Innovative approaches to recurrent training

Innovative approaches to recurrent training for regional airline aircrews are explored. Guidelines for recurrent training programs which include in corporation of cockpit resource management are discussed. B.W

Angiomatoid Fibrous Histiocytoma With ALK Expression in an Unusual Location and Age Group

Angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma (AFH) is a relatively rare soft tissue tumor of intermediate malignant potential, occurring most commonly in young adults, with a recognized propensity for local recurrence and occasional metastasis. A case of AFH occurring on the finger of a 60-year-old man is described in which the unusual location and age group for this entity raised the original wrong diagnosis of an aneurysmal and cellular fibrous histiocytoma. Further workup demonstrated an EWSR1-CREB1 translocation, confirming the correct diagnosis of AFH. Strong anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) expression using the antibody clone D5F3 was demonstrated in our case on immunohistochemistry, which is in concordance with recent findings of anaplastic lymphoma kinase positivity with this antibody in the majority of AFHs

Experiences of aspiring school principals receiving coaching as part of a leadership development programme

Purpose This paper adds depth to our understanding of how coaching works by exploring the experiences of 14 aspiring school principals who received one-to-one leadership coaching as part of a leadership development programme. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a phenomenological approach. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. Thematic analysis was used to code the data and identify themes. Findings This paper reports on four themes based on the experiences of the participants: having time to reflect, feeling safe to explore, focussing on what's important for me and experiencing positive emotions. Research limitations/implications The findings are unique to the participants who volunteered to take part in this study and therefore not representative of a general population of aspiring educational leaders. Further research is needed into the possible benefits of coaching to support educators undergoing leadership training. Practical implications The findings raise a potential dilemma within the teaching profession about the use of educators' time; while they need to give time and attention to multiple stakeholders, they also need to protect time for their own development and self-reflection. Based on the reported experiences of the participants in this study, it is recommended that coaching be considered a component of professional development for educational leaders. Originality/value This paper adds to the growing research base for coaching in education, providing a unique insight into the experiences of aspiring school principals who received one-to-one leadership coaching as part of a leadership development programme

Minority Stress, Campaign Messages and Political Participation during the Australian Marriage Plebiscite

Background: The health and wellbeing of sexual minorities is adversely impacted by a set of factors collectively known as minority stress. Recently, negative campaigns preceding gay-rights referenda have put further pressure on sexual minorities. However, active participation in political campaigns is expected to foster wellbeing. This study explores the mechanisms through which political campaigns affect negative emotions in sexual minorities. Method: We conducted a survey with 318 Australian sexual minority individuals during the campaign for the same-sex marriage postal vote in 2017. Results: As expected, exposure to negative campaign messages was associated with emotional distress. This association persisted controlling for the effects everyday stress. The effect of exposure to negative campaign messages was no longer significant when controlling for minority stressors like internalized homophobia, expectations of rejection, and everyday discrimination. Political participation was also associated with emotional distress. Post hoc analyses supported a model whereby minority stressors mediated the associations of campaign messages and political participation with distress. Conclusion: As public votes on the rights of sexual minorities become more common, it is important to develop models that can inform policy in protecting such minorities. Minority stress provides a flexible theoretical framework that can incorporate these new challenges

Contemporary practices of strength and conditioning coaches in professional soccer

This study describes the contemporary practices of strength and conditioning coaches in professional soccer. Fifty-two strength and conditioning coaches from professional leagues across 18 countries completed an online survey, consisting of 45 questions, with eight sections: (a) background information, (b) muscular strength and power development, (c) speed development, (d) plyometrics, (e) flexibility development, (f) physical testing, (g) technology use, and (h) programing. A frequency analysis was used to assess and report responses to fixed response questions, and thematic-analysis used for open-ended questions to create clear, identifiable and distinct themes. All strength and conditioning coaches were educated to degree level or higher, 65% held strength and conditioning certifications and 54% held soccer coaching certifications. Concentric (100%) and eccentric (98%) modes of resistance were the most commonly prescribed, whereas the squat (including variations) (52%) was deemed the most important exercise for soccer players. Hang clean (33%) and multiple hops/lunges (89%) were the most programed Olympic weightlifting and plyometric exercises. Global Positioning Systems (94%) were the most utilized technology-based equipment. Time, scheduling and fixtures were the biggest issues faced, which made it difficult to periodize training programs and apply appropriate training loads. Furthermore, strength and conditioning coaches would like to further integrate technology to comprehensively monitor and test players, while also believing that technology will continue to be developed and integrated in the future. Strength and conditioning coaches from professional soccer can use the information from this study to review current practices and also provide ideas for diversifying or modifying future practices

Calibration and Cross-Validation of Accelerometery for Estimating Movement Skills in Children Aged 8-12 Years

This study sought to calibrate triaxial accelerometery, worn on both wrists, waist and both ankles, during children’s physical activity (PA), with particular attention to object control motor skills performed at a fast and slow cadence, and to cross-validate the accelerometer cut-points derived from the calibration using an independent dataset. Twenty boys (10.1 ±1.5 years) undertook seven, five-minute bouts of activity lying supine, standing, running (4.5kmph−1) instep passing a football (fast and slow cadence), dribbling a football (fast and slow cadence), whilst wearing five GENEActiv accelerometers on their non-dominant and dominant wrists and ankles and waist. VO2 was assessed concurrently using indirect calorimetry. ROC curve analysis was used to generate cut-points representing sedentary, light and moderate PA. The cut-points were then cross-validated using independent data from 30 children (9.4 ± 1.4 years), who had undertaken similar activities whilst wearing accelerometers and being assessed for VO2. GENEActiv monitors were able to discriminate sedentary activity to an excellent level irrespective of wear location. For moderate PA, discrimination of activity was considered good for monitors placed on the dominant wrist, waist, non-dominant and dominant ankles but fair for the non-dominant wrist. Applying the cut-points to the cross-validation sample indicated that cut-points validated in the calibration were able to successfully discriminate sedentary behaviour and moderate PA to an excellent standard and light PA to a fair standard. Cut-points derived from this calibration demonstrate an excellent ability to discriminate children’s sedentary behaviour and moderate intensity PA comprising motor skill activity.N/

Occupational bladder cancer: a cross section survey of previous employments, tasks and exposures matched to cancer phenotypes

Objectives Up to 10% of Bladder Cancers may arise following occupational exposure to carcinogens. We hypothesised that different cancer phenotypes reflected different patterns of occupational exposure. Methods Consecutive participants, with bladder cancer, self-completed a structured questionnaire detailing employment, tasks, exposures, smoking, lifestyle and family history. Our primary outcome was association between cancer phenotype and occupational details. Results We collected questionnaires from 536 patients, of whom 454 (85%) participants (352 men and 102 women) were included. Women were less likely to be smokers (68% vs. 81% Chi sq. p<0.001), but more likely than men to inhale environmental tobacco smoke at home (82% vs. 74% p = 0.08) and use hair dye (56% vs. 3%, p<0.001). Contact with potential carcinogens occurred in 282 (62%) participants (mean 3.1 per worker (range 0–14)). High-grade cancer was more common than low-grade disease in workers from the steel, foundry, metal, engineering and transport industries (p<0.05), and in workers exposed to crack detection dyes, chromium, coal/oil/gas by-products, diesel fumes/fuel/aircraft fuel and solvents (such as trichloroethylene). Higher staged cancers were frequent in workers exposed to Chromium, coal products and diesel exhaust fumes/fuel (p<0.05). Various workers (e.g. exposed to diesel fuels or fumes (Cox, HR 1.97 (95% CI 1.31–2.98) p = 0.001), employed in a garage (HR 2.19 (95% CI 1.31–3.63) p = 0.001), undertaking plumbing/gas fitting/ventilation (HR 2.15 (95% CI 1.15–4.01) p = 0.017), undertaking welding (HR 1.85 (95% CI 1.24–2.77) p = 0.003) and exposed to welding materials (HR 1.92 (95% CI 1.27–2.91) p = 0.002)) were more likely to have disease progression and receive radical treatment than others. Fewer than expected deaths were seen in healthcare workers (HR 0.17 (95% CI 0.04–0.70) p = 0.014). Conclusions We identified multiple occupational tasks and contacts associated with bladder cancer. There were some associations with phenotype, although our study design precludes robust assessment

Direct observations of the atomic-molecular phase transition in the Milky Way's nuclear wind

Hundreds of high-velocity atomic gas clouds exist above and below the Galactic Centre, with some containing a molecular component. However, the origin of these clouds in the Milky Way's wind is unclear. This paper presents new high-resolution MeerKAT observations of three atomic gas clouds and studies the relationship between the atomic and molecular phases at $\sim 1$ pc scales. The clouds' atomic hydrogen column densities, $N_{\mathrm{HI}}$, are less than a \mbox{few}\times 10^{20} cm$^{-2}$, but the two clouds closest to the Galactic Centre nonetheless have detectable CO emission. This implies the presence of H$_{2}$ at levels of $N_{\mathrm{HI}}$ at least a factor of ten lower than in the typical Galactic interstellar medium. For the cloud closest to the Galactic Centre, there is little correlation between the $N_{\mathrm{HI}}$ and the probability that it will harbour detectable CO emissions. In contrast, for the intermediate cloud, detectable CO is heavily biased toward the highest values of $N_{\mathrm{HI}}$. The cloud most distant from the Galactic Centre has no detectable CO at similar $N_{\mathrm{HI}}$ values. Moreover, we find that the two clouds with detectable CO are too molecule-rich to be in chemical equilibrium, given the depths of their atomic shielding layers, which suggests a scenario whereby these clouds consist of pre-existing molecular gas from the disc that the Galactic wind has swept up, and that is dissociating into atomic hydrogen as it flows away from the Galaxy. We estimate that entrained molecular material of this type has a $\sim \mathrm{few}-10$ Myr lifetime before photodissociating.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables. Submitted to MNRA

Skin microvascular vasodilatory capacity in offspring of two parents with Type 2 diabetes

Aims&lt;br/&gt; Microvascular dysfunction occurs in Type 2 diabetes and in subjects with fasting hyperglycaemia. It is unclear whether this dysfunction relates to dysglycaemia. This study investigated in normogylcaemic individuals whether a genetic predisposition to diabetes, or indices of insulin resistance including endothelial markers, were associated with impaired microvascular function.&lt;br/&gt; Methods&lt;br/&gt; Maximum microvascular hyperaemia to local heating of the skin was measured using laser Doppler flowmetry in 21 normoglycaemic subjects with no family history of diabetes (Group 1) and 21 normoglycaemic age, sex and body mass index-matched offspring of two parents with Type 2 diabetes (Group 2). &lt;br/&gt;Results&lt;br/&gt; Although Group 2 had normal fasting plasma glucose and glucose tolerance tests, the 120-min glucose values were significantly higher at 6.4 (5.3-6.6) mmol/l (median (25th-75th centile)) than the control group at 4.9 (4.6-5.9) mmol/l (P=0.005) and the insulinogenic index was lower at 97.1 (60.9-130.8) vs. 124.0 (97.2-177.7) (P=0.027). Skin maximum microvascular hyperaemia (Group 1: 1.56 (1.39- 1.80) vs. Group 2: 1.53 (1.30-1.98) V, P=0.99) and minimum microvascular resistance which normalizes the hyperaemia data for blood pressure (Group 1: 52.0 (43.2-67.4) vs. Group 2: 56.0 (43.7-69.6) mmHgN, P=0.70) did not differ in the two groups. Significant positive associations occurred between minimum microvascular resistance and indices of the insulin resistance syndrome; plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (R-s=0.46, P=0.003), t-PA (R-s=0.36, P=0.03), total cholesterol (R-s=0.35, P=0.02), and triglyceride concentration (R-s=0.35, P=0.02), and an inverse association with insulin sensitivity (R-s=-0.33, P=0.03).&lt;br/&gt; Conclusions&lt;br/&gt; In normoglycaemic adults cutaneous microvascular vasodilatory capacity is associated with features of insulin resistance syndrome, particularly with plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1. A strong family history of Type 2 diabetes alone does not result in impairment in the maximum hyperaemic response