Legal liability of coaches: a UK perspective

Attracting more coaches is fundamental to achievement of the European dimension in sport and the further promotion of sport in the European Union. Given the emerging relationship between the law and sports coaching, recruitment of such volunteers may prove problematic. Accordingly, this article critically considers the legal liability of sports coaches. To inform this debate, the issue of negligent coaching is critically scrutinised from a UK perspective, uncovering a number of distinct legal vulnerabilities facing volunteer coaches. This includes the inherent limitations of ‘objective reasonableness’ when defining the standard of care required in the particular circumstances. More specifically, fuller analysis of the justification of customary practice, and the legal doctrine of in loco parentis, reveals important ramifications for all organisations providing training and support for coaches. In short, it is argued that proactively safeguarding coaches from professional liability should be a priority for national governing bodies, and, following the recently published EU Work Plan for Sport for 2014–2017, the Expert Group on Human Resource Management in Sport. Importantly, given the EU’s supporting, coordinating and supplementing competence in developing the European dimension in sport, a Commission funded project to address the implications of the ‘compensation culture’ in sport is also recommended

An Analysis of the Mt. Meron Seismic Array

We have performed a quick analysis of the Mt. Meron seismic array to monitor regional seismic events in the Middle East. The Meron array is the only current array in the Levant and Arabian Peninsula and, as such, might be useful in contributing to event location, identification, and other analysis. Here, we provide a brief description of the array and a review of the travel time and array analysis done to assess its performance

The role of science in physical natural hazard assessment : report to the UK Government by the Natural Hazard Working Group

Following the tragic Asian tsunami on 26 December 2004, the Prime Minister asked the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir David King, to convene a group of experts (the Natural Hazard Working Group) to advise on the mechanisms that could and should be established for the detection and early warning of global physical natural hazards. 2. The Group was asked to examine physical hazards which have high global or regional impact and for which an appropriate early warning system could be put in place. It was also asked to consider the global natural hazard frameworks currently in place and under development and their effectiveness in using scientific evidence; to consider whether there is an existing appropriate international body to pull together the international science community to advise governments on the systems that need to be put in place, and to advise on research needed to fill current gaps in knowledge. The Group was asked to make recommendations on whether a new body was needed, or whether other arrangements would be more effective

Ageing prolongs inflammatory marker expression in regenerating rat skeletal muscles after injury

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Some of the most serious consequences of normal ageing relate to its effects on skeletal muscle, particularly significant wasting and associated weakness, termed "sarcopenia". The underlying mechanisms of sarcopenia have yet to be elucidated completely but an altered muscle inflammatory response after injury is a likely contributing factor. In this study we investigated age-related changes in the expression of numerous inflammatory markers linked to successful muscle regeneration.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Right extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles from young (3 month), adult (12 month) and old (24 month) male F344 rats were injected with bupivacaine hydrochloride to cause complete muscle fibre degeneration, then excised 12, 24, 36, and 72 hours later (n = 5/age group/time point). We used qRT-PCR to quantify the mRNA expression levels of the inflammatory markers TNFα, IFNγ, IL1, IL18, IL6, and CD18 as well as regenerative markers MyoD and myogenin.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Inflammatory markers were all increased significantly in all age groups after myotoxic injury. There was a trend for expression of inflammatory markers to be higher in uninjured muscles of old rats, especially at 72 hours post injury where the expression levels of several markers was significantly higher in old compared with young and adult rats. There was also a decrease in the expression of regenerative markers in old rats at 72 hours post injury.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings identify a prolonged inflammatory signature in injured muscles from old compared with young and adult rats together with a blunted expression of key markers of regeneration in muscles of old rats. Importantly, our findings identify potential targets for future therapeutic strategies for improving the regenerative capacity of skeletal muscle during ageing.</p

Maintained physical activity and physiotherapy in the management of distal upper limb pain – a protocol for a randomised controlled trial (the arm pain trial)

&lt;b&gt;Background&lt;/b&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Distal upper limb pain (pain affecting the elbow, forearm, wrist, or hand) can be non-specific, or can arise from specific musculoskeletal disorders. It is clinically important and costly, the best approach to clinical management is unclear. Physiotherapy is the standard treatment and, while awaiting treatment, advice is often given to rest and avoid strenuous activities, but there is no evidence base to support these strategies. This paper describes the protocol of a randomised controlled trial to determine, among patients awaiting physiotherapy for distal arm pain, (a) whether advice to remain active and maintain usual activities results in a long-term reduction in arm pain and disability, compared with advice to rest; and (b) whether immediate physiotherapy results in a long-term reduction in arm pain and disability, compared with physiotherapy delivered after a seven week waiting list period.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Methods/Design&lt;/b&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Between January 2012 and January 2014, new referrals to 14 out-patient physiotherapy departments were screened for potential eligibility. Eligible and consenting patients were randomly allocated to one of the following three groups in equal numbers: 1) advice to remain active, 2) advice to rest, 3) immediate physiotherapy. Patients were and followed up at 6, 13, and 26 weeks post-randomisation by self-complete postal questionnaire and, at six weeks, patients who had not received physiotherapy were offered it at this time. The primary outcome is the proportion of patients free of disability at 26 weeks, as determined by the modified DASH (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand) questionnaire.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; We hypothesise (a) that advice to maintain usual activities while awaiting physiotherapy will be superior than advice to rest the arm; and (b) that fast-track physiotherapy will be superior to normal (waiting list) physiotherapy. These hypotheses will be examined using an intention-to-treat analysis.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Discussion&lt;/b&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Results from this trial will contribute to the evidence base underpinning the clinical management of patients with distal upper limb pain, and in particular, will provide guidance on whether they should be advised to rest the arm or remain active within the limits imposed by their symptoms

Showing Israel the red card. Activists engaged in pro-Palestinian sport-related campaigns

© 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This article explores the motivations of activists involved in pro-Palestinian sports-based campaigns. The activists’ intention is to bring pressure to bear upon Israel until it complies with international law and supports the rights of Palestinian people under the universal principles of human rights. In response to expressions of pro-Palestinian solidarity, the Israeli state and its supporters are interpreting such activity as a ‘new’ manifestation of ‘old’ antisemitism. In seeking to assess whether such activity is informed by antisemitism, 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted with activists to examine their motives. Their political biographies were explored as were their views on the use of sport as platform to express support for the Palestinian people and/or their displeasure at Israeli participation in international sport. One central theme was the activists’ responses to the suggestion that they were motivated by antisemitism. A qualitative content analysis of the interview transcripts revealed a shared observation that the accusation of antisemitism was a ‘shameless tactic’ employed by those seeking to cover up the ongoing injustices experienced by the Palestinian people. Sport was seen as a legitimate platform for political activity, to raise public awareness and to put pressure on the Israeli state. The findings contribute to a better understanding of activist motivations, the use of sport as a political platform and the challenges facing sport and its governing bodies

Commitment, Learning, and Alliance Performance: A Formal Analysis Using an Agent-Based Network Formation Model

Current theoretical arguments highlight a dilemma faced by actors who either adopt a weak or strong commitment strategy for managing their alliances and partnerships. Actors who pursue a weak commitment strategy|i.e. immediately abandon current partners when a more pro table alternative is presented|are more likely to identify the most rewarding alliances. On the other hand, actors who enact a strong commitment approach are more likely to take advantage of whatever opportunities can be found in existing partnerships. Using agent-based modeling, we show that actors who adopt a moderate commitment strategy overcome this dilemma and outperform actors who adopt either weak or strong commitment approaches. We also show that avoiding this dilemma rests on experiencing a related tradeo : moderately-committed actors sacri ce short-term performance for the superior knowledge and information that allows them to eventually do better

Equal opportunities: Do shareable interfaces promote more group participation than single users displays?

Computers designed for single use are often appropriated suboptimally when used by small colocated groups working together. Our research investigates whether shareable interfaces–that are designed for more than one user to inter-act with–can facilitate more equitable participation in colocated group settings compared with single user displays. We present a conceptual framework that characterizes Shared Information Spaces (SISs) in terms of how they constrain and invite participation using different entry points. An experiment was conducted that compared three different SISs: a physical-digital set-up (least constrained), a multitouch tabletop (medium), and a laptop display (most constrained). Statistical analyses showed there to be little difference in participation levels between the three conditions other than a predictable lack of equity of control over the interface in the laptop condition. However, detailed qualitative analyses revealed more equitable participation took place in the physical-digital condition in terms of verbal utterances over time. Those who spoke the least contributed most to the physical design task. The findings are discussed in relation to the conceptual framework and, more generally, in terms of how to select, design, and combine different display technologies to support collaborative activities

Seismicity along the Pacific-North American plate boundary in California and western Nevada, 1980-81

Beginning in 1980, the number and distribution of telemetered, high-gain seismic stations operated in California and western Nevada provided the capability for locating earthquakes of M ≥ 2.0 occurring throughout the broadly-deforming Pacific-North American plate boundary from the Salton Trough to the Mendocino triple junction and as far inland as the western Great Basin. Four networks combine to provide this capability: (1) the 300-station Central California Network operated by the U.S. Geological Survey from Menlo Park, CA; (2) the 200-station Southern California Network operated jointly by the California Institute of Technology (CIT) and the U. S. Geological Survey from Pasadena, CA; (3) the 40-station Western Nevada-Eastern California Network operated by the University of Nevada from Reno, NV; and (4) the 55-station Southern Nevada Network operated by the U.S. Geological Survey from Golden, CO. The distribution of earthquake hypocenters located by this combination of networks for 1980 and 1981 brings into focus detailed seismicity patterns within the broad bands of earthquake activity that have persisted for SO years or more based on locations of M ≥ 3 earthquakes from the regional networks operated by CIT and the University of California, Berkeley, since the early 1930's. The precise focal parameters of M ≥ 2.0 earthquakes afforded by these four telemetered networks provide critical constraints on the kinematics of seismogenic deformation of the western margin of the North American plate adjacent to the San Andreas transform-fault system