The potential role of genetic markers in talent identification and athlete assessment in elite sport

In elite sporting codes, the identification and promotion of future athletes into specialized talent pathways is heavily reliant upon objective physical, technical, and tactical characteristics, in addition to subjective coach assessments. Despite the availability of a plethora of assessments, the dependence on subjective forms of identification remain commonplace in most sporting codes. More recently, genetic markers, including several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), have been correlated with enhanced aerobic capacity, strength, and an overall increase in athletic ability. In this review, we discuss the effects of a number of candidate genes on athletic performance, across single-skilled and multifaceted sporting codes, and propose additional markers for the identification of motor skill acquisition and learning. While displaying some inconsistencies, both the ACE and ACTN3 polymorphisms appear to be more prevalent in strength and endurance sporting teams, and have been found to correlate to physical assessments. More recently, a number of polymorphisms reportedly correlating to athlete performance have gained attention, however inconsistent research design and varying sports make it difficult to ascertain the relevance to the wider sporting population. In elucidating the role of genetic markers in athleticism, existing talent identification protocols may significantly improve—and ultimately enable—targeted resourcing in junior talent pathways

Revolutionary War Pension application- Hart, Jacob (Brewer)

Pension application through the Hancock County Supreme Judicial Court for Jacob Hart for service in the Revolutionary War.https://digitalmaine.com/revolutionary_war_hancock_county/1071/thumbnail.jp

Inter-rater Reliability of Weight Bearing Knee Joint Space Measurements Obtained with Diagnostic Ultrasound

Historically, joint space has been determined via x-ray; ultrasound has been suggested as a better choice since it involves no radiation. Documenting joint space is clinically important to determine the degree of degenerative progression associated with osteoarthritis and aging. Reliability of the use diagnostic ultrasound to measure weight-bearing knee joint space has not been investigated.https://ecommons.udayton.edu/dpt_symposium/1019/thumbnail.jp

Performance cartography, performance cartology: Musical networks for computational musicological analysis

This research seeks to track the creative processes of a group of musicians who were commissioned to make music with a set of digital tools created by the FluCoMa project. These tools offer many solutions for dealing with digital audio, notably large collections of sounds. The varied and multidisciplinary natures of the case studies mean that traditional forms of analysis would miss essential parts of these practices. Subscribing to contemporary approaches, this research proposes a methodology for analysis articulated around the idea of musical networks. Here, musical practice is conceived of as the configuration of, and existence within, networks of entities where musicking occurs. The methodology is proposed in two parts: a cartographical, descriptive analysis that seeks to map these networks; and a cartological, interpretative analysis that seeks to inspect the nature of these networks. The methods are illustrated and developed by the case studies, grounding them in real musical practice. With these methods, this research looks to address three primary questions: how can a network-oriented analytical stance account for temporality in musicking? Can we consider the network as constituting a materialised form of musical thought? And what are the ways in which entities of networks are configured

Obstetric anesthesia services in Israel snapshot (OASIS) study: A 72 hour cross-sectional observational study of workforce supply and demand

BACKGROUND: We planned an observational study to assess obstetric anesthesia services nationwide. We aimed to assess the effect of the anesthesia workload/workforce ratio on quality and safety outcomes of obstetric anesthesia care. METHODS: Observers prospectively collected data from labor units over 72 h (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday). Independent variables were workload (WL) and workforce (WF). WL was assessed by the Obstetric Anesthesia Activity Index (OAAI), which is the estimated time in a 24-h period spent on epidurals and all cesarean deliveries. Workforce (WF) was assessed by the number of anesthesiologists dedicated to the labor ward per week. Dependent variables were the time until anesthesiologist arrival for epidural (quality measure) and the occurrence of general anesthesia for urgent Cesarean section, CS, (safety measure). This census included vaginal deliveries and unscheduled (but not elective) CS. RESULTS: Data on 575 deliveries are from 12 maternity units only, primarily because a major hospital chain chose not to participate; eight other hospitals lacked institutional review board approval. The epidural response rate was 94.4%; 321 of 340 parturients who requested epidural analgesia (EA) received it. Of the 19 women who requested EA but gave birth without it, 14 (77%) were due to late arrival of the anesthesiologist. Median waiting times for anesthesiologist arrival ranged from 5 to 28 min. The OAAI varied from 4.6 to 25.1 and WF ranged from 0 to 2 per shift. Request rates for EA in hospitals serving predominantly orthodox Jewish communities and in peripheral hospitals were similar to those of the entire sample. More than a fifth (13/62; 21%) of the unscheduled CS received general anesthesia, and of these almost a quarter (3/13; 23%) were attributed to delayed anesthesiologist arrival. CONCLUSIONS: Inadequate WF allocations may impair quality and safety outcomes in obstetric anesthesia services. OAAI is a better predictor of WL than delivery numbers alone, especially concerning WF shortage. To assess the quality and safety of anesthetic services to labor units nationally, observational data on workforce, workload, and clinical outcomes should be collected prospectively in all labor units in Israel

Understanding Collaboration:Introducing the Collaborative Governance Case Databank

Studying collaborative governance has become a booming business. However, the empirical literature still struggles to produce robust generalizations and cumulative knowledge that link contextual, situational and institutional design factors to processes and outcomes. We still have not mustered the broad and deep evidence base that will really help us sort fact from fiction and identify more and less productive approaches to collaboration. The current empirical evidence in the study of collaborative governance consists chiefly of small-N case studies or large-N surveys. The challenge is to move from case-based, mid-range theory building to more largeN-driven systematic theory-testing, while also retaining the rich contextual and process insights that only small-N studies tend to yield. This article, and the articles in the accompanying special issue, introduces an attempt to provide this middle ground– the Collaborative Governance Case Database. The database has been developed to serve as a free common pool resource for researchers to systematically collect and compare high-quality collaborative governance case studies. This article is an introduction to the database, exploring its design, opportunities and limitations. This article is also an invitation; inviting all researchers to freely use the cases in the database for their own research interest and to help strengthening the database by adding new cases they are eager to share with colleagues

Measurement errors in body size of sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) and their effect on stock assessment models

Body-size measurement errors are usually ignored in stock assessments, but may be important when body-size data (e.g., from visual sur veys) are imprecise. We used experiments and models to quantify measurement errors and their effects on assessment models for sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus). Errors in size data obscured modes from strong year classes and increased frequency and size of the largest and smallest sizes, potentially biasing growth, mortality, and biomass estimates. Modeling techniques for errors in age data proved useful for errors in size data. In terms of a goodness of model fit to the assessment data, it was more important to accommodate variance than bias. Models that accommodated size errors fitted size data substantially better. We recommend experimental quantification of errors along with a modeling approach that accommodates measurement errors because a direct algebraic approach was not robust and because error parameters were diff icult to estimate in our assessment model. The importance of measurement errors depends on many factors and should be evaluated on a case by case basis