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As Seen: Modern British Painting and Visual Experience
Get PDFDuring the twentieth century several important British artists began to paint features of visual experience rarely ever painted before, including subjective curvature, double vision and the body seen from the first person viewpoint. In doing so they broke with hundreds of years of pictorial convention, yet their experiments remain largely unrecognise
“Put your Hands up in the Air”? The interpersonal effects of pride and shame expressions on opponents and teammates
Get PDFThe aim of the present research was to investigate the interpersonal effects of pride and shame expressions amongst opponents and teammates in a soccer penalty scenario. Across a series of experiments using the point-light method, pride and shame expressions exerted strong effects upon observers' anticipated emotions, associated cognitions, and performance expectations. Using the Implicit Association Test (IAT) in two pilot studies we demonstrated that the created pride and shame point-light stimuli were implicitly associated with status and performance related attributes. In Experiment 1, observing pride expressions caused opponents to anticipate more negative emotions, cognitions, and lower performance expectancies toward their next performance in comparison with neutral expressions. In contrast, pride expressions led teammates to anticipate more positive emotions (i.e., pride and happiness), cognitions, and performance expectations toward their next performance than neutral expressions (Experiments 2–4). The results are discussed within the emotions as social information (EASI, Van Kleef, 2009) framework by arguing that the social context has to be taken into account when investigating the interpersonal effects of emotion expressions. In conclusion, the present research highlights the potential interpersonal influence of the nonverbal expressions of pride and shame in soccer penalty shootouts
Biomechanical energetic analysis of technique during learning the longswing on high bar
Get PDFBiomechanical energetic analysis of technique can be performed to identify limits or constraints to performance outcome at the level of joint work, and to assess the mechanical efficiency of techniques. The aim of this study was to investigate the biomechanical energetic processes during learning the longswing on the high bar. Twelve male, novice participants took part in a training study. Kinematic and kinetics data were collected during swing attempts in eight weekly testing sessions. Inverse dynamics analysis was performed from known zero forces at the toes. Joint work, total energy, and bar energy were calculated. Biomechanical constraints to action, that is, limits to novice performance, were identified as “total work” and “shoulder work”. The most biomechanically efficient technique was associated with an onset of the hip functional phase and joint work that occurred between 10–45° before the bottom of the swing. The learning of gross motor skills is realised through the establishment of a set of techniques with task specific biomechanical constraints. Knowledge of the biomechanical constraints to action associated with more effective and efficient techniques will be useful for both assessing learning and establishing effective learning interventions
Food production and service in UK hospitals
Get PDFPurpose
– The purpose of this paper is to apply value stream mapping holistically to hospital food production/service systems focused on high-quality food.
Design/methodology/approach
– Multiple embedded case study of three (two private-sector and one public-sector) hospitals in the UK.
Findings
– The results indicated various issues affecting hospital food production including: the menu and nutritional considerations; food procurement; food production; foodservice; patient perceptions/expectations.
Research limitations/implications
– Value stream mapping is a new approach for food production systems in UK hospitals whether private or public hospitals.
Practical implications
– The paper identifies opportunities for enhancing hospital food production systems.
Originality/value
– The paper provides a theoretical basis for process enhancement of hospital food production and the provision of high-quality hospital foo
The SATSport framework for effective governance in grassroots sports organisations
Get PDFThis paper is based on a study that was initiated to better understand the
dynamics of the grassroots sport landscape and establish a framework for effective governance
practice in this important area of sport policy and management. Researchers
had previously identified the value of exploring good governance specific to the nonprofit
sector and in particular the unique features of informal sports organisations and
small community clubs. The research methodology blended a meta-analysis of relevant
literature to identify key principles followed by primary data collection to evaluate and
validate the emerging framework. The results of the study provided a typology of the
sport governance landscape and clear evidence of the need to develop a framework
for effective governance appropriate to the needs of grassroots sports organisations.
Furthermore, it supported the construction of a flexible and dynamic self-regulatory
instrument – known as SATSport- that organisations might consider for measuring and
illustrating commitment to good governance
Neonatal desensitisation for the study of regenerative medicine
Get PDFCell replacement is a therapeutic option for numerous diseases of the CNS. Current research has identified a number of potential human donor cell types, for which preclinical testing through xenotransplantation in animal models is imperative. Immune modulation is necessary to promote donor cell survival for sufficient time to assess safety and efficacy. Neonatal desensitization can promote survival of human donor cells in adult rat hosts with little impact on the health of the host and for substantially longer than conventional methods, and has subsequently been applied in a range of studies with variable outcomes. Reviewing these findings may provide insight into the method and its potential for use in preclinical studies in regenerative medicine
‘Stepping away from the computer and into the sweats': The construction and negotiation of exercise identities in a Norwegian public company
Get PDFWhile research has found that a developed exercise identity enables individuals to view exercise participation as self- reinforcing, the social barriers to such exercise identity development and participation have not been fully addressed. The subsequent aim of this study was to explore some of the social complexities at play in terms of how company employees construct and manage their exercise identities within a work place setting. A case-study method was used to address the research issue over a nine-month period. The case to be studied included a sample of 72 employees from a Norwegian public company who participated in an on-going work-based exercise programme called ‘Exercise for all’. The principal means of data collection comprised participant observation, individual interviews and exercise logbooks. The data were subject to inductive analysis. The primary barriers to exercise participation included high levels of social comparison in a competitive working context, particularly in relation to ‘competent colleagues’, and feelings of guilt associated with partaking in ‘recreational’ activities during work hours. Strategies engaged with to overcome and negotiate such obstacles included justifying participation through a health-related discourse, and constructing a more distinct ‘worker-exerciser’ identity
An in-depth appraisal of career termination experiences in professional cricket
Get PDFThis qualitative study explored the career termination experiences of 9 male, retired professional cricketers between the ages of 28 and 40 (mean value 34, s = 4.65 m). The participants took part in retrospective, semi-structured interviews. Data from the interviews were inductively content analysed within three transition phases of the retirement process: reasons for retirement, factors affecting adaptation and reactions to retirement. The reasons for retirement were multicausal with the majority of the participants highlighting contractual pressures and a lack of communication as important precursors to retirement. Three main themes accounted for the factors affecting adaptation: a limited pursuit of other interests, developmental experiences and coping strategies. In terms of reactions to retirement, all of the participants reflected negatively on the termination of their career, with a sense of loss and resentment characterising the post-retirement period. The findings illustrated the sport-specific nature of career termination in professional cricket and added further support to the emerging consensus that the distinction between voluntary and involuntary retirement is, at best, unclear
Impaired myocardial function does not explain reduced left ventricular filling and stroke volume at rest or during exercise at high altitude
Get PDFImpaired myocardial systolic contraction and diastolic relaxation have been suggested as possible mechanisms contributing to the decreased stroke volume (SV) observed at high altitude (HA). To determine whether intrinsic myocardial performance is a limiting factor in the generation of SV at HA, we assessed left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic mechanics and volumes in 10 healthy participants (aged 32 ± 7; mean ± SD) at rest and during exercise at sea level (SL; 344 m) and after 10 days at 5,050 m. In contrast to SL, LV end-diastolic volume was ∼19% lower at rest (P = 0.004) and did not increase during exercise despite a greater untwisting velocity. Furthermore, resting SV was lower at HA (∼17%; 60 ± 10 vs. 70 ± 8 ml) despite higher LV twist (43%), apical rotation (115%), and circumferential strain (17%). With exercise at HA, the increase in SV was limited (12 vs. 22 ml at SL), and LV apical rotation failed to augment. For the first time, we have demonstrated that EDV does not increase upon exercise at high altitude despite enhanced in vivo diastolic relaxation. The increase in LV mechanics at rest may represent a mechanism by which SV is defended in the presence of a reduced EDV. However, likely because of the higher LV mechanics at rest, no further increase was observed up to 50% peak power. Consequently, although hypoxia does not suppress systolic function per se, the capacity to increase SV through greater deformation during submaximal exercise at HA is restricted.
during initial exposure to hypobaric hypoxia at high altitude (HA), cardiac output for a given absolute workload is increased to compensate for a lower arterial oxygen content before returning to baseline levels with acclimatization (8). However, after 2-5 days of acclimatization, the required cardiac output is generated through a lower stroke volume (SV) and higher heart rate (38). The reduced SV is suggestive of either lower ventricular filling, potentially caused in part by an impaired myocardial relaxation, or impaired ejection secondary to systolic contractile dysfunction. There is, however, a paucity of data in humans supporting a direct effect of hypoxia on myocardial function at HA (25, 41).
The suggestion that hypoxia may impair myocardial systolic function during exercise was proposed nearly 50 years ago (3) and has been revisited more recently (27–29). Negative inotropic effects of hypoxia (arterial oxygen tension of 44 mmHg) have been shown in intact animal models (39) and isolated myocardial fibers under severe hypoxia (1% O2) (33). Exercise training under hypobaric hypoxia is also associated with altered mechanical properties at a cellular level in rodents (9), although chronic hypoxia alone did not decrease myofilament sensitivity to calcium. However, in contrast to animal studies, data in humans indicate that systolic function is maintained or enhanced at HA. For example, Suarez et al. (37) reported the maintenance of systolic function after gradual decompression to a barometric pressure of 282 mmHg, a finding that was subsequently confirmed by numerous investigations during acute and prolonged hypoxic exposure (6, 10, 12, 23, 31). However, of these studies, only Suarez et al. (37) investigated systolic function during light exercise (60 W), where function appeared to be maintained. It is not known whether systolic function is maintained at higher exercise intensities.
It has also been speculated that reduced oxygen availability may impair diastolic relaxation at HA (15, 18) and thus explain the decreased left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume (EDV) commonly observed (2, 6, 18). However, despite numerous studies reporting a decrease in plasma volume and altered transmitral filling patterns (2, 6, 20), myocardial relaxation was only previously investigated during hypoxia in dogs (15), and no data exist examining LV relaxation during exercise at high altitude. By using sensitive, noninvasive imaging techniques (two-dimensional speckle tracking), it is now possible to examine the LV deformation mechanics (strain, twist, and untwist velocity) that underpin LV systolic and diastolic function. LV strain and twist have been shown to be sensitive measures of global and regional myocardial function, and reveal subclinical dysfunction in patients where ejection fraction is unchanged (16, 22). In addition, diastolic LV untwist velocity correlates well with invasive measures of LV stiffness and provides a temporal link between relaxation and the development of intraventricular pressure gradients (30, 43). Therefore, examination of LV mechanics at HA may determine whether the decreased SV observed at HA is dependent on impaired myocardial relaxation and/or myocardial contractile dysfunction or confirm previous findings of preserved ventricular function during exercise (37).
We therefore assessed systolic and diastolic ventricular mechanics during incremental exercise at sea level and HA to examine whether impaired myocardial relaxation or systolic dysfunction explains the previously reported reduction in SV at HA. We hypothesized that at HA, 1) ventricular filling would be lower at rest and during exercise and would be accompanied by a reduction in untwist velocity and 2) systolic mechanics would be impaired during exercise at HA
The ACTN3 Gene and Differences between Playing Positions in Bone Mineral Content, Fat Mass and Lean Tissue Mass in the Arms, Legs and Trunk Of Rugby Union Football Players
Get PDFAim: The function of the present study was to identify differences
between individual playing positions in bone mineral content, fat
mass, and lean tissue mass, in the arms, trunk and legs of young adult
Rugby Union football players who carried the ACTN3 gene.
Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional case control study
was carried out using a candidate gene approach (n=55). Individuals
belonged to a homogeneous group of players relative to age, gender,
ability, and ethnicity. Players were allocated to their preferred playing
position. These were the front row (n=14), second and back rows
(n=16), scrum and outside-half (n=11), and centres, wings and fullbacks
(n=14). A 5 ml sample of saliva was obtained from each player
and specimens stored at 4oC until buccal cell DNA extraction was
carried out. Height was measured to the nearest 0.1 cm and body mass
to the closest 0.1 kg. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was measured
using a Hologic QDR Discovery fan beam model. Statistical analyses
were undertaken using ANOVA, ANCOVA and MANOVA.
Results: The study sample comprised 22% RR, 60% RX, and 18%
XX genotypes of the ACTN3 gene respectively. Players in the second
and back rows were significantly taller than other positions. Body
mass differences, were significantly greater in forwards than backs.
There were non-significant differences between positions in adjusted
bone mineral content or adjusted lean tissue mass. Adjusted fat mass
reflected differences between left and right arms, but not left and right
legs.
Conclusion: At a developmental level of performance, an
understanding and practical application of the structural, physiological
and body composition characteristics of individual players, will
facilitate personal and team accomplishment, efficiency of training
and conditioning, and nurture the potential of young adult players