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Is it Possible to Lose Status as a Driver and be Reclassified as a Passenger During a Journey? A Lacuna in the Motor Vehicle Insurance Directives to which Jurisprudence from the UK may Provide an Answer
Get PDF‘You’re trying to juggle everything’: Understanding the consequences of emotional labour for senior probation officers in England and Wales.
Get PDFMuch academic research has explored what it means to be a practitioner in the criminal justice system and a small body of research explores the roles and experiences of leaders. However, very little research has sought to understand the critical role of line managers in supporting frontline practitioners and activating the policy goals of an organisation situated – as they are – in the middle of an institution's chain of command. Good line management can improve worker well-being, organisational commitment and job satisfaction. In doing so, line managers perform high levels of emotional labour which – in turn – creates potentially adverse impacts on their own well-being. This article explores how line managers in probation – Senior Probation Officers – experience and cope with the consequences of having to perform emotional labour. We present the analysis of qualitative data gathered with 26 Senior Probation Officer (SPOs) and 2 senior managers across England and Wales exploring the effects of performing emotional labour and toxin handling. We also identify how they cope with these consequences through formal and informal sources of support such as ‘communities of coping’. We conclude by considering what our findings say about the interplay between individual and organisational factors and how the ways in which probation managers are asked by the organisation to use their emotions is detrimental to the well-being of SPOs and the organisation more broadly. We offer ways the Probation Service can refocus organisational priorities and goals to ameliorate the emotional toll felt by SPOs and benefit the organisation as a whole
Mean stability and between-session reliability of cycling biomechanics variables in elite pursuit cyclists.
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to determine the number of crank revolutions required to obtain stable mean values of sagittal plane biomechanics variables, and the between-session reliability of these variables, whilst cyclists used an aerodynamic position. Eighteen elite cyclists completed a 3-min maximal bout on a cycling ergometer. Lower-limb kinematic and kinetic data were captured using 2D motion capture and force pedals. Raw data were filtered using a 4th order Butterworth low-pass filter (6 hz) and interpolated to 100 points per revolution. The middle 60 revolutions of each trial were extracted and 37 discrete and 15 time-series variables were calculated. Mean stability was assessed in all participants, and between-session reliability was analysed in a subset of 11 participants. Sequential averaging indicated more revolutions to stability than iterative intra-class correlation coefficients. Crank kinetics were more stable than joint kinematics and kinetics. For stable discrete and time-series variables, 30 and 38 revolutions are recommended, respectively. Between-day reliability for all variables was moderate to excellent, and good to excellent for crank kinetics and joint kinematics variables. Hip flexion-extension and ankle dorsiflexion kinetics were least reliable. Researchers and applied practitioners should consider these findings when planning, and interpreting results from, cycling biomechanics interventions
‘And Babies?’: The Representation of Mỹ Lai in Vietnam War Comics
Get PDFThe Mỹ Lai Massacre holds a special place in the history of the Vietnam War. But the events of that day have never been made coherent, with a stable place within the American popular consciousness. This paper considers the ways in which this event—and its myriad understandings and misunderstandings—is represented in popular culture in general, and in comics in particular. I perform close analyses of two comics. In “Headcount” (“Our Army at War #233” [1971]), Mỹ Lai is reimagined as Alimy, a fictional French town during the Second World War, and the massacre plays out against a different backdrop. In “Burn” (The ’Nam #75 [1992]), two Americans discuss the recent trial of Lt. Calley. My close analysis focuses on two questions: How is the Mỹ Lai Massacre used in comics? And to what end
A coach’s guide to velocity-based training: Definitions and diagnostics
Get PDFVelocity-based training (VBT) uses the measurement of velocity to help inform and influence testing, monitoring, programming, autoregulation, and feedback strategies within strength and conditioning (S&C) practice. This review focuses specifically on the definitions and underpinning principles of VBT, as well as load-velocity profiling, while undertaking an in-depth evaluation of the literature and translating this information into practical recommendations for S&C coaches. There is a detailed evaluation of the different ways to construct a load-velocity profile (LVP), providing examples of simplicity, time efficiency, increased accuracy, and optimizing training prescriptions and manipulations. New approaches, such as combining ballistic and nonballistic exercises, and methods of extrapolation have been explored. In addition, this review highlights practical considerations regarding data analysis, specific exercises, statistical modeling, number of loads, and extrapolation methods. A worked example of using LVP data within Excel has also been presented. Finally, there is a focus on 1 repetition maximum prediction, the benefits and challenges of implementing such an approach, and the most appropriate ways of collecting reliable and valid data
Understanding the dynamics of research policy fellowships: an evaluative analysis of impacts and ecosystem effects
Get PDFBackground:
Although research-to-policy (R2P) fellowships are increasingly used to facilitate mobility, promote knowledge-exchange, and support evidence-based policy making, the evaluation of these initiatives in terms of (multi-level) impacts and broader ‘ecosystem effects’ remains under-researched.
Aims and objectives:
The aim of this article is to evaluate the degree to which the first cohort of Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Policy Fellows (2021–2023) can be seen as a successful pilot initiative. The broader objective being to make a distinctive and original contribution to the debate about ‘what works’ when it comes to promoting research–policy engagement and contribute to research impact evaluation methods.
Methods:
Two rounds of surveys were conducted with fellows and hosts towards the beginning and middle of the scheme. Survey data was then used to design a semi-structured interview framework. Interviews were conducted with 18 fellows and ten representatives from policy host institutions. A thematic analysis of interview transcripts was then conducted using qualitative data analysis software.
Findings:
The central argument of this article is that although the early-stage evaluative evidence suggests that the ESRC Policy Fellows initiative ‘worked’ in terms of its primary ambitions, significant questions exist in relation to systemic concerns that may well limit medium- and long-term impact attainment.
Discussion and conclusion:
As facilitating the mobility of people, knowledge and talent across traditional disciplinary, professional and institutional boundaries continues to form a key driver within the research, development and innovation ‘ecosystem’, the results of rare cohort evaluation studies such as the one outlined in this article take on added significance. Opportunities exist to refine and align future investments for maximum social and scientific value
Athletic Career Pathways in Para Sport: An Exploration of Para Track and Field
Get PDFFew studies have applied sport development models depicting Para athlete career development. This study utilizes the Athletic Career Pathways in Paralympic Sports framework, developed to respond to the limitations of established sport development models when applied to Para sport. Employing a mixed-methods design informed by critical realism, this study explores the career trajectories of Para track-and-field athletes while assessing the framework’s broader applicability. The findings challenge the linear pathway of traditional models, and a revised framework is presented offering flexibility to respond to the Para sport-specific and cultural context. The importance of schooling type, accessibility to nondisabled sports, and the need for specialist equipment in Para track and field offer further original insights into a Para athlete’s trajectory and validates the need for a Para sport-specific athlete career development model. These findings can be used to develop bespoke systems to support Para track-and-field athletes throughout their career trajectory
Urban Agrifood Circularity: Exploring Consumable and Capital Micro Circular Production Loops.
Get PDFThe circular economy concept is typically applied at scale, especially for high value products and materials. The dominant manufacturing model is for large global factories with research and practice independent of agriculture. This paper challenges the dominant “big is beautiful” ethos and explores how agricultural and industrial production can operate at local, urban scale with wastes circulating for consumable and capital production. The research case is a UK city where food wastes could be used for food production and beverage production waste could be used to produce building materials. The research explores the industrial symbiosis engineering challenge of small-scale waste conversion and the digital challenge of identifying and measuring waste flows for conversion. In considering waste conversions through local, distributed manufacture this paper also tackles the digital challenge of how to source local, small volume material flow data for optimization. Future potential research avenues of micro manufacture as well as digital twins are discussed