8,057 research outputs found

    “To tell you the truth I’m tired”: a qualitative exploration of the experiences of ethnically diverse NHS staff

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    Objectives The aim of this paper was to explore the experiences and support needs of ethnically diverse healthcare staff and how they were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Design A qualitative study using focus groups conducted remotely on Microsoft Teams. Setting The study took place across 10 National Health Service Trusts in England; 5 were Acute Hospitals Trusts and 5 were Community and Mental Health Trusts. Participants 55 participants across 16 focus groups took part in the study. Participants were all healthcare staff members from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Results Seven themes were generated which highlighted issues of negative experiences of discrimination at work, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, including participants often finding line managers unsupportive, appearing to lack care and compassion, and not understanding ethnic diversity issues. Participants identified many reasons for finding it difficult to speak up when faced with such experiences, such as feeling unsafe to do so, or feeling too exhausted to keep speaking up. Other staff had more positive experiences and described supportive interventions, and despite workplace difficulties, many participants discussed remaining motivated to work in the National Health Service. Conclusions Negative day-to-day experiences of ethnically diverse healthcare staff, and the difficulty of speaking up about these align with other, international literature on this topic. Progress in the area of staff equality is vital if healthcare organisations are to continue to provide high-quality patient care and retain skilled, compassionate staff who value their place of work. Recent literature suggests that many initiatives to reduce inequalities have not been successful, and there is a call for fundamental, cultural-level change. Future research is needed to understand how best to implement these organisational-level changes and to evaluate their effectiveness

    Exploring the Methodological Benefits and Challenges of Utilising a Photovoice Methodology With Individuals in Recovery From Problem Substance Use

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    Photovoice is a type of visual research method which supports participants to reflect upon their experiences by capturing digital images. It is a methodology that is routinely used with groups that could be considered vulnerable, as a way of allowing participants to tell their stories for themselves. This article details the process of conducting a Photovoice study with individuals in recovery from problem substance use and reflects on the methodological benefits and challenges of utilising a visual research methodology with this population. Researchers wishing to conduct a Photovoice study with individuals in recovery should be mindful of striking a delicate balance between respecting an individual's autonomy and ensuring their wellbeing. Although ethically complex, Photovoice is an ideal method for research with this population as it allows participants to convey meaning and introduce narratives for themselves in an engaging way

    The role of the analyst: Comparative analysis of Applied Performance Analyst job advertisements in the UK and Ireland (2021-2022)

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    This study examined the key roles, responsibilities, and skills sought when advertising for the recruitment of Applied Performance Analysts (APAs) in UK and Irish professional sports settings. Deductive and inductive content analysis of the job descriptions and personal specifications of 130 job advertisements from 2021 to 2022 across the entire APA spectrum was undertaken. This encompassed 21 different specific role titles. Despite unified advertisement formats, noticeable variations emerged regarding length and content focus, regardless of First-team or Academy positions. The findings revealed a greater focus on Sports Performance Analysis (SPA), sports, and technical expertise coupled with professional behaviours in APA advertisements, with less priority shown to relationship-building skills. First-team positions particularly requested more skill-specific analysis expertise. Academy APAs were expected to focus on collecting data, facilitating feedback, in addition to creating and approving infrastructure for various age groups. Comparatively, First-team roles involved more complex data analysis tasks, including interrogating data, trend identification, and stakeholder reporting. The analysis not only highlights role discrepancies but also serves as a potential framework for employers when creating job advertisements, assists applicants in identifying the key skills to highlight, and informs curriculum and training programmes to cover the entire APA spectrum

    Palliative care for all: the Global North and South

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    In silico analyzes of the involvement of GPR55, CB1R and TRPV1: response to THC, contribution to temporal lobe epilepsy, structural modeling and updated evolution

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    Introduction: The endocannabinoid (eCB) system is named after the discovery that endogenous cannabinoids bind to the same receptors as the phytochemical compounds found in Cannabis. While endogenous cannabinoids include anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), exogenous phytocannabinoids include Δ-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). These compounds finely tune neurotransmission following synapse activation, via retrograde signaling that activates cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) and/or transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1). Recently, the eCB system has been linked to several neurological diseases, such as neuro-ocular abnormalities, pain insensitivity, migraine, epilepsy, addiction and neurodevelopmental disorders. In the current study, we aim to: (i) highlight a potential link between the eCB system and neurological disorders, (ii) assess if THC exposure alters the expression of eCB-related genes, and (iii) identify evolutionary-conserved residues in CB1R or TRPV1 in light of their function. Methods: To address this, we used several bioinformatic approaches, such as transcriptomic (Gene Expression Omnibus), protein–protein (STRING), phylogenic (BLASTP, MEGA) and structural (Phyre2, AutoDock, Vina, PyMol) analyzes. Results: Using RNA sequencing datasets, we did not observe any dysregulation of eCB-related transcripts in major depressive disorders, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia in the anterior cingulate cortex, nucleus accumbens or dorsolateral striatum. Following in vivo THC exposure in adolescent mice, GPR55 was significantly upregulated in neurons from the ventral tegmental area, while other transcripts involved in the eCB system were not affected by THC exposure. Our results also suggest that THC likely induces neuroinflammation following in vitro application on mice microglia. Significant downregulation of TPRV1 occurred in the hippocampi of mice in which a model of temporal lobe epilepsy was induced, confirming previous observations. In addition, several transcriptomic dysregulations were observed in neurons of both epileptic mice and humans, which included transcripts involved in neuronal death. When scanning known interactions for transcripts involved in the eCB system (n = 13), we observed branching between the eCB system and neurophysiology, including proteins involved in the dopaminergic system. Our protein phylogenic analyzes revealed that CB1R forms a clade with CB2R, which is distinct from related paralogues such as sphingosine-1-phosphate, receptors, lysophosphatidic acid receptors and melanocortin receptors. As expected, several conserved residues were identified, which are crucial for CB1R receptor function. The anandamide-binding pocket seems to have appeared later in evolution. Similar results were observed for TRPV1, with conserved residues involved in receptor activation. Conclusion: The current study found that GPR55 is upregulated in neurons following THC exposure, while TRPV1 is downregulated in temporal lobe epilepsy. Caution is advised when interpreting the present results, as we have employed secondary analyzes. Common ancestors for CB1R and TRPV1 diverged from jawless vertebrates during the late Ordovician, 450 million years ago. Conserved residues are identified, which mediate crucial receptor functions

    Do you even exercise, ref? Exploring habits of Spanish basketball referees during practice and matches

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    Abstract Background: Basketball referees are a vital part of the organised competition system, although they remain an "outgroup" in sport. While physical development and fitness programming are deemed necessary for basketball officiating excellence, there is a paucity of literature exploring strategies for physical fitness management in this population. Methods: This research was a nationwide cross-sectional, self-administered online survey conducted in 2021. A sample of 628 (531 males, 97 females) referees from 18 regional referee organisations in Spain provided individual responses to gather information on demographic details, level of participation in refereeing, physical fitness practices, and match-day exercise-based regimens. The data were described using summary statistics, and the associations of the assessed variables were subsequently calculated using contingency tables. Results: Our findings reveal that a large fraction of the Spanish basketball referee population focuses on aerobic (83%) and strength (73.6%) activities, while less attention is paid to speed (36.9%) and flexibility (23.2%), and agility, coordination, and balance tasks are somewhat overlooked. No significant differences were observed among the referee categories regarding weekly training days or session duration, with most training for 15-60 min per session. Elite referees were more likely to hire personal trainers and engage in strength and flexibility exercises. Sub-elite referees showed a higher tendency to perform stretching and joint mobility activities post-match, while regional referees did so less frequently. Approximately 30.7% of referees across all competitive levels engaged in re-warm-up (RW-U) activities, with stretching and joint mobility being the most prevalent. Conclusions: Spanish basketball referees participate in routine physical exercise and fitness practices, irrespective of their competition level. While warm-up activities are prevalent, some sub-elite and regional referees do not consistently perform them, and re-warm-up routines are not extensively embraced

    Working with Disabilities in Youth Grassroots Soccer

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    This chapter provides an overview of working inclusively in soccer coaching through three distinct but connected case studies. Case studies focus on the landscape of disability football coaching, coaching players with autism, blindness, and visual impairments. Specifically, coaches in blind soccer found that navigation, guiding techniques, and the use of echolocation aided their understanding of their players' abilities and had to enjoy priority over game-related technical knowledge. Football may be described as a dynamic and (sometimes) chaotic invasion game, where individuals, units, and teams compete to outwit each other through skill and tactical play. The direction of contemporary football coach education and sports coach development has required and challenged coaches to embrace this ‘chaos’ and develop authentic practice environments that facilitate a realistic experience. Audible sensory deprivation training can be used at various points to allow players to have to better rely on the physical feel of the ball in relation to the foot, their body, and their head

    Can one-to-one coaching improve selection success and who benefits most? The role of internship candidate generalised self-efficacy

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    This study presents a field quasi-experiment to examine whether one-to-one coaching can significantly impact an objective outcome: selection success. Furthermore, we examine whether all participants benefit equally from coaching. We examine whether coaching significantly impacts on selection success (i.e., whether candidates were successfully offered a job role) (N = 357) and whether interactions between coaching and generalised self-efficacy exist (n = 152). Participants were second year undergraduate students in an UK university who were applying for a one year work internship. Our analysis indicates that coaching positively impacted on selection success and specifically, individuals lower in generalised self-efficacy benefitted from coaching. We contribute to the literature on coaching by examining the effectiveness of coaching in relation to an objective outcome. We also advance our understanding of the role of individual differences in coaching by testing the interaction effects for a well-recognised individual difference variable: generalised self-efficacy. Finally, we contribute to the literature regarding the design of career development support in terms of how best to support people based on their individual differences

    ‘That so Ancient a City Should Have Elected a Woman as Mayor Is a Sign of the times’: Women and Local Government in Worcester before 1939

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    This article explores women’s experiences of local government in Worcester between 1907 and 1939. The city saw a limited suffrage movement, and to date has never elected a female MP. Yet while women in Worcester arguably played little role in ‘national’ politics, they were active in local government, first through wartime local authority committees, and then, in the interwar years, when seeking election as Labour, Liberal, Conservative or Independent candidates, with Conservative women being most successful. Drawing on city council records and local newspaper reporting, the article considers the ways in which women made an impact on Worcester’s government, particularly as elected councillors. Some women were also involved with more ceremonial – and consequently more visible – roles in local government, though these were generally the preserve of elite women. As such, the article contributes to wider debates about the changing nature of women’s political activism post-enfranchisement

    Using a bespoke, triad narrative analysis approach with Gen Z students: telling the story of their values

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    This paper presents an innovative narrative data analysis approach, used in a narrative research project exploring student values. The work of three different authors was drawn upon to create a novel, rigorous and synergistic analysis tool. A novel approach to data analysis, using the stories told by one Generation Z (Gen Z) student and the personal values elicited, which are drawn from Schwartz’s theory of universals in basic human values is presented. This leads to a restorying of the data, from which the reader finds meaning. The participant was interviewed at the beginning of their first year as undergraduate and is presented as an example from the larger study of seven Gen Z students. How this approach is effective is examined, demonstrating that combining theory and the narrative analysis approach enabled the values of self-direction, security, benevolence and power to be exposed within the resulting restorying. This is a new and innovative approach to narrative analysis that can be applied in a wide range of contexts internationally and utilised in future studies
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