8994 research outputs found
Sort by
Editorial: On-farm implementation of transformative technologies and practices for sustainability transitions in agriculture
Full text linkThis Research Topic includes nine articles related to innovation processes, land use transitions, roles of advisors, application of agroecological practices, and farmer perspectives in change processes. The research represents regional contexts including Kenya, Australia, the UK, the Netherlands, Ghana, and the Philippines.
From this Research Topic we propose the following research agenda:
• What are benefits or costs and operational implications experienced by farmers when implementing transformative technologies and practices?
• What are the linkages between transformational practices and positive sustainability outcomes?
• How is transformation addressed in a context of deep uncertainty?
• How is responsible innovation enacted in farm-level transformations?
• What is the role of advisory networks that farmers require during transformative change?
• What are implications for advisors with respect to their work, roles, capacities and businesses?
• How can we improve our methodologies for assessing socioeconomic and sustainability impacts of farm system transformation and on-farm digitalization
The effectiveness of online interpretation bias modification on type D personality
No full textType D personality is associated with numerous mental and physical problems. However, existing treatments only partially address these problems, emphasizing the need for novel interventions. Although cognitive factors play an important role in developing and maintaining type D personality, there is a gap in research regarding cognitive interventions specifically designed for individuals with this personality type. Therefore, to fill this gap, the primary purpose of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of an online interpretation bias modification intervention tailored to type D personality in reducing interpretation bias, negative affectivity, and social inhibition. The target population was the Persian Gulf University students, among whom 84 individuals with type D personality were selected using a purposive sampling method and assigned to an experimental group (n = 42) and a control group (n = 42). The experimental group participated in a 10-session intervention of type D personality interpretation bias modification over two months, designed by the present study’s researchers through scenarios via an Android application. Type D personality scale was used to measure negative affectivity and social inhibition. Data analysis was performed using MANCOVA in SPSS-26. Results indicated that interpretation bias modification for type D personality significantly reduced interpretation bias, negative affectivity, and social inhibition among participants (p < 0.001).This novel intervention specifically targets type D personality, significantly benefiting individuals with this personality type and experts by reducing interpretation bias, negative affectivity, and social inhibition. The results contribute to theoretical understanding and provide evidence for effective interventions tailored to this personality type while encouraging further investigation into its impact on related variables. However, the intervention results may be influenced by differences in the timing and setting of its performance. Additionally, generalizing these results to non-Iranian people should be cautiously assumed
Reimagining Talent Development in Sport Seeing a Different World
No full textReimagining Talent Development in Sport takes a fresh look at the processes, systems and fundamental beliefs about talent. It brings together researchers, practitioners and former Olympic athletes to re-imagine the way talent development programmes work and the foundational values they are built on. This book imagines an environment that is able to achieve both sporting success and long-term athlete well-being.
Talent development systems are now part and parcel of all effective high-performance sport systems in Olympic and professional sports. Talented young athletes are being recruited into programmes at ever younger ages as sports are looking to identify and attract athletes who they perceive have potential to become senior elite performers. Just the mathematics of talent development means there will always be a higher number of young athletes who are rejected by a talent pathway than ever reach the end of the pathway and become elite adult performers. So, we need new ways of thinking that allow us to find ways of nurturing athletic potential at the same time as developing the person. Reimagining Talent Development in Sport examines new ways of conceptualising talent programmes so that the young athlete is seen as a whole person first and an athlete second. This book touches on a wide range of topics encompassing sociological perspectives, philosophical thinking and new ideas on re-defining ‘success’, as well as discussing programmes that are already being implemented in pursuit of creating more ethical and positive approaches to talent development.
Accessible to both academics and practitioners, Reimaging Talent Development in Sport is key reading for practitioners and academics who have an interest in talent development, skill acquisition and coaching programmes
Case study 1.6: Using Immersive Technologies for Professional Practice Learning in Chapter 1- Innovative Applications of Technology for Animation, Simulation and Visualization
No full textSimulation and immersive technologies continue to revolutionize health and social care education, offering dynamic and contemporary ways of supporting and engaging with learners. Berragan, Kersey and Reilly explore the experience of social work students, academics, and simulation faculty in developing and delivering learning and assessment through immersive virtual reality technology. They identify the impact of their work with 3D Vista Pro, highlighting new and innovative possibilities that this technology brings for professional practice learning. The outcomes and impact of using this immersive technology are discussed, recognizing what this might mean for health and social care education and for professional practice learning across higher education
The pursuit of individual ambidexterity by middle managers and their psychological well-being
No full textCompanies increasingly demand ambidexterity from their middle managers, the ability to flexibly switch between exploitation (use and refine existing competencies) and exploration (explore new opportunities and ideas). From a job design perspective, ambidexterity is seen as a valuable form of job enrichment that can increase employee creativity, innovation and motivation. However, studies have also indicated that the demand for ambidexterity potentially leads to frustration, anger and stress. Despite these warnings, the possible negative impact on employee well-being has received little attention in the literature. Hence, we explore the potential negative effects of demands for ambidexterity. Considering the moderating effect of the Big Five personality traits and team climate, the influence of the demand for ambidexterity on middle managers' well-being is investigated using survey data collected from administrative middle managers working across different divisions and professions of Swiss Post. The analysis of data from 1,657 participants suggests that the demand for ambidexterity does not generally pose a threat to middle managers' well-being, yet at the same time does not provide a positive impact. It was also found that personality, in contrast to team climate, has a significant moderating effect with extraversion positively influencing the impact of the demand for ambidexterity on middle managers' well-being, whilst conscientiousness and neuroticism have a negative influence. The findings challenge existing theory with wide reaching implications, suggesting that organisations need not fear demanding ambidexterity from their middle managers and that a more complex relationship exists between ambidexterity and affective well-being than previously hypothesised
Could the welfare of the child demand an upper age limit of intended parents in surrogacy arrangements? Considerations from Re Z (Unlawful Foreign Surrogacy: Adoption) and Mr K & Anor v Mr Z & Anor
No full textRecent cases, Re Z (Unlawful Foreign Surrogacy: Adoption) and Mr K & Anor v Mr Z & Anor, highlight the potential impact of intended parents’ age on judicial decisions regarding parenthood following surrogacy. Intended parents may establish legal parenthood through a parental order or an adoption order, neither of which imposes an upper age limit. When deciding whether to grant such orders, the courts are under a statutory obligation to have the child’s welfare as the paramount consideration. This commentary examines whether, in light of these cases, the child’s welfare could demand an upper age limit on intended parents. By analysing age-based restrictions in other parenting contexts and the Law Commissions’ recommendations on surrogacy law, it argues that a strict upper age limit would be inappropriate. However, greater recognition of age as a relevant welfare consideration is necessary in judicial decision-making
Differences in Sprinting and Jumping Performance Between Maturity Status Groups in Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
No full textBackground: Large interindividual differences can exist in the timing and tempo of growth and maturation of youth athletes. This can provide significant physical performance advantages to young athletes who mature in advance of their peers.
Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to determine the magnitude of differences in sprinting and jumping performance in youth of different maturity status (classified as pre-, circa- or post-peak height velocity [PHV]) (aged < 18 years) to enhance the evaluation of performance.
Methods: Eligibility criteria for inclusion were as follows: (1) the study had cross-sectional data available; (2) participants were male and/or female ≤ 18 years of age; (3) a somatic measure of maturity was used to identify maturity status (e.g. Mirwald or Khamis-Roche methods) with at least two maturity status classifications present; (4) the study included a measurement of sprinting speed (e.g. 10-100-m sprint data) and/or jump tests commonly used to assess power (e.g. countermovement jump [CMJ]). Searches were conducted up to November 2024 in PubMed, Embase, SPORTDiscus and preprint servers SportRxiv and medRxiv to identify any unpublished trials. Risk of bias and study quality was assessed using the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS). Meta-analysis was computed using a random-effects model.
Results: The search identified 1578 studies. From those, 40 studies were identified for qualitative assessment and quantitative synthesis. In the primary analysis, 21 studies provided data for measures of speed, and 19 studies provided data for measures of power using jump tests. Sprinting and jumping performance increased with advancing maturity status and overall effect sizes were predominantly moderate to large between maturity groups. Pre-PHV versus post-PHV comparisons found moderate to large overall effect sizes (ES) for sprinting performance (10-m ES 1.34 [95% CI 0.87-1.80]; 20-m ES 1.40 [95% CI 0.85-1.96]; and 30-m ES 0.93 [95% CI 0.15-1.76] sprint times) and large to very large ES for the jump tests (CMJ ES 1.53 [95% CI 1.14-1.92]; squat jump ES 1.32 [95% CI 0.70-1.94]; and standing long jump ES 2.18 [95% CI 1.32-3.04]). When comparing consecutive maturity groups (i.e. pre- to circa-PHV and circa- to post-PHV), ES were predominantly moderate across the sprinting and jumping measures, with only a trivial difference found in 30-m sprint time (ES 0.45 [95% CI 0.21-0.69]) for the circa- to post-PHV comparisons.
Conclusion: Large differences exist in sprinting and jumping performance between the least and most mature male athletes (pre- and post-PHV), with trivial to moderate ES indicated between consecutive groups (e.g. pre- and circa-PHV). Practitioners working with youth athletes should consider how these differences may impact performance in the athlete's sport, and regularly assess individual maturity to accurately evaluate performance against age and maturity group benchmarks to account for large differences in maturity that exist within chronological age groups. It should be noted we observed inconsistencies in maturity thresholds and test methods; thus, standardization is required for future research
Environmental changes influencing middle and late Pleistocene hominin survival in Northeast China: Multi-Proxy evidence from Huadian Paleolithic cave
No full textInvestigating the relationship between hominin activities and environmental conditions is essential for understanding the survival and development of hominin societies. However, the influence of Middle to Late Pleistocene environmental changes on the survival of hominins and their migration patterns in Northeast China remains poorly understood. This study is the first to examine the sedimentary sequence of Huadian Paleolithic cave to explore the paleoenvironmental dynamics in which humans lived during the Middle to Late Pleistocene. We employed analyses of phytoliths, grain size, total organic carbon (TOC), and stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C) to reconstruct the hominin habitat around Huadian cave and to investigate further the impact of environmental changes on human settlement preferences. Our findings suggest that the environment around Huadian cave exhibited a gradual cooling trend from the Middle to Late Pleistocene, with C3 plants dominating the surrounding region. During the Middle Pleistocene, the environment transitioned from relatively warm and humid to cold and dry, leading to an increase in woody plants, particularly coniferous forests. During the Late Pleistocene, the environment initially warmed before experiencing an abrupt cooling trend, resulting in an increased proportion of C3 herbaceous plants. The cave’s internal living conditions steadily improved, fostering increased hominin activities since the Middle to Late Pleistocene. By comparing our results with archaeological evidence from Huadian cave and distribution of Paleolithic sites in Northeast China, it is evident that hominins replaced wild animals in Huadian cave, transforming it into a temporary refuge in the Middle Pleistocene, coinciding with slight hominin dispersal across Northeast China. In the Late Pleistocene, owing to its dry summer and wet winter conditions providing an ideal environment for hominin habitation, the number of archaeological sites in the region increased significantly, as hominins began migrating from caves to open wilderness sites while Huadian cave became a long-term refuge
“There’s no one-size-fits-all kind of solution”: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the experiences of autistic individuals living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Full text linkObjective: Approximately a third of individuals live with multiple health conditions and this number is rising. Research suggests that living with a chronic condition can profoundly impact upon one’s life and identity, however little attention has been paid to the experiences of those with multiple conditions. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a rarely-diagnosed connective tissue disorder causing extensive debilitating symptoms and while these symptoms are primarily physical, EDS often co-occurs with autism. This study sought to gain insight into the experience of autistic individuals living with EDS and thus investigate how illness identity occurs with multiple conditions. Design: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four autistic women living with EDS. Results: Analysis resulted in three superordinate themes, consisting of ‘Transformation,’ ‘Making sense,’ and ‘The negatives.’ While interrelated, these themes capture the ways in which the conditions have changed the participants’ lives, both positively and negatively. Furthermore, they capture how the participants make sense and create meaning in their new identities. Conclusion: Individuals living with co-occurring conditions have multiple illness identities which affect their overall sense of self. Within this study, participants incorporated both conditions into their new identities, although the extent to which they rejected or accepted these conditions varied individually based on numerous biopsychosocial factors, which shifted continually, including healthcare professionals’ attitudes and awareness of conditions, stigma, finding community and symptom severity. Thus, illness identity is in a constant state of flux. These findings highlight the need for more individualised, supportive care for autistic individuals living with EDS
Data sources:
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage University of Gloucestershire Research Repository? Access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard!