The Rationale Behind and Impact of One Hospital’s Provision of Secondary School Athletic Training Services: A Five-Year Case Study

Purpose: Sports-related injuries are common and often require physician or hospital care. Since the advent of concussion laws in fifty states, hospitals across the country have come forward to partner with secondary schools in the provision of sports medicine healthcare. The outreach agreements are consistent: Hospitals hire athletic trainers (ATs) and then outsource them to schools. ATs help mitigate risk in sports programs. Onsite at the schools daily, ATs provide immediate evaluation and treatment for injuries that occur and render decisions regarding the appropriateness of an injured athlete’s return to participation. The goal of this case study was to describe the experiences of one hospital in relation to (a) the factors the contributed to its administration’s decision to provide athletic training services to area schools, (b) the program structure, (c) the annual costs, and (d) the benefits reaped. Methods: This investigation spanned the course of the first five years of the hospital’s partnership with four separate high schools. Interviews with key hospital and school district administrators along with additional tracking of the number of professional medical referrals helped to illuminate the program’s successes. Results: The partnership proved to be a win-win. It strengthened the hospital’s community relations, provided area school sports programs with much-needed medical oversight, and provided a consistent stream of revenue generation via professional medical referrals, both for the hospital and for its affiliated providers. Conclusion: Hospital administrators should look to this example as one that supports the decision to partner with local schools in the provision of athletic healthcare

Professional Action Sport Athletes’ Experiences with and Attitudes Toward Concussion: A Phenomenological Study

This study examined the lived experiences and subsequent attitudes of freestyle BMX and motocross athletes relative to suffering concussions. Eleven professional athletes were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol. All cited a significant personal history with concussion and those personal accounts, along with their observations of others who experienced similar head injuries, shaped the athletes’ attitudes towards concussion. Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors contributed to each athlete’s acceptance of concussion risk inherent in their respective sport. Generally, athletes accepted concussion risk as part of their sport, but were largely unfamiliar with what concussion was and what long-term effects could result from a history of concussion. Additionally, athletes knew of no concussion protocols or guidelines in their sport and cited an overall lack of organized medical care accessible to them on an ongoing basis, as is the case with mainstream sports

Feeling Elite: The Collective Effervescence of TEAM USA at the 2012 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final

Collective effervescence is an amplified, excited reaction made possible when a group of people experience something emotional together. We used a descriptive mixed methods approach to investigate both the individual and collective emotions of Team USA age group triathletes as they participated in the 2012 International Triathlon Union’s (ITU’s) Grand Final in Auckland, New Zealand. The results of our study suggest that participation in this event evoked emotions consistent with the themes of Intrinsic Arousal, Anxiety, National Pride, and Social Arousal. Further, the results indicated that this group of experienced athletes was less motivated by performance outcome goals (i.e., placing in the top three) and more motivated by the individual and collective emotions associated with being a member of Team USA and representing the USA on a national stage. While some have suggested that the more elite athletes may be more attuned to their emotional states than less accomplished competitors, we found the very nature of the Grand Final as a world championship event, coupled with the symbols and rituals associated with Team USA membership, provided age group athletes a rare chance to experience similar states

Le comportement du chat et la relation homme-chat : étude après enquête auprès de 471 propriétaires

Après avoir étudié les caractéristiques de la population féline en France puis rappelé les étapes du développement comportemental du chat ainsi que son organisation territoriale, l'auteur s'est intéressé au mode de vie du chat (et notamment à son adaptation à la vie citadine), aux éventuels troubles du comportement et à sa relation avec son propriétaire et son environnement. Par le biais d'une enquête auprès de 471 personnes, l'auteur a voulu caractériser cette population et la relation qui lie les chats à leur maîtres afin de définir les principaux troubles du comportement et de cibler les informations à fournir. Le questionnaire porte sur le chat, ses origines, son mode et lieu de vie, son alimentation, son comportement, les soins qui lui sont prodigués et le profil des propriétaires. Dans une dernière partie sont présentés les conseils à donner pour prévenir les principaux troubles ainsi que des fiches conseils correspondant aux principaux évènements susceptibles de perturber le chat

The Fall of the Gladiators: Wives’ Tales of Concussion Reporting and (Possible) Progressive Neurodegenerative Disease in NFL Players

This study aims to uncover and describe stories of progressive cognitive, emotional, and behavioral decline in NFL players, as told by those who may know them best: their wives. The goal of the study was to simply explore and understand this new phenomenon with a group of individuals who had not yet been asked to voice their experiences. For this qualitative study, we conducted interviews with 20 wives of current and retired NFL players. Through thematic analysis of the wives’ narratives, we identified four themes that help to describe the wives’ attitudes and experiences. These were (a) Husbands’ Willingness to Conceal Concussions, (b) Husbands Become Unrecognizable, (c) An Emotional Toll on Wives and Families, and (d) Frustrations with the NFL. Our interviews provided vivid, emotionally charged descriptions of both men and women whose lives were irrevocably altered, presumably by a concussion history related to the game of football

Un organisme de recherche s'approprie la veille stratégique

L'agriculture est au cœur d'enjeux majeurs (sécurité sanitaire et alimentaire, préservation des ressources naturelles, changement climatique, agro-écologie…). L'INRA, premier organisme européen de recherche agronomique, a défini de nouvelles orientations pour la période 2010-2020 autour de quatre chantiers prioritairesi : l'amélioration de toutes les composantes de l'agriculture, des systèmes alimentaires sains et durables, la valorisation de la biomasse et l'atténuation et l'adaptation au réchauffement climatique. Cette approche, au-delà des missions traditionnelles de production et diffusion des connaissances, impose de repenser le pilotage de la recherche (par exemple la création de métaprogrammes), de mobiliser des approches transdisciplinaires, d'initier des partenariats et des collaborations nationales et internationales pour contribuer à l'expertise et à l'innovation. Dans ce paysage changeant et fortement évolutif, le besoin d'informations très actualisées et la nécessité d'anticiper s'imposent aux différents acteurs : la veille stratégique y trouve assez naturellement sa place. C’est dans les domaines les plus associés à l’innovation qu’émergent des dispositifs de veille organisés et collaboratifs : biotechnologies vertes, biotechnologies blanches, … Le besoin de veille stratégique s’exprime également sur des thématiques transversales, au cœur du dialogue avec les partenaires professionnels ou la société : bien-être animal, sécurité alimentaire, impact des pesticides et des intrants… Au-delà de l’acquisition de connaissances dans les nouveaux champs investis, la veille est utilisée principalement pour identifier les acteurs d’une thématique, se positionner, suivre l’évolution des politiques publiques et de la réglementation. Elle se révèle également comme un mode d’organisation structurant pour des collectifs hétérogènes, et, pour certains projets, comme un outil de communication entre l’Inra et ses partenaires ou le grand public. Cette arrivée de la veille stratégique dans le paysage de l'institut est favorisée par une restructuration interne de l'Information Scientifique et Technique (IST) en 2010 avec la création d'un Pôle Veille. Ce pôle adapte l'organisation de la veille à l'organisation matricielle de l'Inra avec une structure flexible, adaptable au plus près des porteurs de projets. La parution en 2012 du "Guide de l'Intelligence Economique en rechercheii" est un élément sur lequel le pôle peut s'appuyer pour une sensibilisation accrue à l'intelligence économique. Alors que la veille scientifique est bien implantée à l’échelle du laboratoire, au sein de l'institut, la culture industrielle sur les questions de concurrence, sur le potentiel économique des recherches est faible. Au travers de nouveaux services, le pôle Veille permet le développement de l'intelligence économique grâce à des professionnels formés à la veille, le développement d'outils méthodologiques, un appui aux projets, une plateforme de veille professionnelle. Beaucoup de projets, programmes ou directions ont clairement identifié la veille stratégique comme un élément favorisant la réflexion et l'innovation mais, la prise en compte de l'IE reste encore insuffisante. Il subsiste des freins d’ordre culturel (notion de service public, open science...) Partant de ce constat, le pôle veille a identifié plusieurs leviers : sensibilisation très ciblée des responsables lors de séminaire d'introduction à la veille stratégique, formation et pédagogie, exemples de déploiement réussi de dispositifs de veille, renforcement des collaborations internes (ex avec les services de partenariat et de valorisation…)

Design of a refueling tanker delivering liquid hydrogen

A refueling tanker that could deliver 155,000 lb of liquid hydrogen to a hypersonic tanker in 15 min was designed. A flying boom system was chosen to fit strict delivery criteria. Tank design and material specification were also addressed. To assure the flow required, it was important to cancel the pressure drop phenomenon. Geometry, aerodynamics, weight considerations, propulsion, stability, and performance for the tanker were also considered. Finally, the cost of developing three prototypes was estimated

Mechanical adhesion of SIO2 thin film on a polymeric substrate under compressive stress

International audienceTo ensure good adhesion between a 200 nm silicon dioxide layer and a 4.5 μm thick hardcoat polymeric coating, a better understanding of mechanisms of adhesion at this interface is needed. To reach this purpose, quantification of adhesion is performed by analyzing SiO2 buckle morphologies generated under compressive stress. This adhesion test was chosen for its representativeness of defects observed in real life. Interfacial toughness can be determined by applying Hutchinson & Suo model. This analytical model involves accurate value of elastic modulus Ef of SiO2 thin film. Small dimensions at stake make characterization of elastic modulus challenging. First part of the study focuses on using both nano-indentation and AFM to attempt assessment of SiO2 thin film elastic modulus. Results showed significant influence of substrate for both techniques. Impact on mechanical properties between SiO2 thin films with different intrinsic stresses was also investigated and suggests that higher density of SiO2 thin film leads to higher elastic modulus. Compression tests resulted in formation of straight-sided buckles that evolve into telephone cords upon unloading. Numerical simulation and Digital Image Correlation were implemented to ensure homogeneous strain of substrate and favor regular distribution of buckles. Values of energy release rates of SiO2 / Hardcoat range from 2.7 J/m² to 8.9 J/m², depending on moduli values found on wafer or lens substrate

FE simulation of interfacial delamination between SiO2 thin film and polymeric substrate

International audienceOphthalmic lenses are made of plastic polymeric substrates usually coated with functional treatments composed of 5 to 15 layers, ranging from micrometers to nanometers. Each of these interfaces may lead to delamination due to poor adhesion, and therefore affect the vision and comfort of wearers. The interface between the anti-reflective stack and the hardcoat is particularly sensitive because of chemical and mechanical contrast of its materials. To better understand mechanisms that lead to loss of adhesion between the SiO2 anti-reflective layer deposited on the anti-scratch hardcoat, compression experiments are performed to induce buckling of SiO2 layer. A Finite Element Model is developed to refine characterization of interfacial properties. Simulation of buckling phenomenon and delamination of SiO2 layer under compressive stress is proposed. Interfacial properties between SiO2 layer and hardcoat are modeled using cohesive elements following a traction separation law. Geometry of buckle yielded by the model is compared against experimental results to adjust the numerical model and access interfacial properties