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AbstractThe purpose of this study was to explore volunteer rugby union coaches’ perceptions of organised competitive participation during childhood. Participants were 202 under-9 (U9) mini rugby union coaches who had coached during the 2010/11 season. Coaches completed an Internet-based survey, and cluster analysis was used to identify different groups based on attitudes towards the Rugby Football Union’s current rules and proposed changes to these rules. Three distinct groups were identified based on whether they wanted to maintain the status quo (Traditionalists); maintain some elements of structure (Moderates); or have a much less structured introduction to rugby (Radicals). In total, over three quarters of coaches favoured structured elements (early specialisation), while less than a quarter favoured a less structured game (late specialisation). Only the Radical’s views matched those espoused by elite coaches and U9 players themselves, raising several issues regarding coach education for player development during childhood. In the short term there are the difficulties of aligning disparate views of U9 player development via coaching for and during competitive games. This is further complicated by the challenges of enhancing the skills of thousands of volunteer coaches with limited experience, knowledge and expertise in coaching during childhood.

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to locate the pedagogical notion of scaffolding within the field of sports coaching. The aim, however, is not only to present scaffolding as a wide-ranging rhetorical concept, but as a definitive perspective by which to better manage coaching’s uncertain nature. Following an introduction, a review of the development and current conceptualization of scaffolding is undertaken, inclusive of its connection to socio-cultural theory. Subsequently, drawing on current research, examples of how and where coaching practice can be scaffolded from macro, meso and micro perspectives are presented. Finally, a reflective conclusion summarizes the main points made and outlines implications for future coaching and coach education.

The overall aim of the study was to identify what elite coaches believed were the key components for organised rugby union participation during childhood (7–11 years old). Nine elite male rugby union coaches participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis identified the importance of an age-appropriate competitive games pathway, where more specialised skills were built sequentially on top of the foundations of basic evasion, handling and tackling skills. The findings were generally supportive of the principles of the developmental model of sports participation (DMSP). In particular, elite coaches identified that an emphasis on less-structured games (deliberate play) and early diversification (sampling) were beneficial for player development in the mini rugby years (under 12). However, contrary to a strict interpretation of the DMSP, the coaches also identified that appropriate adult involvement and organised competition could be beneficial to development in these sampling years.

Recent studies have highlighted the complexities of implementing Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) variations, such as the Tactical Games Approach (TGA), within coaching practice. The primary purpose of this study was to implement the TGA approach in a primary school junior rugby union club and to identify the issues encountered by the coach whilst planning, designing and conducting the sessions. The data were collected through personal reflection and participant interviews, and analysed using an inductive coding method to establish principal themes. The results highlighted the main challenges for the coach revolved around being less plan dependent, developing a facilitator role to support players' learning, and allowing sufficient time for players to apply the knowledge in the game. It is suggested that if TGfU or variations such as TGA are to be used in practice, coach education programmes should provide strong initial peer-based support to ensure effective implementation by coaches.

206 patients age 70 years or older who underwent uncemented total hip arthroplasty (THA) using the Corail stem were studied. Radiographs taken post operatively and at one year were measured for subsidence of the stem. 13 patients had subsidence of the femoral stem of more than 2mm. 5 of these were associated with fractures (mean age 78.06 years - average subsidence 14.52mm), while 8 did not have associated fractures (mean age 77.43 years - average subsidence 4.99mm). These 13 patients were then followed up for an average of 25 months (with fractures) and 26.88 months (without fractures). Radiographs were taken and measured for further subsidence using a VIDAR scanner. There was no evidence of further subsidence in any of the 13 patients, and all the stems had stabilised at one year with good evidence of osteointegration. None of the patients required revision. Uncemented THA using the Corail stem can be employed in this age group and poor bone quality is not a contraindication.

Idiopathic tibia vara (Blount disease) is an acquired form of tibial deformity found mainly in children who are Afro-Caribbean and obese. It is uncommon. Several methods have been described for the surgical treatment of this condition, which can be categorized as either acute or gradual correction. The aim of this study is to review the evidence comparing the outcome of acute versus gradual correction of childhood tibia vara using accuracy of reduction as the primary outcome measure.

In the present study we report the discovery of a novel protein-mineral complex in the serum of rats treated with doses of the bone-active bisphosphonate etidronate that inhibit normal bone mineralization. The composition of this high molecular mass protein-mineral complex consists of about 18% mineral, 80% fetuin, and 2% matrix Gla protein (MGP) by weight, and the presence of the complex in serum after an injection of 8 mg etidronate/100 g of body weight elevates calcium by 1.8-fold (to 4.3 mm), phosphate by 1.6-fold (to 5.6 mm), and MGP by 25-fold (to 12 μg/ml). The serum mineral complex reaches maximal levels at 6 h after subcutaneous injection of etidronate and is subsequently cleared from serum by 24 h. This highly specific complex of fetuin, MGP, and mineral prevents the growth, aggregation, and precipitation of the mineral component, which indicates that the previously reported calcification inhibitory activities of fetuin and MGP may be related to their ability to form stable complexes with nascent mineral nuclei. Treatment with the vitamin K-antagonist warfarin prevents the increase in serum MGP after etidronate injection, which shows that the increase in serum MGP is due to new synthesis and that the γ-carboxylation of MGP is necessary for its binding to the serum mineral complex.

Abstract. Summer mastitis is an acute suppurative bacterial infection of the udder in heifers and dry cows. To ascertain the possible role of flies in the transmission of the disease, experimental exposures of recipient heifers to Hydrotaea irritanspreviously exposed to bacteria were carried out. Flies were allowed to feed on secretions from clinical cases of summer mastitis. The pathogens present were the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Actinomyces pyogenes, Stuart‐Schwan cocci, Peptococcus indolicus, Fusobacterium necrophorumand Bacterioidesspecies. The teats of eight heifers were exposed to flies with verified pathogen content. Two teats of each animal were deliberately damaged before fly exposure. One teat was cut, another pricked with insect needles to mimic insect bites. Two of the heifers developed summer mastitis in the quarters where teats had been cut. The bacterial species isolated from these quarters corresponded to those that had previously been fed to the flies. For the first time, it is now demonstrated that H.irritansis capable of transmitting summer mastitis pathogens and so causing summer mastitis in recipient heifers. Lesions on the teat orifice may be a predisposing factor in the development of the disease.

Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a common inflammatory rheumatic disease with a predilection for the axial skeleton, affecting 0.2% of the population. Current diagnostic criteria rely on a composite of clinical and radiological changes, with a mean time to diagnosis of 5 to 10 years. In this study we employed nano liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry analysis to detect and quantify proteins and small compounds including endogenous peptides and metabolites in serum from 18 AS patients and nine healthy individuals. We identified a total of 316 proteins in serum, of which 22 showed significant up- or down-regulation (p < 0.05) in AS patients. Receiver operating characteristic analysis of combined levels of serum amyloid P component and inter-α-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 1 revealed high diagnostic value for Ankylosing Spondylitis (area under the curve = 0.98). We also depleted individual sera of proteins to analyze endogenous peptides and metabolic compounds. We detected more than 7000 molecular features in patients and healthy individuals. Quantitative MS analysis revealed compound profiles that correlate with the clinical assessment of disease activity. One molecular feature identified as a Vitamin D3 metabolite—(23S,25R)-25-hydroxyvitamin D3 26,23-peroxylactone—was down-regulated in AS. The ratio of this vitamin D metabolite versus vitamin D binding protein serum levels was also altered in AS as compared with controls. These changes may contribute to pathological skeletal changes in AS. Our study is the first example of an integration of proteomic and metabolomic techniques to find new biomarker candidates for the diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Larvae from adults of Wohlfahrtia magnified (Schiner) emerging from pupal cold storage (4°C for 80–100 d) were reared in wound and dead tissues. Of 2,150 first instars placed on a mixture of muscle + liver in a climate-controlled room, 47.1% molted to 2nd instar, 6.1% to 3rd instar, and 4.6% pupated. Two females emerged from these pupae after 14 d. To synchronize adult emergence, 191 pupae that were reared in living or dead tissues and were 2, 8, and 11 d old were cold-stored in lots according to age. Adult emergence was greatest in pupae of 2-d-old (57.1%) and, pupae developing in living and dead tissues, 22.5 and 8.7%, respectively. When the experiment was repeated with cold-stored pupae from 0 to 11 d old, developing in living tissues, the highest emergence was again in 2-d-old pupae (55.0%). These data have important implications for the control of adult emergence which may be used in further biological studies.

Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Schiner, 1862) has a seasonal cycle from May to September. The main objective of the current study is the rearing and development in the laboratory, outside its natural life cycle. The free and obligate parasite phases were reared in the laboratory during 7 mo, from 16 September to 26 March. Between 97.49 and 98.27% of the third instars reached the pupal stage (at 24°C and under natural light cycle). Between 73.98 and 92.24% of the pupae developed into adults (at 70% RH and 22°C). In the induced cycle the ratio of females to males was between 1.87:1.00 and 1.40:1.00, at 70% RH and 24°C. In the trials involving the diapause pupae, 35.29% emerged as adults during a period of 53 d (from 23 January to 20 March), when held at an average storage temperature of 18°C. Eightyfive percent emerged during 2 d (23 and 24 February) when the storage temperature was 4°C.