Professionalism, Golf Coaching and a Master of Science Degree: A commentary

As a point of reference I congratulate Simon Jenkins on tackling the issue of professionalism in coaching. As he points out coaching is not a profession, but this does not mean that coaching would not benefit from going through a professionalization process. As things stand I find that the stimulus article unpacks some critically important issues of professionalism, broadly within the context of golf coaching. However, I am not sure enough is made of understanding what professional (golf) coaching actually is nor how the development of a professional golf coach can be facilitated by a Master of Science Degree (M.Sc.). I will focus my commentary on these two issues

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Breeding new varieties of atemoya (Annona spp. hybrids)

Breeding and selection in atemoya (Annona spp. hybrids) has been much neglected. Few new cultivars of atemoya have been selected in the past 20 years due to the small population of naturally occurring seedlings. Considerable recent progress has been made in selecting new types, identifying appropriate parents and gaining an understanding of the inheritance of desirable traits in atemoya. Inter-varietal crosses have been made between the best selections of atemoya and the main commercial cultivars such as African Pride, Pink’s Mammoth and Hillary White. Interspecific crosses have also been made between four different species: A. cherimola (cherimoya), A. squamosa (sugar apple), A. reticulata (Bullock’s Heart) and A. diversifolia (Ilama). Some 8 000 breeding lines have been field planted since 1992. An alternative approach to conventional breeding using mutation techniques is also being evaluated. Early results indicate that it may be feasible to produce tetraploids using colchicine applications to juvenile buds. Ten advanced selections are being trialed at six evaluation sites throughout Queensland and northern NSW. The program has successfully developed hybrids with red skin colour and pink internal flesh. Red skin colour may be carried by either a single or double recessive gene. Fruit symmetry, flesh recovery and flavour characteristics of some crosses are excellent. To date, one advanced selection, Maroochy Gold, has been named

BREEDING AND SELECTING NEW VARIETIES AND ROOTSTOCKS OF CUSTARD APPLE (ANNONA SPP. HYBRIDS) IN SUBTROPICAL AUSTRALIA

Considerable progress has been made in selecting new types and gaining an understanding of the inheritance of desirable traits in custard apple. Inter-varietal crosses were made between the best selections of custard apple and the main commercial cultivars such as ‘KJ Pinks’, ‘Maroochy Gold’, ‘Palethorpe’ and ‘Maroochy Yellow’. Inter-specific crosses were made between four different species, Annona cherimola (cherimoya), A. squamosa (sugar apple), A. reticulata (Bullock’s Heart) and A. diversifolia (Ilama). Some 15 000 breeding lines were field planted since 1998. Alternative breeding approaches were also evaluated. Fifteen advanced selections from the breeding program are being trialed at six evaluation sites throughout Queensland and northern NSW. The program has successfully developed hybrids with red skin colour and pink internal flesh. Red skin colour was found to be controlled by either a single or double recessive genes. Rootstocks with potential dwarfing characteristics such as shortened internodes and short, bushy stature have also been selected out of seedling progeny. These selections are in the process of being clonally propagated for future field-testing with a range of new scion varieties

Breeding strategies for atemoya and cherimoya

Current production of annonas in Australia is mainly based on atemoya (Annona squamosa x Annona cherimola) hybrids. Very little cherimoya (Annona cherimola) is grown. Fruit quality and/or yield of atemoyas and cherimoyas are highly variable. Consumer acceptance for the fruit could be markedly increased by improving both internal (seed number, flavour) and external (shape, blemish, symmetry) fruit quality characteristics. A major breeding programme, funded by the Australian Custard Apple Growers Association, has been initiated. The objective of this breeding programme is to select new varieties of atemoya with smooth skin, symmetrical shape, low seed number (less than 10 seeds per 100 g of pulp), low susceptibility to blemish and high level of self-pollination, eliminating the need for labour intensive and expensive hand-pollination. The breeding programme is using a multi-pronged approach in achieving its breeding objectives. A conventional breeding programme using polycrosses of 11 of the best, advanced selections/cultivars (‘Hillary White’, ‘Martin’, ‘Paxton’, ‘MHRS Gold’, ‘MHRS Red’, ‘Palethorpe’, ‘R11-T3’; ‘R11-T4’; ‘R11-T6’; ‘Ruby Queen’, ‘Bullock's Heart’) has been initiated. The breeding programme will also attempt to develop seedless cultivars by first producing tetraploids either through gamma irradiation or colchicine and then crossing to diploids to produce seedless triploids. Other approaches such as embryo rescue of crosses of reported seedless selections of A. cherimola and currently available seedless A. squamosa may also be feasible. The programme has introduced red and pink skin-coloured germplasm (A. reticulata, A. reticulata x A. cherimola hybrids) from Florida and crosses to transfer skin colour genes into the best of the Australian selections and varieties are currently being developed

Delirium in hospitalised adults with acute burns – A systematic review

Introduction: Delirium is a potentially modifiable, acutely altered mental state, commonly characterised as a hospital-acquired complication. Studies of adult inpatients with acute burns with and without delirium identify causative risks related to the injury or treatment and outcomes related to the patient and healthcare system. We compare patients with and without delirium, providing a high-level quantitative synthesis of delirium risks and outcomes to inform guidelines and future research. Methods: A systematic review, meta-analysis and GRADE evaluation of risks and outcomes associated with delirium in adults with acute burns was conducted using PRISMA guidelines and PROSPERO protocol CRD42021283055. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess quality. Results: Investigators reviewed ten studies. ASA score ≥ 3, Total Body Surface Area Percentage (TBSA) \u3e 10%, surgery done, ICU admission, hospital and also Intensive Care Unit (ICU) lengths of stay all had statistically significant associations with delirium, with low-very low certainty on GRADE evaluation. Limitations were heterogeneous studies, review methodology and study bias. Conclusion: Delirium represents a significant risk to comorbid patients with burns that are hospitalised, receive ICU care, and surgery. Further research is indicated to precisely categorise delirium along the clinical journey to identify modifiable factors, prevention, and proactive therapy