A Holistic Analysis of Team Dynamics Using Relational Coordination as the Measure regarding Student Athlete Total Load: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Despite its small population, Norway wins a disproportionately large number of medals in international competitions. Therefore, it has been thought that the Norwegian sports model and sports school programs are influential in developing young Norwegian athletes to achieve such results. Today, more than 110 Norwegian private and public schools offer the elite sports program in Norway. Most student athletes attending those schools combine their high school education with elite sports, where they attend training sessions at both school and clubs. The number of people involved with the student athlete on a daily basis (i.e., other student athletes, club coaches, school coaches, schoolteachers, parents, and health personnel) indicate the importance of optimal communication and coordination. However, to the authors’ knowledge, no previous studies have explored communication and coordination among this population group. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to use a holistic analysis of team dynamics using the Relational Coordination Survey as a measure to explore the relational coordination within and between student athletes, club coaches, and school coaches. A secondary objective of this study was to explore student athletes’, club coaches’, and school coaches’ relational coordination with schoolteachers, parents, and health personnel. In addition, the study aimed to explore differences in student athletes’ relational coordination with their significant others according to sport, school, performance level, sex, and school year. Methods: The quality of relational coordination was measured by a cross-sectional questionnaire of student athletes (n = 345), club coaches (n = 42), and school coaches (n = 25) concerning training load and life load. Multiple one-way analyses of variance were used to assess differences between groups. Results: The results show that student athletes, club coaches, and school coaches perceived moderate to weak relational coordination with parents, schoolteachers, and health personnel. Student athletes’ relational coordination score with parents was the only strong score observed. Furthermore, the results reveal notable differences in student athletes’ relational coordination with the roles according to their characteristics. Conclusions: The findings suggest a potential for enhancing relationships and communication within and between the significant roles involved with student athletes. The results further indicate that those involved with the student athlete should consider a holistic approach to enhance communication and coordination, including physical, psychological, and other life factors, for optimal student athlete management and development. More resources are necessary to facilitate effective communication and coordination regarding the student athlete’s total load.publishedVersio

Opplevd relasjon og kommunikasjon vedrørende utøvers totalbelastning

Master's thesis in Sports and physical educationViktigheten av god koordinering for kommunikasjon og relasjon mellom personer som er gjensidig avhengige av hverandre og som arbeider innenfor et felles miljø, er godt dokumentert. Både kommunikasjon fra trenere, foreldre og utøvere er vist å påvirke utøvere. Kommunikasjon i idretten er viktig for god tilrettelegging rundt utøverens totalbelastning. Hensikt: I hvor stor grad oppleves relasjon og kommunikasjon vedrørende utøvers totalbelastning? Formål med studien var todelt; å se på den opplevde relasjonskoordinering rundt utøvers totalbelastning mellom utøver, skoletrener og klubbtrener og den opplevde relasjonskooordinering fra utøver, skoletrener og klubbtrener for kontaktlærer, foreldre og støtteapparat. Metode: Det ble benyttet en kvantitativ tilnærming ved en deskriptivt forskningsmetode. Studien er basert på en spørreundersøkelse på 3 skoler i Rogaland som tilbyr toppidrett på idrettsfag eller studiespesialiserende med valgfag toppidrett. Deltakerne besto av elever (N=313) skoletrenere (N=15) og klubbtrenere (N=42). Resultat: Analyse viser at relasjonskoordineringsskjemaet brukt i studien har en høy indeksvaliditet og en høy grad av reliabilitet. Studiets funn påpeker at utøver opplever en relasjon og kommunikasjon (RC) på 3.29 for klubbtrener, og klubbtrener opplever en RC=3.38 for utøver som gir en gjensidig moderat relasjonskoordineringskvalitet. Videre opplever utøver en RC= 3.22 fra skoletrener som innebærer en moderat relasjonskoordineringskvalitet, medan skoletrener opplever en høy relasjonskoordineringskvalitet fra utøver (RC=3.65). For øvrig opplever klubbtrener en svak relasjonskoordineringskvalitet (RC=2.30) fra skoletrener og skoletrener opplever en moderat relasjonskoordineringskvalitet fra klubbtrener (RC=3.22). Ytterligere opplever utøver en høyest relasjon og kommunikasjon fra foreldre (RC=3.75), sammenliknet med, fra klubbtrener (RC=3.29), skoletrener (RC=3.22), kontaktlærer (RC=2.46), utøver (RC=2.44) og støtteapparat (RC=2.77). Konklusjon: Det vil være grunn til å tro at et tilnærmet optimalisert relasjonskoordineringsnettverk vedrørende utøvers totalbelastning, sett i lys av et helhetsperspektiv, vil påvirke utøvers idrettskarriere i en positiv retning

Changing contributions of stochastic and deterministic processes in community assembly over a successional gradient

Successional dynamics in plant community assembly may result from both deterministic and stochastic ecological processes. The relative importance of different ecological processes is expected to vary over the successional sequence, between different plant functional groups, and with the disturbance levels and land-use management regimes of the successional systems. We evaluate the relative importance of stochastic and deterministic processes in bryophyte and vascular plant community assembly after fire in grazed and ungrazed anthropogenic coastal heathlands in Northern Europe. A replicated series of post-fire successions (n = 12) were initiated under grazed and ungrazed conditions, and vegetation data were recorded in permanent plots over 13 years. We used redundancy analysis (RDA) to test for deterministic successional patterns in species composition repeated across the replicate successional series and analyses of co-occurrence to evaluate to what extent species respond synchronously along the successional gradient. Change in species co-occurrences over succession indicates stochastic successional dynamics at the species level (i.e., species equivalence), whereas constancy in co-occurrence indicates deterministic dynamics (successional niche differentiation). The RDA shows high and deterministic vascular plant community compositional change, especially early in succession. Co-occurrence analyses indicate stochastic species-level dynamics the first two years, which then give way to more deterministic replacements. Grazed and ungrazed successions are similar, but the early stage stochasticity is higher in ungrazed areas. Bryophyte communities in ungrazed successions resemble vascular plant communities. In contrast, bryophytes in grazed successions showed consistently high stochasticity and low determinism in both community composition and species co-occurrence. In conclusion, stochastic and individualistic species responses early in succession give way to more niche-driven dynamics in later successional stages. Grazing reduces predictability in both successional trends and species-level dynamics, especially in plant functional groups that are not well adapted to disturbance. bryophytes; burning; Calluna vulgaris; coexistence; conservation management; determinism; disturbance; grazing; heathland; randomization test; stochasticity; vascular plants.Changing contributions of stochastic and deterministic processes in community assembly over a successional gradientpublishedVersio

Effects of a mindfulness-based and acceptance-based group programme followed by physical activity for patients with fibromyalgia: a randomised controlled trial

Introduction: Non-pharmacological approaches are recommended as first-line treatment for patients with fibromyalgia. This randomised controlled trial investigated the effects of a multicomponent rehabilitation programme for patients with recently diagnosed fibromyalgia in primary and secondary healthcare. Methods: Patients with widespread pain ≥3 months were referred to rheumatologists for diagnostic clarification and assessment of study eligibility. Inclusion criteria were age 20–50 years, engaged in work or studies at present or during the past 2 years, and fibromyalgia diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology 2010 criteria. All eligible patients participated in a short patient education programme before inclusion and randomisation. The multicomponent programme, a 10-session mindfulness-based and acceptance-based group programme followed by 12 weeks of physical activity counselling was evaluated in comparison with treatment as usual, that is, no treatment or any other treatment of their choice. The primary outcome was the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC). Secondary outcomes were self-reported pain, fatigue, sleep quality, psychological distress, physical activity, health-related quality of life and work ability at 12-month follow-up. Results: In total, 170 patients were randomised, 1:1, intervention:control. Overall, the multicomponent rehabilitation programme was not more effective than treatment as usual; 13% in the intervention group and 8% in the control group reported clinically relevant improvement in PGIC (p=0.28). No statistically significant between-group differences were found in any diseaserelated secondary outcomes. There were significant between-group differences in patient’s tendency to be mindful (p=0.016) and perceived benefits of exercise (p=0.033) in favour of the intervention group. Conclusions: A multicomponent rehabilitation programme combining patient education with a mindfulness-based and acceptance-based group programme followed by physical activity counselling was not more effective than patient education and treatment as usual for patients with recently diagnosed fibromyalgia at 12-month follow-uppublishedVersio

Hvordan lykkes med implementering av Lean? En studie av avgjørende faktorer for to pasientforløpsprosjekt på Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norge

Formålet med utredningen er å undersøke hvilke faktorer som er avgjørende for å lykkes med implementering av Lean. Den japanske filosofien har til hensikt å effektivisere og forbedre ulike prosesser, og er tradisjonelt blitt brukt i produksjonsbedrifter. I senere tid har flere tjenesteytende organisasjoner tatt i bruk Lean og filosofien har også blitt populær i helsevesenet. I denne sammenheng har vi undersøkt to gjennomførte Lean-prosjekter på Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norge, henholdsvis prosjekt Histopatologi og prosjekt Sepsis 1. Prosjektene i vår studie er ett som antas å ha lyktes med implementeringen, mens det andre ikke oppnådde like gode resultater i henhold til måloppnåelse. Hensikten med en slik sammenligning er å se hvilken innvirkning de utvalgte faktorene hadde på utfallet av prosjektene. Vårt teorigrunnlag baserer seg på generell teori vedrørende Lean samt mer konkret teori om anvendelse i helsevesenet. Vi vil også trekke inn teori vedrørende implementering av Lean, der vi ser nærmere på organisasjonskultur, leders involvering, en organisasjons modenhet for endring samt andre studier gjort på implementering av Lean i helsevesenet. I denne oppgaven har vi valgt metodetriangulering med et deskriptivt design. Vi har benyttet dokumentanalyse, semistrukturerte dybdeintervjuer og spørreundersøkelser for datainnsamling. Informantene har vært Pasientforløpskoordinator, prosjektledere, avdelingsledere, og øvrige ansatte i avdelinger som har vært direkte involvert i de to Lean-prosjektene. Resultatene fra denne studien viser at leders involvering er svært sentralt for å få til en vellykket implementering av Lean. Organisasjonens modenhet er også avgjørende for endringens mottagelse og endringen må oppleves som nødvendig. Analysen ga ingen signifikante utslag på organisasjonskultur, men dens betydning på implementeringen kan likevel ikke utelukkes. Nøkkelord: Lean, suksessfaktorer, helsevesenet, implementering, organisasjonskultur, leders involvering, organisasjonens modenhet

Gas seeps in Norwegian waters – distribution and mechanisms

Gas seeps and fluid-flow related seabed features are found over the entire Norwegian exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Multibeam water-column data from c. 136 000 km2 has revealed more than 5 000 gas seeps. Most of the gas seeps seem to have biogenic, thermogenic or mixed origin; some may be of abiotic origin. The spatial distribution of the gas seeps appears to correlate with: 1 – structural highs with associated faulting, exposing hydrocarbon reservoir rocks at or near the seabed; 2 – faults serving as conduits for fluid flow; 3 – settings where reservoir rocks overlain by less permeable cap rocks sub-crop at the seabed. Other mechanisms involve seepage around abandoned exploration wells, and possible abiotic gas generation from serpentinisation of ultramafic rocks near mid-oceanic ridges. The gas seeping from the Norwegian cold seeps is mostly methane and has, in many places, led to the formation of methane-derived authigenic carbonate crusts, which give evidence for either extensive gas seepage in the past or long-lived seepage. Chemosynthetic communities are commonly associated with cold seeps and may form special habitats together with the carbonate crusts. Methane seepage has been proposed to contribute significantly to the global carbon budget and may be associated with gas hydrates giving rise to potential geohazards. Gas seeps have been identified and spatially mapped as acoustic gas flares, using multibeam echosounder systems, which have the ability to record reflections from both the water column and the seabed. Water-column data have been recorded in the MAREANO seabed mapping program since 2010, covering an area of c. 262 000 km2 , with a data volume in the order of 210 Tb. The observations of extensive gas flares in the Norwegian EEZ are available to the scientific community and other users through a dedicated MAREANO data and web access system

Within-Camera Multilayer Perceptron DVS Denoising

In-camera event denoising reduces the data rate of event cameras by filtering out noise at the source. A lightweight multilayer perceptron denoising filter (MLPF) provides state-of-the-art low-cost denoising accuracy. It processes a small neighborhood of pixels from the timestamp image around each event to discriminate signal and noise events. This paper proposes two digital logic implementations of the MLPF denoiser and quantifies their resource cost, power, and latency. The hardware MLPF quantizes the weights and hidden unit activations to 4 bits and has about 1k weights with about 40% sparsity. The Area-Under-Curve Receiver Operating Characteristic accuracy is nearly indistinguishable from that of the floating point network. The FPGA MLPF processes each event in 10 clock cycles. In FPGA, it uses 3.5k flip flops and 11.5k LUTs. Our ASIC implementation in 65nm digital technology for a 346 × 260 pixel camera occupies an area of 4.3mm 2 and consumes 4nJ of energy per event at event rates up to 25MHz. The MLPF can be easily integrated into an event camera using an FPGA or as an ASIC directly on the camera chip or in the same package. This denoising could dramatically reduce the energy consumed by the communication and host processor and open new areas of always-on event camera application under scavenged and battery power.Code: https://github.com/SensorsINI/dnd_hl