Stories as personal coaching philosophy

The importance of coaches developing and articulating a personal coaching philosophy which encapsulates their values and beliefs is widely recognised. Yet it is also acknowledged that many coaches resist what appears an abstract task or find it to be of limited use in their day-to-day practice. In this paper we explore the potential of an alternative approach to developing and articulating a personal coaching philosophy: storytelling. Following a discussion of the potential of stories, we present a story written by one coach which expresses her personal philosophy in a way that is firmly rooted in her coaching practice. Storytelling approaches, we suggest, can reveal the connections between abstract/general philosophy and the personal embodied experience of coaching. We reflect on the possibilities and problems of using stories as philosophy and offer some suggestions for how coaches may be supported in developing their coaching philosophy through storytelling

Touch Screen Technology: Implementing a technologically-enhanced profiling system for student sport coaches

This exploratory case study evaluates the implementation and use by student coaches of an innovative coaching profiling system, Touch Screen Technology (TST), to assess coaching behaviours. The study was designed to evaluate the potential of this technologically-enhanced assessment system as a profiling option for gathering, storing, retrieving, and presenting data about coaching competences. The case study documents and evaluates trainee coaches’ (N=100) experiences of using TST during an internship, identifying the advantages and challenges of implementation, and evaluating the potential for coach education and development. Evidence was triangulated from questionnaires, journals, and interviews (N=20). The responses from the coaches were overwhelmingly positive. The touch screen technology, specified assessment criteria, and graphical profiling helped to integrate assessment into the program along with increased awareness and understanding of the assessment process. The students’ subsequent reflections on the components of the coaching process positively impacted their performance. The study concludes that TST has the potential to assist in enhancing the learning process and bridging the gap between education and practice. Attention is drawn to the challenges of implementation. Cette étude de cas exploratoire évalue la mise en œuvre et l’utilisation, par les élèves entraîneurs, d’un système innovateur de profilage d’entraîneurs, la technologie des écrans tactiles (« TÉT »), pour évaluer les comportements des entraîneurs. L’étude a été conçue pour évaluer le potentiel de ce système d’évaluation technologiquement amélioré comme option de profilage pour la collecte, l’entreposage, la récupération et la présentation de données sur les compétences des entraîneurs. L’étude de cas documente et évalue les expériences d’utilisation de la TÉT par les entraîneurs stagiaires (N=100) durant un stage tout en relevant les avantages et les défis liés à la mise en œuvre et en évaluant le potentiel pour la formation et le développement des entraîneurs. Les preuves ont été triangulées à partir de questionnaires, de journaux et d’entrevues (N=20). Les réponses des entraîneurs ont été très largement positives. La technologie des écrans tactiles, les critères d’évaluation précisés et le profilage graphique, tout comme la sensibilisation et la compréhension accrue du processus d’évaluation, ont aidé à intégrer l’évaluation au programme. Les réflexions subséquentes des élèves sur les composantes du processus d’entraînement ont eu une incidence positive sur leur rendement. L’étude conclut que la TÉT a le potentiel d’aider à améliorer le processus d’apprentissage et à combler l’écueil entre l’éducation et la pratique. L’étude attire l’attention vers les défis liés à la mise en œuvre

Late Miocene to Holocene high-resolution eastern equatorial Pacific carbonate records: stratigraphy linked by dissolution and paleoproductivity

Coherent variation in CaCO3 burial is a feature of the Cenozoic eastern equatorial Pacific. Nevertheless, there has been a long-standing ambiguity in whether changes in CaCO3 dissolution or changes in equatorial primary production might cause the variability. Since productivity and dissolution leave distinctive regional signals, a regional synthesis of data using updated age models and high-resolution stratigraphic correlation is an important constraint to distinguish between dissolution and production as factors that cause low CaCO3. Furthermore, the new chronostratigraphy is an important foundation for future paleoceanographic studies. The ability to distinguish between primary production and dissolution is also important to establish a regional carbonate compensation depth (CCD). We report late Miocene to Holocene time series of XRF-derived (X-ray fluorescence) bulk sediment composition and mass accumulation rates (MARs) from eastern equatorial Pacific Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) sites U1335, U1337, and U1338 and Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) site 849, and we also report bulk-density-derived CaCO3 MARs at ODP sites 848, 850, and 851. We use physical properties, XRF bulk chemical scans, and images along with available chronostratigraphy to intercorrelate records in depth space. We then apply a new equatorial Pacific age model to create correlated age records for the last 8 Myr with resolutions of 1–2 kyr. Large magnitude changes in CaCO3 and bio-SiO2 (biogenic opal) MARs occurred within that time period but clay deposition has remained relatively constant, indicating that changes in Fe deposition from dust is only a secondary feedback to equatorial productivity. Because clay deposition is relatively constant, ratios of CaCO3 % or biogenic SiO2 % to clay emulate changes in biogenic MAR. We define five major Pliocene–Pleistocene low CaCO3 % (PPLC) intervals since 5.3 Ma. Two were caused primarily by high bio-SiO2 burial that diluted CaCO3 (PPLC-2, 1685–2135 ka, and PPLC-5, 4465–4737 ka), while three were caused by enhanced dissolution of CaCO3 (PPLC-1, 51–402 ka, PPLC-3, 2248–2684 ka, and PPLC-4, 2915–4093 ka). Regional patterns of CaCO3 % minima can distinguish between low CaCO3 caused by high diatom bio-SiO2 dilution versus lows caused by high CaCO3 dissolution. CaCO3 dissolution can be confirmed through scanning XRF measurements of Ba. High diatom production causes lowest CaCO3 % within the equatorial high productivity zone, while higher dissolution causes lowest CaCO3 percent at higher latitudes where CaCO3 production is lower. The two diatom production intervals, PPLC-2 and PPLC-5, have different geographic footprints from each other because of regional changes in eastern Pacific nutrient storage after the closure of the Central American Seaway. Because of the regional variability in carbonate production and sedimentation, the carbonate compensation depth (CCD) approach is only useful to examine large changes in CaCO3 dissolution

Lack of reproducibility of linkage results in serially measured blood pressure data

BACKGROUND: Using the longitudinal Framingham Heart Study data on blood pressure, we analyzed the reproducibility of linkage measures from serial cross-sectional surveys of a defined population by performing genome-wide model-free linkage analyses to systolic blood pressure (SBP) and history of hypertension (HTN) measured at five separate time points. RESULTS: The heritability of SBP was relatively stable over time, ranging from 11.6 to 23.5% (coefficient of variation = 25.7%). However, the variability in linkage results was much greater. The average correlation in LOD scores at any pair of time points was 0.46 for HTN (NPL All LOD) and 0.17 for SBP (Variance Components LOD). No evidence of reproducible linkage results was found, with a mean κ of 0.02 for linkage to HTN and -0.03 for SBP linkage. At loci with potential evidence for linkage (LOD > 1.0 at one or more time points), the correlation was even lower. The coefficient of variation at loci with potential evidence of linkage was 126% for HTN and 135% for SBP. None of 15 chromosomal regions for HTN and only one of 28 regions for SBP with potential evidence for linkage had a LOD > 1.0 at more than two of the five time points. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that, although heritability estimates at different time points are relatively robust, the reproducibility of linkage results in serial cross-sectional samples of a geographically defined population at successive time points is poor. This may explain in part the difficulty encountered in replicating linkage studies of complex phenotypes

Summary of the High Ice Water Content (HIWC) RADAR Flight Campaigns

NASA and the FAA conducted two flight campaigns to quantify onboard weather radar measurements with in-situ measurements of high concentrations of ice crystals found in deep convective storms. The ultimate goal of this research was to improve the understanding and develop onboard weather radar processing to detect regions of high ice water content ahead of an aircraft and enable tactical avoidance of the potentially hazardous conditions. Both High Ice Water Content (HIWC) RADAR campaigns utilized the NASA DC-8 Airborne Science Laboratory which was equipped with a Honeywell RDR-4000 weather radar and icing instruments to characterize the ice crystal clouds. The purpose of this paper is to summarize how these campaigns were conducted and highlight key results

Genome-wide linkage analysis of longitudinal phenotypes using σ(2)(A )random effects (SSARs) fitted by Gibbs sampling

The study of change in intermediate phenotypes over time is important in genetics. In this paper we explore a new approach to phenotype definition in the genetic analysis of longitudinal phenotypes. We utilized data from the longitudinal Framingham Heart Study Family Cohort to investigate the familial aggregation and evidence for linkage to change in systolic blood pressure (SBP) over time. We used Gibbs sampling to derive sigma-squared-A-random-effects (SSARs) for the longitudinal phenotype, and then used these as a new phenotype in subsequent genome-wide linkage analyses. Additive genetic effects (σ(2)(A.time)) were estimated to account for ~9.2% of the variance in the rate of change of SBP with age, while additive genetic effects (σ(2)(A)) were estimated to account for ~43.9% of the variance in SBP at the mean age. The linkage results suggested that one or more major loci regulating change in SBP over time may localize to chromosomes 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 17, and 19. The results also suggested that one or more major loci regulating level of SBP may localize to chromosomes 3, 8, and 14. Our results support a genetic component to both SBP and change in SBP with age, and are consistent with a complex, multifactorial susceptibility to the development of hypertension. The use of SSARs derived from quantitative traits as input to a conventional linkage analysis appears to be valuable in the linkage analysis of genetically complex traits. We have now demonstrated in this paper the use of SSARs in the context of longitudinal family data

MCG+00-32-16: An Irregular Galaxy Close to the Lowest Redshift Absorber on the 3C 273 Line of Sight

MCG+00-32-16 is the galaxy closest in position-velocity space to the lowest redshift Ly$\alpha$ absorber along the line-of-sight to the quasar 3C 273. Its projected separation is 204 (d/19 Mpc) kpc, where d is the distance from the Milky Way to the galaxy, and the redshift difference is only 94 km/s; HI 1225+01 is slightly closer in projected separation to the absorber, but has a greater redshift difference. We present HI synthesis array mapping and CCD photometry in B and R for MCG+00-32-16. The HI disk is rotating in such a way that the side of the galaxy closer to the sight-line to the quasar has the larger velocity difference from the absorber. The absorber may be a ``failed dwarf'' member of a poor galaxy group of which MCG+00-32-16 and HI 1225+01 are the only members to have formed stars.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, accepted by Astrophysical Journa

Geometry unites synchrony, chimeras, and waves in nonlinear oscillator networks

One of the simplest mathematical models in the study of nonlinear systems is the Kuramoto model, which describes synchronization in systems from swarms of insects to superconductors. We have recently found a connection between the original, real-valued nonlinear Kuramoto model and a corresponding complex-valued system that permits describing the system in terms of a linear operator and iterative update rule. We now use this description to investigate three major synchronization phenomena in Kuramoto networks (phase synchronization, chimera states, and traveling waves), not only in terms of steady state solutions but also in terms of transient dynamics and individual simulations. These results provide new mathematical insight into how sophisticated behaviors arise from connection patterns in nonlinear networked systems