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Book part
Publication date: 12 December 2022

Jim McVeigh, Geoff Bates and Gemma Anne Yarwood

In recent years there have been increasing calls for the use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) and associated drugs to be recognized as a public health issue. In the domain of…

Abstract

In recent years there have been increasing calls for the use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) and associated drugs to be recognized as a public health issue. In the domain of the competitive athlete and professional bodybuilder, recent decades have seen the diffusion of AAS from the hardcore gyms of the 1980s and 1990s to the mainstream exercise and fitness environments of the twenty-first century. Alongside the apparent increases in the use of these drugs, there is a growing evidence base in relation to harms – physical, psychological and (to some extent) social. But is this form of drug use a public health issue? What criteria should we use to make this judgement? What is the available evidence and has our understanding of the issue improved? By drawing on the authors' research in the United Kingdom and the wider international literature this chapter will explore these issues and attempt to answer the fundamental question – is the use of anabolic steroids a public health issue?

Book part
Publication date: 12 December 2022

Bertrand Fincoeur and Jessica Rullo

While steroid use in the sports context has already been extensively studied by academic researchers, its patterns and implications in the prison context have received scant…

Abstract

While steroid use in the sports context has already been extensively studied by academic researchers, its patterns and implications in the prison context have received scant attention. Why do inmates use androgenic–anabolic steroids (AAS)? How does this use relate to sports activities, in particular fitness training, and what does it mean vis-à-vis the body image that is promoted in this environment? Does it even relate to fitness or sport? How do prison authorities regulate or prevent prisoners' AAS use? This empirical study is based on 28 interviews with 19 inmates and nine staff members (guards, managers) of four Belgian prisons. We showed that steroid use is largely connected with fitness activities and that it has an instrumental, goal-oriented dimension. AAS are used for athletic/performance purposes, e.g. increasing muscular strength. They also help gain or maintain a satisfactory body (self-)image, which has implications on the own identity, prestige and power relations within the prison community. In jail, the body is a major type of symbolic capital that is intended to reinforce status and cope with the difficulties and actual conditions of incarceration. We also observed differences in the perceived legitimacy of the various drugs that are used in prison. While guards are more tolerant towards AAS than other drugs, prisoners are less prone to openly confess to using AAS. Admitting to using AAS would damage the inmate's reputation, the legitimacy of his muscled body, and the subsequent goals of individual power and prestige.

Details

Doping in Sport and Fitness
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80117-157-1

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 March 2023

Dhruba Jyoti Borgohain, Mayank Yuvaraj and Manoj Kumar Verma

The purpose of this study is to assess the value of altmetrics or other indicators, showcasing the impact of academic output, which is seen too often correlated with the citation…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess the value of altmetrics or other indicators, showcasing the impact of academic output, which is seen too often correlated with the citation count.

Design/methodology/approach

This study considered three reputed journals of Library and Information Science (LIS) published by Elsevier. A total of 1,164 articles were found in these journals from 2016 to 2020 and the relationships between altmetric attention scores (AAS) and citations were examined. The analysis was extended to compare the grouped data set based on percentile ranks of AAS like top 50%, top 25%, top 10% and top 1%.

Findings

Using Spearman correlation analysis, the findings reveal a positive correlation between AAS and citations with different significant levels for all articles, and articles with AAS, as well as for normalized AAS in the top 50%, top 25%, top 10% and top 1% data set. For the three journals International Journal of Information Management (IJIM), Journal of Informetrics (JIF) and Library and Information Science Research (LISR), a significant positive correlation is observed across all data sets. But an unexpected result was observed: in the case of the top 50% of articles for the IJIM and JIF showed no significant correlation but the LISR journal showed a positive correlation for the whole data set. This journal though has fewer articles in comparison to the other two.

Research limitations/implications

A source item that is highly cited may not be having high social media attention as reflected in the findings. This demarcates AAS with citations implying various factors on which these measurements are dependent. The study distinguishes these metrics lucidly. There is not a single guideline or uniformity in assessing the correlation found. But the problem is that the interpretation of the correlation strength affects the conclusion of the study. Moreover, this study will be a role model as a draft for librarians to select relevant journals for their libraries and will facilitate authors in the choice of the publication outlets for their papers, particularly concerning the journals that have both visibility and research impact.

Originality/value

The study reported devising a comprehensive tool to validate AAS as a measure of scholarly impact to include appropriate social media sources and verify its relationship with other metrics. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to discover the correlation between AAS and citations for the highly impactful LIS journal published by Elsevier. The empirical evidence lies in the citation and altmetric data extracted from the dimension database.

Details

Information Discovery and Delivery, vol. 52 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-6247

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 25 June 2021

Stephen P. Hebard, Lindsey R. Oakes, Ann Kearns Davoren, Jeffrey J. Milroy, Jody Redman, Joe Ehrmann and David L. Wyrick

The coach−athlete relationship mediates the relationship between sports participation and student-athlete character, health and well-being outcomes. High school athletic…

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Abstract

Purpose

The coach−athlete relationship mediates the relationship between sports participation and student-athlete character, health and well-being outcomes. High school athletic administrators (AAs) can provide critical leadership, mentorship and direction for coaches to optimize student-athlete performance and human development. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an evidence-based approach to developing adult and student competencies for holistic development across the lifespan that has been primarily performed and researched in the classroom. The purpose of this research is to capture the lived experiences of AAs applying a novel SEL-based curriculum (InSideOut Initiative, ISOI) with coaches and student-athletes in high school sports.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews of 10 AAs captured their lived experiences of applying SEL-based leadership and coaching and their perception of its impact on coaches and student-athletes in high school athletics.

Findings

AAs described leadership and coaching that are characterized by (1) safety, support and mentorship; (2) skill and support-based behavior modeling; (3) trusting, loving and supportive relationships; (4) self-reflection of values/beliefs and behaviors that impact self, student-athlete and culture; (5) the influence of emotions on the aforementioned; (6) the ability to have a long-term, sustainable impact on student-athletes and (7) alignment with their immediate environmental context.

Research limitations/implications

The data captured in this study suggest that ISOI-trained AAs practice SEL-competent leadership and coaching. Evaluation of the novel application of SEL-based interventions in athletics will be useful to understanding their effects on participant social and emotional competencies and outcomes traditionally associated with classroom-based SEL applications.

Practical implications

Athletic administrator interviews describe an approach to high school sports that requires a reconceptualization of the purpose of athletics. When the high school sport operates as a curriculum, integrated opportunity for its student-athletes and athletic administrator and coach leadership aligns with this overarching philosophy, there may be increased potential for positive youth development.

Originality/value

The results of this research are valuable in demonstrating preliminary evidence of how SEL-based leadership and coaching is applied and impacts adult and student-athletes in a unique sport context.

Details

Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, vol. 14 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2397-7604

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 June 2011

Dawn‐Marie Walker and Hercules Eli Joubert

This study seeks to gain some understanding about the attitudes of anabolic‐androgenic steroid (AAS) users towards the media and whether their constructs of masculinity are…

Abstract

Purpose

This study seeks to gain some understanding about the attitudes of anabolic‐androgenic steroid (AAS) users towards the media and whether their constructs of masculinity are influenced by this. It also aims to explore their attitudes towards health information.

Design/methodology/approach

A self‐completion questionnaire containing 35 items of both open and closed questions was designed for the study. All participants were English‐speaking, injecting male steroid users, 16 years or older whose trigger for using was confidence and self‐esteem, and were registered clients at either of the two included UK needle exchange services.

Findings

Participants and other AAS users were open about their use to each other, but not to people external to that sub‐culture. They denied media influence, although they thought that most men in the media with muscular bodies used AAS. They associate masculinity with strength and muscle. They seemed knowledgeable about the health implications of AAS, but would not tell a health professional unless asked directly. There appears to be a sub‐culture normalisation regarding AAS use, with the trivialisation of health messages, their minimisation of the possibility of negative effects happening to them, and comparison of oneself to others they regard as inferior in some way.

Originality/value

The paper explores the need for a credible and non‐judgmental source of information for users of AAS.

Details

Drugs and Alcohol Today, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1745-9265

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 January 2021

Dorothea Wahyu Ariani

This study aims to examine how students with different goals differ in their subjective well-being, including academic self-efficacy (ASE) and affect at school (AAS). There are…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine how students with different goals differ in their subjective well-being, including academic self-efficacy (ASE) and affect at school (AAS). There are four goal orientations that motivate students to achieve academic performance. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between the four dimensions of achievement goals (AGs), ASE and AAS. It also examined five relationship models between these variables.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted using a survey method with a questionnaire on 516 students at several private universities in Yogyakarta who have been studying for at least two years. After testing the validity and reliability of the measurements, correlation testing was conducted to determine the relationship between the two variables. Furthermore, testing of the five relationship models was conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM) with a two-step approach.

Findings

The findings showed that each goal was directly related to students' well-being with a diverse relationship nature. Furthermore, mastery-approach goals (MApGs) were the types that most consistently have a positive effect on students' well-being. Also, performance-avoidance goals (PAvGs) consistently and negatively affected students' well-being, while performance-approach goals (PApGs) produced various influences and relationships. In addition, mastery-avoidance goals (MAvGs) are among the four AGs that still need to be studied, especially in educational settings. This is because they had no effect on ASE either directly or indirectly.

Research limitations/implications

The limitation of this study was using cross-sectional data and self-report in data collection. Furthermore, the respondents were limited to private university students, and they were few in number.

Practical implications

MApGs had a positive effect on ASE and AAS, while PAvGs can reduce ASE and cause negative effects. Therefore, higher institutions in Indonesia need to provide a curriculum that can increase students' curiosity, creativity and involvement in the learning process. This will make them confident in their abilities and have a positive attitude in school and the society. Also, this study showed that a PApG is not a negative goal because it can increase students' confidence in their abilities. This competency feeling needs to be fostered because it encourages them to increase knowledge and learning content, as well as increase their positive effects.

Originality/value

This paper addressed the need to understand how to generate and increase students’ motivation.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 April 2022

Xiaofan Liu, Yupeng Zhou, Minghao Yin and Shuai Lv

The paper aims to provide an efficient meta-heuristic algorithm to solve the partial set covering problem (PSCP). With rich application scenarios, the PSCP is a fascinating and…

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to provide an efficient meta-heuristic algorithm to solve the partial set covering problem (PSCP). With rich application scenarios, the PSCP is a fascinating and well-known non-deterministic polynomial (NP)-hard problem whose goal is to cover at least k elements with as few subsets as possible.

Design/methodology/approach

In this work, the authors present a novel variant of the ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm, called Argentine ant system (AAS), to deal with the PSCP. The developed AAS is an integrated system of different populations that use the same pheromone to communicate. Moreover, an effective local search framework with the relaxed configuration checking (RCC) and the volatilization-fixed weight mechanism is proposed to improve the exploitation of the algorithm.

Findings

A detailed experimental evaluation of 75 instances reveals that the proposed algorithm outperforms the competitors in terms of the quality of the optimal solutions. Also, the performance of AAS gradually improves with the growing instance size, which shows the potential in handling complex practical scenarios. Finally, the designed components of AAS are experimentally proved to be beneficial to the whole framework. Finally, the key components in AAS have been demonstrated.

Originality/value

At present, there is no heuristic method to solve this problem. The authors present the first implementation of heuristic algorithm for solving PSCP and provide competitive solutions.

Details

Data Technologies and Applications, vol. 56 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 August 2021

Michelle Vong and Jocelyn Tan

This research study aims to explore the trends in the use of appropriate adults (AAs) for persons with mental disabilities (PMDs) during law enforcement investigation interviews…

Abstract

Purpose

This research study aims to explore the trends in the use of appropriate adults (AAs) for persons with mental disabilities (PMDs) during law enforcement investigation interviews in Singapore and examine the profile of PMDs who were supported by AAs through the investigation process. AAs play a vital role in facilitating communication and providing emotional support to PMDs during investigation interviews.

Design/methodology/approach

A descriptive analysis was conducted on data collected from 2016 to 2019.

Findings

The findings of the study indicate a growing demand for AA services to support PMDs with some variations across different geographical regions. Approximately three-quarters of all completed interviews supported PMDs who were suspects/accused. Interviewees who received AA support were largely Chinese, male, in their adolescent or early adulthood years and had an intellectual disability. More than half of the interviews supported by AAs involved offences that were sexual in nature or property related.

Originality/value

These results reflect a growing awareness of the role and importance of AAs for PMDs and have practical implications on service delivery and development. This paper’s findings on the profile of PMDs supported by AAs also set the groundwork for further research to investigate how PMDs interface with the criminal justice system.

Details

Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, vol. 12 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-8824

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 July 2020

Yingqi Tang, Hungwei Tseng and Charlcie Vann

The purpose of the study is to use a multidimensional perspective on the analysis of scholarly articles published in the top-tier Library and Information Science (LIS) journals…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to use a multidimensional perspective on the analysis of scholarly articles published in the top-tier Library and Information Science (LIS) journals. The relationships between the impact factors (Altmetric attention score [AAS], citation count and Mendeley readership) were analyzed, and reader profiles were characterized and studied.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examined citation count, AAS and Mendeley readership of the most cited articles published in the top-tier LIS journals – The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Government Information Quarterly and Library and Information Science Research. A total of 61 articles were analyzed. Data were recorded on an Excel spreadsheet and exported to the statistical software package SPSS 18.0 for Windows to perform the descriptive and correlation analysis.

Findings

This study suggests that Mendeley readership and AAS could be used as supplemental measurements for assessing the impact of a publication or author in the LIS. AAS and Mendeley readership are positively correlated with citation count, and the correlation between Mendeley readership and citation count was stronger than AAS and citation count. Librarians are dominant readers of the top-tier LIS journals, followed by social sciences, computer science and arts and humanities professions.

Originality/value

This study introduces two newly launched metrics for measuring the research impact factor and discusses how they correlated with citation count. Moreover, the study details the spectrum of Altmetric for discovering readership of LIS top-tier journals. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that presents the spectrum of AAS and Mendeley readership of the most cited articles published in top-tier of LIS journals. The study reveals an alternative way of measuring LIS publication’s impact factor that enables researchers, librarians, administrators, publishers and other stakeholders in LIS to assess the influence of a publication from another angle.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. 69 no. 8/9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9342

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 August 2012

Xiaojun Yan, Ying Deng and Zhang Hui

The purpose of this paper is to provide an effective way to evaluate structure strength margin of AAS (aircraft arresting system) barrier net and efficiency of its control scheme.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an effective way to evaluate structure strength margin of AAS (aircraft arresting system) barrier net and efficiency of its control scheme.

Design/methodology/approach

A numerical method to deal with barrier net strength design of AAS by means of nonlinear finite element (FE) has been used in this paper. The key of the simulation is that a special technique is proposed to cope with the arresting forces exerted on the tapes as boundary conditions, so the time history of stress/force distribution of AAS key components can be obtained. Also some techniques measures are taken to ensure good numerical convergence for this complex nonlinear system.

Findings

The simulation results cannot only provide the general important performance indexes of AAS, such as run‐out distance and the maximum deceleration of the arrested aircraft, but also present stress or force contours of barrier net, tapes and aircraft, etc. therefore it is easy to evaluate the component's strength when a specific control scheme is adopted.

Practical implications

From component/structure strength perspective, this paper gives a practical engineering design method to evaluate performance of AAS.

Originality/value

The paper is probably the first to give a method which can evaluate AAS components strength considering their 3D geometry, and also its control scheme. The method has been validated through experimental results.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 84 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0002-2667

Keywords

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