Symbolic coping in Canada’s coal phaseout : applying social representations dynamics to communities in transition

The Canadian federal government has introduced policy to phase out coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of its climate change mitigation commitments under the Paris Agreement. The policy plan, positioned as a just transition, includes funding and measures to help workers and communities manage economic difficulties arising from the coal phaseout. Sustainability transitions, however, are rarely a purely economic process, as changes in demographics, values, norms and meanings may also ensue. Understanding this process as one of symbolic coping, wherein coal communities must socially come to terms with the phaseout and the resulting threat to their identities, adds another dimension to the just transition concept. This study aimed to better understand the social-psychological processes of sense-making in sustainability transitions, by investigating how coal communities are understanding and coping with the coal phaseout, and how social representations of the coal industry are transforming as a result. Social representations theory (SRT) was the main conceptual framework used, as it explores group-level common-sense understandings, which can be useful in analyzing processes of disruption or transition. Through qualitative case study research in two coal producing communities in Saskatchewan, one of four Canadian provinces affected by the coal phaseout, I explored the dynamics of the social representation of the local coal industry. Using the central core approach to SRT, I identified a core element based in shared history, stability and prosperity, which seemed to provide a foundation for making sense of the coal phaseout policy. From this foundation, I found two models of social representation transformation, resisting and progressive, implicating a split in the social representation of community life after coal. With this theoretical application, I explored social implications of the Canadian coal phaseout, illustrated a model of social representation transformation, and demonstrated a framework that can be applied to transition research in other contexts. I also discussed potential governance implications for designing just transition policies

Internal and external load measures as predictors of overuse injury risk in professional football players

Background Football is the most popular sport worldwide. Football has grown into a faster, intensive and more competitive game with a substantial increase in technical and physical demands. To reach the peak demands of match play, extensive training is necessary to improve performance and to reach the top level in professional football. Inadequate training loads prevent optimal performance adaptions, place the player at higher risk of being underprepared and may increase the risk of overuse injuries. Determining an optimal training load that improves performance and decreases the risk of overuse injuries is important. Therefore, monitoring and understanding individual responses to training loads are necessary. To date there is limited research regarding prediction of risk of overuse injuries with respect to optimal TL in professional football players. Aim To describe the pattern of injuries and determine the influence of load metrics and injury risk in South African professional football. The total GPS distance covered, the number of GPS measured high-intensity sprints and session Rating Perceived Exertion load and the effects on the risk of developing an overuse injury in professional football players. Objectives (1) To determine the relationship between total GPS distance (m) covered, ACWLR and overuse injuries in a full competitive season. (2) To determine the relationship between GPS measured high-intensity sprints, ACWLR and overuse injuries in a full competitive season. (3) To determine the relationship between session rating of perceived exertion, ACWLR and overuse injuries in a full competitive season. (4) To determine the overuse injury risk per playing position (defenders, midfielders and attackers). (5) To determine the patterns of injury during a full competitive season. (6) To determine the effect of the internal load (sRPE) and external load (GPS) in a congestion week compared to a normal week on overuse injury risk. Methods Data was collected from 32 professional football players in the first and reserve team over one full competitive Premier Soccer League season (2016/17). Training load metrics were assessed using the acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWLR) to predict overuse injury risk within the team. The relationship between total GPS distance (m) covered (TDC), GPS measured high-intensity sprints (HIS), session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) and ACWLR and overuse injuries was determined. Overuse injuries were described based on frequency, anatomical position and injury type as well as with regards to playing position (defenders, midfielders and attackers). The effect of a congestion week on overuse injury risk was also determined. Results No significant outcomes were recorded when predicting overuse injuries for the whole team, with regards to average TDC, HIS and sRPE ACWLR. Overuse injuries may be predicted when monitoring the individual player loads, thereby taking into account the peak demands of match play per playing position. Large difference between TDC and HIS and large increases or decreases (20%) within weeks may increase the risk of overuse injuries. Hamstrings and groins injuries are the most common injuries sustained and defenders sustained the most overuse injuries within the team relative to exposure time. Congestion weeks did not predict overuse injury risk

Benthic foraminifera in a human-dominated environment: Long Island Sound

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The pattern of non-contact injuries in a South African professional football team

Background: The incidence, pattern and severity of non-contact injuries in European football has been researched extensively. In South African football only two studies have been conducted to date and with disparate outcomes. Further research into injury rates in South African football is therefore warranted. Objectives: To determine the incidence and pattern of non-contact injuries in a South African professional football team during the course of a single season (2016-2017) in relation to competition exposure, training load and playing position. Methods: Thirty-four male professional football players belonging to a single team competing in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in South Africa were studied. Non-contact time-loss injuries (total training and match injuries) were recorded. Injury incidence, location, severity, type, and playing position (defender, midfielder, attackers, goalkeepers) during either match play or training were recorded. Results: The non-contact incidence was 52 injuries with an injury rate of 3.74 per 1 000 exposures (training and competition). Competitions resulted in an incidence of 26.4 injuries per 1 000 exposure and training incidence 2.08 injuries per 1 000 exposures. Hamstring, groin and quadriceps injuries were the most frequently injured locations and muscle-tendon injuries accounted for the majority of injuries. The majority of injuries (52%) occurred during match play while 48% occurred during training. The greatest absolute number of injuries were sustained by midfielders (50%), followed by defenders (33%) and attackers (17%). However, relative to player numbers, the  greatest number of injuries during match play were for defenders (44%), attackers (32%) and midfielders (24%). During training attackers sustained the most injuries (39%), followed by defenders (31%) and midfielders (30%). Goalkeepers did not sustain any non-contact injuries during the duration of the study. Conclusion: The non-contact injury incidence in South African professional football players is similar to European football players. Hamstrings and groin injuries are predominant and were sustained throughout the competitive season. Defenders sustained the most non-contact injuries within the team relative to exposure time compared to attackers and midfielders. To our knowledge, injuries relative to player position have not been reported previously.

Biopsy container with identifier

The invention relates to a biopsy container (10) with an identification mark (13), which comprises one or more curves that surround the biopsy container. Identification information of the biopsy container may be encoded in a plurality of widths of the curves surrounding the biopsy container as well as in distances between these curves. Additionally, the biopsy container may comprise an alignment mark (11), which is configured to facilitate the registration of images of the biopsy container. The invention also relates to systems configured to determine identification information of a biopsy container and an image processing method