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Falling and Landing Framework (FLF): A Consensus on a Novel Falling and Landing Video Analysis Framework for Use Across Rugby Codes
Get PDFUnderstanding how players experience head‐acceleration events (HAE) whilst playing rugby is a priority area of research. In both rugby union and league, video analysis frameworks have been developed to comprehensively define key features of contact events. However, these frameworks were developed prior to recent advances in our understanding regarding the proportion of HAEs that occur due to head‐to‐ground mechanisms and do not consider important post‐contact variables. Therefore, there is a need to supplement the existing frameworks in order to capture how players fall and land post‐tackle. This study used the Delphi method with an interdisciplinary, international team of researchers, coaches and video analysts (working with a variety of playing levels in rugby union and league) to establish a consensus for defining falling and landing events. Subsequently, a draft framework was developed on which the research team provided feedback via online meetings, culminating in the falling/landing framework that each member of the research team rated agreement on, via a nine‐point Likert‐type scale, with consensus deemed to be reached when the median score was ≥ 7. The median scores were 8.0 (7.8–8.0), 8.0 (7.0–9.0) and 8.0 (8.0–9.0) for ‘Additional Contextual Characteristics for Carry and Tackle Events,’ ‘Falling Characteristics of Tackle and Carry Events,’ and ‘Landing Characteristics of Tackle and Carry Events,’ respectively. This novel framework defines more comprehensive falling and landing variables to capture post‐contact injury and performance markers in both rugby union and league, through a standardised approach
The role of the chef in professional football: a survey of current practice in the English Premier and Football Leagues
Get PDFBackground
Despite the increasing presence of chefs in professional football and their influence on nutrition provision, evidence on the specific roles and responsibilities of chefs remains limited. This study aimed to explore the role(s) of chefs and describe the characteristics of catering services within English professional football.
Methods
Sixty-two chefs (56 males, 6 females) in club supervisory positions within the top four divisions of the English male football pyramid were surveyed during the 2022–2023 season.
Results
Participants were predominantly male, aged 35–44 years, and employed on full-time permanent contracts. Sixteen participants had the term ‘performance’ in their contracted job title. Participants averaged 24 years of chef work experience, 8 years of football-specific experience, and 45 working hours per week. Twenty-nine participants had responsibility for providing nutrition advice to players, whereas the vast majority used nutritional supplements and produced bespoke nutritional items as part of the catering services provided. Most participants rated their sport nutrition knowledge from ‘good’ to ‘excellent’ although only 18 had undertaken formal sport nutrition training. Fifty-one participants frequently followed a periodised nutrition approach, however 31 lacked defined nutrition targets. Tasks such as travelling to fixtures, hotel menu planning, and hotel food provision were most frequent in the Premier League. Catering services in the Premier League mostly operated year-round, seven days a week, employing 4 or more chefs, and spending £6,000 or more per week, with declining operations, costs, and staffing towards the lower divisions. Forty-nine services covered male academy teams alongside the male senior team. Only 15 covered female senior teams, of which 7 extended coverage to female academy teams.
Conclusions
Chefs undertake key roles both at and away from the club training ground to implement sport nutrition strategies. Inconsistencies in strategy implementation and catering practices were identified, along with league disparities and gender inequalities in service provision. Our findings underscore the need for a quality-assurance framework for accreditation and increased opportunities for chef-tailored sport nutrition education. We advocate for the title ‘sport chef’, and the establishment of a regulatory body to support the practice of chefs working in professional football
“One rule for MPs, one rule for ordinary people”: Using discursive psychology to explore how class-based assumptions of ‘ordinariness’ and ‘exceptionalism’ are negotiated in political entertainment shows
No full textBritain is currently experiencing one of the highest levels of income inequality in Europe, exacerbated by the current cost of living crisis. To date an estimated 14.4 million people live in poverty, similar to pre-pandemic levels, with moral panics about who should and should not be using public money increasing. At the same time, the richest people in Britain exploit unethical financial loopholes, with little consequence. By returning to a case study of the 2009 UK Parliamentary Expenses Scandal, this paper shows how politicians use class-based ways of speaking to sidestep financial and moral transgressions. Discursive social psychology was used to analyse five hours of Question Time and shows how two categories of ordinariness and exceptionalism were used. These categories contain ideological assumptions of who can, and cannot, use taxpayers’ money, as category constructions are embedded with notions of status, deservingness and disposition. These categories were dynamically used, demonstrating the importance of understanding the social context in which class-based discussions occur within. Ultimately, this paper shows how our everyday talk around money can challenge, uphold or perpetuate social class inequality
Development of a patient-reported outcome measure for gastrointestinal recovery after surgery (PRO-diGI)
Get PDFBackground
After major abdominal surgery, patients may experience significant gastrointestinal dysfunction, including postoperative ileus. Many clinical tools are used to measure this dysfunction, but there is no patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) specific to this group. The aim of this study was to develop a new PROM for this common condition.
Methods
A four-stage approach was undertaken. Stage 1 used semi-structured interviews with 29 patients to explore experiences of gastrointestinal recovery and develop a draft questionnaire. Stage 2 solicited feedback from 18 patients and 15 clinical experts on the face validity of the proposed tool using the Questionnaire on Questionnaires (QQ-10). Stage 3 recruited 297 patients to complete the questionnaire. Principal component analysis reduced the items and identified the domain structure. Test-retest reliability and a pilot assessment of responsiveness were assessed in stage 4 in a sample of 100 patients and in a sample of 68 patients respectively.
Results
The interviews generated 26 subthemes across gastrointestinal recovery and general well-being. An initial questionnaire containing 44 items was developed. The QQ-10 demonstrated high value and low burden, supporting face validity. Tests to reduce the items and identify the domain structure resulted in a 15-item questionnaire across four domains (nausea, eating, well-being, and bowels). Test-retest reliability showed intraclass correlation coefficient values ≥0.7 for all domains. Pilot responsiveness was demonstrated through differences in pre- and post-surgical scores.
Conclusion
PRO-diGI is a PROM for gastrointestinal dysfunction after major abdominal surgery that shows good psychometric properties and demonstrates face validity, reliability, and responsiveness. This now needs external validation to facilitate broader implementation
The Investment and Valuation Nexus: Exploring the Perceptions of Nigerian Real Estate Valuation Professionals
No full textPurpose
Despite the importance of investment fundamentals in determining commercial property value, there is a knowledge gap in terms of how investment factors are integrated into the valuation process in developing markets, particularly in Africa. This study investigates how property valuers in Nigeria perceive the investment-valuation nexus, and how this influences their valuation processes and output.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were deployed to 14 professional property valuers across Nigeria. The discussion from the interview transcripts was subjected to thematic and content analysis using the K-mean clustering learning algorithm and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modelling.
Findings
Key findings indicate that valuers consider a range of investment factors, including market conditions, location and property features. However, the study highlights a potential gap in the consideration of cash flow analysis and tenant-related factors. The findings suggest that a more comprehensive approach to valuation is necessary to enhance the accuracy and reliability of property valuations in Nigeria.
Practical implications
The findings have significant implications for Nigeria and other emerging African markets considering the high volume of property investment capital received by the countries. With key investment fundamentals not being sufficiently captured in the valuation process in line with best practices, current valuation output may be omitting important factors thereby undermining their accuracy and reliability.
Originality/value
This study provides alternative perspectives on the investment-valuation relationship through the unique lenses of key stakeholders (valuers) in the context of developing countries. This context is important, given that these economies are usually perceived to be less sophisticated and often present significant challenges around standardisation and bias. Secondly, the study provides some insights into the heterogeneity associated with the valuation of assets in highly heterogeneous markets such as Nigeria. Thirdly, the study adopts the K-mean clustering learning algorithm and LDA topic modelling approaches, which have previously not been applied to property valuation
The Value of Playwork for Care Home Residents Living With Dementia: A Pilot Study
Get PDFPlaywork is a profession that focuses on enabling and enriching children’s play experiences, creating a space for spontaneous, self-directed play. The application of playwork principles to dementia care holds promise and resonates with a relational approach to care. However, this area of practice has not yet been explored. This study aimed to explore if and how playwork approaches could be applied with people living with dementia and their impact on residents and those delivering the programme. A five-week playwork programme, delivered by undergraduate playwork students and lecturers, was piloted in a care home, with residents living with dementia. Interviews were conducted with care home staff, students, and playwork lecturers, and reflective diaries of the playwork sessions were maintained by students and lecturers. The findings indicate that playworkers can feasibly adapt their approaches so they are appropriate for older adults living with dementia. Playworkers can encourage agency and support free expression and exploration for residents. The sessions were perceived as having a positive impact on residents’ emotional wellbeing, sense of recognition, social interaction, and engagement, as well as on some staff members’ assessments of residents’ abilities. The study also highlights the crucial role of care staff expertise during the sessions, particularly in addressing the medical and physiological needs of residents. However, engaging care staff proved challenging, resulting in a lack of continuity after the project concluded
Periodicals and Belonging?
Get PDFThis article explores the notion of belonging in periodical studies, arguing that periodicals have historically functioned as spaces for negotiating and performing belonging. Amid contemporary political rhetoric about borders and belonging, we examine how periodicals have both constructed and contested boundaries of inclusion and exclusion. Drawing on interdisciplinary frameworks from political geography, psychology, and cultural studies, we propose that belonging operates through periodicals in multiple dimensions: material (through physical production, layout, and tactile engagement), temporal (connecting past, present, and imagined futures), spatial (creating real and imagined communities across geographical boundaries), and affective (generating emotional attachments that bind readers together). The special issue presents six articles examining how periodicals foster belonging in institutional and professional communities (regimental journals and film criticism); place-based belonging; activism and resistance (revolutionary soldier newspapers and alternative magazines for marginalized groups). Together, these studies reveal how periodicals simultaneously challenge and reinforce boundaries of inclusion, offering valuable insights into contemporary challenges of polarization and fragmentation in our contemporary sociopolitical landscape
In Sickness and in Health: ‘Dissonant’ History, Heritage and Tourism in the Czech Spa Town of Jáchymov.
Get PDFThis article considers the small Czech spa town of Jáchymov as an example highlighting dissonance in heritage, tourism, and memory politics. The article begins by reviewing the complex and turbulent history of Jáchymov, a town that was ‘shaped by uranium’ during the twentieth century. Initially, the presence of naturally radon-infused springs enabled Jáchymov to develop into a popular and prosperous spa town, known for its healing waters. However, following the Second World War and the rise of Communism, Jáchymov became notorious as the site of several brutal forced labour camps, where prisoners were used to mine uranium on an industrial scale. This article goes on to consider how Jáchymov’s reputation as a place of wellness and healing both conflicts and intersects with the darker legacy of human suffering and trauma inflicted upon the region. In recent years, efforts to revive spa culture and health tourism in Jáchymov have been challenged by attempts to memorialise the communist-era forced labour camps and the growth in dark tourism this has engendered
Rehabilitation remodelled: a narrative review of injury rehabilitation models and proposal of a multi-component MSK rehabilitation model
Get PDFMusculoskeletal injuries are common in both general and sporting populations and contribute to significant healthcare costs, lost workdays and compromised performance of daily activity and sport. Despite various rehabilitation models being available to health and rehabilitation practitioners, there are some inconsistencies in structure, terminology and specificity across these. The current narrative review critically evaluates existing rehabilitation models, frameworks and phased approaches, identifying limitations related to structure, content and specificity. Additionally, a novel multicomponent exercise rehabilitation model is proposed which adopts a non-linear, concurrent approach to attribute development and integration of progression guidance. Using a multicomponent approach, a structured yet adaptable progression framework is provided that could help optimize rehabilitation outcomes, minimize detraining and enhance individuals’ readiness for return to sport or daily activity
Posttransplant diabetes mellitus and long-term outcomes after kidney transplantation in a steroid avoidance regimen: a cohort study
No full textBackground
Posttransplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is associated with reduced patient survival and death-censored graft survival and has been linked to steroid use and obesity. Steroid avoidance regimens have been associated with a reduction in PTDM without impacting patient or graft survival followed up for 5 years following kidney transplantation; however, acute rejection remains a concern. The primary objective of this study was to assess death-censored graft and patient survival outcomes and report on PTDM onset in patients receiving steroid-avoidance immunosuppressant regimens over 11 years.
Methods
This was a retrospective cohort study from a single center in the UK that included first kidney transplants between 2010 and 2021. Logistic regression models and Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate associations between survival and PTDM. A P value < 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.
Results
There was no difference in patient or graft survival among those with PTDM, preexisting diabetes or no diabetes. 16% (n = 55) developed PTDM over a median follow-up of 7.1 years (range: 0.9–13.8 years). After adjusting for confounding factors, the odds of PTDM diagnosis were associated with increasing BMI (odds ratio (OR): 1.01; 95% CI: 1.03–1.18), and white ethnicity was associated with reduced odds of PTDM (OR: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.23–0.90).
Conclusions
Our findings support lower PTDM rates and safe longer-term outcomes following a steroid-free regimen. Timely weight management interventions before transplantation, particularly in high-risk groups, may reduce PTDM in this population.
Clinical trial number
Not applicable
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