Conceptualizing Psychological Performance Enhancement in a Music Domain

Contrary to sport, the study of performance enhancement in music is at an earlier stage of development in its research, practice, and performer acceptance (Pecen, Collins, & MacNamara, 2016). In the absence of music performance enhancement research, practitioners frequently utilize sport as a template to inform both research and applied practice with musicians to optimize performance (Hays, 2002, 2012). While sport provides an evidence-based framework for studying performance enhancement, musicians have unique performance considerations that differ from athletes (Pecen et al., 2016), and these divergences in domains are not well understood. Using the McLeroy framework (McLeroy, Bibeau, Steckler, & Glanz, 1988), the purpose of this research was to conceptualize psychological performance enhancement (PPE) in a music domain. This purpose was achieved by way of two studies as part of a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011). Study 1 (N = 459) used descriptive surveys to identify musicians’ psychosocial responses to performance, the psychological skills and strategies that musicians use during practice/rehearsal and performance, and the professionals specialized in performance enhancement with whom musicians have worked. Building upon study 1, study 2 (N = 12) utilized interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA; Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009) to deeply explore musicians’ lived experiences of psychological performance enhancement. The results from descriptive and inferential statistical analyses revealed that the psychological skills musicians employ may not appropriately address their psychosocial responses to performance. Furthermore, musicians’ performance needs are limited by the psychological skills training (PST) model of practice (Hardy, Jones, & Gould, 1996), as musicians seem to benefit from more mindfulness and acceptance-based models of performance enhancement (Gardner & Moore, 2007) that consider the well-being of the total performer and the environmental context. Results from the IPA demonstrated that the musicians employed a plethora of general and music-specific coping strategies to optimize performance, and also discussed various health and wellness behaviors, the influence that “others” play in the performance process (e.g., instructors, family), the influence of the external environment (e.g., acoustics, audience), the role of the music community (e.g., supportive behaviors, unsupportive behaviors), as well as the perceived access to and utilization of support systems as they relate to PPE. Musicians also considered seeking a performance psychology professional, preferably one with a background in music performance, so long as an individualized person-centered approach was utilized. Results support a systems-based approach to evaluating PPE in a music domain. Recommendations for musicians, educators/instructors, and performance psychology professionals are discussed, in addition to concerns related to musicians’ access to psychological performance enhancement services

“Giving something back”: a systematic review and ethical enquiry into public views on the use of patient data for research in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland

Background: Use of patients’ medical data for secondary purposes such as health research, audit, and service planning is well established in the UK. However, the governance environment, as well as public understanding about this work, have lagged behind. We aimed to systematically review the literature on UK and Irish public views of patient data used in research, critically analysing such views though an established biomedical ethics framework, to draw out potential strategies for future good practice guidance and inform ethical and privacy debates. Methods: We searched three databases using terms such as patient, public, opinion, and electronic health records. Empirical studies were eligible for inclusion if they surveyed healthcare users, patients or the public in UK and Ireland and examined attitudes, opinions or beliefs about the use of patient data for medical research. Results were synthesised into broad themes using a framework analysis. Results: Out of 13,492 papers and reports screened, 20 papers or reports were eligible. While there was a widespread willingness to share patient data for research for the common good, this very rarely led to unqualified support. The public expressed two generalised concerns about the potential risks to their privacy. The first of these concerns related to a party’s competence in keeping data secure, while the second was associated with the motivation a party might have to use the data. Conclusions: The public evaluates trustworthiness of research organisations by assessing their competence in data-handling and motivation for accessing the data. Public attitudes around data-sharing exemplified several principles which are also widely accepted in biomedical ethics. This provides a framework for understanding public attitudes, which should be considered in the development in any guidance for regulators and data custodians. We propose four salient questions which decision makers should address when evaluating proposals for the secondary use of dat

Distinguishing between unorganized and organized convection when examining land-atmosphere relationships

In this study, the robustness of a previously developed classification system that categorizes convective thunderstorm events initiated during various synoptic and dynamic conditions is analyzed. This classification system was used to distinguish between organized and unorganized convection and then used to determine whether unorganized convection occurs preferentially over wet or dry soils. The focus is on 12 events that occurred in synoptically benign (SB) environments where the Great Plains low-level jet was not present (noLLJ), and whether these events were accurately classified as unorganized convection is evaluated. Although there is a small sample size, the results show that the classification system fails to differentiate between local unorganized convection and large-scale organized convection under SB–noLLJ conditions. The authors conclude that past studies that have used this classification to study how soil moisture influences unorganized convection should be revisited. Additional variables and/or alternative precipitation datasets should be employed to enhance the robustness of the classification system

Neuroprotection by Exogenous and Endogenous Neuregulin-1 in Mouse Models of Focal Ischemic Stroke.

Identifying novel neuroprotectants that can halt or reverse the neurological effects of stroke is of interest to both clinicians and scientists. We and others previously showed the pre-clinical neuroprotective efficacy of neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) in rats following focal brain ischemia. In this study, we examined neuroprotection by exogenous and endogenous NRG-1 using a mouse model of ischemic stroke. C57BL6 mice were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by reperfusion. NRG-1 or vehicle was infused intra-arterially (i.a.) or intravenously (i.v.) after MCAO and before the onset of reperfusion. NRG-1 treatment (16 μg/kg; i.a.) reduced cerebral cortical infarct volume by 72% in mice when delivered post-ischemia. NRG-1 also inhibited neuronal injury as measured by Fluoro Jade B labeling and rescued NeuN immunoreactivity in neurons. Neuroprotection by NRG-1 was also observed in mice when administered i.v. (100 μg/kg) in both male and female mice. We investigated whether endogenous NRG-1 was neuroprotective using male and female heterozygous NRG-1 knockout mice (NRG-1+/-) compared with wild-type mice (WT) littermates. NRG-1+/- and WT mice were subjected to MCAO for 45 min, and infarct size was measured 24 h following MCAO. NRG-1+/- mice displayed a sixfold increase in cortical infarct size compared with WT mice. These results demonstrate that NRG-1 treatment mitigates neuronal damage following cerebral ischemia. We further showed that reduced endogenous NRG-1 results in exacerbated neuronal injury in vivo. These findings suggest that NRG-1 represents a promising therapy to treat stroke in human patients

County Bridge Inspection Updates and LPA Certification

A 1-hour and 50 minute course reviewing the responsibilities of a Bridge ERC. Topics covered: the purpose of conducting bridge inspections, contracts between the LPA and Consultant and INDOT and the LPA and Bridge Inspection reports. This course satisfies Bridge ERC requirements for one year following completion, only required annually for ERCs responsible for managing county bridge inspections