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Executive function and visual attention in sport: a systematic review
Get PDFResearch has attested to the importance of three lower-order executive functions (EFs; inhibition, shifting, and updating) and visual attention (VA) for sport performance. However, there is limited research examining the association between EF and VA in sport. The present study systematically reviewed literature from Web of Science, Scopus, MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, and Discover EBSCO that examined both EF and VA in sport following the PRISMA guidelines. Experiments that were full-texts published in English, contained original data, quantitatively measured EF and VA, and allowed for direct or inferred comments on the relationship between EF and VA were eligible for inclusion. Twenty-two experiments met the inclusion criteria. Results showed large discrepancies in the labelling of sporting expertise, that EF outcomes typically focus on response accuracy over response time, and that quiet eye and number and duration of fixations are popular VA variables. Though limited, studies comparing EF and VA directly indicated a positive relationship suggesting an important link between the two. In sum, more direct assessments of the association between EF and VA are needed to understand their respective and joint contribution to sport performance
A bio-based intrinsically flame-retardant epoxy vitrimer from furan derivatives and its application in recyclable carbon fiber composites
No full textThe recycling of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRPCs) is difficult because the thermosetting matrix is insoluble and does not melt. To overcome this problem, a furan-derived epoxy resin (HMF-GAN-EP) was synthesized from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and cured with a furan-based curing agent (DIFFA). The cured HMF-GAN-EP/DIFFA system showed excellent flame retardancy (UL-94 V-0 and LOI of 40%). The glass transition temperature, tensile strength, and tensile modulus of the cured HMF-GAN-EP/DIFFA system were approximately 234 °C, 67 MPa and 2273 MPa, respectively, all of which were higher than those of the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)-type epoxy thermosets cured by 4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) (151 °C, 56 MPa and 1744 MPa). The cured HMF-GAN-EP/DIFFA system could dissolve in a mixed solution of THF:HCl (8:2, v/v), making it possible for the recycling of carbon fibers from CFRPCs
The Nexus between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial self-competencies: a social enterprise perspective
Get PDFThe purpose of the study was to examine the mediation roles of student satisfaction and entrepreneurial self-efficacy in the nexus between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial self-competencies within a social enterprise context. The study used a cross-sectional survey design, with a sampled population of 185 business students from three universities (Accra Technical University, Cape Coast Technical University and the University of Ghana) in Ghana. A PLS-SEM approach was used to examine the relationships among the independent–dependent constructs in the study. Entrepreneurial education had positive and significant relationships to student satisfaction and entrepreneurial self-efficacy, but it showed an insignificant relationship to entrepreneurial self-competencies. Student satisfaction was also found to relate positively and significantly to entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial self-competencies. Furthermore, both student satisfaction and entrepreneurial self-efficacy were found to fully mediate the nexus between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial self-competencies. The study highlights the crucial roles of student satisfaction and self-efficacy in the implementation of entrepreneurial education in higher education institutions. In a discipline that is characterised by paucity, this study provides a unique and original assessment of the important roles of student satisfaction and student self-confidence in building entrepreneurial competencies among students
Response to winter pressures in acute services: analysis from the Winter Society for Acute Medicine Benchmarking Audit
Get PDFBackground: There is increased demand for urgent and acute services during the winter months, placing pressure
on acute medicine services caring for emergency medical admissions. Hospital services adopt measures aiming to
compensate for the effects of this increased pressure. This study aimed to describe the measures adopted by acute
medicine services to address service pressures during winter.
Methods: A survey of acute hospitals was conducted during the Society for Acute Medicine Benchmarking Audit, a
national day-of-care audit, on 30th January 2020. Survey questions were derived from national guidance.
Acute medicine services at 93 hospitals in the United Kingdom completed the survey, evaluating service measures
implemented to mitigate increased demand, as well as markers of increased pressure on services.
Results: All acute internal medicine services had undertaken measures to prepare for increased demand, however
there was marked variation in the combination of measures adopted. 81.7% of hospitals had expanded the number
of medical inpatient beds available. 80.4% had added extra clinical staff. The specialty of the physicians assigned to
provide care for extra inpatient beds varied. A quarter of units had reduced beds available for providing Same Day
Emergency Care on the day of the survey. Patients had been waiting in corridors within the emergency medicine
department in 56.3% of units.
Conclusion: Winter pressure places considerable demand on acute services, and impacts the delivery of care.
Although increased pressure on acute hospital services during winter is widely recognised, there is considerable variation in the approach to planning for these periods of increased deman
Frailty assessment and acute frailty service provision in the UK: results of a national ‘day of care’ survey
Get PDFBackground: The incorporation of acute frailty services into the acute care pathway is increasingly common. The
prevalence and impact of acute frailty services in the UK are currently unclear.
Methods: The Society for Acute Medicine Benchmarking Audit (SAMBA) is a day of care survey undertaken annually
within the UK. SAMBA 2019 (SAMBA19) took place on Thursday 27th June 2019. A questionnaire was used to collect
hospital and patient-level data on the structure and organisation of acute care delivery. SAMBA19 sought to establish
the frequency of frailty assessment tool use and describe acute frailty services nationally. Hospitals were classified
based on the presence of acute frailty services and metrics of performance compared.
Results: A total of 3218 patients aged ≥70 admitted to 129 hospitals were recorded in SAMBA19. The use of frailty
assessment tools was reported in 80 (62.0%) hospitals. The proportion of patients assessed for the presence of frailty
in individual hospitals ranged from 2.2 to 100%. Bedded Acute Frailty Units were reported in 65 (50.3%) hospitals.
There was significant variation in admission rates between hospitals. This was not explained by the presence of a
frailty screening policy or presence of a dedicated frailty unit.
Conclusion: Two fifths of participating UK hospitals did not have a routine frailty screening policy: where this existed,
rates of assessment for frailty were variable and most at-risk patients were not assessed. Responses to positive results
were poorly defined. The provision of acute frailty services is variable throughout the UK. Improvement is needed for
the aspirations of national policy to be fully realised
Lived experience and the social model of disability: conflicted and inter-dependent ambitions for employment of people with a learning disability and their family carers
Get PDF1.1 Background
Only 5.9% of working adults with a learning disability are in paid employment and their family-carers are similarly likely to be unemployed, as they continue to take on an extended caring and advocacy role as the welfare state retreats. Despite social policy efforts to stimulate employment for people with a learning disability, there has been little or no progress. Changes in the language of welfare benefit departments seek to use the words once heralded as success for the Disability rights activists and proponents of the social model: such as Inclusion, independence and citizenship. A new definition of the social model of disability utilising Hannah Arendt needs to redefine the “private” sphere of the lived experience of people with a learning disability to allow for a better understanding of the inter-dependencies that exist between people with a learning disability, their family carers and a wider support network.
1.2 Materials and Methods
Empirical data were collected in a mixed methods study while undertaking a consultation on the future of day services for people with a learning disability in a Local Authority in the north of England, UK.
1.3 Results
The results reveal high levels of inter-dependence between people with a learning disability and their carers, combined with the continued financial struggle as a lived experience of caring. The study found that barriers in providing care and support restrict the rights of people with a learning disability and their carers to secure employment.
1.4 Conclusions
There is a need to reconceptualise the social model of disability to more closely resonate with the lived experiences of people with a learning disability and their carers. A newly revised theoretical approach should incorporate the "private" sphere of live acknowledging the inter-dependent, co-produced relationships, between people with a learning disability and their carers to support and enable employment for both people with a learning disability and their carers under the Care Act 2014 (Department of Health, 2014)
Editorial
Get PDFEditorial for Special Issue on: Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Computing System Development – Part
COVID-19 relates to both PTSD and PTG in a non-clinical population, why?
Get PDFWe assessed levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-traumatic growth (PTG) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK using an online questionnaire, in May and June 2020, during “lockdown.” Some 440 participants took part and 91.8% of the sample was female. Large numbers of participants had high levels of PTSD, with some 50.2% with “probable PTSD”. Yet 49.5% of participants also demonstrated high levels of PTG. Regression analysis revealed rumination to be key predictors for PTSD and PTG
Exploring service quality and its impact on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty within Islamic banks in Palestine - from customers perspective
Get PDFIslamic banks in Palestine are operating in a very competitive environment,
considering the existence of other banks that are offering similar products there. Noticeably,
the intense competition in the banking industry has resulted from the customers’
expectations of receiving highest services and products. However, there is a lack of evidence
on whether compliance with Islamic principles influences the Customer’s satisfaction and
loyalty.
This study aimed at testing the relationship between CARTER model dimensions,
customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty in Palestine’s Islamic banks. CARTER defined
as an assessment of quality of service at the Islamic banking business was developed by
Othman and Owen (2001) based on the dimensions CARTER, namely: Compliance,
Assurance, Reliability, Tangible, Empathy, and Responsiveness.
Another significant aim was to analyse the moderating influence of competitive
advantage and Islamic compliance. Objectives included examining whether there was a
significant correlation between CARTER model dimensions, competitive advantage,
customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty among Islamic Banks’ customers in Palestine.
Moreover, there was an objective of determining whether competitive advantage and Islamic
compliance significantly could moderate the relationship between customer satisfaction and
customer loyalty among Islamic Banks’ customers in Palestine.
In order to achieve the aims and objectives of the study, SERVQUAL model from
Parasuraman et al. (1985) and CARTER from Othman and Owen (2001b) have been
adapted.
Given that, the research started with an exhaustive review of related literature, while
defining the found gap. Finding gaps in literature investigated led to develop the hypotheses
of the study. Conducting the methodological study to answer the research questions, meet
the aims and objectives of the research and testing the hypotheses was the followed step.
The empirical study adopted the quantitative approach, whereas 93 participants have
provided with questionnaires to conduct the aimed survey. The questionnaire adopted a 33-items questionnaire from Othman and Owen (2001b). In the process of analysing the answers
of the participants, the researcher used SmartPLS (v3.3.3). Accordingly, the findings
revealed that only Islamic Compliance and Assurance from the CARTER model and
Competitive Advantage were significant. The study concluded that Competitive Advantage
moderated the relationship between Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty but not
Islamic Compliance. This study has provided a new perspective on customer satisfaction for
Islamic banks in Palestine. The study contributed to literature, in particular the researches
on Islamic banks, while recommended the enhancement of customer satisfaction
understanding. Though there were some limitations in the study, such as small sample size
collected of 93 participants and the targeted sample to be 100 participants. One can admit
the small sample because of the limits of this study to be in Palestine. However, the study
actually, provided a better knowledge to the academicians and the literature of banking
concerning customer satisfaction
Therapeutic gaming for adolescent anxiety: development and evaluation of a mobile intervention
Get PDFAnxiety is a common mental health problem in adolescents with significant
short-, medium- and long-term implications if left untreated. Existing therapeutic
interventions have proven effective but are associated with a number of barriers to
access, engagement and maintenance of gain. Therapeutic games represent an
opportunity to address barriers to treatment in a challenging population. This thesis
assessed user-perceptions of existing relaxing and informative games to aid the
development of a new gamified intervention. This uniquely combines aspects of
cognitive-behavioural therapy and attention-bias modification, delivered via mobile
devices and utilising remote data-capturing to facilitate access and engagement.
After initial usability and acceptability assessment, followed by game-improvement, a pre- vs post-intervention evaluation with follow-up investigated the
anxiolytic capabilities of the new intervention over both a two-week structured
intervention and at two-month follow-up. Further investigation during follow-up was
conducted to assess the extent and impact of self-directed play. Results revealed
that the game made significant improvements to self-reported state- and trait-anxiety
as well as threat-detection bias post-intervention which were maintained at follow-up.
Additionally, self-directed play was predictive of outcome at follow-up stage.
Limitations of the findings are discussed in addition to suggestions for future
researc