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Background: Since 1982 many student-centred physical education teaching approaches have been proposed as viable alternatives to the traditional teacher-centred methodology. However, research indicates that their uptake by physical education practitioners has been limited. This is concerning, particularly given the prominence of alternative approaches within many PETE courses worldwide. For PETE students, implementing an alternative teaching approach on their school professional experience has proven to be very challenging, particularly due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of the pedagogical principles of the alternative approach and its underpinning learning theory. To address this deficiency researchers have suggested that PETE programmes provide students with an authentic and supportive teaching experience that bridges the gap between university peer teaching experiences and the unpredictable school professional experience. One widely suggested approach is to provide preservice teachers with an opportunity to work together in small groups in collaboration with a pedagogical expert to explore the implementation of an alternative pedagogy with school children in an authentic physical education context. Purpose: The study sought to investigate how effectively this proposed authentic and supportive teaching experience facilitates PETE students' knowledge and understanding of the pedagogical principles of an alternative pedagogy as well as its underpinning learning theoretical constructs. Participants and Setting: The participants for this study were 40 fourth year undergraduate PETE students undertaking a compulsory physical education pedagogy unit at an Australian university. The unit involved PETE students exploring the implementation of the constraints-led approach (CLA) with cohorts of children from a local school and reflecting upon their experiences and observations in terms of its key pedagogical principles and associated motor learning concepts. To develop their understanding of the CLA, a collaborative professional development model was adopted that allowed groups of teachers to work together in collaboration with a pedagogical expert in a community of practice. Data collection and analysis: To provide an accurate account of PETE students' experiences, two qualitative sources, written reflections and semi-structured focus group interviews, were used to collect data. Data from both sources were combined and analysed collectively using thematic analysis to identify repeated patterns of meaning within the data. Results: The authentic and supportive teaching environment, based on a collaborative professional development model, allowed PETE students to develop a thorough knowledge and understanding of the CLA pedagogical principles of representative learning design, task simplification, and constraints manipulation, and the motor learning theory that informs them. This knowledge and understanding enabled PETE students to successfully design and implement learning experiences that authentically represented the CLA, and which were successful in developing school students' technical and tactical ability for transfer to the performance environment. Conclusion: This research study has provided robust evidence of the effectiveness of an authentic and collaborative professional development model on enhancing the quality of PETE students' teaching and subsequent student learning. This model could be used to inform the design and delivery of preservice and in-service professional development programmes aimed at improving teaching quality. The findings have enormous potential for enhancing student learning outcomes in schools.

The zygote, a totipotent stem cell, is crucial to the life cycle of sexually reproducing organisms. It is produced by the fusion of two differentiated cells-the egg and sperm, which in plants have radically different siRNA transcriptomes from each other and from multicellular embryos. Owing to technical challenges, the epigenetic changes that accompany the transition from differentiated gametes to totipotent zygote are poorly understood. Because siRNAs serve as both regulators and outputs of the epigenome, we characterized small RNA transcriptomes of zygotes from rice. Zygote small RNAs exhibit extensive maternal carryover and an apparent lack of paternal contribution, indicated by absence of sperm signature siRNAs. Zygote formation is accompanied by widespread redistribution of 24-nt siRNAs relative to gametes, such that ∼70% of the zygote siRNA loci do not overlap any egg cell siRNA loci. Newly detected siRNA loci in zygote are gene-proximal and not associated with centromeric heterochromatin, similar to canonical siRNAs, in sharp contrast to gametic siRNA loci that are gene-distal and heterochromatic. In addition, zygote but not egg siRNA loci are associated with high DNA methylation in the mature embryo. Thus, the zygote begins transitioning before the first embryonic division to an siRNA profile that is associated with future RdDM in embryogenesis. These findings indicate that, in addition to changes in gene expression, the transition to totipotency in the plant zygote is accompanied by resetting of the epigenetic reprogramming that occurred during gamete formation.

Gametes constitute a critical stage of the plant life cycle during which the genome undergoes reprogramming in preparation for embryogenesis. Here, we examined genome-wide distributions of small RNAs in the sperm and egg cells of rice. We found that 24-nt siRNAs, which are a hallmark of RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) in plants, were depleted from heterochromatin boundaries in both gametes relative to vegetative tissues, reminiscent of siRNA patterns in DDM1-type nucleosome remodeler mutants. In sperm cells, 24-nt siRNAs were spread across heterochromatic regions, while in egg cells, 24-nt siRNAs were concentrated at a smaller number of heterochromatic loci throughout the genome, especially at loci which also produced siRNAs in other tissues. In both gametes, patterns of CHH methylation, typically a strong indicator of RdDM, were similar to vegetative tissues, although lower in magnitude. These findings indicate that the small RNA transcriptome undergoes large-scale redistribution in both male and female gametes, which is not correlated with recruitment of DNA methyltransferases in gametes and suggestive of unexplored regulatory activities of gamete small RNAs.

For the past 20 or more years, the study of football referee decision-making has focussed on concepts more suited to functional performance priorities and measurable components of the role, such as assessing fitness levels and foul-discrimination accuracy scores (see Pina et al., 2018). Investigators have rarely sought personal perceptions and insights from match officials concerning what they experience and what they do when they officiate. Adopting an ecologically grounded theory approach (Russell, 2021), we sought to better understand the perspectives of officials on how relational elements of decision-making contribute to the development of gameplay. Two key concepts are presented, ‘building rapport’ and ‘developing common gameplay expectations’, to analytically explain how referees may seek to use decision-making moments to manage individual- and game-orientated performance goals. Referee observations suggest how ‘good refereeing’ can be reimagined as a social relational activity intended to facilitate the game’s evolution, rather than a series of deliberated actions or responses to movement infractions (i.e. invariant adjudicating acts). Our findings indicate that, without knowledge of a referee’s decision-reasoning or awareness of relevant context-dependent constraints, decision-appropriateness may not always be definitively determined. Our data suggests that researchers might avoid conflating technical accuracy with decision-making ‘performance’, because decision interventions serve a diverse range of psychological, cultural, functional, and socially relevant task priorities. Furthermore, we caution against the increasing desire for technical accuracy in the training and development of referees, as it may diminish complex relational strategies officials are using to manage a game. Future work in sports officiating can continue to ground theoretical understanding in cultural knowledge to better understand what referees are really seeking to achieve when officiating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study explored the intelligibility and acceptability ratings of dysarthric speakers with African American English (AAE) and General American English (GAE) dialects by listeners who identify as GAE or AAE speakers, as well as listener ability to identify dialect in dysarthric speech. Eighty-six listeners rated the intelligibility and acceptability of sentences extracted from a passage read by speakers with dysarthria. Samples were used from the Atlanta Motor Speech Disorders Corpus and ratings were collected via self-report. The listeners identified speaker dialect in a forced-choice format. Listeners self-reported their dialect and exposure to AAE. AAE dialect was accurately identified in 63.43% of the the opportunities; GAE dialect was accurately identified in 70.35% of the opportunities. Listeners identifying as AAE speakers rated GAE speech as more acceptable, whereas, listeners identifying as GAE speakers rated AAE speech as more acceptable. Neither group of listeners demonstrated a difference in intelligibility ratings. Exposure to AAE had no effect on intelligibility or acceptability ratings. Listeners can identify dialect (AAE and GAE) with a better than chance degree of accuracy. One's dialect may have an effect on intelligibility and acceptability ratings. Exposure to a dialect did not affect listener ratings of intelligibility or acceptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Patients in acute care who have received a tracheotomy require efficient management to adequately progress through the acute care setting. This progression is predicated on efficient tracheostomy weaning through tracheostomy downsizing, capping and decannulation. The objective of this retrospective study was to review the outcomes of tracheostomy tube changes by speech-language pathologists. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was performed of adult patients who received a tracheostomy tube change during their acute care hospitalisation by speech-language pathologists during a 6-month span in 2022. A total of 38 consecutive referrals undergoing an initial tracheostomy tube change had their electronic medical records reviewed. Success was defined as the placement of the tracheostomy tube into the tracheal lumen with confirmation of placement with no adverse events. Complications were recorded at the time of the tracheostomy tube change. Results: Speech-language pathologists performed 38 (100%) initial tracheostomy tube changes successfully at the bedside without complications. The primary referral services were trauma and neurology. The primary diagnoses were polytrauma with a traumatic brain injury and multiple trauma without a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury. The mean Glasgow Coma Scale score and number of intubations were 12.4 and 1.4 respectively. A total of 34 (89%) tracheostomy tube changes resulted in the downsizing of the tracheostomy tube, while the remainder of tracheostomy tube changes (n=4; 11%) maintained the same size but were cuffless. All the tracheostomy tube changes were completed without complications, and all patients were noted as stable after 24 hours. Conclusions: The procedural success corroborates the data reported by an earlier study in the literature and further validates the efficacy of a competent and experienced speech-language pathologists' ability to perform low-risk tracheostomy tube changes in the acute setting. This study demonstrates real world data from a single large trauma centre of tracheostomy tube changes performed by speech-language pathologists. Such data better defines the emerging role expansion of speech-language pathologists in the acute care setting. Implications for practice: This study has the potential to expand the discussion around speech-language pathologists changing tracheostomy tubes in the acute care setting for a low-risk cohort. The authors have outlined the requisite training that may serve as a resource for speech-language pathologists to develop procedural competency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the early spring until the first snows, we went once a month to the cemetery. The bus stood at the bottom of King Tomislav Street, and next to it [...]

Purpose: The current study aimed to identify objective acoustic measures related to affective state change in the speech of adults with post-stroke aphasia. Method: The speech of 20 post-stroke adults with aphasia was recorded during picture description and administration of the Western Aphasia Battery--Revised (Kertesz, 2006). In addition, participants completed the Self-Assessment Manikin (Bradley & Lang, 1994) and the Stress Scale (Tobii Dynavox, 1981-2016) before and after the language tasks. Speech from each participant was used to detect a change in affective state test scores between the beginning and ending speech. Results: Machine learning revealed moderate success in classifying depression, minimal success in predicting depression and stress numeric scores, and minimal success in classifying changes in affective state class between the beginning and ending speech. Conclusions: The results suggest the existence of objectively measurable aspects of speech that may be used to identify changes in acute affect from adults with aphasia. This work is exploratory and hypothesis-generating; more work will be needed to make conclusive claims. Further work in this area could lead to automated tools to assist clinicians with their diagnoses of stress, depression, and other forms of affect in adults with aphasia.

Salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky has become the most frequently isolated serovar from poultry in the United States over the past decade. Despite its prevalence in poultry, it causes few human illnesses in the United States. The dominance of S. Kentucky in poultry does not appear to be due to single introduction of a clonal strain, and its reduced virulence appears to correlate with the absence of virulence genes grvA, sseI, sopE, and sodC1. S. Kentucky's prevalence in poultry is possibly attributable to its metabolic adaptation to the chicken cecum. While there were no difference in the growth rate of S. Kentucky and S. Typhimurium grown microaerophilically in cecal contents, S. Kentucky persisted longer when chickens were coinfected with S. Typhimurium. The in vivo advantage that S. Kentucky has over S. Typhimurium appears to be due to differential regulation of core Salmonella genes via the stationary-phase sigma factor rpoS. Microarray analysis of Salmonella grown in cecal contents in vitro identified several metabolic genes and motility and adherence genes that are differentially activated in S. Kentucky. The contributions of four of these operons (mgl, prp, nar, and csg) to Salmonella colonization in chickens were assessed. Deletion of mgl and csg reduced S. Kentucky persistence in competition studies in chickens infected with wild-type or mutant strains. Subtle mutations affecting differential regulation of core Salmonella genes appear to be important in Salmonella's adaptation to its animal host and especially for S. Kentucky's emergence as the dominant serovar in poultry.

The term 'priming exercise' has recently been introduced to describe exercise stimuli prescribed to enhance performance within 1–48 hours of that stimulus. Despite evidence of these activities being utilised in competitive settings, the reasoning underpinning the application of priming exercise is not yet clear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore practitioners' perceptions about using priming exercise as a pre-competition strategy to improve performance. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 practitioners involved in prescribing training programs to elite Australian athletes. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed six organising themes (i.e. 'limited and inapplicable research findings', 'consideration of athletes' training age', risk-return of priming session outcomes', 'logistical concerns', 'buy-in' and 'priming exercise prescription') later grouped into a global theme, representing the 'challenges of applying priming exercise'. The findings highlight contextual factors influencing practitioners' use of priming exercise and, based on these considerations, draw attention to the apparent uncertainty about whether these stimuli can be prescribed effectively to improve competition performance in sports. In addition to gaining insight into applied priming strategies, the present findings may be used to inform externally valid and relevant study designs that subsequently guide practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background To examine the effects of the DPP-4i sitagliptin on CV outcomes during and after incident MI in the Trial Evaluating Cardiovascular Outcomes with Sitagliptin (TECOS). Methods TECOS randomized 14,671 participants with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) to sitagliptin or placebo, in addition to usual care. For those who had a within-trial MI, we analyzed case fatality, and for those with a nonfatal MI, we examined a composite cardiovascular (CV) outcome (CV death or hospitalization for heart failure [hHF]) by treatment group, using Cox proportional hazards models left-censored at the time of the first within-trial MI, without and with adjustment for potential confounders, in intention-to-treat analyses. Results During TECOS, 616 participants had ≥ 1 MI (sitagliptin group 300, placebo group 316, HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.81–1.11, P = 0.49), of which 25 were fatal [11 and 14, respectively]). Of the 591 patients with a nonfatal MI, 87 (15%) died subsequently, with 66 (11%) being CV deaths, and 57 (10%) experiencing hHF. The composite outcome occurred in 58 (20.1%; 13.9 per 100 person-years) sitagliptin group participants and 50 (16.6%; 11.7 per 100 person-years) placebo group participants (HR 1.21, 95% CI 0.83–1.77, P = 0.32, adjusted HR 1.23, 95% CI 0.83–1.82, P = 0.31). On-treatment sensitivity analyses also showed no significant between-group differences in post-MI outcomes. Conclusions In patients with type 2 diabetes and ASCVD experiencing an MI, sitagliptin did not reduce subsequent risk of CV death or hHF, contrary to expectations derived from preclinical animal models. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov no. NCT00790205