52 research outputs found

    Using Stories in Coach Education

    Get PDF
    The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how storied representations of research can be used as an effective pedagogical tool in coach education. During a series of continuing professional development seminars for professional golf coaches, we presented our research in the form of stories and poems which were created in an effort to evoke and communicate the lived experiences of elite professional golfers. Following these presentations, we obtained written responses to the stories from 53 experienced coaches who attended the seminars. Analysis of this data revealed three ways in which coaches responded to the stories: (i) questioning; (ii) summarising; and (iii) incorporating. We conclude that these responses illustrate the potential of storied forms of representation to enhance professional development through stimulating reflective practice and increasing understanding of holistic, person-centred approaches to coaching athletes in high-performance sport

    Effect of dietary energy source on pregnancy rates and reproductive physiology of pastured beef heifers

    Get PDF
    Proper production of steroid hormones, such as progesterone (P4), is essential for maintenance of pregnancy. Provision of gluconeogenic substrates from the diet may alter postabsorptive energy supplies and associated hormone signaling in a manner supportive of elevating P4 concentrations. Crossbred Angus heifers (n=27) were balanced for pre-trial bodyweight (BW) and body condition score (BCS), then assigned to isoenergetic diets leveraging starch (ES) or fat (EF) as the primary source of energy (45.7% starch vs 11.5% fat). The heifers were placed on the assigned diets 8 days prior to the initiation of estrous synchronization and continued the diets through the second pregnancy diagnosis, 52 days after the initial insemination. On day 28 post-breeding, pregnancy status was diagnosed via ultrasonography. Measurements of follicle size and number were collected via rectal palpation and ultrasonography on days −10, −8, −4, and day 0 relative to breeding. Blood samples were collected on days −10, 1 through 7, 10, 14, 18, 21, 24, and 28 to analyze plasma for P4 concentrations and placental-associated glycoprotein (PAG) concentrations. Data were analyzed using a linear mixed effects model with a fixed effect for treatment and a random effect for pen. Observations collected over time were analyzed using a repeated measures approach with fixed effects for treatment, time, initial condition, and a random effect for pen. Interactions between treatment and pregnancy status were also tested for PAG and P4 concentrations. No treatment differences were observed in final BCS (P=0.12) and total dry matter intake (DMI; P=0.51), though heifers on the ES treatment tended to reach an increased BW (P=0.10). Although heifers fed ES diets had numerically higher conception rates compared to heifers fed EF diets (71.4% vs. 66.7%), there was no statistically significant difference. Furthermore, there were no significant differences observed among diets in terms of pregnancy outcomes, follicle size, or number. A treatment by pregnancy status interaction was detected for both PAG and P4 concentrations. These results suggest that short-term dietary starch supplementation provided around the time of breeding can result in shifts to reproductive hormone abundance that may be conducive for pregnancy establishment

    Computer-based technology and student engagement: a critical review of the literature

    Get PDF
    Computer-based technology has infiltrated many aspects of life and industry, yet there is little understanding of how it can be used to promote student engagement, a concept receiving strong attention in higher education due to its association with a number of positive academic outcomes. The purpose of this article is to present a critical review of the literature from the past 5 years related to how web-conferencing software, blogs, wikis, social networking sites (Facebook and Twitter), and digital games influence student engagement. We prefaced the findings with a substantive overview of student engagement definitions and indicators, which revealed three types of engagement (behavioral, emotional, and cognitive) that informed how we classified articles. Our findings suggest that digital games provide the most far-reaching influence across different types of student engagement, followed by web-conferencing and Facebook. Findings regarding wikis, blogs, and Twitter are less conclusive and significantly limited in number of studies conducted within the past 5 years. Overall, the findings provide preliminary support that computer-based technology influences student engagement, however, additional research is needed to confirm and build on these findings. We conclude the article by providing a list of recommendations for practice, with the intent of increasing understanding of how computer-based technology may be purposefully implemented to achieve the greatest gains in student engagement. © 2017, The Author(s)

    The Pricing Behaviour of Firms in the Euro Area: New Survey Evidence

    Full text link

    Factors Associated with Revision Surgery after Internal Fixation of Hip Fractures

    Get PDF
    Background: Femoral neck fractures are associated with high rates of revision surgery after management with internal fixation. Using data from the Fixation using Alternative Implants for the Treatment of Hip fractures (FAITH) trial evaluating methods of internal fixation in patients with femoral neck fractures, we investigated associations between baseline and surgical factors and the need for revision surgery to promote healing, relieve pain, treat infection or improve function over 24 months postsurgery. Additionally, we investigated factors associated with (1) hardware removal and (2) implant exchange from cancellous screws (CS) or sliding hip screw (SHS) to total hip arthroplasty, hemiarthroplasty, or another internal fixation device. Methods: We identified 15 potential factors a priori that may be associated with revision surgery, 7 with hardware removal, and 14 with implant exchange. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses in our investigation. Results: Factors associated with increased risk of revision surgery included: female sex, [hazard ratio (HR) 1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-2.50; P = 0.001], higher body mass index (fo
    corecore