Teeing up for success: The effects of rational and irrational self-talk on the putting performance of amateur golfers

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd The investigation of rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) in sport settings is growing, but controlled experimental field studies are sparse. In the limited extant literature, researchers have found that irrational (extreme, rigid, and illogical) self-talk leads to disrupted motor skill performance, compared to rational (non-extreme, flexible, and logical) self-talk. However, methodological limitations of past research and the absence of sport-relevant tasks limit the application of findings to athletic settings. Therefore, the current study examined the effects of rational and irrational self-talk on the pressured putting performance of amateur golfers, by adopting a controlled and field-based experimental study design. A two-way repeated-measures ANCOVA, controlling for baseline putting ability, revealed that golfers' putting accuracy was significantly better when using rational self-talk than when using irrational self-talk. In addition, one-samples and paired-samples t-tests showed that golfers reported that rational self-talk was more usable than the irrational self-talk, and perceived the rational self-talk to be more facilitative than the irrational self-talk for their putting performance. The results are discussed with reference to potential explanatory mechanisms, study limitations, and future research needs

Motion characteristics of the vertebral segments with lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis in elderly patients

Objective Although some studies have reported on the kinematics of the lumbar segments with degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS), few data have been reported on the in vivo 6 degree-of-freedom kinematics of different anatomical structures of the diseased levels under physiological loading conditions. This research is to study the in vivo motion characteristics of the lumbar vertebral segments with L4 DS during weight-bearing activities. Methods Nine asymptomatic volunteers (mean age 54.4) and 9 patients with L4 DS (mean age 73.4) were included. Vertebral kinematics was obtained using a combined MRI/CT and dual fluoroscopic imaging technique. During functional postures (supine, standing upright, flexion, and extension), disc heights, vertebral motion patterns and instability were compared between the two groups. Results Although anterior disc heights were smaller in the DS group than in the normal group, the differences were only significant at standing upright. Posterior disc heights were significantly smaller in DS group than in the normal group under all postures. Different vertebral motion patterns were observed in the DS group, especially in the left–right and cranial–caudal directions during flexion and extension of the body. However, the range of motions of the both groups were much less than the reported criteria of lumbar spinal instability. Conclusion The study showed that lumbar vertebra with DS has disordered motion patterns. DS did not necessary result in vertebral instability. A restabilization process may have occurred and surgical treatment should be planned accordingly.China Scholarship CouncilNational Institutes of Health (U.S.) (R21AR057 989

Rapid cell separation with minimal manipulation for autologous cell therapies

The ability to isolate specific, viable cell populations from mixed ensembles with minimal manipulation and within intra-operative time would provide significant advantages for autologous, cell-based therapies in regenerative medicine. Current cell-enrichment technologies are either slow, lack specificity and/or require labelling. Thus a rapid, label-free separation technology that does not affect cell functionality, viability or phenotype is highly desirable. Here, we demonstrate separation of viable from non-viable human stromal cells using remote dielectrophoresis, in which an electric field is coupled into a microfluidic channel using shear-horizontal surface acoustic waves, producing an array of virtual electrodes within the channel. This allows high-throughput dielectrophoretic cell separation in high conductivity, physiological-like fluids, overcoming the limitations of conventional dielectrophoresis. We demonstrate viable/non-viable separation efficacy of > 98% in pre-purified mesenchymal stromal cells, extracted from human dental pulp, with no adverse effects on cell viability, or on their subsequent osteogenic capabilities

Determining the best method for first-line assessment of neonatal blood glucose levels

Objective: To evaluate and compare the accuracy and performance of two electrochemical glucose meters. To determine the user acceptability of these glucose meters and the ABL 620 Blood Gas Analyser (Radiometer, Copenhagen, Denmark) with an electrochemical glucose oxidase electrode for use in a Level 2 special care baby unit

Self-management interventions for type 2 diabetes in adult people with severe mental illness (Protocol)

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of diabetes self-management (DSM) interventions for people with type 2 diabetes with severe mental illness (SMI)

Primary health care for Aboriginal Australian women in remote communities after a pregnancy with hyperglycaemia

Background: Hyperglycaemia in pregnancy contributes to adverse outcomes for women and their children. The postpartum period is an opportune time to support women to reduce cardiometabolic and diabetes risk in subsequent pregnancies. Aims: To identify strengths and gaps in current care for Aboriginal women after a pregnancy complicated by hyperglycaemia. Methods: A retrospective review of the 12 month postpartum care provided by primary health centres in remote Australia in 2013-2014 identified 195 women who experienced hyperglycaemia in pregnancy (gestational diabetes (GDM) (n = 147), type 2 diabetes (T2D) (n = 39), and unclear diabetes status (n = 9)). RESULTS: Only 80 women (54%) with GDM had postpartum glycaemic checks. Of these, 32 women were diagnosed with prediabetes (n = 24) or diabetes (n = 8). Compared to women with GDM, women with T2D were more likely to have their weight measured (75% vs. 52%, p <0.01), and smoking status documented as "discussed" (65% vs. 34%, p < 0.01). Most women (97%) accessed the health centre at least once in the 12 month postpartum period but, during these visits, only 52% of women had service provision, either structured or opportunistic, related to diabetes. Conclusion: High rates of dysglycaemia among women screened for T2D after GDM in the 12 month postpartum period highlight the need for increased screening and early intervention to prevent the development of T2D and its complications. Whilst a clear strength was high postpartum attendance, many women did not attend health services for diabetes screening or management.Anna Wood, Diana MacKay, Dana Fitzsimmons, Ruth Derkenne, Renae Kirkham, Jacqueline A. Boyle, Christine Connors, Cherie Whitbread, Alison Welsh, Alex Brown, Jonathan E. Shaw, and Louise Maple-Brow

Establishment of a core outcome set for burn care research: development and international consensus

Objective: To develop a core outcome set for international burn research.Design: Development and international consensus, from April 2017 to November 2019.Methods: Candidate outcomes were identified from systematic reviews and stakeholder interviews. Through a Delphi survey, international clinicians, researchers, and UK patients prioritised outcomes. Anonymised feedback aimed to achieve consensus. Pre-defined criteria for retaining outcomes were agreed. A consensus meeting with voting was held to finalise the core outcome set.Results: Data source examination identified 1021 unique outcomes grouped into 88 candidate outcomes. Stakeholders in round 1 of the survey, included 668 health professionals from 77 countries (18% from low or low middle income countries) and 126 UK patients or carers. After round 1, one outcome was discarded, and 13 new outcomes added. After round 2, 69 items were discarded, leaving 31 outcomes for the consensus meeting. Outcome merging and voting, in two rounds, with prespecified thresholds agreed seven core outcomes: death, specified complications, ability to do daily tasks, wound healing, neuropathic pain and itch, psychological wellbeing, and return to school or work.Conclusions: This core outcome set caters for global burn research, and future trials are recommended to include measures of these outcomes

End points for sickle cell disease clinical trials: patient-reported outcomes, pain, and the brain

To address the global burden of sickle cell disease (SCD) and the need for novel therapies, the American Society of Hematology partnered with the US Food and Drug Administration to engage the work of 7 panels of clinicians, investigators, and patients to develop consensus recommendations for clinical trial end points. The panels conducted their work through literature reviews, assessment of available evidence, and expert judgment focusing on end points related to: patient-reported outcomes (PROs), pain (non-PROs), the brain, end-organ considerations, biomarkers, measurement of cure, and low-resource settings. This article presents the findings and recommendations of the PROs, pain, and brain panels, as well as relevant findings and recommendations from the biomarkers panel. The panels identify end points, where there were supporting data, to use in clinical trials of SCD. In addition, the panels discuss where further research is needed to support the development and validation of additional clinical trial end points

Dynamic acoustic-articulatory relations in back vowel fronting:Examining the effects of coda consonants in two dialects of British English

This study examines dynamic acoustic-articulatory relations in back vowels, focusing on the effect of different coda consonants on acoustic-articulatory dynamics in the production of vowel contrast. This paper specifically investigates the contribution of the tongue and the lips in modifying F2 in the FOOT-GOOSE contrast in English, using synchronized acoustic and electromagnetic articulography data collected from 16 speakers. The vowels FOOT and GOOSE were elicited in pre-coronal and pre-lateral contexts from two dialects that are reported to be at different stages of back vowel fronting: Southern Standard British English and West Yorkshire English. The results suggest similar acoustic and articulatory patterns in pre-coronal vowels, but there is stronger evidence of vowel contrast in articulation than acoustics for pre-lateral vowels. The lip protrusion data do not help to resolve these differences, suggesting that the complex gestural makeup of a vowel-lateral sequence problematizes straightforward accounts of acoustic-articulatory relations. Further analysis reveals greater between-speaker variability in lingual advancement than F2 in pre-lateral vowels