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Sprint Running Performance and Technique Changes in Athletes during Periodized Training: An Elite Training Group Case Study
Get PDFPurpose: To understand how training periodization influences sprint performance and key step characteristics over an extended training period in an elite sprint training group. Methods: Four sprinters were studied during five months of training. Step velocities, step lengths and step frequencies were measured from video of the maximum velocity phase of training sprints. Bootstrapped mean values were calculated for each athlete for each session and 139 within-athlete, between-session comparisons were made with a repeated measures ANOVA. Results: As training progressed, a link in the changes in velocity and step frequency was maintained. There were 71 between-session comparisons with a change in step velocity yielding at least a large effect size (>1.2), of which 73% had a correspondingly large change in step frequency in the same direction. Within-athlete mean session step length remained relatively constant throughout. Reductions in step velocity and frequency occurred during training phases of high volume lifting and running, with subsequent increases in step velocity and frequency happening during phases of low volume lifting and high intensity sprint work. Conclusions: The importance of step frequency over step length to the changes in performance within a training year was clearly evident for the sprinters studied. Understanding the magnitudes and timings of these changes in relation to the training program is important for coaches and athletes. The underpinning neuro-muscular mechanisms require further investigation, but are likely explained by an increase in force producing capability followed by an increase in the ability to produce that force rapidly
Operational risk and the three lines of defence in UK financial institutions: is three really the magic number?
Get PDFInterest in financial services firms developing and implementing robust systems and structures to manage operational risk has been growing. While there now appears to be some consensus in terms of definitions, quantification and modeling, firms are struggling with the qualitative side of operational risk management (ORM). This is particularly the case for financial institutions’ operational risk governance, where the three lines of defence model has become standardized. At the same time, corporate scandals post-financial crisis continue to indicate deficiencies in operational risk governance. Our paper examines the three lines of defence in the context of ORM in UK financial institutions. It focuses on roles and responsibilities and then analyzes the effectiveness of the traditional three lines of defence model. We find a lack of common understanding of the lines of defence in financial institutions, which leads to the duplication of roles and gaps in coverage. This is concerning for the industry, the economy and regulators
Solving the mystery of mobile learning adoption in higher education
Get PDFThe rapid expansion in users of mobile devices, particularly among university students, makes mobile learning (m-learning) the modern style of learning for the new millennium. Thus, it is important to identify and explore the factors that may influence students' intention to use m-learning. In Jordan, research on mobile learning adoption is still very narrow. For the purpose of this study, we propose a framework that is based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model, to explore the potential factors that may impact students' intention to acceptance and use of m-learning in developing countries such as Jordan. The proposed framework is empirically tested using a total of 444 paper-based questionnaires, collected from students at four Jordanian universities. The results reveal that effort expectancy, performance expectancy, trust expectancy, self-management of learning, system functionality and social influence are significant determinants of m-learning adoption, and explain 64.8% of the variance in the students' intentions to adopt m-learning. Gender and uncertainty avoidance are found to have moderating effects on some of the relationships of the research model. These findings offer multiple useful implications for m-learning adoption, in terms of both research and practice
Short-term rhGH increases PIIINP, a biomarker of endothelial dysfunction
Get PDFObjectives: In arterial hypertension, amino-terminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) is elevated in arterial aneurysm tissue and associated with a poor prognosis following acute myocardial infarction (MI). Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) administration attenuates endothelial dysfunction but increases PIIINP. This study was conducted to establish if short-term rhGH administration affects PIIINP, endothelial function and selected cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, in healthy males. Design: Method: Male subjects (n=48) were randomly assigned into two groups: (1): control group (C) n=24, mean ± SD, age 32 ± 11 years; height 1.8 ± 0.06 metres; (2): rhGH administration group (rhGH) n=24, mean ± SD, age 32 ± 9 years; height 1.8 ± 0.07 metres. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), arterial pulse wave velocity (APWV), and biochemical indices were investigated. Results: PIIINP (0.28±0.1 vs. 0.42±0.2, U/ml); Insulin like growth factor-I (159±54 vs. 323±93, ng.mL-1); resting HR (72±14 vs. 78±11, b.p.m.) and rate pressure product (RPP) (90±18 vs. 97±14, bpm x mm.Hg x 10-2) all significantly increased (P<0.05). Total cholesterol (4.7±0.9 vs. 4.4±0.7, mmol.L-1); high sensitivity C-reactive protein (1.77±2.1 vs. 1.29±1.6, mg.L-1); serum homocysteine (13.2±4.0 vs. 11.7±3.1, μmol.L-1) and APWV (9.97±1.38 vs. 9.18±1.6, m.s-1) all significantly decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion: Paradoxically, there was an improvement in CVD inflammatory markers and APWV; but PIIINP and resting RPP increased. Elevated PIIINP may have a confounding adverse effect on the endothelium, but may also provide clinical prognostic information in monitoring arterial hypertension, left ventricular function in the sub-acute phase following MI and endothelial function in aortic aneurysms
Enacted support and golf-putting performance: The role of support type and support visibility
Get PDFObjectives: This study examined whether the impact of enacted support on performance differed across type (esteem and informational) and visibility (visible and invisible) of support. It further tested whether self-efficacy mediated the enacted support-performance relationship. Design: A one-factor (support manipulation) between subjects experiment. Method: A fellow novice golfer — in reality a confederate — was scripted to randomly provide one of five support manipulations (visible informational support, invisible informational support, visible esteem support, invisible esteem support, and no support) to participants (n = 105). Immediately after, participants completed a self-efficacy measure and then performed a golf-putting task. Results: The results demonstrated that participants given visible esteem support significantly outperformed those given no support and those given invisible esteem support. Participants given invisible informational support significantly outperformed those given no support. Although non-significant, the observed mean difference and moderate effect size provided weak evidence that those in the invisible informational support condition may have performed at a higher level than those in the visible informational support condition. There was no evidence that self-efficacy could explain any of these effects. Conclusion: The results suggest that enacted support can benefit novices’ performance and that it is crucial to consider both the type and the visibility of the support. Esteem support is particularly effective when communicated in an explicit and direct manner but informational support appears more effective when communicated in a more subtle, indirect manner
Factors Influencing Attitudes towards Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Amongst Undergraduates: An Empirical Study Conducted in Kuwait Higher Education Institutions (KHEIs)
Get PDFThe increasing use of information and communication technology (ICT) in higher education has largely been
explored in relation to undergraduates’ attitudes to ICT usage at university. However, the success of ICT in any
learning institution, including higher education institutions (HEIs), depends on the attitudes of undergraduates to
using ICT in their daily learning. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the critical factors impacting on ICT
use amongst undergraduates in their learning at Kuwait universities. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
was appliedto achieve this study aim.
A sample of 717 undergraduates was subsequently selected from both a government (state-funded) and private
university in Kuwait. The critical factors examined here include the type of university (government or private),
the language (medium) of the learning and ICT support. Mixed methods, namely quantitative and qualitative
methods, were implemented for the corresponding data collection.
The quantitative results suggested that ‘usefulness’ and ‘ease of use’ of ICT are key dimensions of
undergraduates’ attitudes to its utilisation in learning. Another result showed that the factors examined had a
direct impact on undergraduates’ attitudes. Moreover, the qualitative results suggested that th
Efficacy of a movement control injury-prevention programme in an adult community rugby union population; a cluster randomised controlled trial
Get PDFBackground Exercise programmes aimed at reducing injury have been shown to be efficacious for some non-collision sports, but evidence in collision sports such as rugby union is lacking.
Objective To evaluate the efficacy of an evidence-informed injury prevention exercise programme in reducing match injuries in adult community rugby union players.
Design Prospective cluster randomised (single-blind) controlled trial. Clubs were the unit of randomisation.
Setting English adult community clubs (2015–2016 season) with a formally qualified medical professional to diagnose and report match-injuries.
Participants 860 clubs were invited to participate of which 81 volunteered and were randomly assigned. Data was received from 41 clubs (control, 19; intervention, 22).
Interventions A 42-week exercise programme comprising 6-week graduated exercise blocks was introduced during pre-season. The control programme reflected ‘normal practice’ exercises, whereas the intervention focused on proprioception, balance, cutting, landing, and resistance exercises.
Main Outcome Measurements Match-injury incidence and burden for: all ≥8 days time-loss injuries and targeted (lower-limb, shoulder, head and neck, excluding fractures and lacerations) ≥8 days time-loss injuries.
Results Poisson regression identified unclear differences between groups for overall injury incidence (rate ratio (RR), 90% confidence interval (CI)=0.9, 0.6–1.3) and injury burden (RR, 90% CI=0.8, 0.5–1.4). A likely beneficial difference in targeted injury incidence (RR, 90% CI=0.6, 0.4–1.0) was identified, with ∼40% lower lower-limb incidence (RR, 90% CI=0.6, 0.4–1.0) and ∼60% lower concussion incidence (RR, 90%CI=0.36, 0.18–0.70) in the intervention group. Completing the intervention at least once per week was associated with a likely beneficial difference between groups (intervention n=15, control n=13; RR, 90% CI=0.7, 0.4–1.0).
Conclusions This movement-control injury-prevention programme appeared efficacious, with likely beneficial differences for lower-limb injuries and concussion for the treatment clubs. Targeted injury incidence was ∼30% lower when 1 or more intervention sessions were completed each wee
Beyond Facture
Get PDFMaterial arts, craft-based practices, digital processes and technological constructs
influence, support and affect each other in multiple possible ways, each with their
own historical lineage and associated aspirations or concerns.
Just as throughout history, we cannot ignore the pace and influence of
technological progress, Paul Valery’s comments of 1936 are equally pertinent today:
“In all arts there is a physical component that cannot continue to be considered and
treated in the same way as before, no longer can it escape the effects of modern
knowledge and modern practice”. (1)
For Valery it was the advance of the mechanical age … for us it is the advance of the
digital age that is changing the physical components of our craft, quite literally
Perform- Digital movement in the making
Get PDFCommercial sensor-based technologies offer efficient mechanisms for capturing detailed movement data today. These predetermined calibrations and representations are used to design solutions that indicate how people should move in order to
achieve certain goals. This presents an ethical power imposition that resides in the computational prowess within processing to
activate prompts and smooth out errors by ignoring or discarding movement outside of what is deemed useful. Our discussions
on movement come out of two research projects Somantics and Sync in which we developed digital tools to observe changes
in user agency when movement becomes the focus of a chain of responsive actions and reactions - affect and effect - made
possible through digitization. The projects were undertaken with people with atypical movement experience, from expert dancers to children on the autistic spectrum. We discuss the need for reframing an ethical and critical discourse on digital movement to understand the sensate and social means with which we all use our bodies to regulate and rehearse, communicate and connect
An Exploratory Study into the Use of Psychology Participant Panels in Psychology Departments in the United Kingdom
Get PDFPsychology Participant Pools (PPP) are known to be used within psychology departments in the United Kingdom as a way to promote understanding of psychological research and as a means to aid students and researchers to collect data. However, there is currently no information regarding the different practices undertaken in each department. This article represents a first exploration in this endeavour by asking representatives from these departments to complete a survey. General findings revealed that the number of studies conducted were either under 20 or over 40, Level 4 students had to obtain slightly more credits than Level 5 students, a range of activities were observed for those participants who did not obtain all their credits, and the PPP was more often than not tied to a research methods module. Despite receiving responses from around only a third of departments, the results revealed a wide range of behaviours across the departments. We feel that these are useful for departments who wish to establish, or update, their own PPP, but also recognise that a larger study is required to more accurately capture the use of PPPs in the United Kingdom