term effects of concussions on player performance upon return to play. This study examined changes in on-field performance and the influence of epidemiologic factors on performance and return to play. On-field performance is different in players who return within 7 days after concussion compared with players who miss at least 1 game. Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Players in the National Football League who were active during the 2008 to 2012 seasons were considered for inclusion. Weekly injury reports identified concussed players. All players played in at least 4 games before and after the game of injury (sentinel game) within the year of injury (sentinel year). Players who had missed games secondary to another injury or had sustained a second concussion within the sentinel year were excluded. The players' league profiles were used to determine age, position, body mass index, career experience, and games missed. ProFootballFocus performance scores determined player ratings. Statistical analysis used 2-sided t tests and both univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. There were a total of 131 concussions in the 124 players who qualified for this study; 55% of these players missed no games. Defensive secondary, wide receiver, and offensive line were the most commonly affected positions. Players who missed at least 1 game were younger and less experienced. Preinjury ProFootballFocus performance scores were similar to postinjury performance in players without games missed (0.16 vs 0.33; P = .129) and players who missed at least 1 game (-0.06 vs 0.10; P = .219). Age, body mass index, experience, and previous concussion did not correlate with changes in postinjury scores (P > .05). Older, more experienced players and players with late-season concussions were more likely to return to play without missing games (P < .05). The odds of returning within 7 days increased by 18% for each career year and by 40% for

The Trojan Lifetime Champions Health Survey: Development, Validity, and Reliability

PubMed Central

Sorenson, Shawn C.; Romano, Russell; Scholefield, Robin M.; Schroeder, E. Todd; Azen, Stanley P.; Salem, George J.

2015-01-01

Context Self-report questionnaires are an important method of evaluating lifespan health, exercise, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcomes among elite, competitive athletes. Few instruments, however, have undergone formal characterization of their psychometric properties within this population. Objective To evaluate the validity and reliability of a novel health and exercise questionnaire, the Trojan Lifetime Champions (TLC) Health Survey. Design Descriptive laboratory study. Setting A large National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I university. Patients or Other Participants A total of 63 university alumni (age range, 24 to 84 years), including former varsity collegiate athletes and a control group of nonathletes. Intervention(s) Participants completed the TLC Health Survey twice at a mean interval of 23 days with randomization to the paper or electronic version of the instrument. Main Outcome Measure(s) Content validity, feasibility of administration, test-retest reliability, parallel-form reliability between paper and electronic forms, and estimates of systematic and typical error versus differences of clinical interest were assessed across a broad range of health, exercise, and HRQL measures. Results Correlation coefficients, including intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for continuous variables and κ agreement statistics for ordinal variables, for test-retest reliability averaged 0.86, 0.90, 0.80, and 0.74 for HRQL, lifetime health, recent health, and exercise variables, respectively. Correlation coefficients, again ICCs and κ, for parallel-form reliability (ie, equivalence) between paper and electronic versions averaged 0.90, 0.85, 0.85, and 0.81 for HRQL, lifetime health, recent health, and exercise variables, respectively. Typical measurement error was less than the a priori thresholds of clinical interest, and we found minimal evidence of systematic test-retest error. We found strong evidence of content validity, convergent

Changes in anthropometry and performance, and their interrelationships, across three seasons in elite youth rugby league players.

PubMed

Waldron, Mark; Worsfold, Paul; Twist, Craig; Lamb, Kevin

2014-11-01

This study investigated the changes in anthropometry and performance, and their interrelationships, across 3 consecutive seasons (under-15 to under-17 age groups) in elite youth rugby league players. Each player participated in annual anthropometrical and performance assessments, comprising measurements of stature; body mass; limb lengths and circumference; skinfolds; predicted muscle cross-sectional area (CSA); 20-m speed, countermovement jump height, vertical power, and aerobic power. Lean body mass percentage changed (p ≤ 0.05) between the under-15 (70.9 ± 5.9%), under-16 (72.0 ± 5.8%), and the under-17 age groups (74.1 ± 5.7%). Likewise, predicted quadriceps muscle CSA also changed (p ≤ 0.05) between each age group (under-15 = 120.9 ± 37.8 cm; under-16 = 133.2 ± 36.0 cm; under-17 = 154.8 ± 28.3 cm). Concomitant changes between the under-15 and under-16 groups were found for 20-m speed (3.5 ± 0.1 cf. 3.4 ± 0.2 seconds; p = 0.008) and predicted jumping power (3,611.3 ± 327.3 W cf. 4,081.5 ± 453.9 W; p = 0.003). Both lean body mass and quadriceps muscle CSA consistently, related to both 20-m sprint time and jumping power, with r values ranging between -0.39 and -0.63 (20-m sprint time) and 0.55 to 0.75 (jumping power). Our findings demonstrate the importance of gains in lean body mass across later adolescence that support the ability to generate horizontal speed and predicted vertical power. This information informs the expectations and subsequent training programs of elite rugby league practitioners.

The Effect of Three Different (-135°C) Whole Body Cryotherapy Exposure Durations on Elite Rugby League Players

PubMed Central

Selfe, James; Alexander, Jill; Costello, Joseph T.; May, Karen; Garratt, Nigel; Atkins, Stephen; Dillon, Stephanie; Hurst, Howard; Davison, Matthew; Przybyla, Daria; Coley, Andrew; Bitcon, Mark; Littler, Greg; Richards, Jim

2014-01-01

Background Whole body cryotherapy (WBC) is the therapeutic application of extreme cold air for a short duration. Minimal evidence is available for determining optimal exposure time. Purpose To explore whether the length of WBC exposure induces differential changes in inflammatory markers, tissue oxygenation, skin and core temperature, thermal sensation and comfort. Method This study was a randomised cross over design with participants acting as their own control. Fourteen male professional first team super league rugby players were exposed to 1, 2, and 3 minutes of WBC at −135°C. Testing took place the day after a competitive league fixture, each exposure separated by seven days. Results No significant changes were found in the inflammatory cytokine interleukin six. Significant reductions (p<0.05) in deoxyhaemoglobin for gastrocnemius and vastus lateralis were found. In vastus lateralis significant reductions (p<0.05) in oxyhaemoglobin and tissue oxygenation index (p<0.05) were demonstrated. Significant reductions (p<0.05) in skin temperature were recorded. No significant changes were recorded in core temperature. Significant reductions (p<0.05) in thermal sensation and comfort were recorded. Conclusion Three brief exposures to WBC separated by 1 week are not sufficient to induce physiological changes in IL-6 or core temperature. There are however significant changes in tissue oxyhaemoglobin, deoxyhaemoglobin, tissue oxygenation index, skin temperature and thermal sensation. We conclude that a 2 minute WBC exposure was the optimum exposure length at temperatures of −135°C and could be applied as the basis for future studies. PMID:24489726

The 5th annual European League Against Rheumatism congress in Berlin: a personal perspective

PubMed Central

2005-01-01

The 5th annual European League Against Rheumatism congress, held in Berlin, 9–12 June 2004, was attended by a record number of delegates from all continents and offered a large choice of education, state-of-the-art and original research presentations in up to 15 parallel sessions. Some of these were poorly attended, although featuring top-ranked abstracts. The poster sessions remain a problem child. They were not well attended by viewers and largely neglected by presenters, mainly because of the general structure of the meeting. Ways to improve this could be to provide lunch packages and to appoint poster session chairmen. Other changes would involve moving morning hour satellites to other slots. However, in general it was an enjoyable meeting showing important progress in various fields of rheumatology and meeting the expectations of most delegates.

Re-Engaging 'Youth at Risk' of Disengaging from Schooling through Rugby League Club Partnership: Unpacking the Pedagogic Practices of the Titans Learning Centre

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whatman, Susan L.; Main, Katherine

2018-01-01

The youth learning re-engagement program known as the Titans Learning Centre (or TLC) is an approved alternative schooling program, developed in partnership with state education and a local National Rugby League (NRL) club, the 'Titans'. Students typically in Grade Three or Four complete a 10 week program, interacting with professional A grade NRL…

Educating Women for Peace: The United States Section of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and Political Organization during the 1930s.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pois, Anne Marie

The focus of this paper is the U.S. section of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (US WILPF) and its efforts to mobilize an activist and durable women's peace reform organization in the 1930s. Members wished US WILPF to serve as an avenue for expanding women's political power and for reaching the goals of nonviolent change and…

Three new species of Grouvellinus Champion, 1923 from Maliau Basin, Sabah, Borneo, discovered by citizen scientists during the first Taxon Expedition (Insecta, Coleoptera, Elmidae)

PubMed Central

Freitag, Hendrik; Pangantihon, Clister V.; Njunjić, Iva

2018-01-01

Abstract Further results are presented of the first field course at Maliau Basin, Malaysian Borneo organized by Taxon Expeditions, an organization which enables citizen scientists to be directly involved in taxonomic discoveries. Three new species of the aquatic beetle genus Grouvellinus Champion, 1923, namely G. leonardodicaprioi sp. n., G. andrekuipersi sp. n., and G. quest sp. n. were collected jointly by the citizen scientists and taxonomists during the fieldwork in Maliau Basin. Material was mainly sampled from sandstone bottom rocks of blackwater streams at altitudes between 900 m and 1,000 m using fine-meshed hand-nets. The genus is widely distributed in the Oriental and Palearctic regions, but these are the first records from the island of Borneo. PMID:29740222

The Epidemiology and Effect of Sliding Injuries in Major and Minor League Baseball Players.

PubMed

Camp, Christopher L; Curriero, Frank C; Pollack, Keshia M; Mayer, Stephanie W; Spiker, Andrea M; D'Angelo, John; Coleman, Struan H

2017-08-01

Although sliding occurs frequently in professional baseball, little is known about the epidemiology and effect of injuries that occur during sliding in this population of elite athletes. To describe the incidence and characteristics of sliding injuries, determine their effect in terms of time out of play, and identify common injury patterns that may represent appropriate targets for injury prevention programs in the future. Descriptive epidemiologic study. All offensive sliding injuries occurring in Major League Baseball (MLB) and Minor League Baseball (MLB) that resulted in time out of play during a span of 5 seasons (2011-2015) were identified. In addition to player demographics, data extracted included time out of play, location on field where injury occurred, level of play, treatment (surgical vs nonsurgical), direction of slide (head vs feet first), body region injured, and diagnosis. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the distribution of these injuries, and injury rates were calculated per slide. From 2011 to 2015, 1633 injuries occurred as a result of a slide. The total number of days missed per season was 4263. Surgical intervention was required for 134 (8.2%) injuries, and the mean days missed was 66.5 for players treated surgically and 12.3 days for players treated nonoperatively ( P < .001). MLB players were more likely than MiLB players to require surgical intervention (12.3% vs 7.5%, P = .019). Injuries to the hands/fingers represented 25.3% of all injuries and 31.3% of those requiring surgery. Although the majority of injuries occurred at second base (57%), the per-slide injury rate was similar across all bases ( P = .991). The estimated overall frequency of injury in MLB was once per every 336 slides, and the rate of injury for head- and feet-first slides was 1 in 249 and 413 slides, respectively ( P = .119). Injuries occurring while sliding in professional baseball result in a significant amount of time out of play for these elite athletes

Prevalence of primary hyperaldosteronism in a systemic arterial hypertension league.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Maria Jacqueline Silva; Figueiredo Neto, José Albuquerque de; Memória, Edson Viriato; Lopes, Maíra de Castro; Faria, Manuel dos Santos; Salgado Filho, Natalino; Oliveira, Thiara Castro de

2009-01-01

Until recently, primary hyperaldosteronism was considered a rare cause of secondary hypertension. However, in recent years, many studies have suggested that this disease can affect up to 20% of hypertensive individuals. To determine the prevalence of primary hyperaldosteronism in hypertensive patients treated at the hypertension league of a university hospital. Serum aldosterone and plasma renin activity levels were measured in 105 patients while they were undergoing standard antihypertensive treatment, with the exception of those using betablockers and spironolactone, in fasting condition and after rest in the supine position for 20 minutes. Those with an aldosterone/plasma renin activity ratio > 25 were submitted to the saline suppression test and, after the confirmation of the autonomy of aldosterone secretion, a computed tomography of the adrenals was performed. The results are presented as percentages and means and standard deviations. Of the 105 patients, 6.54% presented refractory hypertension. Nine presented an aldosterone/plasma renin activity ratio > 25 (8.5% of the total). Of these, 08 were submitted to the saline suppression test and 01 (with refractory hypertension) had the diagnosis of primary hyperaldosteronism confirmed (0.96% of the total). A computed tomography of the adrenals was performed, which showed normal results. The prevalence of primary hyperaldosteronism in the studied sample was 0.96% of the total. However, when only the patients with refractory hypertension were evaluated, the prevalence was 14.3%.

Description of immatures and natural history of the weevil Loncophorus pustulatus (Champion, 1903) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae) associated with flowers of Ceiba speciosa (A. St.-Hil.) Ravenna (Bombacoidea: Malvaceae) in southeast Brazil.

PubMed

Vanin, Sergio Antonio; Bená, Daniela de Cassia; Albertoni, Fabiano Fabian

2013-01-01

Larva and pupa of Loncophorus pustulatus (Champion, 1903) (Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Anthonomini) are described, illustrated and compared with descriptions of immatures of two other species of Loncophorus. Weevil larvae were found inside aborted flowers on the ground under Ceiba speciosa (A. St.-Hil.) Ravenna (Malvaceae), in the city of Sgo Paulo, State of S5o Paulo, and reared to adults in laboratory. Data obtained in the field and under laboratory conditions are presented. Parasitoidism of weevil larvae by wasps of the genus Catolaccus (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is reported.

Midfoot sprains in the National Football League.

PubMed

Osbahr, Daryl C; O'Loughlin, Padhraig F; Drakos, Mark C; Barnes, Ronnie P; Kennedy, John G; Warren, Russell F

2014-12-01

Midfoot sprains in the National Football League (NFL) are uncommon. There are few studies on midfoot sprains in professional athletes, as most studies focus on severe traumatic injuries resulting in Lisfranc fracture-dislocations. We conducted a study to evaluate midfoot sprains in NFL players to allow for better identification and management of these injuries. All midfoot sprains from a single NFL team database were reviewed over a 15-year period, and 32 NFL team physicians completed a questionnaire detailing their management approach. A comparative analysis was performed analyzing several variables, including diagnosis, treatment methods, and time lost from participation. Fifteen NFL players sustained midfoot sprains. Most injuries occurred during games as opposed to practice, and the injury typically resulted from direct impact rather than torsion. Twelve players had nonoperative treatment, and 3 had operative treatment. Nonoperative management resulted in a mean of 11.7 days of time lost from participation. However, there was a significant (P=.047) difference in mean (SD) time lost between the grade 1 sprain group, 3.1 (1.9) days, and the grade 2 sprain group, 36 (26.1) days. Of the 3 operative grade 3 patients, 1 returned in 73 days, and 2 were injured late in the season and returned the next season. Eleven (92%) of the 12 players who had nonoperative treatment had a successful return to play, and 10 (83%) of the 12 played more games and seasons after their midfoot injury. Depending on the diastasis category, NFL team physicians vary treatment: no diastasis (84% cam walker), latent diastasis (47% surgery, 34% cam walker), and frank diastasis (94% surgery). In the NFL, midfoot sprains can be a source of significant disability. Successful return to play can be achieved with nonoperative management for grade 1 injuries within 1 week and grade 2 injuries within 5 weeks. However, severe injuries with frank diastasis that require operative management will

“I Went to a Fight the Other Night and a Hockey Game Broke Out”

PubMed Central

Goldschmied, Nadav; Espindola, Samantha

2013-01-01

Background: The current study explored the relationship between fighting behavior and passage of time, across games and seasons, in an attempt to assess if violent behavior in hockey is impulsive or intentional. Hypothesis: Before engaging in fighting behavior, players assess the utility of their actions and thus will fight less when the game is on the line (third period) and when champions are crowned (postseason). Methods: An archival exploration utilizing open access databases from multiple Internet sources. Results: During the 2010-2011 National Hockey League (NHL) season, players were significantly less likely to be involved in a fight as the game was coming to a close than in its early stages. In addition, data from the past 10 NHL seasons showed that players were significantly more violent in preseason games than during the regular season. They were also least likely to be involved in a fight during the postseason. Conclusion: The converging evidence suggests that players take into account the penalties associated with fighting and are less likely to engage in violence when the stakes are high, such as at the end of a game or a season. This implies, in turn, that major acts of aggression in the league are more likely to be calculated rather than impulsive. The findings suggest that a more punitive system should diminish fighting behavior markedly. PMID:24427418

Elite status maintained: a 12-year physiological and performance follow-up of two Olympic champion rowers.

PubMed

Mikulic, Pavle; Bralic, Nikola

2018-03-01

This case study reports the results of a 12-year (2005-2016) follow-up study of two Olympic champion rowers. The rowers were prospective athletes at the junior level when the study began, and we monitored their relevant physiological and performance data annually. Our findings indicated that their V̇O 2max gradually increased up to about 22 years of age and leveled off at a value of approximately 7 l·min -1 with minimal fluctuations thereafter. However, the variables that directly influence the V̇O 2max changed. There was an age-related decline in maximal heart rate of about 0.5 beats·year -1 , while oxygen pulse, which serves as an indirect measure of stroke volume, correspondingly increased by about 1 ml O 2 ·beat -1 per year, allowing the athletes to maintain exceptional V̇O 2max values. Maximal minute power of the studied rowers, derived each year from their ramp-wise tests, closely resembled the mean power output sustained during the 2000-m all-out tests on a rowing ergometer. A 12-year improvement of 28% and 33% occurred for the mean power output sustained over 2000 and 6000-m on a rowing ergometer, respectively. The findings contribute to the body of knowledge on athletes representing the true elites of their respective sports.

Ascending Aortic Dimensions in Former National Football League Athletes.

PubMed

Gentry, James L; Carruthers, David; Joshi, Parag H; Maroules, Christopher D; Ayers, Colby R; de Lemos, James A; Aagaard, Philip; Hachamovitch, Rory; Desai, Milind Y; Roselli, Eric E; Dunn, Reginald E; Alexander, Kezia; Lincoln, Andrew E; Tucker, Andrew M; Phelan, Dermot M

2017-11-01

Ascending aortic dimensions are slightly larger in young competitive athletes compared with sedentary controls, but rarely >40 mm. Whether this finding translates to aortic enlargement in older, former athletes is unknown. This cross-sectional study involved a sample of 206 former National Football League (NFL) athletes compared with 759 male subjects from the DHS-2 (Dallas Heart Study-2; mean age of 57.1 and 53.6 years, respectively, P <0.0001; body surface area of 2.4 and 2.1 m 2 , respectively, P <0.0001). Midascending aortic dimensions were obtained from computed tomographic scans performed as part of a NFL screening protocol or as part of the DHS. Compared with a population-based control group, former NFL athletes had significantly larger ascending aortic diameters (38±5 versus 34±4 mm; P <0.0001). A significantly higher proportion of former NFL athletes had an aorta of >40 mm (29.6% versus 8.6%; P <0.0001). After adjusting for age, race, body surface area, systolic blood pressure, history of hypertension, current smoking, diabetes mellitus, and lipid profile, the former NFL athletes still had significantly larger ascending aortas ( P <0.0001). Former NFL athletes were twice as likely to have an aorta >40 mm after adjusting for the same parameters. Ascending aortic dimensions were significantly larger in a sample of former NFL athletes after adjusting for their size, age, race, and cardiac risk factors. Whether this translates to an increased risk is unknown and requires further evaluation. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

A profile of a National Football League team.

PubMed

Pryor, J Luke; Huggins, Robert A; Casa, Douglas J; Palmieri, Gerard A; Kraemer, William J; Maresh, Carl M

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to document the physical profiles of players on the 2011 New York Giants (NYG) team and to make comparisons with the historical literature on previous National Football League (NFL) player profiles. In this study, height, body mass (BM), body fat percentage (BF%) using skinfold measurements, and several predicted 1 repetition maximal strength and power measures in 30 returning players from the 2011 NYG team, who recently won the Super Bowl, were collected. Players were grouped by position: running back, quarterback (QB), wide receiver (WR), tight end, offensive lineman (OL), defensive lineman (DL), linebacker (LB), and defensive back (DB). Pooled and weighted mean differences (NYG - NFL) and effect sizes were used to evaluate height, BM, and BF% comparisons of NYG to previous NFL studies from 1998 to 2009. The characteristics of the players as a group were: age, height, BM, BF%: 26 ± 2 years, 183.8 ± 9.0 cm, 144.9 ± 20.8 kg, 14.3 ± 5.5%, respectively. Comparisons highlight distinct position-specific dissimilarity in strength measures, BM, and BF%, which reflect current strength training, conditioning, and team play strategy. As expected, NYG positional differences were found for height (p ≤ 0.05), BM (p ≤ 0.037), BF% (p ≤ 0.048), bench press (p ≤ 0.048), inclined bench press (p ≤ 0.013), and squat (p ≤ 0.026). Anthropometrics profiles did not significantly differ from previously published trends in NFL players indicating equity in physical characteristics over the past 13 years. However, NYG LBs, DLs, OLs, QBs, and WRs trended toward less BF% but generally similar BM compared with NFL players, suggesting greater lean BM in these positions. This study adds new players' data to prototypical position-specific databases that may be used as templates for comparison of players for draft selection or physical training.

Analysis of pitching velocity in major league baseball players before and after ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction.

PubMed

Jiang, Jimmy J; Leland, J Martin

2014-04-01

Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstructions are relatively common among professional pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB). To the authors' knowledge, there has not been a study specifically analyzing pitching velocity after UCL surgery. These measurements were examined in a cohort of MLB pitchers before and after UCL reconstruction. There is no significant loss in pitch velocity after UCL reconstruction in MLB pitchers. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Between the years 2008 to 2010, a total of 41 MLB pitchers were identified as players who underwent UCL reconstruction. Inclusion criteria for this study consisted of a minimum of 1 year of preinjury and 2 years of postinjury pitch velocity data. After implementing exclusion criteria, performance data were analyzed from 28 of the 41 pitchers over a minimum of 4 MLB seasons for each player. A pair-matched control group of pitchers who did not have a known UCL injury were analyzed for comparison. Of the initial 41 players, 3 were excluded for revision UCL reconstruction. Eight of the 38 players who underwent primary UCL reconstruction did not return to pitching at the major league level, and 2 players who met the exclusion criteria were omitted, leaving data on 28 players available for final velocity analysis. The mean percentage change in the velocity of pitches thrown by players who underwent UCL reconstruction was not significantly different compared with that of players in the control group. The mean innings pitched was statistically different only for the year of injury and the first postinjury year. There were also no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups with regard to commonly used statistical performance measurements, including earned run average, batting average against, walks per 9 innings, strikeouts per 9 innings, and walks plus hits per inning pitched. There were no significant differences in pitch velocity and common performance measurements between players who returned to

Assisted reproductive technologies and fertility "tourism": examples from global Dubai and the Ivy League.

PubMed

Inhorn, Marcia C; Shrivastav, Pankaj; Patrizio, Pasquale

2012-01-01

What motivates the global movements of infertile people searching for assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs)? In this article, we attempt to answer this question by exploring infertile patients' practices of so-called "fertility tourism." Based on ethnographic research carried out with nearly 300 infertile travelers in two major ART centers--one in the global hub of the United Arab Emirates and the other at a major East Coast Ivy League university--we examine a diverse set of reasons for reproductive travel. We argue that reproductive "tourism" should be reconceptualized as reproductive "exile" in that infertile couples feel barred from accessing ARTs in their home countries. Listening to reproductive travel stories is key to understanding infertile couples' transnational "quests for conception." Stories of two couples, one from Lebanon and one from Italy, demonstrate the poignancy of these quests and begin to shed light on the complex calculus of factors governing this global movement of reproductive actors.

Predicting Football Matches Results using Bayesian Networks for English Premier League (EPL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razali, Nazim; Mustapha, Aida; Yatim, Faiz Ahmad; Aziz, Ruhaya Ab

2017-08-01

The issues of modeling asscoiation football prediction model has become increasingly popular in the last few years and many different approaches of prediction models have been proposed with the point of evaluating the attributes that lead a football team to lose, draw or win the match. There are three types of approaches has been considered for predicting football matches results which include statistical approaches, machine learning approaches and Bayesian approaches. Lately, many studies regarding football prediction models has been produced using Bayesian approaches. This paper proposes a Bayesian Networks (BNs) to predict the results of football matches in term of home win (H), away win (A) and draw (D). The English Premier League (EPL) for three seasons of 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 has been selected and reviewed. K-fold cross validation has been used for testing the accuracy of prediction model. The required information about the football data is sourced from a legitimate site at http://www.football-data.co.uk. BNs achieved predictive accuracy of 75.09% in average across three seasons. It is hoped that the results could be used as the benchmark output for future research in predicting football matches results.

UNICEF's child injury league table. An analysis of legislation: more mixed messages.

PubMed

Towner, E; Towner, J

2002-06-01

This paper presents a summary table and discussion of legislation related to child injury prevention in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The table is an expanded version of the one which appeared in the UNICEF Report Card "Child Deaths by Injury in Rich Countries" (2001). A commentary is provided on the variations in legislation between countries in terms of range and form of measures and an estimate of degree of enforcement. As legislation is generally considered a powerful tool in injury prevention, the paper examines whether those countries with the widest range of legislation and the strongest enforcement have made the most progress in reducing child injury deaths since the 1970s. It also considers whether a commitment to extensive legislation is reflected in a country's position in the UNICEF league table of injury death. The initial conclusion to these two basic issues is that no clear picture can be seen and we thus need to know far more about the relationship between legislation and societies and cultures as they vary from place to place. This paper hopes to stimulate more widespread debate about the role of legislation in different countries.

A comprehensive strength testing protocol offers no clinical value in predicting risk of hamstring injury: a prospective cohort study of 413 professional football players.

PubMed

van Dyk, Nicol; Bahr, Roald; Burnett, Angus F; Whiteley, Rod; Bakken, Arnhild; Mosler, Andrea; Farooq, Abdulaziz; Witvrouw, Erik

2017-12-01

Hamstring injuries remain prevalent across a number of professional sports. In football, the incidence has even increased by 4% per year at the Champions League level over the last decade. The role of muscle strength or strength ratios and their association with risk of hamstring injury remain restricted by small sample sizes and inconclusive results. The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors for hamstring injury in professional football players in an adequately powered, prospective cohort study. Using both established (isokinetic) and novel (eccentric hamstring test device) measures of muscle strength, we aimed to investigate the relationship between these strength characteristics over the entire range of motion with risk of hamstring injury. All teams (n=18) eligible to compete in the premier football league in Qatar underwent a comprehensive strength assessment during their annual periodic health evaluation at Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital in Doha, Qatar. Variables included isokinetic strength, Nordic hamstring exercise strength and dynamic hamstring: quadriceps ratios. Of the 413 players included (68.2% of all league players), 66 suffered a hamstring injury over the two seasons. Only isokinetic quadriceps concentric at 300°/s (adjusted for bodyweight) was associated with risk of hamstring injury when considered categorically. Age, body mass and playing position were also associated with risk of hamstring injury. None of the other 23 strength variables examined were found to be associated with hamstring injury. The clinical value of isolated strength testing is limited, and its use in musculoskeletal screening to predict future hamstring injury is unfounded. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Physical Attributes and NFL Combine Performance Tests Between Italian National League and American Football Players: A Comparative Study.

PubMed

Vitale, Jacopo A; Caumo, Andrea; Roveda, Eliana; Montaruli, Angela; La Torre, Antonio; Battaglini, Claudio L; Carandente, Franca

2016-10-01

Vitale, JA, Caumo, A, Roveda, E, Montaruli, A, La Torre, A, Battaglini, CL, and Carandente, F. Physical attributes and NFL Combine performance tests between Italian National League and American football players: a comparative study. J Strength Cond Res 30(10): 2802-2808, 2016-The purpose of this study was to examine anthropometric measurements and the results of a battery of performance tests administered during the National Football League (NFL) Combine between American football players who were declared eligible to participate in the NFL Combine and football players of a top Italian team (Rhinos Milan). Participants (N = 50) were categorized by position into 1 of 3 groups based on playing position: skill players (SP) included wide receivers, cornerbacks, free safeties, strong safeties, and running backs; big skill players (BSP) consisted of fullbacks, linebackers, tight ends, and defensive ends; lineman (LM) included centers, offensive guards, offensive tackles, and defensive tackles. A 1-way analysis of variance followed by the Tukey-Kramer post hoc test was used for comparisons between Italian players by playing position. Ninety-five percent CIs were used for comparisons between American and Italian football for the NFL Combine performance tests. Significant differences for all the variables between the 3 playing categories were observed among the Italian players; LM had higher anthropometric and body composition values than SP (p < 0.001) and BSP (p < 0.001), whereas LM performed significantly worse in the physical tests, except for the 225-lb bench press test when compared with SP (p < 0.002). American football players presented significantly higher anthropometric values and test performance scores when compared with Italian players. Administrators of professional football teams in Italy need to improve the player's physical attributes, so the gap that currently exists between American and Italian players can be reduced, which could significantly improve the

Regional Listening Forums: An Examination of the Methodologies Used by the Child Welfare League of America and Lambda Legal to Highlight the Experiences of LGBTQ Youth in Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woronoff, Rob; Estrada, Rudy

2006-01-01

In 2002, the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) and the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund began Fostering Transitions: CWLA/Lambda Joint Initiative to Support LGBTQ Youth and Adults Involved with the Child Welfare System. To document the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, as well as identify…

Understanding the drivers on medical workloads: an analysis of spectators at the Australian Football League.

PubMed

Zeitz, Kathryn; Haghighi, Pari Delir; Burstein, Frada; Williams, Jeffrey

2013-06-01

The present study was designed to further understand the psychosocial drivers of crowds impacting on the demand for healthcare. This involved analysing different spectator crowds for medical usage at mass gatherings; more specifically, did different football team spectators (of the Australian Football League) generate different medical usage rates. In total, 317 games were analysed from 10 venues over 2 years. Data were analysed by the ANOVA and Pearson correlation tests. RESULTS; Spectators who supported different football teams generated statistically significant differences in patient presentation rates (PPR) (F15, 618=1.998, P=0.014). The present study confirmed previous findings that there is a positive correlation between the crowd size and PPR at mass gatherings but found a negative correlation between density and PPR (r = -0.206, n=317, P<0.0005). The present study has attempted to scientifically explore psychosocial elements of crowd behaviour as a driver of demand for emergency medical care. In measuring demand for emergency medical services there is a need to develop a more sophisticated understanding of a variety of drivers in addition to traditional metrics such as temperature, crowd size and other physical elements. In this study we saw that spectators who supported different football teams generated statistically significant differences in PPR. What is known about this topic? Understanding the drivers of emergency medical care is most important in the mass gathering setting. There has been minimal analysis of psychological 'crowd' variables. What does this paper add? This study explores the psychosocial impact of supporting a different team on the PPR of spectators at Australian Football League matches. The value of collecting and analysing these types of data sets is to support more balanced planning, better decision support and knowledge management, and more effective emergency medical demand management. What are the implications for practitioners

Osteoarthritis Prevalence in Retired National Football League Players With a History of Concussion and Lower Extremity Injury.

PubMed

Lynall, Robert C; Pietrosimone, Brian; Kerr, Zachary Y; Mauntel, Timothy C; Mihalik, Jason P; Guskiewicz, Kevin M

2017-06-02

  Dynamic balance deficits have been described postconcussion, even after athletes return to play. Lower extremity (LE) musculoskeletal injury rates increase for up to 1 year after concussion, but the long-term musculoskeletal implications of concussion are unclear.   To (1) examine the association of concussion and LE injury histories with osteoarthritis (OA) prevalence in retired National Football League players and (2) examine the association of concussion and LE injury histories with OA prevalence in those ≤55 years of age.   Case-control study.   Survey.   We administered the Health Survey of Retired National Football League Players, which collects information about demographics, OA, LE injury, and concussion history.   Twelve discrete categories were created based on concussion and LE injury history, ranging from 0 concussions and 0 LE injuries (referent group) to 3+ concussions and 2+ LE injuries. Binomial regression analysis modeled lifetime OA prevalence. Covariates were body mass index, age at the time of the survey, and total years playing professional football.   Complete data were available for 2696 participants. Lifetime OA prevalence was smallest in the referent group (21.1%) and largest in the 3+ concussion and 2+ LE group (50.6%; 2.5 times the referent; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1, 3.1). Participants in all concussion groups (1, 2, 3+) who reported a history of 0 LE injuries had a greater OA prevalence than the referent group. When participants were stratified by age, the ≤55 years of age, 3+ concussions, and 2+ LE injuries group prevalence ratio (3.6; 95% CI = 2.7, 5.2) was larger than that of the >55 years of age, 3+ concussions, and 2+ LE injuries group (1.8; 95% CI = 1.3, 2.4) compared with the respective referent groups.   Concussion with or without a history of LE injury may be an important moderator of OA. Future researchers should seek to better understand the mechanisms that influence the association among

Recommendations of the national football league physician society task force on the use of toradol(®) ketorolac in the national football league.

PubMed

Matava, Matthew; Brater, D Craig; Gritter, Nancy; Heyer, Robert; Rollins, Douglas; Schlegel, Theodore; Toto, Robert; Yates, Anthony

2012-09-01

Ketorolac tromethamine (Toradol(®)) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that has potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. It can be administered orally, intravenously, intramuscularly, or via a nasal route. Ketorolac injections have been used for several years in the National Football League (NFL), in both the oral and injectable forms, to treat musculoskeletal injuries and to prevent post-game soreness. In an attempt to determine the appropriate use of this medication in NFL players, the NFL Team Physician Society appointed a Task Force to consider the best available evidence as to how ketorolac should be used for pain management in professional football players. These treatment recommendations were established based on the available medical literature taking into consideration the pharmacokinetic properties of ketorolac, its accepted indications and contraindications, and the unique clinical challenges of the NFL. The Task Force recommended that 1) ketorolac should only be administered under the direct supervision and order of a team physician; 2) ketorolac should not be used prophylactically as a means of reducing anticipated pain either during or after participation in NFL games or practices and should be limited to those players diagnosed with an injury or condition and listed on the teams' injury report; 3) ketorolac should be given in the lowest effective therapeutic dose and should not be used in any form for more than 5 days; 4) ketorolac should be given in its oral preparation under typical circumstances; 5) ketorolac should not be taken concurrently with other NSAIDs or by those players with a history of allergic reaction to ketorolac, other NSAIDs or aspirin; and 6) ketorolac should not be used by a player with a history of significant gastrointestinal bleeding, renal compromise, or a past history of complications related to NSAIDs.

Recommendations of the National Football League Physician Society Task Force on the Use of Toradol® Ketorolac in the National Football League

PubMed Central

Matava, Matthew; Brater, D. Craig; Gritter, Nancy; Heyer, Robert; Rollins, Douglas; Schlegel, Theodore; Toto, Robert; Yates, Anthony

2012-01-01

Ketorolac tromethamine (Toradol®) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that has potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. It can be administered orally, intravenously, intramuscularly, or via a nasal route. Ketorolac injections have been used for several years in the National Football League (NFL), in both the oral and injectable forms, to treat musculoskeletal injuries and to prevent post-game soreness. In an attempt to determine the appropriate use of this medication in NFL players, the NFL Team Physician Society appointed a Task Force to consider the best available evidence as to how ketorolac should be used for pain management in professional football players. These treatment recommendations were established based on the available medical literature taking into consideration the pharmacokinetic properties of ketorolac, its accepted indications and contraindications, and the unique clinical challenges of the NFL. The Task Force recommended that 1) ketorolac should only be administered under the direct supervision and order of a team physician; 2) ketorolac should not be used prophylactically as a means of reducing anticipated pain either during or after participation in NFL games or practices and should be limited to those players diagnosed with an injury or condition and listed on the teams’ injury report; 3) ketorolac should be given in the lowest effective therapeutic dose and should not be used in any form for more than 5 days; 4) ketorolac should be given in its oral preparation under typical circumstances; 5) ketorolac should not be taken concurrently with other NSAIDs or by those players with a history of allergic reaction to ketorolac, other NSAIDs or aspirin; and 6) ketorolac should not be used by a player with a history of significant gastrointestinal bleeding, renal compromise, or a past history of complications related to NSAIDs. PMID:23016110

Galvanizers, guides, champions, and shields: the many ways that policymakers use public health researchers.

PubMed

Haynes, Abby S; Gillespie, James A; Derrick, Gemma E; Hall, Wayne D; Redman, Sally; Chapman, Simon; Sturk, Heidi

2011-12-01

Public health researchers make a limited but important contribution to policy development. Some engage with policy directly through committees, advisory boards, advocacy coalitions, ministerial briefings, intervention design consultation, and research partnerships with government, as well as by championing research-informed policy in the media. Nevertheless, the research utilization literature has paid little attention to these diverse roles and the ways that policymakers use them. This article describes how policymakers use researchers in policymaking and examines how these activities relate to models of research utilization. It also explores the extent to which policymakers' accounts of using researchers concur with the experiences of "policy-engaged" public health researchers. We conducted semi-structured interviews with thirty-two Australian civil servants, parliamentary ministers, and ministerial advisers identified as "research-engaged" by public health researchers. We used structured and inductive coding to generate categories that we then compared with some of the major research utilization models. Policymakers were sophisticated and multifaceted users of researchers for purposes that we describe as Galvanizing Ideas, Clarification and Advice, Persuasion, and Defense. These categories overlapped but did not wholly fit with research utilization models. Despite the negative connotation, "being used" was reported as reciprocal and uncompromising, although researchers and policymakers were likely to categorize these uses differently. Policymakers countered views expressed by some researchers. That is, they sought robust dialogue and creative thinking rather than compliance, and they valued expert opinion when research was insufficient for decision making. The technical/political character of policy development shaped the ways in which researchers were used. Elucidating the diverse roles that public health researchers play in policymaking, and the multiple ways

Galvanizers, Guides, Champions, and Shields: The Many Ways That Policymakers Use Public Health Researchers

PubMed Central

Haynes, Abby S; Gillespie, James A; Derrick, Gemma E; Hall, Wayne D; Redman, Sally; Chapman, Simon; Sturk, Heidi

2011-01-01

Context Public health researchers make a limited but important contribution to policy development. Some engage with policy directly through committees, advisory boards, advocacy coalitions, ministerial briefings, intervention design consultation, and research partnerships with government, as well as by championing research-informed policy in the media. Nevertheless, the research utilization literature has paid little attention to these diverse roles and the ways that policymakers use them. This article describes how policymakers use researchers in policymaking and examines how these activities relate to models of research utilization. It also explores the extent to which policymakers’ accounts of using researchers concur with the experiences of “policy-engaged” public health researchers. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with thirty-two Australian civil servants, parliamentary ministers, and ministerial advisers identified as “research-engaged” by public health researchers. We used structured and inductive coding to generate categories that we then compared with some of the major research utilization models. Findings Policymakers were sophisticated and multifaceted users of researchers for purposes that we describe as Galvanizing Ideas, Clarification and Advice, Persuasion, and Defense. These categories overlapped but did not wholly fit with research utilization models. Despite the negative connotation, “being used” was reported as reciprocal and uncompromising, although researchers and policymakers were likely to categorize these uses differently. Policymakers countered views expressed by some researchers. That is, they sought robust dialogue and creative thinking rather than compliance, and they valued expert opinion when research was insufficient for decision making. The technical/political character of policy development shaped the ways in which researchers were used. Conclusions Elucidating the diverse roles that public health

The reliability of a maximal isometric hip strength and simultaneous surface EMG screening protocol in elite, junior rugby league athletes.

PubMed

Charlton, Paula C; Mentiplay, Benjamin F; Grimaldi, Alison; Pua, Yong-Hao; Clark, Ross A

2017-02-01

Firstly to describe the reliability of assessing maximal isometric strength of the hip abductor and adductor musculature using a hand held dynamometry (HHD) protocol with simultaneous wireless surface electromyographic (sEMG) evaluation of the gluteus medius (GM) and adductor longus (AL). Secondly, to describe the correlation between isometric strength recorded with the HHD protocol and a laboratory standard isokinetic device. Reliability and correlational study. A sample of 24 elite, male, junior, rugby league athletes, age 16-20 years participated in repeated HHD and isometric Kin-Com (KC) strength testing with simultaneous sEMG assessment, on average (range) 6 (5-7) days apart by a single assessor. Strength tests included; unilateral hip abduction (ABD) and adduction (ADD) and bilateral ADD assessed with squeeze (SQ) tests in 0 and 45° of hip flexion. HHD demonstrated good to excellent inter-session reliability for all outcome measures (ICC (2,1) =0.76-0.91) and good to excellent association with the laboratory reference KC (ICC (2,1) =0.80-0.88). Whilst intra-session, inter-trial reliability of EMG activation and co-activation outcome measures ranged from moderate to excellent (ICC (2,1) =0.70-0.94), inter-session reliability was poor (all ICC (2,1) <0.50). Isometric strength testing of the hip ABD and ADD musculature using HHD may be measured reliably in elite, junior rugby league athletes. Due to the poor inter-session reliability of sEMG measures, it is not recommended for athlete screening purposes if using the techniques implemented in this study. Copyright © 2016 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Playerload Variables are Sensitive to Changes in Direction and Not Related to Collision Workloads in Rugby League Match-Play.

PubMed

Hulin, Billy T; Gabbett, Tim J; Johnston, Rich D; Jenkins, David G

2018-03-15

Determine: 1) how change of direction (COD) workloads influence PlayerLoad variables when controlling total distance covered, and 2) relationships among collision workloads and PlayerLoad variables during rugby league match-play. Participants completed 3 protocols (crossover design) consisting of 10 repetitions of a 60 m effort in 15 s. The difference between each protocol was the COD demands required to complete 1 repetition; no COD (SL), 1 x 180º COD (1COD), or 3 x 180º COD (3COD). During rugby league matches, relationships among collision workloads, tri-axial PlayerLoad (PLVM), anterior-posterior + medio-lateral PlayerLoad (PL2D), and PLVM accumulated at locomotor velocities below 2 m.sec -1 (i.e. PLSLOW) were examined using Pearson correlations (r) with coefficients of determination (R 2 ). Comparing 3COD to SL drills: PLVM.min -1 (d = 1.50 ± 0.49, large, likelihood = 100%, almost certainly), PL2D.min -1 (d = 1.38 ± 0.53, large, likelihood = 100%, almost certainly), and PLSLOW.min -1 (d = 1.69 ± 0.40, large, likelihood = 100%, almost certainly) were greater. Collisions.min -1 demonstrated a distinct (i.e. R 2 <0.50) relationship from PLVM.min -1 (R 2 = 0.30, r = 0.55), and PL2D.min -1 (R 2 = 0.37, r = 0.61). Total distance.min 1 demonstrated a very large relationship with PLVM.min -1 (R 2 = 0.62, r = 0.79), and PL2D.min -1 (R 2 = 0.57, r = 0.76). PlayerLoad variables demonstrate: 1) large increases as COD demands intensify, 2) separate relationships from collision workloads, and 3) moderate to very large relationships with total distance during match-play. PlayerLoad variables should be used with caution to measure collision workloads in team sport.

Quadriceps tendon injuries in national football league players.

PubMed

Boublik, Martin; Schlegel, Theodore F; Koonce, Ryan C; Genuario, James W; Kinkartz, Jason D

2013-08-01

Distal quadriceps tendon tears are uncommon injuries that typically occur in patients older than 40 years of age, and they have a guarded prognosis. Predisposing factors, prodromal findings, mechanisms of injury, treatment guidelines, and recovery expectations are not well described in high-level athletes. Professional American football players with an isolated tear of the quadriceps tendon treated with timely surgical repair will return to their sport. Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Fourteen unilateral distal quadriceps tendon tears were identified in National Football League (NFL) players from 1994 to 2004. Team physicians retrospectively reviewed training room and clinic records, operative notes, and imaging studies for each of these players. Data on each player were analyzed to identify variables predicting return to play. A successful outcome was defined as returning to play in regular-season NFL games. Eccentric contraction of the quadriceps was the most common mechanism of injury, occurring in 10 players. Only 1 player had antecedent ipsilateral extensor mechanism symptoms. Eleven players had a complete rupture of the quadriceps tendon, and 3 had partial tears. There were no associated knee injuries. All ruptures were treated with surgical repair, 1 of which was delayed after failure of nonoperative treatment. Fifty percent of players returned to play in regular-season NFL games. There was a trend toward earlier draft status for those who returned to play compared with those who did not (draft round, 3.1 ± 2.5 vs. 6.0 ± 2.9, respectively; P = .073). For those who returned to play, the average number of games after injury was 40.9 (range, 12-92). Quadriceps tendon tears are rare in professional American football players, and they usually occur from eccentric load on the extensor mechanism. Prodromal symptoms and predisposing factors are usually absent. Even with timely surgical repair, there is a low rate of return to play in regular-season games. There

Effect of Concussion on Performance of National Football League Players.

PubMed

Reams, Nicole; Hayward, Rodney A; Kutcher, Jeffrey S; Burke, James F

2017-09-01

Lingering neurologic injury after concussion may expose athletes to increased risk if return to play is premature. The authors explored whether on-field performance after concussion is a marker of lingering neurologic injury. Retrospective cohort study on 1882 skill-position players who played in the National Football League (NFL) during 2007-2010. Players with concussion based on the weekly injury report were compared with players with other head and neck injuries (controls) on measures of on-field performance using Football Outsiders' calculation of defense-adjusted yards above replacement (DYAR), a measure of a player's contribution controlling for game context. Changes in performance, relative to a player's baseline level of performance, were estimated before and after injury using fixed-effects models. The study included 140 concussed players and 57 controls. Players with concussion performed no better or worse than their baseline on return to play. However, a decline in DYAR relative to their prior performance was noted 2 wk and 1 wk before appearing on the injury report. Concussed players performed slightly better than controls in situations where they returned to play the same week as appearing on the injury report. On return, concussed NFL players performed at their baseline level of performance, suggesting that players have recovered from concussion. Decline in performance noted 2 wk and 1 wk before appearing on the injury report may suggest that concussion diagnosis was delayed or that concussion can be a multihit phenomenon. Athletic performance may be a novel tool for assessing concussion injury and recovery.

Consumers or Citizens? Whose Voice Will Healthwatch Represent and Will It Matter? Comment on "Challenges Facing Healthwatch, a New Consumer Champion in England".

PubMed

Wright, Brad

2016-06-22

Efforts to achieve effective and meaningful patient and public involvement (PPI) in healthcare have existed for nearly a century, albeit with limited success. This brief commentary discusses a recent paper by Carter and Martin exploring the "Challenges Facing Healthwatch, a New Consumer Champion in England," and places these challenges in the context of the broader struggle to give a voice to healthcare consumers and citizens. With an overview of what can go right and-perhaps more importantly-what can go wrong, the question remains: will Healthwatch-and other PPI efforts in healthcare-represent the voice of consumers or citizens and will it matter? © 2016 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Peer teaching and information retrieval: the role of the NICE Evidence search student champion scheme in enhancing students' confidence.

PubMed

Sbaffi, Laura; Hallsworth, Elaine; Weist, Anne

2018-03-01

This research reports on the NICE Evidence search (ES) student champion scheme (SCS) first five years of activity (2011-2016) in terms of its impact on health care undergraduate students' information search skills and search confidence. A review of students' evaluation of the scheme was carried out to chart the changes in attitude towards NICE Evidence search as an online health care information source and to monitor students' approach to information seeking. This study is based on the results of questionnaires distributed to students before and after attending a training session on NICE Evidence search delivered by their own peers. The exercise was implemented in health related universities in England over a period of five consecutive academic years. (i) Students' search confidence improved considerably after the training; (ii) ES was perceived as being an increasingly useful resource of evidence based information for their studies; (iii) the training helped students develop discerning search skills and use evidence based information sources more consistently and critically. The NICE SCS improves confidence in approaching information tasks amongst health care undergraduate students. Future developments could involve offering the training at the onset of a course of study and adopting online delivery formats to expand its geographical reach. © 2018 Health Libraries Group.

Assessing healthcare professional knowledge, attitudes, and practices on hypertension management. Announcing a new World Hypertension League resource.

PubMed

Campbell, Norm R C; Dashdorj, Naranjargal; Baatarsuren, Uurtsaikh; Myanganbayar, Maral; Dashtseren, Myagmartseren; Unurjargal, Tsolmon; Zhang, Xin-Hua; Veiga, Eugenia Velludo; Beheiry, Hind Mamoun; Mohan, Sailesh; Almustafa, Bader; Niebylski, Mark; Lackland, Daniel

2017-09-01

To assist hypertension control programs and specifically the development of training and education programs on hypertension for healthcare professionals, the World Hypertension League has developed a resource to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices on hypertension management. The resource assesses: (1) the importance of hypertension as a clinical and public health risk; (2) education in national or international hypertension recommendations; (3) lifestyle causes of hypertension; (4) measurement of blood pressure, screening, and diagnosis of hypertension; (5) lifestyle therapy counseling; (6) cardiovascular risk assessment; (7) antihypertensive drug therapy; and (8) adherence to therapy. In addition, the resource assesses the attitudes and practices of healthcare professionals for task sharing/shifting, use of care algorithms, and use of registries with performance reporting functions. The resource is designed to help support the Global Hearts Alliance to provide standardized and enhanced hypertension control globally. ©2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Body composition and somatotypes of male Zimbabwean Premier League football referees.

PubMed

Banda, Morris; Grobbelaar, Heinrich W; Terblanche, Elmarie

2018-04-20

Elite athletes need to optimise their body composition to deliver world class performances and this argument could be extended to elite referees as well. Unfortunately, there is a scarcity of body composition information among football referees. The aim of the study was to determine and compare the body composition and somatotypes of male football referees and assistant referees who officiated in the 2013 Zimbabwe Premier Football League. Forty-one participants (21 referees, 20 assistant referees; 8 FIFA, 33 ZIFA licenced referees) with a mean age of 34.89 ± 5.13 years took part. They had on average 10.85 ± 3.85 years of refereeing experience. The ISAK restricted anthropometric profile was used to measure body mass, height, skinfolds, girths and bone breadths, from which body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), percentage body fat and somatotype were calculated. The referees were significantly taller than the assistant referees. The FIFA referees had moderately more desirable anthropometric profiles than the ZIFA referees. With a mean somatotype of 2.62-4.65-2.65, the total sample could be classified as balanced mesomorphs. They had lower BMI and body fat percentages than that observed among referees from other nationalities in the available literature. The results add to the paucity of information on the body composition of football officials. Referees aiming to excel at higher levels need to obtain and maintain an ideal body composition since elite level football is intense and requires high fitness levels.

Countermovement-Jump-Phase Characteristics of Senior and Academy Rugby League Players.

PubMed

McMahon, John J; Murphy, Shannon; Rej, Sophie J E; Comfort, Paul

2017-07-01

Gross measures of countermovement-jump (CMJ) performance are commonly used to track maturational changes in neuromuscular function in rugby league (RL). The purpose of this study was to conduct both a gross and a more detailed temporal-phase analysis of the CMJ performances of senior and academy RL players, to provide greater insight into how neuromuscular function differs between these groups. Twenty senior and 14 academy (under-19) male RL players performed 3 maximal-effort CMJs on a force platform, with forward dynamics subsequently employed to allow gross performance measures and entire kinetic- and kinematic-time curves to be compared between groups. Jump height (JH), reactive strength index modified, concentric displacement, and relative concentric impulse (C-IMP) were the only gross measures that were greater for senior players (d = 0.58-0.91) than for academy players. The relative force- and displacement-time curves were similar between groups, but the relative power- and velocity-time curves were greater (d = 0.59-0.97) for the senior players at 94-96% and 89-100% of the total movement time, respectively. The CMJ distinguished between senior and academy RL players, with seniors demonstrating greater JH through applying a larger C-IMP and thus achieving greater velocity throughout the majority of the concentric phase and at takeoff. Therefore, academy RL players should train to improve triple (ie, ankle, knee, and hip) extension velocity during the CMJ to bring their JH scores in line with those attained by senior players.

The relative age effect reversal among the National Hockey League elite

PubMed Central

Gibbs, Benjamin G.; Jarvis, Jonathan A.; Rossi, Giambattista

2017-01-01

Like many sports in adolescence, junior hockey is organized by age groups. Typically, players born after December 31st are placed in the subsequent age cohort and as a result, will have an age advantage over those players born closer to the end of the year. While this relative age effect (RAE) has been well-established in junior hockey and other professional sports, the long-term impact of this phenomenon is not well understood. Using roster data on North American National Hockey League (NHL) players from the 2008–2009 season to the 2015–2016 season, we document a RAE reversal—players born in the last quarter of the year (October-December) score more and command higher salaries than those born in the first quarter of the year. This reversal is even more pronounced among the NHL “elite.” We find that among players in the 90th percentile of scoring, those born in the last quarter of the year score about 9 more points per season than those born in the first quarter. Likewise, elite players in the 90th percentile of salary who are born in the last quarter of the year earn 51% more pay than players born at the start of the year. Surprisingly, compared to players at the lower end of the performance distribution, the RAE reversal is about three to four times greater among elite players. PMID:28806751

A 26 year physiological description of a National Hockey League team.

PubMed

Quinney, H A; Dewart, Randy; Game, Alex; Snydmiller, Gary; Warburton, Darren; Bell, Gordon

2008-08-01

The primary purpose of this investigation was to examine the physiological profile of a National Hockey League (NHL) team over a period of 26 years. All measurements were made at a similar time of year (pre-season) in 703 male (mean age +/- SD = 24 +/- 4 y) hockey players. The data were analyzed across years, between positions (defensemen, forwards, and goaltenders), and between what were deemed successful and non-successful years using a combination of points acquired during the season and play-off success. Most anthropometric (height, mass, and BMI) and physiological parameters (absolute and relative VO2 peak, relative peak 5 s power output, abdominal endurance, and combined grip strength) showed a gradual increase over the 26 year period. Defensemen were taller and heavier, had higher absolute VO2 peak, and had greater combined grip strength than forwards and goaltenders. Forwards were younger and had higher values for relative VO2 peak. Goaltenders were shorter, had less body mass, a higher sum of skinfolds, lower VO2 peak, and better flexibility. The overall pre-season fitness profile was not related to team success. In conclusion, this study revealed that the fitness profile for a professional NHL ice-hockey team exhibited increases in player size and anaerobic and aerobic fitness parameters over a 26 year period that differed by position. However, this evolution of physiological profile did not necessarily translate into team success in this particular NHL franchise.

Body composition and bone mineral density of national football league players.

PubMed

Dengel, Donald R; Bosch, Tyler A; Burruss, T Pepper; Fielding, Kurt A; Engel, Bryan E; Weir, Nate L; Weston, Todd D

2014-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine the body composition of National Football League (NFL) players before the start of the regular season. Four hundred eleven NFL players were measured for height, weight and lean, fat, and bone mass using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Subjects were categorized by their offensive or defensive position for comparison. On average, positions that mirror each other (i.e., offensive lineman [OL] vs. defensive lineman [DL]) have very similar body composition. Although OL had more fat mass than DL, they were similar in total and upper and lower lean mass. Linebackers (LB) and running backs (RB) were similar for all measures of fat and lean mass. Tight ends were unique in that they were similar to RB and LB on measures of fat mass; however, they had greater lean mass than both RB and LB and upper-body lean mass that was similar to OL. Quarterbacks and punters/kickers were similar in fat and lean masses. All positions had normal levels of bone mineral density. The DXA allowed us to measure differences in lean mass between arms and legs for symmetry assessments. Although most individuals had similar totals of lean mass in each leg and or arms, there were outliers who may be at risk for injury. The data presented demonstrate not only differences in total body composition, but also show regional body composition differences that may provide positional templates.

Psychological treatments for adults and children with epilepsy: Evidence-based recommendations by the International League Against Epilepsy Psychology Task Force.

PubMed

Michaelis, Rosa; Tang, Venus; Goldstein, Laura H; Reuber, Markus; LaFrance, William Curt; Lundgren, Tobias; Modi, Avani C; Wagner, Janelle L

2018-06-19

Given the significant impact that psychosocial factors and epilepsy treatments can have on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of individuals with epilepsy and their families, there is great clinical interest in the role of psychological evaluation and treatments to improve HRQOL and comorbidities. Therefore, the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) charged the Psychology Task Force with the development of recommendations for clinical care based on evaluation of the evidence from their recent Cochrane review of psychological treatments in individuals with epilepsy. The literature search for a recent Cochrane review of randomized controlled trials investigating psychological treatments for individuals with epilepsy constitutes the key source of evidence for this article. To provide practical guidance to service providers, we provide ratings on study research designs based on (1) the American Academy of Neurology's Level of Evidence system and (2) the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system. This paper is the culmination of an international collaboration process involving pediatric and adult psychologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, and neuropsychiatrists. The process and conclusions were reviewed and approved by the ILAE Executive Committee. The strongest evidence for psychological interventions was identified for the most common mental health problems, including depression, neurocognitive disturbances, and medication adherence. Psychological interventions targeting the enhancement of HRQOL and adherence and a decrease in comorbidity symptoms (anxiety, depression) should be incorporated into comprehensive epilepsy care. There is a range of psychological strategies (ie, cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based therapies) that show promise for improving the lives of persons with epilepsy, and clinical recommendations are provided to assist epilepsy health care providers in treating the comorbidities and

Osteoarthritis Prevalence in Retired National Football League Players With a History of Concussion and Lower Extremity Injury

PubMed Central

Pietrosimone, Brian; Kerr, Zachary Y.; Mauntel, Timothy C.; Mihalik, Jason P.; Guskiewicz, Kevin M.

2017-01-01

Context:  Dynamic balance deficits have been described postconcussion, even after athletes return to play. Lower extremity (LE) musculoskeletal injury rates increase for up to 1 year after concussion, but the long-term musculoskeletal implications of concussion are unclear. Objective:  To (1) examine the association of concussion and LE injury histories with osteoarthritis (OA) prevalence in retired National Football League players and (2) examine the association of concussion and LE injury histories with OA prevalence in those ≤55 years of age. Design:  Case-control study. Setting:  Survey. Patients or Other Participants:  We administered the Health Survey of Retired National Football League Players, which collects information about demographics, OA, LE injury, and concussion history. Main Outcome Measure(s):  Twelve discrete categories were created based on concussion and LE injury history, ranging from 0 concussions and 0 LE injuries (referent group) to 3+ concussions and 2+ LE injuries. Binomial regression analysis modeled lifetime OA prevalence. Covariates were body mass index, age at the time of the survey, and total years playing professional football. Results:  Complete data were available for 2696 participants. Lifetime OA prevalence was smallest in the referent group (21.1%) and largest in the 3+ concussion and 2+ LE group (50.6%; 2.5 times the referent; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1, 3.1). Participants in all concussion groups (1, 2, 3+) who reported a history of 0 LE injuries had a greater OA prevalence than the referent group. When participants were stratified by age, the ≤55 years of age, 3+ concussions, and 2+ LE injuries group prevalence ratio (3.6; 95% CI = 2.7, 5.2) was larger than that of the >55 years of age, 3+ concussions, and 2+ LE injuries group (1.8; 95% CI = 1.3, 2.4) compared with the respective referent groups. Conclusions:  Concussion with or without a history of LE injury may be an important moderator of OA

Performance and Injury Characteristics of Pitchers Entering the Major League Baseball Draft After Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction.

PubMed

Wymore, Lucas; Chin, Paul; Geary, Christopher; Carolan, Gregory; Keefe, Daniel; Hoenecke, Heinz; Fronek, Jan

2016-12-01

Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction (UCLR) has been studied and shown to be a successful procedure for returning overhead athletes to sport. Many studies of Major League Baseball (MLB) players have shown high levels of return to play with successful statistical performance. No study has followed professional advancement of drafted pitchers who underwent UCLR as amateurs when compared with drafted pitchers who did not undergo the procedure before selection in the MLB draft. There would be no difference in professional advancement, statistical performance, or injury rate between the UCLR and control groups. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Thirty-eight pitchers with a UCLR as an amateur and 114 controls were identified in the MLB draft between 2006 and 2010. Highest level of professional baseball achieved was collected from all players, as well as statistical performance metrics including velocity, wins, earned run average (ERA), and walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP). Additional data on future injuries were analyzed for days on the disabled list (DL), risk of being placed on the DL, and DL assignment for elbow injury. Thirteen of 38 UCLR pitchers reached the major league level (34.2%) compared with 29 of 114 (25.4%) control pitchers, which was not statically significant (P = .295). The UCLR and control groups were similar for average velocity, peak velocity, innings pitched, games, games started, innings per game, ERA, WHIP, wins, losses, saves, batters faced, and innings pitched per year, as well as hits, runs, home runs allowed, strikeouts, batters walked, and batters struck per inning. The UCLR group had a significantly increased rate of DL assignment when compared with controls (86.8% vs 64.0%; P = .008); however, days on DL (152.8 vs 135.6; P = .723) and DL assignment for elbow injury (45.5% vs 43.8%; P = .877) were similar. There was no difference in the rate of professional advancement among pitchers drafted by the MLB who had undergone

Results of 2 decades of injury surveillance and public release of data in the Australian Football League.

PubMed

Orchard, John W; Seward, Hugh; Orchard, Jessica J

2013-04-01

Injuries are common in all professional football codes (including soccer, rugby league and union, American football, Gaelic football, and Australian football). To report the epidemiology of injuries in the Australian Football League (AFL) from 1992-2012 and to identify changes in injury patterns during that period. Descriptive epidemiology study. The AFL commenced surveying injuries in 1992, with all teams and players included since 1996. An injury was defined as "any physical or medical condition that causes a player to miss a match in the regular season or finals (playoffs)." Administrative records of injury payments (which are compulsory as part of salary cap compliance) to players who do not play matches determined the occurrence of an injury. The seasonal incidence was measured in units of new injuries per club (of 40 players) per season (of 22 matches). There were 4492 players listed over the 21-year period who suffered 13,606 new injuries/illnesses and 1965 recurrent injuries/illnesses, which caused 51,919 matches to be missed. The lowest seasonal incidence was 30.3 new injuries per club per season recorded in 1993, and the highest was 40.3 recorded in 1998. The injury prevalence (missed matches through injury per club per season) varied from a low of 116.3 in 1994 to a high of 157.1 in 2011. The recurrence rate of injuries was highest at 25% in 1992 and lowest at 9% in 2012 and has steadily fallen across the 21 years (P < .01). The most frequent and prevalent injury was hamstring strain (average of 6 injuries per club per season, resulting in 20 missed matches per club per season; recurrence rate, 26%), although the rate of hamstring injuries has fallen in the past 2 seasons after a change to the structure of the interchange bench (P < .05). The rate of knee posterior cruciate ligament injuries fell in the years after a rule change to prevent knee-to-knee collisions in ruckmen (P < .01). Annual public reporting (by way of media release and reports available

Epidemiology, Treatment, and Prevention of Lumbar Spine Injuries in Major League Baseball Players.

PubMed

Camp, Christopher L; Conti, Matthew S; Sgroi, Terrance; Cammisa, Frank P; Dines, Joshua S

2016-01-01

In recent years, increased attention has been paid to injuries occurring in Major League Baseball (MLB) players. Although most of the current orthopedic literature regarding baseball injuries pertains to the shoulder and elbow, lumbar spine injuries are another common reason for time out of play. Back and core injuries may represent as many as 12% of all injuries that result in time out of play from MLB. This high rate of injury is likely related to the critical role that the spine plays in every major baseball-related movement. Linking the upper extremities to the hips and lower extremities, a healthy, strong, and stable spine and core is a prerequisite for performance in all levels of baseball. It has been well documented that baseball players with poor spinal control and stabilization are at increased risk for future injury. Common etiologies of lumbar injuries include stress fractures, muscle injury, annular tears with or without disc herniation, facet joint pain, sacroiliac joint pain, and stenosis. This review discusses the epidemiology of spinal injuries in baseball. Special attention is paid to the role of the spine in baseball-related activities, common injuries, tips for making the correct diagnosis, treatment options, outcomes, rehabilitation, and injury prevention.

"Studentship" and "Impression Management" in an Advanced Soccer Coach Education Award

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chesterfield, Gavin; Potrac, Paul; Jones, Robyn

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate how coaches perceived and responded to the content knowledge and assessment processes that they were exposed to during an advanced level soccer coaching award programme. In-depth interviews were conducted with six coaches who had successfully completed the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)…

Distal Fibula Fractures in National Football League Athletes.

PubMed

Werner, Brian C; Mack, Christina; Franke, Kristina; Barnes, Ronnie P; Warren, Russell F; Rodeo, Scott A

2017-09-01

Despite the frequency of distal fibula fractures in elite athletes and the significant potential impact on the athletes' season and future careers, little data exist characterizing the epidemiology of these injuries or, more importantly, return to competition. To (1) evaluate the incidence of acute distal fibula fractures in National Football League (NFL) athletes, including isolated distal fibula and combined ankle fracture patterns; (2) analyze distal fibula fracture rates in NFL athletes by position, type of play, and contact type; (3) determine the rates of distal fibula fracture surgery in NFL athletes; and (4) report the days missed due to distal fibula fractures in NFL athletes. Descriptive epidemiology study. A retrospective review of distal fibula fractures reported to the NFL from 2000 to 2014 was performed using the NFL Injury Surveillance System. All distal fibula fractures were included, along with isolated and combined fracture patterns. Stress fractures and proximal fibula fractures were excluded. Epidemiological data and rates of surgery were determined. Return to sport was calculated and stratified by injury pattern and management. Overall, 237 distal fibula fractures in NFL athletes from 2000 to 2014 were included; 197 (83%) were isolated distal fibula fractures. A mean of 16 distal fibula fractures occurred each year (median, 16 per year). Fractures occurred most frequently on running (38%) and passing (24%) plays, but the frequency was next highest on kickoffs (16%), despite the relative infrequency of kickoffs during the average game compared with other play types. Surgery was reported for more than half of all distal fibula fractures (n = 128, 54%). Overall, patients who underwent surgery missed significantly more days (mean, 123.8 days) than players who did not undergo surgery (mean, 75.3 days) ( P < .001). Players with isolated distal fibula fractures had significantly fewer days missed (mean, 93.6 days) compared with those with combined

Radiographic findings of femoroacetabular impingement in National Football League Combine athletes undergoing radiographs for previous hip or groin pain.

PubMed

Nepple, Jeffrey J; Brophy, Robert H; Matava, Matthew J; Wright, Rick W; Clohisy, John C

2012-10-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of radiographic findings of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in elite football players with a history of hip pain or groin injury who underwent radiographs. We performed a retrospective review of athletes undergoing hip radiography at the National Football League Combine from 2007 to 2009. Radiographs were obtained in athletes with a history of hip pain or injury. Anteroposterior pelvis and frog-lateral radiographs were obtained in 123 hips (107 players) that met our inclusion criteria. Radiographic indicators of cam-type FAI (alpha angle, head-neck offset ratio) and pincer-type FAI (acetabular retroversion, center-edge angle, acetabular inclination) were recorded. Findings were correlated with clinical factors (previous groin/hip pain, position, race, and body mass index). The most common previous injuries included groin strain (n = 57) and sports hernia/abdominal strain (n = 21). Markers of cam- and/or pincer-type FAI were present in 94.3% of hips (116 of 123). Radiographic evidence of combined cam- and pincer-type FAI was the most common (61.8%, 76 hips), whereas isolated cam-type FAI (9.8%, 12 hips) and pincer-type FAI (22.8%, 28 hips) were less common. The most common deformities included acetabular retroversion (71.5%) and an abnormal alpha angle (61.8%). A body mass index greater than 35 was associated with the presence of global overcoverage (46.2% v 17.3%, P = .025). Radiographic indicators of FAI are very common among athletes evaluated at the National Football League Scouting Combine subjected to radiographic examination for the clinical suspicion of hip disease. Elite football athletes with significant or recurrent pain about the hip should be evaluated clinically and radiographically for FAI, because pain from FAI may be falsely attributed to or may be present in addition to other disorders. Level IV, therapeutic case series. Copyright © 2012 Arthroscopy Association of North America

Prophylactic training in asymptomatic soccer players with ultrasonographic abnormalities in Achilles and patellar tendons: the Danish Super League Study.

PubMed

Fredberg, Ulrich; Bolvig, Lars; Andersen, Niels T

2008-03-01

A recent study published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine showed that asymptomatic soccer players with an increased risk of developing Achilles and patellar tendon injuries within the next 12 months can be identified with use of ultrasonography. Prophylactic eccentric training and stretching can reduce both the frequency of asymptomatic ultrasonographic changes in Achilles and patellar tendons in soccer players and the risk of these asymptomatic intratendinous changes becoming symptomatic. Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. Two hundred and nine Danish professional soccer players from the best national league (Super League) were followed over 12 months with use of ultrasonography and injury registration. Half the teams were randomized to an intervention group with prophylactic eccentric training and stretching of the Achilles and patellar tendons during the soccer season. The eccentric training and stretching did not reduce the injury risk, and, contrary to all expectations, the injury risk during the season was increased in players with abnormal patellar tendons at the beginning of the study in January. Eccentric training and stretching in players with normal patellar tendons significantly reduced the proportion of players with ultrasonographic changes in the patellar tendons at the end of the season (risk difference [RD] = 12%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2%-22%; P = .02), but the training had no effect on the Achilles tendons (RD = 1%; 95% CI, -7% to 9%; P = .75). The presence of preseason ultrasonographic abnormalities in the tendons significantly increased the risk of developing tendon symptoms during the season (relative risk = 1.9; 95% CI, 1.2-3.1; P = .009). This study demonstrates that with the use of ultrasonography, tendon changes in soccer players can be diagnosed before they become symptomatic. The prophylactic eccentric training and stretching program reduces the risk of developing ultrasonographic abnormalities in the

Alcohol and violence in 2017 National Football League Super Bowl commercials

PubMed Central

MacLean, Sarah A.; Basch, Corey H.; Garcia, Philip

2017-01-01

Background: The National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl is a widely-viewed sports event and the commercials are especially popular among viewers. Previous research has demonstrated risky health behaviors in advertisements aired during sporting events. The purpose of this study was to analyze the content of the advertisements aired during the 2017 NFL Super Bowl. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved examining the content of all commercials, with an emphasis on health-compromising behaviors. The themes and highlights of the advertisements were analyzed based on whether there was a reference to alcohol or violence. Results: A total of 103 unique commercials were analyzed. The most common themes were humor (n=43), happiness (n=25), innovation (n=25), and enjoyment or relaxation (n=25).Alcohol was referenced in 13 (12.6%, 95% CI 7.5%, 20.4%) of the commercials. Advertisements with alcohol references were more likely to contain the themes of partying (odds ratio [OR]:16.2, 95% CI 1.4-193.4, P=0.041) and enjoyment or relaxation (OR: 4.7, 95% CI 1.4-15.6,P=0.014). There were 24 commercials with references to violence and these were more likely tobe promoting a movie (OR: 5.4, 95% CI 3.5-8.2, P<0.001) or television program (OR: 8.9,95% CI 2.6-30.26, P<0.001). Conclusion: Parents should consider whether it is appropriate for their children to watch a concentrated number of intense images containing references to alcohol and violence during this popular sporting event. PMID:28695105

Game Schedules and Rate of Concussions in the National Football League.

PubMed

Teramoto, Masaru; Cushman, Daniel M; Cross, Chad L; Curtiss, Heather M; Willick, Stuart E

2017-11-01

Concussion prevention in the National Football League (NFL) is an important priority for player safety. The NFL now has modified game schedules, and one concern is that unconventional game schedules, such as a shortened rest period due to playing on a Thursday rather than during the weekend, may lead to an increased risk of injuries. Unconventional game schedules in the NFL are associated with an increased rate of concussion. Descriptive epidemiological study. This study analyzed concussions and game schedules over the NFL regular seasons from 2012 to 2015 (4 years). Documented numbers of concussions, identified by use of the online database PBS Frontline Concussion Watch, were summarized by regular-season weeks. Association of days of rest and game location (home, away, or overseas) with the rate of concussion was examined by use of the χ 2 test. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the relationships of days of rest and home/away games to the risk of repeated concussions, with adjustment for player position. A total of 582 concussions were analyzed in this study. A significantly greater number of concussions occurred in the second half of the season ( P < .01). No significant association was found between the rate of concussion and the days of rest, game location, or timing of the bye week by the team or the opponent ( P > .05). Game schedules were not significantly associated with the occurrence of repeat concussions ( P > .05). Unconventional game schedules in the NFL, including playing on Thursday and playing overseas, do not seem to put players at increased risk of concussions.

Repeated-sprint ability and team selection in Australian football league players.

PubMed

Le Rossignol, Peter; Gabbett, Tim J; Comerford, Dan; Stanton, Warren R

2014-01-01

To investigate the relationship between selected physical capacities and repeated-sprint performance of Australian Football League (AFL) players and to determine which physical capacities contributed to being selected for the first competition game. Sum of skinfolds, 40-m sprint (with 10-, 20-, 30-, and 40-m splits), repeated-sprint ability (6 × 30-m sprints), and 3-km-run time were measured during the preseason in 20 AFL players. The physical qualities of players selected to play the first match of the season and those not selected were compared. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationship among variables, and a regression analysis identified variables significantly related to repeated-sprint performance. In the regression analysis, maximum velocity was the best predictor of repeated-sprint time, with 3-km-run time also contributing significantly to the predictive model. Sum of skinfolds was significantly correlated with 10-m (r = .61, P < .01) and 30-m (r = .53, P < .05) sprint times. A 2.6% ± 2.1% difference in repeated-sprint time (P < .05, ES = 0.88 ± 0.72) was observed between those selected (25.26 ± 0.55 s) and not selected (25.82 ± 0.80 s) for the first game of the season. The findings indicate that maximum-velocity training using intervals of 30-40 m may contribute more to improving repeated-sprint performance in AFL players than short 10- to 20-m intervals from standing starts. Further research is warranted to establish the relative importance of endurance training for improving repeated-sprint performance in AFL football.

Alcohol and violence in 2017 National Football League Super Bowl commercials.

PubMed

MacLean, Sarah A; Basch, Corey H; Garcia, Philip

2017-01-01

Background: The National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl is a widely-viewed sports event and the commercials are especially popular among viewers. Previous research has demonstrated risky health behaviors in advertisements aired during sporting events. The purpose of this study was to analyze the content of the advertisements aired during the 2017 NFL Super Bowl. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved examining the content of all commercials, with an emphasis on health-compromising behaviors. The themes and highlights of the advertisements were analyzed based on whether there was a reference to alcohol or violence. Results: A total of 103 unique commercials were analyzed. The most common themes were humor (n=43), happiness (n=25), innovation (n=25), and enjoyment or relaxation (n=25).Alcohol was referenced in 13 (12.6%, 95% CI 7.5%, 20.4%) of the commercials. Advertisements with alcohol references were more likely to contain the themes of partying (odds ratio [OR]:16.2, 95% CI 1.4-193.4, P=0.041) and enjoyment or relaxation (OR: 4.7, 95% CI 1.4-15.6,P=0.014). There were 24 commercials with references to violence and these were more likely tobe promoting a movie (OR: 5.4, 95% CI 3.5-8.2, P<0.001) or television program (OR: 8.9,95% CI 2.6-30.26, P<0.001). Conclusion: Parents should consider whether it is appropriate for their children to watch a concentrated number of intense images containing references to alcohol and violence during this popular sporting event.

National Pride: War Minus the Shooting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kavetsos, Georgios

2012-01-01

This study focuses on the determinants of self-reported measures of national pride. Using pooled cross-sectional data for European countries obtained from the Eurobarometer, it is estimated that pride is not correlated with GDP per capita nor with household income levels. Using the 2000 UEFA European Championship as a natural experiment, it is…

Superior Labrum Anterior-Posterior Tears in the National Football League.

PubMed

Chambers, Caitlin C; Lynch, T Sean; Gibbs, Daniel B; Ghodasra, Jason H; Sahota, Shawn; Franke, Kristina; Mack, Christina D; Nuber, Gordon W

2017-01-01

Shoulder disorders are common in football players, with up to 50% of National Football League (NFL) recruits reporting a history of shoulder injuries. Superior labrum anterior-posterior (SLAP) tears are an entity with well-described detrimental effects on return to play in overhead-throwing athletes but with minimal data in contact athletes. To identify the incidence, predisposing factors, and effect of SLAP tears in NFL athletes and prospects as well as the treatment patterns of NFL team physicians. Descriptive epidemiology study. This study was a comprehensive analysis of SLAP tears in elite football players using a dual approach: (1) SLAP injuries recorded in the NFL Injury Surveillance System from 2000 to 2014 were evaluated by player position, type of play, days/games lost, and surgical intervention; (2) NFL Scouting Combine athletes from 2003 to 2011 with prior SLAP repair were evaluated for draft success, and drafted athletes were compared with matched controls for career length and performance scores. SLAP tears represented a small portion (3.1%) of shoulder injuries in NFL athletes from 2000 to 2014, occurring most commonly in offensive linemen (28%). Surgically treated SLAP tears (42%) resulted in more days missed than did nonoperatively managed tears (140.2 vs 21.5 days; P < .001) and more games missed (8.4 vs 2.6 games; P = .003). SLAP repairs were also rare in NFL Combine athletes (n = 25 of 2965 athletes), with most having been performed in offensive linemen (32%). As compared with control NFL Combine athletes without SLAP tears, those drafted into the NFL with prior SLAP repair played significantly fewer games (33.7 vs 48.3; P = .049) and had fewer game starts (19.6 vs 35.4; P = .036). In this comprehensive analysis of SLAP tears in elite football players, it is clear that these injuries have the potential to cause significant detriment to an athlete's career.

Neurodegenerative causes of death among retired National Football League players.

PubMed

Lehman, Everett J; Hein, Misty J; Baron, Sherry L; Gersic, Christine M

2012-11-06

To analyze neurodegenerative causes of death, specifically Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), among a cohort of professional football players. This was a cohort mortality study of 3,439 National Football League players with at least 5 pension-credited playing seasons from 1959 to 1988. Vital status was ascertained through 2007. For analysis purposes, players were placed into 2 strata based on characteristics of position played: nonspeed players (linemen) and speed players (all other positions except punter/kicker). External comparisons with the US population used standardized mortality ratios (SMRs); internal comparisons between speed and nonspeed player positions used standardized rate ratios (SRRs). Overall player mortality compared with that of the US population was reduced (SMR 0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.48-0.59). Neurodegenerative mortality was increased using both underlying cause of death rate files (SMR 2.83, 95% CI 1.36-5.21) and multiple cause of death (MCOD) rate files (SMR 3.26, 95% CI 1.90-5.22). Of the neurodegenerative causes, results were elevated (using MCOD rates) for both ALS (SMR 4.31, 95% CI 1.73-8.87) and AD (SMR 3.86, 95% CI 1.55-7.95). In internal analysis (using MCOD rates), higher neurodegenerative mortality was observed among players in speed positions compared with players in nonspeed positions (SRR 3.29, 95% CI 0.92-11.7). The neurodegenerative mortality of this cohort is 3 times higher than that of the general US population; that for 2 of the major neurodegenerative subcategories, AD and ALS, is 4 times higher. These results are consistent with recent studies that suggest an increased risk of neurodegenerative disease among football players.

Developmental contexts and sporting success: birth date and birthplace effects in national hockey league draftees 2000-2005.

PubMed

Baker, Joseph; Logan, A Jane

2007-08-01

To examine relative age and birth place effects in hockey players drafted to play in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 2000 and 2005 and determine whether these factors influenced when players were chosen in the draft. 1013 North American draftees were evaluated from the official NHL website, which provided birthplace, date of birth and selection order in the draft. Population size was collected from Canadian and American census information. Athletes were divided into four quartiles on the basis of selection date to define age cohorts in hockey. Data between the Canadian and American players were also compared to see if the optimal city sizes differed between the two nations. Relative age and birthplace effects were found, although the optimal city size found was dissimilar to that found in previous studies. Further, there were inconsistencies between the Canadian and American data. Contextual factors such as relative age and size of birthplace have a significant effect on likelihood of being selected in the NHL draft.

Key team physical and technical performance indicators indicative of team quality in the soccer Chinese super league.

PubMed

Yang, Gai; Leicht, Anthony S; Lago, Carlos; Gómez, Miguel-Ángel

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify the key physical and technical performance variables related to team quality in the Chinese Super League (CSL). Teams' performance variables were collected from 240 matches and analysed via analysis of variance between end-of-season-ranked groups and multinomial logistic regression. Significant physical performance differences between groups were identified for sprinting (top-ranked group vs. upper-middle-ranked group) and total distance covered without possession (upper and upper-middle-ranked groups and lower-ranked group). For technical performance, teams in the top-ranked group exhibited a significantly greater amount of possession in opponent's half, number of entry passes in the final 1/3 of the field and the Penalty Area, and 50-50 challenges than lower-ranked teams. Finally, time of possession increased the probability of a win compared with a draw. The current study identified key performance indicators that differentiated end-season team quality within the CSL.

Integration of the functional movement screen into the National Hockey League Combine.

PubMed

Rowan, Chip P; Kuropkat, Christiane; Gumieniak, Robert J; Gledhill, Norman; Jamnik, Veronica K

2015-05-01

The sport of ice hockey requires coordination of complex skills involving musculoskeletal and physiological abilities while simultaneously exposing players to a high risk for injury. The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) was developed to assess fundamental movement patterns that underlie both sport performance and injury risk. The top 111 elite junior hockey players from around the world took part in the 2013 National Hockey League Entry Draft Combine (NHL Combine). The FMS was integrated into the comprehensive medical and physiological fitness evaluations at the request of strength and conditioning coaches with affiliations to NHL teams. The inclusion of the FMS aimed to help develop strategies that could maximize its utility among elite hockey players and to encourage or inform further research in this field. This study evaluated the outcomes of integrating the FMS into the NHL Combine and identified any links to other medical plus physical and physiological fitness assessment outcomes. These potential associations may provide valuable information to identify elements of future training programs that are individualized to athletes' specific needs. The results of the FMS (total score and number of asymmetries identified) were significantly correlated to various body composition measures, aerobic and anaerobic fitness, leg power, timing of recent workouts, and the presence of lingering injury at the time of the NHL Combine. Although statistically significant correlations were observed, the implications of the FMS assessment outcomes remain difficult to quantify until ongoing assessment of FMS patterns, tracking of injuries, and hockey performance are available.

Notes on the origins of Epilepsia and the International League Against Epilepsy.

PubMed

Shorvon, Simon D; Weiss, Giselle; Goodkin, Howard P

2009-03-01

The recent discovery of archival material has shed interesting light on the origins of Epilepsia and also the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE). The idea of an international journal devoted to epilepsy seems first to have arisen from talks between Dr. L. J. J. Muskens and Dr. W. Aldren Turner in 1905. A protracted series of subsequent letters between Muskens and a Haarlem publisher show how the idea slowly took shape. The committee of patronage, editorial board, and editorial assistants was probably first approached at the First International Congress of Psychiatry, Neurology, Psychology, and Nursing of the Insane, held in Amsterdam in 1907. At this meeting, the concept of an international organization to fight epilepsy (to become the ILAE) was also first proposed in public, again by Muskens. The concept of the ILAE was clearly modeled on another international organization-the International Commission for the Study of the Causes of Mental Diseases and Their Prophylaxis. This Commission had been first publicly proposed in 1906 by Ludwig Frank, at the Second International Congress for the Care and Treatment of the Insane. The proposed Commission and ILAE shared many features, aims, and personnel. Despite an auspicious start, the International Commission was prevented by personal and political differences from ever actually coming into being. However, the first issue of Epilepsia appeared in March 1909 and the ILAE was inaugurated in August 1909; and both have flourished and celebrate their centenaries this year.

[Influence of Ankle Braces on the Prevalence of Ankle Inversion Injuries in the Swiss Volleyball National League A].

PubMed

Jaggi, J; Kneubühler, S; Rogan, S

2016-06-01

Ankle inversion is a common injury among volleyball players. The injury rate during a game is 2.1 times higher than during training. As a result, the preventive use of ankle braces is frequently observed in Swiss volleyball leagues. Studies have shown that ankle braces have a preventive effect on the prevalence of ankle inversion. In Switzerland there has been no investigation into the preventive use of braces and their influence on prevalence. For this reason, the goals of this study are 1) to determine when, why and by whom ankle braces are worn and 2) to evaluate the injury rate of users and non-users of ankle braces. A modified questionnaire was sent to 18 men's and women's teams of the Swiss National League A. The questionnaire included questions about injury rates and the circumstances of ankle inversion injuries. The data were statistically analysed with Microsoft Excel 2012 and SPSS Version 20. The overall response rate was 61 %, allowing data from 181 players to be analysed. 33 % (59 of 181) of the players used an ankle brace. There was a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of ankle inversion between users (12 injured) and non-users (8 injured) (p = 0.006). Wearing an ankle brace during training or during a game made no difference in the prevention of injuries (p = 0.356). More athletes were injured during training (n = 13) than during a game (n = 7). The results of the present study indicate that volleyball players preferably wear ankle braces to prevent injury. More than one third of the players in the study wore an ankle brace, 60 % for primary prevention and 40 % for secondary prevention due to a previous injury. The study shows that significantly more users than non-users of ankle braces were injured. This is contrary to literature. Furthermore it was shown that more injuries occur during training than during a game. This finding results from the fact that ankle braces were rarely worn during training. It is

A Comparison of 5, 10, 30 Meters Sprint, Modified T-Test, Arrowhead and Illinois Agility Tests on Football Referees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muniroglu, Surhat; Subak, Erdem

2018-01-01

The ability of change of direction quickly, in other words agility, and short distance sprinting speed are two of the most important performance components for football referees. The tests used by FIFA and UEFA such as Cooper Test, Yo-Yo Intermittent Test, 40 × 75 m tests do not include testing the agility skills of the referees. However,…

What is the Value of a National Football League Draft Pick? An Analysis Based on Changes Made in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

PubMed

Kraeutler, Matthew J; Carver, Trevor J; Belk, John W; McCarty, Eric C

2018-06-01

Kraeutler, MJ, Carver, TJ, Belk, JW, and McCarty, EC. What is the value of a National Football League draft pick? An analysis based on changes made in the collective bargaining agreement. J Strength Cond Res 32(6): 1656-1661, 2018-The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the value of players drafted in early rounds of the National Football League (NFL) Draft since the new collective bargaining agreement began in 2011. The NFL's player statistics database and database of player contract details were searched for players drafted in the first 3 rounds of the 2011 to 2013 NFL Drafts. Performance outcomes specific to each position were divided by each player's salary to calculate a value statistic. Various demographics, NFL Combine results, and total number of games missed because of injury were also recorded for each player. These statistics were compared within each position between players selected in the first round of the NFL Draft (group A) vs. those drafted in the second or third round (group B). A total of 147 players were included (group A 35, group B 112). Overall, players in group A were significantly taller (p ≤ 0.01) and heavier (p = 0.037) than players in group B. Group B demonstrated significantly greater value statistics than group A for quarterbacks (p = 0.028), wide receivers (p ≤ 0.001), defensive tackles (p = 0.019), and cornerbacks (p ≤ 0.001). No significant differences were found between groups with regard to number of games missed because of injury. Players drafted in the second or third rounds of the NFL Draft often carry more value than those drafted in the first round. NFL teams may wish to more frequently trade down in the Draft rather than trading up.

The King-Devick test was useful in management of concussion in amateur rugby union and rugby league in New Zealand.

PubMed

King, D; Gissane, C; Hume, P A; Flaws, M

2015-04-15

To use the King-Devick (K-D) test in senior amateur rugby union and rugby league players over a domestic competition season to see if it could identify witnessed and unwitnessed episodes of concussion that occurred from participation in competition matches over three years. A prospective observational cohort study was conducted on a club level senior amateur rugby union team (n=36 players in 2012 and 35 players in 2013) and a rugby league team (n=33 players in 2014) during competition seasons in New Zealand. All 104 players completed two trials 10min apart of the K-D at the beginning of their competition season. Concussions (witnessed or unwitnessed) were only recorded if they were formally diagnosed by a health practitioner. A total of 52 (8 witnessed; 44 unwitnessed) concussive events were identified over the duration of the study resulting in a concussion injury incidence of 44 (95% CI: 32 to 56) per 1000 match participation hours. There was a six-fold difference between witnessed and unwitnessed concussions recorded. There were observable learning effects observed between the first and the second K-D test baseline testing (50 vs. 45s; z=-8.81; p<0.001). For every 1 point reduction in each of the post-injury SAC components there was a corresponding increase (worsening) of K-D test times post-match for changes in orientation (2.9s), immediate memory (1.8s) concentration (2.8s), delayed recall (2.0s) and SAC total score (1.7s). The rate of undetected concussion was higher than detected concussions by using the K-D test routinely following matches. Worsening of the K-D test post-match was associated with reduction in components of the SAC. The appeal of the K-D test is in the rapid, easy manner of its administration and the reliable, objective results it provides to the administrator. The K-D test helped identify cognitive impairment in players without clinically observable symptoms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Secure Scientific Applications Scheduling Technique for Cloud Computing Environment Using Global League Championship Algorithm

PubMed Central

Abdulhamid, Shafi’i Muhammad; Abd Latiff, Muhammad Shafie; Abdul-Salaam, Gaddafi; Hussain Madni, Syed Hamid

2016-01-01

Cloud computing system is a huge cluster of interconnected servers residing in a datacenter and dynamically provisioned to clients on-demand via a front-end interface. Scientific applications scheduling in the cloud computing environment is identified as NP-hard problem due to the dynamic nature of heterogeneous resources. Recently, a number of metaheuristics optimization schemes have been applied to address the challenges of applications scheduling in the cloud system, without much emphasis on the issue of secure global scheduling. In this paper, scientific applications scheduling techniques using the Global League Championship Algorithm (GBLCA) optimization technique is first presented for global task scheduling in the cloud environment. The experiment is carried out using CloudSim simulator. The experimental results show that, the proposed GBLCA technique produced remarkable performance improvement rate on the makespan that ranges between 14.44% to 46.41%. It also shows significant reduction in the time taken to securely schedule applications as parametrically measured in terms of the response time. In view of the experimental results, the proposed technique provides better-quality scheduling solution that is suitable for scientific applications task execution in the Cloud Computing environment than the MinMin, MaxMin, Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) scheduling techniques. PMID:27384239

Secure Scientific Applications Scheduling Technique for Cloud Computing Environment Using Global League Championship Algorithm.

PubMed

Abdulhamid, Shafi'i Muhammad; Abd Latiff, Muhammad Shafie; Abdul-Salaam, Gaddafi; Hussain Madni, Syed Hamid

2016-01-01

Cloud computing system is a huge cluster of interconnected servers residing in a datacenter and dynamically provisioned to clients on-demand via a front-end interface. Scientific applications scheduling in the cloud computing environment is identified as NP-hard problem due to the dynamic nature of heterogeneous resources. Recently, a number of metaheuristics optimization schemes have been applied to address the challenges of applications scheduling in the cloud system, without much emphasis on the issue of secure global scheduling. In this paper, scientific applications scheduling techniques using the Global League Championship Algorithm (GBLCA) optimization technique is first presented for global task scheduling in the cloud environment. The experiment is carried out using CloudSim simulator. The experimental results show that, the proposed GBLCA technique produced remarkable performance improvement rate on the makespan that ranges between 14.44% to 46.41%. It also shows significant reduction in the time taken to securely schedule applications as parametrically measured in terms of the response time. In view of the experimental results, the proposed technique provides better-quality scheduling solution that is suitable for scientific applications task execution in the Cloud Computing environment than the MinMin, MaxMin, Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) scheduling techniques.

Performance-Based Outcomes after Operative Management of Athletic Pubalgia / Core Muscle Injury in National Football League Players

PubMed Central

Lynch, Thomas Sean; Kosanovic, Radomir; Gibbs, Daniel Bradley; Park, Caroline; Bedi, Asheesh; Larson, Christopher M.; Ahmad, Christopher S.

2017-01-01

Objectives: Athletic pubalgia is a condition in which there is an injury to the core musculature that precipitates groin and lower abdominal pain, particularly in cutting and pivoting sports. These are common injury patterns in the National Football League (NFL); however, the effect of surgery on performance for these players has not been described. Methods: Athletes in the NFL that underwent a surgical procedure for athletic pubalgia / core muscle injury (CMI) were identified through team injury reports and archives on public record since 2004. Outcome data was collected for athletes who met inclusion criteria which included total games played after season of injury / surgery, number of Pro Bowls voted to, yearly total years and touchdowns for offensive players and yearly total tackles sacks and interceptions for defensive players. Previously validated performance scores were calculated using this data for each player one season before and after their procedure for a CMI. Athletes were then matched to control professional football players without a diagnosis of athletic pubalgia by age, position, year and round drafted. Statistical analysis was used to compare pre-injury and post-injury performance measures for players treated with operative management to their case controls. Results: The study group was composed of 32 NFL athletes who underwent operative management for athletic pubalgia that met inclusion criteria during this study period, including 18 offensive players and 16 defensive players. The average age of athletes undergoing this surgery was 27 years old. Analysis of pre- and post-injury athletic performance revealed no statistically significant changes after return to sport after surgical intervention; however, there was a statistically significant difference in the number of Pro Bowls that affected athletes participated in before surgery (8) compared to the season after surgery (3). Analysis of durability, as measured by total number of games played

A History of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction at the National Football League Combine Results in Inferior Early National Football League Career Participation.

PubMed

Provencher, Matthew T; Bradley, James P; Chahla, Jorge; Sanchez, Anthony; Beaulieu-Jones, Brendin R; Arner, Justin W; Kennedy, Nicholas I; Sanchez, George; Kennedy, Mitchell I; Moatshe, Gilbert; Cinque, Mark E; LaPrade, Robert F

2018-05-19

To evaluate whether players with a history of an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) before the National Football League (NFL) Combine played or started fewer games and/or participated in fewer eligible snaps compared with NFL Combine participants without a history of knee injury or surgery. We performed a retrospective review of all players who participated in the NFL Combine between 2009 and 2015 and who had a history of an ACLR. NFL Combine participants were included if they had a previous ACLR or combined anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and nonoperatively managed medial collateral ligament injury. The number of games started, number of games played, draft number, overall draft pick, and snap percentage for each position were determined. The mean value of each outcome metric was compared between case and control players. We identified 110 players who had an ACL injury (n = 76) or a combined ACL and medial collateral ligament injury (n = 34). Players in the ACLR group had a significantly worse mean draft pick number (difference of 30.2, P = .002) and mean draft round (difference of 0.8, P = .019) versus controls. Compared with control players, players in the ACLR group started and played significantly fewer games in both season 1 (difference of 2.7 games started, P < .001; difference of 2.7 games played, P < .001) and season 2 (difference of 7.4 games started, P < .001; difference of 3.0 games played, P = .003) and had a significantly lower snap percentage in both season 1 (difference of 23.1%, P < .001) and season 2 (difference of 24.0%, P < .001). Athletes at the NFL Combine who previously underwent an ACLR had significantly lower early-career NFL player metrics, including fewer games started, fewer games played, and a lower snap percentage, than uninjured controls. Defensive linemen, defensive backs, and linebackers were the 3 most affected positions. Players with a prior ACLR and combined meniscal-chondral pathology had

A White Paper on the medical and social needs of people with epilepsy and intellectual disability: the Task Force on Intellectual Disabilities and Epilepsy of the International League Against Epilepsy.

PubMed

Kerr, Mike; Linehan, Christine; Thompson, Rose; Mula, Marco; Gil-Nagal, Antonio; Zuberi, Sameer M; Glynn, Mike

2014-12-01

This White Paper builds on the publication of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) report "Listening for a change-medical and social needs of people with intellectual disability who have epilepsy" (Listening for a change the medical and social needs of people with epilepsy and intellectual disability, ILAE, 2013). The Paper presents an overview of the recommendations of the report, which aim to improve the health and social care of this important population of people with epilepsy worldwide. Actions in four domains are indicated: (1) the development of standards and initiatives that would enhance diagnosis, pathways to investigation, and treatment; (2) the development of guidelines for treatment, specifically best practice in the management of antiepileptic drugs including rescue medication; (3) the development of standards for primary care, multidisciplinary teamwork, and clinical consultations, with emphasis on the need to enhance communication and improve access to information; and (4) the enhancement of links among different stakeholders including medical services, educational establishments, employment services, organizations providing opportunities for social engagement, and family members. The breadth of needs of this population is a challenge to the epilepsy world, spanning all the professional groupings, care providers, and the research modalities in epilepsy. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2014 International League Against Epilepsy.

Are Canadian-born Major League Baseball players more likely to bat left-handed? A partial test of the hockey-influence on batting hypothesis.

PubMed

Cairney, John; Chirico, Daniele; Li, Yao-Chuen; Bremer, Emily; Graham, Jeffrey D

2018-01-01

It has been suggested that Canadian-born Major League Baseball (MLB) players are more likely to bat left-handed, possibly owing to the fact that they learn to play ice hockey before baseball, and that there is no clear hand-preference when shooting with a hockey stick; approximately half of all ice hockey players shoot left. We constructed a database on active (i.e., October, 2016) MLB players from four countries/regions based on place of birth (Canada, United States of America [USA], Dominican Republic and South Asia [i.e., Japan, Taiwan and South Korea]), including information on which hand they use to bat and throw. We also extracted information on all Canadian-born MLB players, dating back to 1917. Our results confirm that the proportion of left-handed batters born in Canada is higher when compared to the other countries selected; also, since 1917, the proportion of Canadian MLB players who bat left has been consistently higher than the league average. We also compared the proportion of left-handed batters in Canada with players born in states in the USA grouped into high, average and low based on hockey participation. The proportion of MLB players born in states with a high level of hockey participation were more likely to bat left, although the differences were significant at trend level only (p < .10). Lastly, we found that while Canadians were more likely to bat left-handed, this did not correspond with a greater left-hand dominance, as determined by throwing hand. In conclusion, the present study confirms that Canadian-born MLB players are more likely to bat left-handed when compared to American, Dominican Republic and South Asian-born MLB players, providing partial support for the hockey influence on batting hypothesis.

The effect of five weeks of Tribulus terrestris supplementation on muscle strength and body composition during preseason training in elite rugby league players.

PubMed

Rogerson, Shane; Riches, Christopher J; Jennings, Carl; Weatherby, Robert P; Meir, Rudi A; Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya M

2007-05-01

Tribulus terrestris is an herbal nutritional supplement that is promoted to produce large gains in strength and lean muscle mass in 5-28 days (15, 18). Although some manufacturers claim T. terrestris will not lead to a positive drug test, others have suggested that T. terrestris may increase the urinary testosterone/epitestosterone (T/E) ratio, which may place athletes at risk of a positive drug test. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of T. terrestris on strength, fat free mass, and the urinary T/E ratio during 5 weeks of preseason training in elite rugby league players. Twenty-two Australian elite male rugby league players (mean +/- SD; age = 19.8 +/- 2.9 years; weight = 88.0 +/- 9.5 kg) were match-paired and randomly assigned in a double-blind manner to either a T. terrestris (n = 11) or placebo (n = 11) group. All subjects performed structured heavy resistance training as part of the club's preseason preparations. A T. terrestris extract (450 mg.d(-1)) or placebo capsules were consumed once daily for 5 weeks. Muscular strength, body composition, and the urinary T/E ratio were monitored prior to and after supplementation. After 5 weeks of training, strength and fat free mass increased significantly without any between-group differences. No between-group differences were noted in the urinary T/E ratio. It was concluded that T. terrestris did not produce the large gains in strength or lean muscle mass that many manufacturers claim can be experienced within 5-28 days. Furthermore, T. terrestris did not alter the urinary T/E ratio and would not place an athlete at risk of testing positive based on the World Anti-Doping Agency's urinary T/E ratio limit of 4:1.

Effects of Long-Haul Transmeridian Travel on Subjective Jet-Lag and Self-Reported Sleep and Upper Respiratory Symptoms in Professional Rugby League Players.

PubMed

Fowler, Peter M; Duffield, Rob; Lu, Donna; Hickmans, Jeremy A; Scott, Tannath J

2016-10-01

To examine the effects of 24-h travel west across 11 time zones on subjective jet-lag and wellness responses together with self-reported sleep and upper respiratory symptoms in 18 professional rugby league players. Measures were obtained 1 or 2 d before (pretravel) and 2, 6, and 8 d after travel (post-2, post-6, and post-8) from Australia to the United Kingdom (UK) for the 2015 World Club Series. Compared with pretravel, subjective jet-lag remained significantly elevated on post-8 (3.1 ± 2.3, P < .05, d > 0.90), although it was greatest on post-2 (4.1 ± 1.4). Self-reported sleep-onset times were significantly earlier on post-2 than at all other time points (P < .05, d > 0.90), and large effect sizes suggested that wake times were earlier on post-2 than on post-6 and post-8 (d > 0.90). Although significantly more upper respiratory symptoms were reported on post-6 than at pretravel (P < .05, d ˃ 0.90), no incidence of injury and negligible changes in wellness and muscle strength and range of motion (P > .05, d < 0.90) were evident after travel. Results suggest that westward long-haul travel between Australia and the UK exacerbates subjective jet-lag and sleep responses, along with upper respiratory symptoms, in professional rugby league players. Of note, the increase in self-reported upper respiratory symptoms is a reminder that the demands of long-haul travel may be an additional concern in jet-lag for traveling athletes. However, due to the lack of sport-specific performance measures, it is still unclear whether international travel interferes with training to the extent that subsequent competition performance is impaired.

Game Times and Higher Winning Percentages of West Coast Teams of the National Football League Correspond With Reduced Prevalence of Regular Season Injury.

PubMed

Brager, Allison J; Mistovich, R Justin

2017-02-01

Brager, AJ and Mistovich, RJ. Game times and higher winning percentages of west coast teams of the National Football League correspond with reduced prevalence of regular season injury. J Strength Cond Res 31(2): 462-467, 2017-West coast teams of the National Football League are more statistically likely to win home night games against east coast opponents. The alignment of game times with daily rhythms of alertness is thought to contribute to this advantage. This study aims to determine whether rates of turnovers and injuries during the regular season, putative measures of mental and physical fatigue, impact winning percentages. Regular season schedules and rates of turnovers for each of the 32 teams were obtained from Pro-Football-Reference. We developed our own metric of injury risk for each position obtained from depth charts and regular season schedules. This metric compared cumulative weeks on injury reserve with cumulative time zone travel. West coast teams traveled 4 times as often as east coast teams. However, teams traveling eastward won twice as many games. There was no relationship between the extent and direction of travel and number of turnovers. Losing teams had more turnovers. The offensive and defensive lines in Central Time (CT) were placed on injury reserve 4 times as often as offensive and defensive lines in Pacific Time (PT). Injury prevalence in CT vs. PT was most prominent midseason. Plotting midseason game time relative to biological time revealed that PT teams play games closer to endogenous peaks in alertness, whereas CT teams play games closer to endogenous troughs in alertness. Overall, closer alignment of game time with the endogenous "alerting" signal may protect west coast teams from fatigue-related injuries and suggests for modified strength and conditioning programs.