Femoral neck stress fracture during sport climbing

While the epiphyseal stress fracture of the finger’s middle phalanx is a known sport-specific injury occurring only in adolescent climbers, and in other locations it’s rare, no femoral neck stress fracture (FNSF) in sports climbing has yet been reported. An experienced female sport climber (37y, 160 cm, 45 kg, BMI 17.5) suffered from pain in the left inguinal region while climbing, and later, also required a stick to walk. Routine radiography missed the FNSF and it was many weeks before a MRI accurately provided that diagnosis. The time between the X-ray and MRI should have been minimized as it resulted in a delayed diagnosis, unnecessary pain and delayed healing. In this situation the initial clinical investigation, the patient’s history and the X-ray did not lead to a clear diagnosis, and the initial treatment was ineffective. Further investigation by MRI and / or CT scans should have taken place sooner and would have been essential.

How Can Unintended Pregnancies Be Prevented among Adolescents Who Engaged in Sexual Intercourse at Earlier Ages? The Role of Female Education and Partner Age Difference

Several studies have identified explicative factors for adolescents’ sexual risk behaviors and related outcomes such as unintended pregnancy; however, less is known about the mechanisms through which such factors act. Our study explored the role of female education and partner age difference as explicative mechanisms of the association between age at first sexual intercourse (AFSI) and unintended pregnancy while controlling for the role of other contextual factors (i.e., socioeconomic status, ethnicity, religious beliefs, and place of residence) and sexual-related mechanisms (i.e., number of sexual partners) that are known to be associated with adolescent pregnancy. The sample consisted of 613 sexually experienced female adolescents who did not intend to become pregnant: 349 were pregnant for the first time, and 264 had never been pregnant. Mediation and moderation analyses were performed. An earlier AFSI was associated with unintended pregnancy 1–6 years after first sexual intercourse by increasing the adolescents’ likelihood of having less education and being involved with partners older than themselves. There was no significant direct effect of AFSI on pregnancy occurrence after controlling for the mediators. Our findings bring to light nonsexual mechanisms that must be considered in public health interventions aimed at preventing unintended pregnancies among adolescents who engaged in sexual intercourse at early ages. Specific implications are discussed.

Competencia emocional en maestros de educación infantil y primaria: fuentes de variabilidad y sugerencias de mejora.

Dotar a los profesionales de la educación de niveles de Inteligencia Emocional elevados debe ser objetivo prioritario para las administraciones, ya que ello les permite afrontar con mayor eficacia la complejidad del actual contexto educativo. Sin embargo, no existen muchas publicaciones con muestras de maestros españoles en ejercicio, por lo que este trabajo pretende incrementar el conocimiento relativo a su perfil en Inteligencia Emocional Percibida (TMMS-24, Salovey y Mayer, 1995) y analizar la influencia que ejercen sobre él algunas variables. Nuestro objetivo principal es identificar la combinación de factores presente en el grupo de docentes emocionalmente menos competentes, ayudando con ello a optimizar los esfuerzos formativos a este respecto. Tras las comparaciones efectuadas en una muestra de 296 maestros de Educación Infantil y Primaria, los resultados sugieren que el perfil peor dotado emocionalmente parece ser el percibido por los docentes de infantil, de género femenino, que trabajan en centros públicos, que ejercen como tutores y que tienen más edad y años de experiencia. La discusión ofrece la interpretación y exposición detallada de estos resultados en orden a “ajustar” futuras sugerencias de mejora del perfil emocional de nuestros maestros. Providing education professionals with high levels of Emotional Intelligence should be a priority goal for public administrations since it allows them to deal more effectively with the complex educational contexts in 21st century. Despite this, there aren´t many reports from practising Spanish teachers, so this work aims to increase knowledge about their profile in Perceived Emotional Intelligence (TMMS-24, Salovey and Mayer, 1995), analysing the influence of some factors on it. Our main objective is to identify the combination of factors present in the group of lowest emotional competence to optimise training efforts in this respect. The comparisons carried out on a sample of 296 Early Childhood and Primary Education teachers, point out that the less capable profile appears to be that perceived by the older and more experienced female Early Childhood Education teachers, working in public schools and who act as tutors. A more detailed presentation of these results is offered and interpreted in the discussion to "adjust" future suggestions to improve the emotional profile of our teachers.

Comparison of Frontal and Transverse Plane Kinematics Related to Knee Injury in Novice Versus Experienced Female Runners

Novice runners experience a higher incidence of knee injury than experienced runners, which may be related to aberrant frontal and transverse plane kinematics. However, differences in kinematics between novice and experienced runners have not been fully explored. For this study, 10 novice and 10 experienced female runners ran on a treadmill at 2.68 m/s. Ankle, knee, and hip joint angles during the stance phase were measured using a 3-dimensional motion capture system and modeled using cubic splines. Spline models were compared between groups using a generalized linear model (α = .05). Ninety-five percent confidence intervals of the difference between joint angles throughout stance were constructed to identify specific periods of stance where groups differed in joint position. Angle–angle diagrams of ankle and hip position in the frontal and transverse planes were constructed to depict joint coordination. Novice runners displayed less hip adduction, but greater knee abduction and knee internal rotation compared to experienced runners. Differences in knee joint position may be explained by coordination of hip and ankle motion. Greater knee abduction and knee internal rotation displayed by novice runners compared with experienced runners may help to explain their higher risk for injury.

Comparison of Plantar Sensitivity, Dynamic Balance, and Lower Extremity Joint Range of Motion Between Experienced Female Ballet Dancers and Female Non-Dancing Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives: Ballet dancers may increasingly use plantar sensory feedback to control foot position and movement during dance activities. Balance and joint range of motion (ROM) are important factors in ballet and may be related to plantar sensation in ballet dancers. Data on related functions of female ballet dancers compared to female non-dancing athletes are sparse. The aims of the study were twofold: 1. the relationships between plantar sensitivity and dynamic balance as well as between joint ROM and dynamic balance were determined in experienced female ballet dancers and female non-dancing athletes; and 2. the differences of plantar sensation, joint ROM of the lower limb, and dynamic balance between experienced female ballet dancers and female non-dancing athletes were investigated.Study Design: In this cross-sectional study, 21 subjects (11 experienced female ballet dancers and 10 female non-dancing athletes; median age: 23, range: 11 years; median body height: 1.7 m, range: 0.2 m; median body mass: 59 kg, range: 36 kg) were included. Plantar sensitivity was determined by Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments, active ranges of motion of the hip, knee, and ankle joints were measured using a goniometer and dynamic balance was assessed by the Y-Balance test. Correlations between outcome measures were determined in both groups. Outcome measures were compared between ballet dancers and non-dancing athletes using parametric or non-parametric statistical tests (α = 0.5).Results: For the fifth metatarsal head and the heel, higher correlations between plantar sensitivity and Y-Balance test scores in non-dancing athletes compared to ballet dancers were found. Higher correlations between joint ROM and Y-Balance test scores were determined for certain movements in non-dancing athletes compared to ballet dancers. A significantly lower cutaneous threshold was only found for the fifth metatarsal head in ballet dancers compared to non-ballet dancers (p < 0.05). Range of motion was significantly higher in ballet dancers for almost all movements (p < 0.05). Ballet dancers showed significantly higher normalized scores of the Y-Balance test (p ≤ .001).Conclusions: Results of correlation analyses may indicate that non-dancing athletes increasingly must rely on plantar sensation of the fifth metatarsal head and the heel while maintaining dynamic balance compared to ballet dancers, especially in posterolateral direction of the Y-Balance test. Active joint range of motion of the lower extremity and dynamic balance differ between female ballet dancers and non-dancing athletes. Plantar sensitivity is not different for most of the assessed localizations.

Influence of automation on biomechanical exposure of the upper-limbs in an industrial assembly line: a pilot study

Automation of assembly work was originally developed to increase operation efficiency and to reduce workload. However, a considerable number of unanticipated ergonomic problems have been observed such as the interaction between humans and automated systems. The aims of this study were to quantify joint angle positions (shoulder, elbow and wrist) of workers in two assembly lines with different mechanization levels and analyse the performance of an inertial motion capture system. Seven experienced female assemblers participated in this study. The measurements were performed in the workplace with a full-body inertial measurement system (Xsens MVN BIOMECH system). Maximum cross-correlation between angle-time courses was calculated to quantify the waveform similarities. In manual line, there are larger variations of joint angles than in the semi-automatic one. The analysis of cross correlation coefficients revealed that electromagnetic interferences are potential limitations to the use of these systems under field conditions.

The Effects of a 9-Week Hip Focused Weight Training Program on Hip And Knee Kinematics and Kinetics in Experienced Female Dancers

Increased involvement of the hip musculature during some movements is associated with enhanced performance and reduced injury risk. However, the impact of hip dominant weight training methods on movement strategy has seen limited attention within the literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate if a 9-week hip dominant weight training intervention promotes a more hip dominant movement strategy leading to an improvement in countermovement jump performance. Twenty-two experienced female dancers were recruited and separated into an intervention (age 24.4 ± 6.3 years, body height 165.5 ± 5.8 cm, body mass 65.9 ± 5.6 kg) and a control (age 22.9 ± 5.6 years, body height 163.3 ± 5.4 cm, body mass 57.4 ± 6.8 kg) group. The intervention group participated in a 9-week hip dominant training intervention, which consisted of a wide stance back squat, Romanian deadlift, hip thrusters, and a bent over row. Hip and knee kinematics and kinetics, and countermovement jump performance were assessed pre and post training. Significant interaction effects were found for peak hip joint moment (p = 0.030, η2 = 0.214) and countermovement jump performance (p = 0.003, η2 = 0.356), indicating an increase in peak hip joint moment and countermovement jump performance for the intervention group. Specifically, the intervention group showed a mean increase in jump height of 11.5%. The data show that the use of a hip dominant weight training strategy can improve hip contribution in the propulsion phase of the countermovement jump. Strength and conditioning specialists should incorporate hip dominant weight training exercises to increase hip strength and improve performance.

Gender Gaps in Equity Crowdfunding: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment

Although prior research in traditional equity financing shows that male founders are preferred, emerging evidence in low-stakes crowdfunding (e.g., rewards-based crowdfunding) indicates that female entrepreneurs may have an advantage, particularly with female investors. We seek to examine whether investors in high-stakes equity crowdfunding, which includes elements from both traditional equity financing and low-stakes crowdfunding, respond differently to male and female founders. Specifically, we examine whether founder gender preferences, if they exist, vary based on the gender and the experience of the investor. Through a randomized field experiment, we find that inexperienced female investors are significantly more interested (138%) in ventures with female founders than those with male founders; however, we do not observe founder gender preferences among experienced female investors. For male investors, we do not observe differences in interest based on founder gender or investor experience. Thus, we confirm that the gender gaps observed in traditional equity financing are ameliorated in the equity crowdfunding context. Furthermore, we identify a boundary condition to the preference for female founders reported in earlier work involving low-stakes crowdfunding. In high-stakes crowdfunding, investor experience serves as a contingency that reduces female investors’ preference for female founders, potentially because of the weakening effects of activism homophily and the lower reliance on heuristics as investor experience increases. This paper was accepted by Sridhar Tayur, entrepreneurship and innovation.