Developmental activities of elite junior hockey players: an analysis of early sport specialization.

Early sport specialization is a popular and contentious topic in the scientific literature and popular media. The lure of extrinsic rewards has led to increasing rates of specialization among young athletes, while expert recommendations promote multisport participation. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze developmental activities of a group of elite junior hockey players in Canada. Within this context, elements of specialization were investigated in accordance with existing theoretical frameworks and long-term athlete development models to enhance the literature. Fifteen participants from the Ontario Hockey League completed quantitative retrospective interviews, detailing past sport and recreational activities. Thirty-one developmental milestones were assessed. Accumulated hours of activity were categorized in accordance with Côté's (1999) Developmental Model of Sports Participation, along with the number and types of sports in which they participated during childhood. Jayanthi et al.'s (2015) continuum was utilized to determine the age at which the athletes became moderately and highly specialized. Accrued hours of deliberate practice reported by participants increased from ages 6 to 16 years, as did competition in organized hockey games. Reported hours of deliberate play peaked at 9 years of age and decreased thereafter. Participants played a combined 16 sports other than hockey, ranging from an average of 2.0 at age 6, to a maximum average of 5.6 at 12 years old, and decreasing each year to 2.3 by age 15. The greatest number of hours in other sports was accumulated at 12 years of age. Using a three-point scale, participants considered themselves "highly specialized" at 14 years old; however, other quantitative indicators suggested this may have occurred at 12 years of age. Relative to previous research on early sport specialization, participants in this study spent more time practicing hockey, while ceasing hockey-specific play and other sports at younger ages. Despite a diverse sport history, hockey competition was initiated earlier than recommended, showing high levels of sport commitment as young as 9 years old. The early specialization path remains a popular trajectory among coaches, parents, and athletes in Canadian ice hockey.

The influence of bowel atresia in gastroschisis on fetal growth, cardiotocograph abnormalities and amniotic fluid staining.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between intestinal atresia and fetal growth, intrapartum cardiotocograph abnormalities and staining of the amniotic fluid in gastroschisis pregnancies. DESIGN: Observational study of 115 gastroschisis pregnancies conceived between 1980 and 1996. SETTING: South West Region of England. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Birthweight, intrapartum cardiotocograph abnormality, staining of amniotic fluid and Apgar score. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the Apgar scores or the frequency of amniotic fluid staining of gastroschisis cases with or without atresia. Patent bowel gastroschisis was associated significantly with more cardiotocograph abnormalities (61% vs 26%, P = 0.026) and reduced growth (P = 0.02), when compared with cases with intestinal atresia. CONCLUSIONS: Bile vomiting may be an important cause of amniotic fluid staining. Bowel atresia protects against the increased incidence of cardiotocograph and growth abnormality found in cases of gastroschisis which may reflect their aetiology.

Neonatal flumazenil therapy reverses maternal diazepam.

A woman at 32 weeks' gestation with eclampsia was given 120 mg diazepam shortly before emergency caesarean section. The infant had persistent apnoea and required respiratory support. Spontaneous respiration began after intravenous flumazenil infusion was started. Diazepam and its active metabolites were assayed during and after 5 d of treatment with flumazenil.

Two brief measures for assessing mental competence in the elderly.

Data on a brief mental status schedule (Memory Check) and a behavior rating scale of mental impairment (Functional Behavior Survey) are presented which support the use of these instruments in research and survey work with both community and institutionalized aged. Based on a factorially derived concept of mental competence, the two instruments showed a satisfactory relation to clinical judgment of degree of competence, and also to a composite measure of nine test measures commonly used in assessing mental competence. The sample consisted of 68 community and nursing home residents between the ages of 60 and 80 who ranged from those who were unimpaired to those judged clinically to be grossly mentally impaired.

The distinction between self and not-self in children and adolescents.

The direction and extent of age-related differences in self-definition were studied in 120 students from age 6 to 16 years who were asked to identify 42 items as self or not-self. Total number of self-responses increased with age, and girls responded to slightly more items as self than boys. Body parts, identifying personal characteristics, and psychological processes were identified as self more frequently at all ages than significant others, self-related objects, and possessions. The direction of age-related change was toward greater self-extension and appeared to involve a reconceptualization of self and not-self relations.