John Mayberry

Test anxiety is a significant issue among pharmacy students, potentially affecting their academic performance and well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR) intervention in reducing test anxiety. Pharmacy students enrolled in a didactic course were randomized into an IBSR intervention group or a control group. Both groups attended a 1.5 h seminar; the intervention group learned the IBSR technique, while the control group received instruction on an unrelated topic (emotional intelligence). The intervention group also submitted weekly self-reflections on applying IBSR to exam-related anxiety. Anxiety levels were measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at the start of two major exams. Descriptive data were collected and STAI results were analyzed via independent t-tests. Among the 86 participants, the average baseline STAI score indicated moderate–severe anxiety (51/80). No significant differences were found in anxiety scores between the groups before exam 2 (p = 0.99) and exam 3 (p = 0.60). However, 67% of the intervention group found IBSR helpful, 58% changed their test-taking approach, and 61% altered their self-perception. While IBSR did not significantly reduce pre-exam anxiety levels, it was perceived as beneficial by many students. Future research should explore additional strategies for managing test anxiety in this population.

The sport of water polo has frequently undergone modifications throughout its history with two major sets of new rules being implemented in the last decade alone. This paper investigates changes in game play at the elite men’s level over this time, comparing tactical decisions and outcomes from the 2012 London with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. A detailed analysis of over 4000 plays shows that the distribution of offensive tactical choices changed significantly over this eight-year period with 2020 teams more frequently relying on perimeter shooting and less frequently on counterattacks, centre play, and direct shots. Centre play was the only offensive tactic with a significant increase in efficiency rating. At the game level, major foul calling rates decreased with significantly fewer offensive fouls and exclusion fouls on the ball in 2020. A linear model for predicting final score differential based on differences in game statistics found that number of exclusions, exclusion conversion rate, number of counterattacks, penalty shots, and perimeter efficiency rating were all significant predictors of final game outcomes. There were no significant interactions between year and predictors although there was some evidence that perimeter efficiency rating played a more important role in 2020 compared to 2012.

Disclaimer This article was written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is in no way meant to replace or supersede the advice of expert epidemiologists. We are grateful to those in the scientifi...

For herbivorous insects the importance of larval food plants is obvious, yet the role of host abundance and density in conservation are relatively understudied. Populations of Speyeria butterflies across North America have declined and Speyeria adiaste is an imperiled species endemic to the southern California Coast Ranges. In this paper, we study the link between the food plant Viola purpurea quercetorum and abundance of its herbivore Speyeria adiaste clemencei to better understand the butterfly’s decline and aid in restoration of this and other Speyeria species. To assess the degree to which the larval food plant limits adult abundance of S. a. clemencei in 2013, we compared adult population counts to population size predicted from a Monte Carlo simulation using data for number of V. pur. quercetorum plants, number of leaves per plant, and leaf area per plant, with lab estimates of leaf area consumed to reach pupal stage on the non-native host V. papilionacea. Results indicated an average estimate of 765 pupae (median = 478), with 77% of the distribution being available to larvae was more closely linked to adult abundance than the amount of host present, especially when considering assumptions of the analyses. The data also indicate that robust populations require host density well in excess of what is eaten by larvae, in combination with appropriate spacing, to mitigate factors such as competition, starvation from leaving host patches, or unrelated to food plant, such as mortality from drought, predators, parasites, or disease.

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of motivational interviewing (MI) training on students’ social–emotional development. Two simulations using standardized patients (SP) were conducted within a smoking cessation module. Students first completed a 4 h self-study module focused on smoking cessation tools and general counseling techniques. Faculty then administered a 15-item rubric focused on students’ self-assessment of their verbal/non-verbal communication, social–emotional competence and MI skills. Students then participated in a smoking cessation counseling session with an SP. SPs used the same rubric to assess student performance. Teaching assistants (TAs) observed and assessed the students using the same rubric and an additional 22 items related to clinical skills. TAs and SPs then provided feedback on areas of improvement. The following week, students first completed a 3 h self-study module on MI then participated in a different smoking cessation scenario. After completion, the 15-item self-assessment rubric was administered. There was a significant improvement in TA assessed student performance with an average score improvement of 8% (pre-intervention score = 67%; post-intervention mean = 75%). Students had dramatic gains in their self-assessment with their scores rising by an average of 22%. Using MI techniques can improve students’ self-assessed and perceived social–emotional competency.

Mayberry, JK, Patterson, B, and Wagner, P. Improving vertical jump profiles through prescribed movement plans. J Strength Cond Res 32(6): 1619–1626, 2018—Developing practical, reliable, and valid methods for monitoring athlete wellness and injury risk is an important goal for trainers, athletes, and coaches. Previous studies have shown that the countermovement vertical jump (CMJ) test is both a reliable and valid metric for evaluating an athlete's condition. This study examines the effectiveness of prescribed workouts on improving the quality of movement during CMJ. The data set consists of 2,425 pairs of CMJ scans for high school, college, and professional athletes training at a privately owned facility. During each scan, a force plate recorded 3 ground reaction force (GRF) measurements known to impact CMJ performance: eccentric rate of force development (ERFD), average vertical concentric force (AVCF), and concentric vertical impulse (CVI). After an initial scan, coaches either assigned the athlete a specific 1- or 2-strength movement plan (treatment group) or instructed the athlete to choose their own workouts (control group) before returning for a follow-up scan. A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) revealed significant differences in changes to GRF measurements between athletes in the 2 groups after adjusting for the covariates sex, sport, time between scans, and rounds of workout completed. A principal component analysis of GRF measurements further identified 4 primary groups of athlete needs and the results provide recommendations for effective workout plans targeting each group. In particular, split squats increase CVI and decrease ERFD/AVCF; deadlifts increase AVCF and decrease CVI; alternating squats/split squats increase ERFD/CVI and decrease AVCF; and alternating squats/deadlifts increase ERFD/AVCF and decrease CVI.

Defensive fouls play an important role in elite men’s water polo generating over half of all goals. Despite their importance, little is known about the relationship between foul calling patterns and other game-state variables in the sport. Here we ap