Using Self-Assessment to Build Self-Efficacy and Intrinsic Motivation in Athletes: A Mixed Methods Explanatory Design on Female Adolescent Volleyball Players

The aim of this mixed-methods study was to address the issue of burnout and lack of motivation in middle and high school student-athletes. As young athletes cope with school and stresses of extracurricular activities, they often react negatively to external feedback and motivation. The athletes often find themselves in a low state of self-efficacy due to perceived external pressures. This can lead to burnout and ultimately quitting the sport. This study utilized a model that was designed to use self-assessment to increase self-efficacy among athletes to promote a higher sense of accomplishment and motivation toward success. The athletes were all female volleyball players ranging from ages 10-18. Each athlete received a pretest to ascertain her level of motivation prior to the beginning of the athletic season. During their athletic seasons, 30 of the athletes participated in a weekly self-assessment program producing measurable quantitative data to be used as predictors. A sample selection of the athletes was also interviewed to allow for reflection on the study and produce qualitative data intended to predict possible outcomes of the study. Upon completion of the season the athletes took a post-test to measure their levels of motivation. The outcome of the study produced a statistical effect that demonstrated an increase in self-efficacy and self-determination in athletes, and subsequently increased motivation. The qualitative interview data corroborated the effect produced by the quantitative data

Is Learning Really a Phone Call Away? Knowledge Transfer in Mobile Learning

Mobile learning can positively contribute to the development of learning communities by providing communication options that span contexts and locations, are available whenever, and are used virtually everywhere (Alexander, 2004; Sharples, Taylor & Vavoula, 2005). At UC Santa Barbara, we are currently conducting a campus-wide study that examines whether students’ use of technology, both within and beyond the classroom, correlates with academic performance. While we primarily concentrate on the use of course websites accessed with non-mobile devices, we have begun to use a Performance-Based Feedback System (PBFS) to explore (1) how to extend the instructor-student feedback loop beyond the traditional classroom setting, (2) how knowledge transfer can be accomplished using mobile devices, and (3) what technical challenges must be overcome. In this paper, we examine ways that mobile networking technologies can foster the creation of learning communities and provide new methods for studying knowledge transfer.University of California, Santa Barbar

A pilot study for testing feasibility and preliminary influence of early intervention using text messaging for pressure ulcer prevention in individuals with spinal cord injury

Background This pilot study assessed text messaging as an early intervention for preventing pressure ulcers (PrUs) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) post-hospital discharge. Method Thirty-nine wheelchair-users discharged after acquiring a SCI, underwent randomisation into an intervention group (n = 20) with text messages and a control group (n = 19). All participants received standard post-discharge care and completed a skincare questionnaire before and 6-month after discharge. Primary outcomes included feasibility and acceptability of early intervention using text messaging, alongside performance, concordance, and attitudes toward skincare. Secondary outcomes measured perception and the incidence of PrUs. Results Baseline demographics were comparable between the intervention and control groups. Eight of 20 participants completed 6-month follow-up questionnaires in the intervention group, six participants completed the 6-month questionnaires in the control group,. Participants expressed high satisfaction with text messages, understanding of content, and increased confidence in preventing PrUs. At 6-month post-discharge, the intervention group showed improved prevention practices, heightened awareness of PrU risks, and increased perceived importance of prevention, which were not observed in the control group. However, there were no significant differences in PrU incidence, possibly due to the small sample size and short follow-up. Conclusion The study demonstrates that using text messaging as an early intervention for PrU prevention in individuals with SCI is feasible and well-received. Preliminary results suggest a positive impact on participants' attitudes and practices, indicating the potential of text messaging to reduce PrU incidence. However, further research with larger samples and extended follow-up is crucial to validate these promising initial findings

Development and preliminary validation of a tool measuring concordance and belief about performing pressure-relieving activities for pressure ulcer prevention in spinal cord injury

Objective: To develop and examine the reliability, and validity of a questionnaire measuring concordance for performing pressure-relief for pressure ulcer (PrU) prevention in people with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Methods: Phase I included item development, content and face validity testing. In phase II, the questionnaire was evaluated for preliminary acceptability, reliability and validity among 48 wheelchair users with SCI. Results: Thirty-seven items were initially explored. Item and factor analysis resulted in a final 26-item questionnaire with four factors reflecting concordance, perceived benefits, perceived negative consequences, and personal practical barriers to performing pressure-relief activities. The internal consistency reliability for four domains were very good (Cronbach's α = .75-.89). Pearson correlation coefficient on a test-retest of the same subjects yielded significant correlations in concordance (r = .91, p = .005), perceived benefit (r = .71, p < .04), perceived negative consequences (r = .98, p < .0001), personal barriers (r = .93, p= .002). Participants with higher levels of concordance reported a greater amount of pressure-relieving performed. Individuals viewing PrU as a threatening illness were associated with higher scores of concordance and tended to report a greater amount of pressure-relieving performance which provides evidence of criterion related validity. Conclusion: The new questionnaire demonstrated good preliminary reliability and validity in people with SCI. Further evaluation is necessary to confirm these findings using larger samples with follow-up data for predictive validity. Such a questionnaire could be used by clinicians to identify high risk of patients and to design individualised education programme for PrU prevention

THE ACCUSED IS ENTERING THE COURTROOM: THE LIVE-TWEETING OF A MURDER TRIAL.

© 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis GroupThe use of social media is now widely accepted within journalism as an outlet for news information. Live tweeting of unfolding events is standard practice. In March 2014, Oscar Pistorius went on trial in the Gauteng High Court for murder. Hundreds of journalists present began live-tweeting coverage, an unprecedented combination of international interest, permission to use technology and access which resulted in massive streams of consciousness reports of events as they unfolded. Based on a corpus of Twitter feeds of twenty-four journalists covering the trial, this study analyses the content and strategies of these feeds in order to present an understanding of how microblogging is used as a live reporting tool. This study shows the development of standardised language and strategies in reporting on Twitter, concluding that journalists adopt a narrow range of approaches, with no significant variation in terms of gender, location, or medium. This is in contrast to earlier studies in the field (Awad, 2006, Hedman, 2015; Kothari, 2010; Lariscy, Avery, Sweetser, & Howes, 2009 Lasorsa, 2012; Lasorsa, Lewis, & Holton, 2011; Sigal, 1999, Vis, 2013).Peer reviewe

Effect of a high fat diet on a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterised by deficits in language, behaviour and memory. Increasing evidence suggests that mid-life obesity and a diet high in fat are risk factors for AD. In contrast, life-threatening weight loss occurs and worsens as the disease progresses, despite adequate or increased food intake. A greater understanding of energy balance in AD may therefore uncover novel targets for therapy. The aim of this thesis was to test the hypothesis that 3xTgAD mice display altered energy balance and that experimental changes to this balance will alter cognition. To address this hypothesis, three key objectives were set up; to characterise the energy balance profile, characterise behaviour and memory, and evaluate the response to an high fat (HF) diet in a triple transgenic (3xTgAD) model, an experimental mouse model of AD. Energy balance was characterised in non-transgenic (Non-Tg) control and 3xTgAD mice, demonstrating altered body weight, food intake and metabolic rate in the 3xTgAD mouse model of AD. At 2-month of age male 3xTgAD mice displayed greater food intake and body weight, but no difference in metabolic rate, whereas from 12 months of age 3xTgAD mice weighed less, despite eating more, and had a higher metabolic rate than Non-Tg control mice. This provides evidence that there is a shift towards a hypermetabolic state from 12 months of age in 3xTgAD mice, which may represent a key stage in advancement of the disease process. Behaviour and memory were characterised in Non-Tg control and 3xTgAD mice in a battery of tests at different ages. 3xTgAD mice showed changes in open-field activity/anxiety from 3 months of age. Memory impairments were first detected in 3xTgAD mice at 3 months of age as deficits in odour recognition memory, mirroring early impairments seen in AD patients. Deficits in spatial memory were then observed in both the Y-maze spontaneous alternation and Morris water maze tests from 5 months of age. Finally, deficits in non-spatial visual object memory were observed in 3xTgAD mice in the novel object recognition test at 8 months of age. Energy balance, behaviour and memory were assessed in Non-Tg control and 3xTgAD mice in response to an HF diet. Non-Tg control and 3xTgAD mice displayed similar energy balance profiles in response to an HF diet. The HF diet was found to worsen memory in Non-Tg mice in odour recognition at 3-4 and 7-8 months of age, in the Morris water maze at 7-8 months of age and in novel object recognition and spontaneous alternation at 11-12 and 15-16 months of age. Similarly, the HF diet worsened memory in 3xTgAD mice in odour discrimination at 3-4 and 7-8 months of age, the Morris water maze at 7-8 and 11-12 months of age, and in spontaneous alternation at 15-16 months of age. As an HF diet induced memory impairments, in both Non-Tg control and 3xTgAD mice, it suggests that diet-induced deficits may therefore, not be specific to AD, but rather to cognition in general. Overall, these data demonstrate that 3xTgAD mice show AD-like age-dependent changes in energy balance, behaviour and memory. Furthermore, an HF diet produced impairments in memory in 3xTgAD mice, but these effects were not specific to AD, as an HF diet also led to deficits in control animals. These data support a role for energy balance in the progression of AD, although the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. 3xTgAD mice may therefore represent a good model to examine energy balance during AD and to evaluate targets for future therapies.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Spectrum of antibacterial activity and mode of action of a novel tris-stilbene bacteriostatic compound

The spectrum of activity and mode of action of a novel antibacterial agent, 135C, was investigated using a range of microbiological and genomic approaches. Compound 135C was active against Gram-positive bacteria with MICs for Staphylococcus aureus ranging from 0.12-0.5 μg/ml. It was largely inactive against Gram-negative bacteria. The compound showed bacteriostatic activity in time-kill studies and did not elicit bacterial cell leakage or cell lysis. Checkerboard assays showed no synergy or antagonism when 135C was combined with a range of other antibacterials. Multi-step serial passage of four S. aureus isolates with increasing concentrations of 135C showed that resistance developed rapidly and was stable after drug-free passages. Minor differences in the fitness of 135C-resistant strains and parent wildtypes were evident by growth curves, but 135C-resistant strains did not show cross-resistance to other antibacterial agents. Genomic comparison of resistant and wildtype parent strains showed changes in genes encoding cell wall teichoic acids. 135C shows promising activity against Gram-positive bacteria but is currently limited by the rapid resistance development. Further studies are required to investigate the effects on cell wall teichoic acids and to determine whether the issue of resistance development can be overcome

Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins initiate cell death and extracellular matrix remodeling in the mammary gland

We have demonstrated that insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5) production by mammary epithelial cells increases dramatically during forced involution of the mammary gland in rats, mice and pigs. We proposed that growth hormone (GH) increases the survival factor IGF-I, whilst prolactin (PRL) enhances the effects of GH by decreasing the concentration of IGFBP-5, which would otherwise inhibit the actions of IGFs. To demonstrate a causal relationship between IGFBP-5 and cell death, we created transgenic mice expressing IGFBP-5, specifically, in the mammary gland. DNA content in the mammary glands of transgenic mice was decreased as early as day 10 of pregnancy. Mammary cell number and milk synthesis were both decreased by approximately 50% during the first 10 days of lactation. The concentrations of the pro-apoptotic molecule caspase-3 was increased in transgenic animals whilst the concentrations of two pro-survival molecules Bcl-2 and Bcl-x were both decreased. In order to examine whether IGFBP-5 acts by inhibiting the survival effect of IGF-I, we examined IGF receptor- and Akt-phoshorylation and showed that both were inhibited. These studies also indicated that the effects of IGFBP-5 could be mediated in part by IGF-independent effects involving potential interactions with components of the extracellular matrix involved in tissue remodeling, such as components of the plasminogen system, and the matrix metallo-proteinases (MMPs). Mammary development was normalised in transgenic mice by R3-IGF-I, an analogue of IGF-I which binds weakly to IGFBPs, although milk production was only partially restored. In contrast, treatment with prolactin was able to inhibit early involutionary processes in normal mice but was unable to prevent this in mice over-expressing IGFBP-5, although it was able to inhibit activation of MMPs. Thus, IGFBP-5 can simultaneously inhibit IGF action and activate the plasminogen system thereby coordinating cell death and tissue remodeling processes. The ability to separate these properties, using mutant IGFBPs, is currently under investigatio

Development and Installation of an Infrasonic Wake Vortex Detection System at Newport News International Airport

No abstract availabl

Elak jadi korban industri 4.0

Supervisors’ ratings of psychology trainees’ competence in field settings are a critical component of training assessment. There has been little systematic research regarding the validity of these assessments, but the available evidence suggests we have a problem! Supervisors’ judgments may be affected by systemic biases that pose a serious threat to assessment credibility. The current study is part of a research collaboration among six universities that endeavors to develop and evaluate a new method—the use of vignettes—against outcomes derived from a conventional rating scale. Individual vignettes were designed and subjected to a rigorous process of peer-review and revisions, before final vignettes were assigned calibration scores by a group of experts. A catalogue of vignettes (n = 41) that represent various domains of competence across several developmental stages was compiled. University and field supervisors used the conventional rating scale and the vignette-matching procedure (VMP) to evaluate competencies at end-placement. Data from a pilot (n = 20) and a follow-up study (n = 57) suggest that compared with a conventional rating scale, the VMP reduced leniency and halo biases. The VMP has the potential to improve outcomes of competency assessments in field placements and merits further research and development