Exploring bodily sensations experienced during flow states in professional national hunt jockeys: a connecting analysis

Previous research has suggested that distinct bodily sensations are experienced by athletes during flow states, and could represent a sport-specific characteristic of this phenomenon. This study aimed to enrich understanding about bodily sensations and flow states in sport by exploring this experience in national hunt jockeys. The interspecies nature of horse-rider partnerships accentuates the importance of bodily awareness in equestrian sports. Therefore, horse racing provided a fertile context in which to investigate bodily sensations experienced during flow states in sport. In-depth, semi-structured interviews exploring the experience of flow in horse racing were undertaken with 10 professional national hunt jockeys (M age = 28.1 years). Data were interpreted iteratively using inductive categorising/thematic and connecting analyses. Present findings suggested that flow states in jockeys produce an idiosyncratic and multifaceted sensory experience, and indicated that altered physical perceptions during flow were not restricted to kinaesthetic properties. Jockeys explained that distinct bodily sensations were experienced during flow states, and described alterations in their perceptions of kinaesthetic ‘feel’, balance, arousal and strength of touch. Each of these bodily sensations was discussed in relation to sensory information received from the horse, and a connecting analysis enlightened the factors underlying the realisation of these unique bodily sensations that accompanied flow states. Findings are discussed with respect to the existing literature on flow in sport and recommendations for future research are outlined. Further, possible considerations regarding the inclusion of bodily sensations as a characteristic of the flow experience in sport are outlined

Engage and enjoy: investigating predictors of employee engagement and work satisfaction in equine veterinary professionals

Introduction: Individuals working in the field of veterinary care are regularly affected by their profession. High levels of responsibility to often provide life-saving health care to animals combined with having to manage owners' expectations and irregular working hours can cause considerable levels of work-related stress among professionals in equine veterinary practice. On the positive side, research also shows that working in the veterinary profession can have a positive impact on personal wellbeing and feelings of fulfillment. A limited number of studies has investigated work satisfaction and engagement among veterinarians across the globe, and none specifically in the equine veterinary work field. The aim of the current study was to identify relevant predictors of employee engagement and work satisfaction in relation to demographic and work environment related factors in the equine veterinary profession. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to investigate work satisfaction and employee engagement among equine veterinary professionals from the UK, the US and the Netherlands using an online survey. Results: Results suggest that levels of work engagement and satisfaction in the veterinary profession may be gauged using four factors. These factors encompass Pride and purpose (the extent to which personal core values align with the mission of the employer, i.e., the veterinary practice), Company culture and relationship with management (the manner in which staff members interact with each other and the management), Working conditions and compensation (formal employment conditions relating to responsibilities and rewards and levels of collegiality) and Team culture and learning possibilities (encouragement to pursue personal and professional growth). Discussion: Findings underline the importance of being particularly mindful of inexperienced colleagues, those with demanding family commitments and, where feasible, of providing employees with a modicum of autonomy in order to ensure a satisfied equine veterinary workforce

A new vibroplasty coupling technique as a treatment for conductive and mixed hearing losses: a report of 4 cases

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to report on experiences regarding the safety and efficacy of the Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) using a floating mass transducer (FMT)-partial/total ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORP/TORP) assembly as a treatment for conductive and mixed hearing losses of mild-to-moderate/severe degree. The secondary objective was to gather information regarding device fitting, as well as to refine surgical procedures. PATIENTS: Five German-speaking adults from 2 European study sites were implanted with a VSB using an FMT-PORP/TORP assembly and evaluated before and after surgery for air-and bone-conduction thresholds and speech recognition performance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Evaluating the safety and efficacy of the VSB in combination with a PORP or TORP to treat conductive and mixed hearing loss. RESULTS: Residual cochlear hearing was unaffected by implantation with the device. Functional gain (measured as the difference between preoperative unaided and postoperative VSB-aided thresholds) could be calculated in 2 of 5 subjects, demonstrating that the VSB is effective in treating bone-conduction hearing losses of moderate/severe degree. Word recognition tests in quiet and noise showed good improvement in 3 of the cases. One patient experienced several other medical problems, making her audiological outcomes limited. One patient was excluded from the study owing to insufficient benefit and subsequently underwent revision surgery with FMT placement at the round window. CONCLUSION: The use of the VSB, implanted using the FMT-PORP/TORP assembly, was safe in all and efficacious in 3 of the 5 cases in this study. These are patients who may have few, if any, other options to manage their hearing loss

Definitionsstudie ueber Modulare Multi-Sensor Instrumentierung fuer die Meeresforschung und -ueberwachung Abschlussbericht

For the airborne remote sensing system EUROMAR-SEASTARS currently being developed under the EUREKA programme, a sensor package is compiled considering active and passive, optical and microwave, imaging and profiling instruments. It integrates synthetic aperture radar (SAR), forward looking radar (flar), laser fluorosensor (LSF) and microwave (1.4, 5.6, 18, 36, 90 GHz) radiometer. This set of instruments is designed to be modular and therefore an optimal subset can be chosen depending on the scientific task of the mission. All instruments are connected through a common bus and real-time images or data displays show the state of the surrounding sea. Sensor and housekeeping data, recorded on-board on standardized storage media, will be distributed among interested users. (WEN)Available from TIB Hannover: F96B1573+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie (BMFT), Bonn (Germany); Commission of the European Communities (CEC), Brussels (Belgium)DEGerman