Reflections of a novice sports science lecturer: perceptions of the challenges and sources of support

Original article can be found at: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/johlsteA lecturer is typically required to perform the roles of administrator, teacher, personal tutor, researcher and consultant. This article aims to highlight the main perceived demands and challenges a novice sports science university lecturer is likely to face within each of these roles and possible ways to overcome these challenges. A number of sources of support are identified which can ensure a novice lecturer maintains the focus of their work during the early stages of their career and continues their professional development.Peer reviewe

The epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections in the United Kingdom: impact of behaviour, services and interventions

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a major public health concern. The United Kingdom (UK) has some of the most advanced STI surveillance systems globally. This review uses national surveillance data to describe remarkable changes in STI epidemiology in the UK over the last century and explores behavioural and demographic shifts that may explain these trends. The past ten years have seen considerable improvements in STI service provision and the introduction of national public health interventions. However, sexual health inequalities persist and men who have sex with men, young adults and black ethnic minorities remain a priority for interventions. Technological advances in testing and a shift in sexual health service commissioning arrangements will present both opportunities and challenges in future

The Co-ordination of Swimmeret Movements in the Crayfish, Procambarus Clarkii (Girard)

1. Electrical activity recorded in the first roots of the abdominal nerve cord show bursts of activity which accompany rhythmic movements of the swimmerets. These bursts persist when a root is cut distal to the electrodes. 2. Proprioceptive impulses have been recorded from the distal portion of these nerves during passive movements of the swimmerets. They have also been recorded in the connectives during both passive and active movements. 3. Cutting all second and third roots of the abdominal ganglia does not interfere with the rhythmic swimmeret movements of the isolated abdomen. Rhythmic efferent bursts persist in first roots even when only a single first root remains intact in such a preparation. 4. Intermittent bursts are also found in the first roots of a completely isolated cord but their pattern, frequency and phase relationships differ from those recorded in the same roots before isolation was completed. Such bursts are very rare in second and third roots. 5. Stimulation of small bundles of fibres in the circumoesophageal commissure produces well-defined inhibitory and excitatory effects on the discharge of single units in the first roots. 6. One specific bundle found in many preparations, when stimulated at 50/sec., caused a tonic retraction of all the swimmerets which then began to beat rhythmically and continued to do so when stimulation was discontinued. 7. Intermittent bursts in the first roots took place with correct phasing during this stimulation even when the abdominal ganglia were isolated except for their connexion with the last thoracic ganglion. Again, such bursts were absent in the second and third roots. 8. It is concluded that both the inflow from peripheral proprioceptors and intrinsic properties of the central ganglia play essential parts in the co-ordination of the metachronal movements of the swimmerets

Neuronal Pathways and Synaptic Connexions in the Abdominal Cord of the Crayfish

1. An investigation has been made into the function and distribution of nerve fibres in the abdominal ganglion chain and its roots in the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, by leading off action potentials from small prepared bundles following sensory stimulation. 2 .The sensory fields belonging to the first and second roots of each abdominal ganglion were determined, and the antero-posterior pathway of sensory fibres within the cord noted. It was found that the primary sensory fibres of the dorsal muscle receptor organs, entering through the second root, send out an anterior branch to the brain and a posterior one to the last ganglion. For most other sensory fibres much shorter intracentral branches are indicated, though some of them extend for two ganglia in the anterior direction and for one posteriorly. All sensory fibres in the connectives run on the same side as they enter. 3. The segmental divisions of the external skeleton and of the nervous system do not coincide, the neural segment slants in a posterior dorsal direction with respect to the skeletal one. 4. For the majority of the interneurones which innervate more than two abdominal segments it has been proved that they synapse with primary sensory fibres in each of the ganglia that these enter. Depending on the segment stimulated with respect to the leading-off position, both ascending and descending impulses are obtained in such interneurones and collision of the impulses has been observed. Some consequences of this type of integration are discussed. 5. For interneurones responding to bilateral or heterolateral stimulation the course of the impulses proved to be of at least two types. In some, cutting the fibre prevents the arrival of impulses except those set up on the side of the cut from which the recording is made. In others, recording from either side of the cut fibre does not exclude any of the sensory fields to which the fibre normally responded. 6. At least one interneurone is present in which all primary sensory fibres from the different segments to whose activity it responds collect in one ganglion

The relationship between independence, inclusion and well-being: the perspective of older citizens living in Coventry, U.K.

Independence, inclusion and wellbeing are commonly seen in a complementary relationship in policy and research literature. This paper examines the meaning of these terms for older citizens living in Coventry and the implications for policy implementation. The data presented, obtained from a large community survey of citizens of 55 years and over living in Coventry, found that although most survey participants were able to function independently, participate in ordinary community life and enjoyed reasonable physical and mental health, many others experienced a series of significant barriers to inclusion and wellbeing. The paper concludes that there is no automatic convergence between independence, inclusion and wellbeing at the level of the individual citizen and that to address this issue, more socially inclusive rather than individualistic forms of independence may be more appropriate goals for local public agencie

One Action System or Two? Evidence for Common Central Preparatory Mechanisms in Voluntary and Stimulus-Driven Actions

Human behavior is comprised of an interaction between intentionally driven actions and reactions to changes in the environment. Existing data are equivocal concerning the question of whether these two action systems are independent, involve different brain regions, or overlap. To address this question we investigated whether the degree to which the voluntary action system is activated at the time of stimulus onset predicts reaction times to external stimuli.Werecorded event-related potentials while participants prepared and executed left- or right-hand voluntary actions, which were occasionally interrupted by a stimulus requiring either a left- or right-hand response. In trials where participants successfully performed the stimulus-driven response, increased voluntary motor preparation was associated with faster responses on congruent trials (where participants were preparing a voluntary action with the same hand that was then required by the target stimulus), and slower responses on incongruent trials. This suggests that early hand-specific activity in medial frontal cortex for voluntary action trials can be used by the stimulus-driven system to speed responding. This finding questions the clear distinction between voluntary and stimulus-driven action systems. © 2011 the authors

Attendance of MSM at Genitourinary Medicine services in England: implications for selective HPV vaccination programme (a short communication)

Background Human papillomaviruses (HPV) immunisation programmes for female adolescents in the UK offer relatively little benefit to men who have sex with men (MSM). Targeted HPV vaccination for MSM may reduce the high incidence of HPV-related disease among MSM. We used national data from sexual health clinics to calculate the number of MSM attending these clinics throughout England from 2009 to 2014 and to identify their characteristics, to inform the implementation of a targeted HPV vaccination programme in MSM. Methods We used the Genitourinary Medicine Clinic Activity Dataset (GUMCADv2) to obtain data for men aged 15–70 years who had attended a GUM clinic in England from 2009 to 2014. We analysed both numbers of MSM attending and number of GUM attendances, age at first attendance, ethnicity and geographical area of the clinic in England. Results A total of 374 983 MSM attended sexual health services in England between 2009 and 2014. Median age of presentation was 32 years (IQR 25–41) and showed regional geographical variation. Of all men attending sexual health clinics in England, the highest proportion of those identifying as MSM was in London (21%). Excluding visits within 1 month of an initial attendance, 49% of all MSM re-attended within 12 months and 58% within 24 months. MSM aged ≥36 years reattended more frequently than younger MSM. 51% reattended at least twice within 24 months of initial visit. Conclusions The majority of MSM reattend clinic at least once within a 24-month period, potentially facilitating the delivery of a three-dose HPV vaccination programme. This would reduce the burden on sexual health clinics and cost to local authorities due to extra visits if HPV vaccination were to be delivered through these services

Developing a Conceptual Framework of Seroadaptive Behaviors in HIV-Diagnosed Men Who Have Sex With Men

Background. Seroadaptive behaviors are strategies employed by men who have sex with men (MSM) to reduce the transmission risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It has been suggested that they contribute to the increasing diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections in HIV-diagnosed MSM. To understand the context in which the reemerging sexually transmitted infections appear, we developed a social epidemiological model incorporating the multiple factors influencing seroadaptive behaviors. Methods. A literature review of seroadaptive behaviors in HIV-diagnosed MSM was conducted. The literature was synthesized using a social epidemiological perspective. Results. Seroadaptive behaviors are adopted by MSM in high-income countries and are a way for HIV-diagnosed men to manage and enjoy their sexual lives. Influences are apparent at structural, community, interpersonal, and intrapersonal levels. There is little evidence of whether and when the behavior forms part of a premeditated strategy; it seems dependent on the social context and on time since HIV diagnosis. Social rules of HIV disclosure and perception of risk depend on the setting where partners are encountered. Conclusions. Seroadaptive behaviors are strongly context dependent and can reduce or increase transmission risk for different infectious diseases. Further data collection and mathematical modeling can help us explore the specific conditions in more detail