Mastery Stage Research Articles

Cultural Shock for Journalists Transitioning from Print to Online Media

The emergence of a new culture also occurs in the era of digital disruption. Digital media makes journalism undergo a transformation. In this context, technology can affect journalism in four ways, namely: a) the way journalists work in finding information; b) the nature of the news content; c) the organizational structure of the media in the newsroom; and d) the nature of the relationship between the media, reporters and a number of publics such as audiences, competitors, news sources, sponsors, and regulations that can control the press. In addition to the competence of journalists, organizational culture has also changed in line with efforts to adapt to digitalization. Cultural changes can be experienced by journalists who move from print media to online media. The journalists must adapt to the atmosphere, way and new work culture. This study used a qualitative descriptive method with data collection techniques using observation and face-to-face interviews with informants. The research subjects were selected based on the required informant criteria using purposive sampling, namely journalists in Medan City who moved from print media to online media. Based on the research results, the third informant experienced the most significant cultural changes in the work atmosphere and work methods and culture. Cultural change can be seen through the dimension of culture shock; affective, behavioral, and cognitive. The process of the three informants in dealing with changes in work culture, can be analyzed using 4 stages in culture shock, namely: Honeymoon Stage, Rejection or Regression Stage, Adjustment or Negotiation Stage, Mastery Stage.

The learning curve of robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty in children.

To explore the learning curve of robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty (RALP) in children. The clinical data, surgical information, and postoperative complications of consecutive cases of RALP performed by the same surgeon in Shanghai Children's Hospital from January 2014 to July 2020 were retrospectively analyzed; the surgeon is a senior pediatric urologists who is proficient in laparoscopic pyeloplasty; the data consist of console time (CT), suture method when anastomosing ureteropelvic junction (UPJ), number of stitches (N), anastomosis time per stitch (tn), the average suture time per stitch (T) = (suture time of first stitch (t1) + second stitch (t2) + … + tn)/N, postoperative complications, and surgical outcome. The learning curve was depicted by cumulative sum method (CUSUM) and validated by cumulative method (CUM). Of the 88 cases, 64 cases were included in present study. Median CT was 104 (83-117) min, mean T was 109 ± 17s. There were ten cases of Clavien-Dindo Grade I complication and two cases of Clavien-Dindo Grade IIIb complication. The median follow-up time was 237 (87-627)days. The learning curve of CT has three stages, with inflection points at 11th and 57th case, and T has two stages, with inflection points at 19th case. There was a statistically significant difference between the console time and length of stay on both sides of the inflection point (P < 0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference in age, gender, etiology, clinical manifestation, surgical outcome, and complication (P > 0.05). For a senior pediatric urologists who is proficient in laparoscopic pyeloplasty, the learning curve of RALP can be divided into three stages, preliminary exploration stage, mastery stage, and proficiency stage. It takes about 11 cases to achieve the mastery stage, and it takes about 57 cases to achieve the proficiency stage. The learning curve focused on the suture technique of the surgeon is divided into two stages, and after a learning period of 19 cases, it will reach the proficiency stage of suturing UPJ.

The Impact of graphic approach exercises on learning some types of shooting with handball

The research problem has been identified. There is a fluctuation in the performance of some types of shooting with hand reel by students of the second intermediate grade of Kairouan Intermediate School for boys due to the educational and training methods used for this. The researcher finds in studying this problem by using the method of tactical approaches and knowing its effect on learning some types of correction among club players Salah El-Din for juniors handball, which is a new method that indicates development and creativity in mastering skills and upgrading performance, and this is why this method was directed as it helps in developing the level of playing performance Which constitutes the final stop for learning how to play and assimilate play, and from this standpoint many renewed methods have emerged, including the method of exercises for planning approaches or planning educational directives that create a situation similar to playing, and thus learners reach to learn skills, develop them and comprehend them for the purpose of a coherent link between learning skills while playing through Practical exercises for tactical approaches focused on each case of defensive and offensive play and tactical skill performance. Its goal is to develop the performance of players in the case of play and the interaction between communication for schematic perception and implementation skills. The aim of the research is to develop striped approaches exercises for some types of handball correction and to identify the effect of these exercises in learning some types of handball correction. The researcher hypothesized the effect of the exercises of striped approaches in learning some types of correction. As for the research sample, it was the 14-member Saladin handball club for junior players. The search results were treated statistically through statistical transactions, and the researcher reached- The tactical approach exercises have a positive effect on learning some types of correction and the tactical performance of handball players.- The repetition of the exercises led to learning some types of correction for planned performance and thus mastering and stabilizing them.- Reaching the skill to the mastery stage helped to improve the level of the planned performance of the players.The researcher recommended:- Paying attention to the use of tactical approaches exercises in learning some types of correction and improving the level of tactical performance of the handball players, as well as in order to invest time and effort in the educational process.

Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for lobectomy: the learning curve.

Prior reported learning curves for uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy were predominantly based on surgery duration, whilst reports on complications are limited. Therefore, our study assessed the learning curve based on both technique-related complications and surgery duration. We retrospectively collected data from patients who underwent uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy, between 2015 and 2020. Exclusion criteria were concomitant procedures other than ipsilateral wedge resection, discontinued procedures, or lost to follow-up (<30 days). Learning curves were constructed per surgeon who performed over 20 procedures using non-risk adjusted cumulative sum analysis for technique-related complications and cumulative sum analysis for surgery duration. Based on the literature, an acceptable complication rate was set at 30%, an unacceptable complication rate at 45%, and a mean surgery duration of 145 minutes. Learning curves were constructed for three thoracic surgeons and one fellow who performed 324 uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomies in total. Each surgeon was experienced in multiportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy, the fellow was familiar with basic multiportal video-assisted thoracoscopic procedures. Cumulative sum charts of three surgeons reached a statistically significant technique-related complication rate below 30% between 50 to 96 procedures. Regarding surgery duration, typical learning curves were observed for three surgeons with a transition point between 14 to 26 procedures. Learning of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for lobectomy is safe without unacceptable complication rates and has a declining surgery duration over time for thoracic surgeons with experience in multiportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomies. However, it remains unknown when the different stages of mastery are completed.

Evaluation of the learning curve for robotic single-anastomosis duodenal-ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy.

BackgroundThe robotic surgical system is being used in various bariatric procedures. However, only a few studies with very small sample size are present on robotic single-anastomosis duodenal–ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy (SADI-S). Moreover, to date, the learning curve of robotic SADI-S has been poorly evaluated yet.ObjectiveThis retrospective study aimed to estimate the learning curve of robotic SADI-S.Methods102 consecutive patients who underwent robotic SADI-S between March 2020 and December 2021 were included. Textbook outcome standard was performed to comprehensively evaluate clinical outcome of robotic SADI-S. Based on the textbook outcome, we evaluated the learning curve of robotic SADI-S by the cumulative sum (CUSUM) method.ResultsThe mean operative time was 186.13 ± 36.91 min. No conversion to laparotomy or deaths occurred during the study period. The rate of complications was 6.9% (n = 7), of which major complications were identified in 2.9% (n = 3), including 2 gastric leakages and 1 respiratory failure. A total of 60 patients reached the textbook outcome standard. The rate of textbook outcome was positive and was steadily increasing after the number of surgical cases accumulated to the 58th case. Taking the 58th case as the boundary, all the patients were divided into the learning stage group (the first 58 patients) and mastery stage group (the last 44 patients). The rate of complications, proportion of abdominal drainage tubes and postoperative hospital stay were significantly higher in the learning stage group compared with the mastery stage group (P < 0.05). No significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of patient demographic data, operative times, reoperations and readmission.ConclusionRobotic SADI-S is a feasible and reproducible surgical technique with a learning curve of 58 cases.

Outcomes of totally robotic single-anastomosis duodenal–ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy: A large single-centre series

In recent years, the robot surgical system begins to be applied in single-anastomosis duodenal-ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy (SADI-S). However, only a few studies with very small sample size are present on robotic SADI-S. This retrospective study aimed to estimate the outcomes of totally robotic SADI-S. 102 consecutive patients undergoing totally robotic SADI-S between March 2020 and December 2021 were included. Patient demographics, operative time, length of postoperative hospital stay, complications, conversion to laparotomy, reoperation, readmission, mortality, and postoperative weight loss were recorded to analyze the safety, effectiveness, and learning curve of totally robotic SADI-S. Based on the operative time, we evaluated the learning curve of robotic SADI-S by the cumulative sum (CUSUM) method. The overall follow-up rate was 100%. The mean operative time was 186.13±36.91min. Short-term (≤30 days) complication was present in 6.9% (n=7), of which major complications were identified in 2.9% (n=3), including 2 gastric leakages and 1 postoperative acute respiratory failure. None of the patients experienced a long-term (＞30 days) complication. No conversion to laparotomy or deaths occurred during the study period. The mean percent of total weight loss (%TWL) at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months was 21.87±4.44%, 32.49±5.31%,40.86±7.84%, and 44.64±5.88%, respectively. The mean percent of excess weight loss (%EWL) at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months was 52.78±16.99%,76.53±17.99%,95.22±18.59%, and 113.74±23.30%, respectively. The cumulative sum (CUSUM) of operative time reached the first peak when the number of cases accumulated to the 16th case, then reached the second peak and continued to decline when the number of cases accumulated to the 27th case. Subsequently, all the patients were classified into the learning stage group (the first 27 patients) and the mastery stage group (the last 75 patients). Except for operative time, proportion of abdominal drainage tubes and lengths of postoperative hospital stay, there was no significant difference between the learning stage and mastery stage groups. Totally robotic SADI-S seems to be feasible and effective in the treatment of morbid obesity, just like laparoscopic SADI-S. The learning curve of robotic SADI-S is 27 cases.

Safety and learning curve of Da Vinci robotic single-anastomosis duodenal-ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy in the treatment of obesity patients

Objective: To investigate the safety and learning curve of Da Vinci robotic single-anastomosis duodenal-ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy (SADI-S) in the treatment of obesity patients. Methods: A descriptive case series study was performed. Clinical data of obesity patients who were treated with Da Vinci robotic SADI-S in China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University from March 2020 to May 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. Case inclusion criteria: (1) uncomplicated obese patients with body mass index (BMI)≥37.5 kg/m(2); (2) patients with BMI of 28 to <37.5 kg/m(2) complicated with type 2 diabetes or two metabolic syndrome components, or obesity comorbidities; (3) patients undergoing SADI-S by Da Vinci robotic surgery system. Those who received other bariatric procedures other than SADI-S or underwent Da Vince robotic SADI-S as revisional operation were excluded. A total of 77 patients were enrolled in the study, including 31 males and 46 females, with median age of 33 (18-59) years, preoperative body weight of (123.0±26.2) kg, BMI of (42.2±7.1) kg/m(2) and waistline of (127.6±16.3) cm. According to the order of operation date, the patients were numbered as 1-77. The textbook outcome (TO) and Clavien-Dindo grading standard were used to analyze the clinical outcome of each patient and to classify surgical complications, respectively. The standard of textbook outcome was as follows: the operative time less than or equal to the 75th percentile of the patient's operation time (210 min); the postoperative hospital stay less than or equal to the 75th percentile of the patient's postoperative hospital stay (7 d); complication grade lower than Clavien grade II; no readmission; no conversion to laparotomy or death. The patient undergoing robotic SADI-S was considered to meet the TO standard when meeting the above 5 criteria. The TO rate was calculated by cumulative sum analysis (CUSUM) method. The curve was drawn by case number as X-axis and CUSUM (TO rate) as Y-axis so as to understand the learning curve of robotic SADI-S. Results: The operative time of 77 robotic SADI-S was (182.9±37.5) minutes, and the length of postoperative hospital stay was 6 (4-55) days. There was no conversion to laparotomy or death. Seven patients suffered from complications (7/77, 9.1%). Four patients had grade II complications (5.2%), including one with duodeno-ileal anastomotic leakage, one with abdominal bleeding, one with peritoneal effusion and one with delayed gastric emptying; two patients were grade IIIb complications (2.6%) and both of them were diagnosed with gastric leakage; one patient was grade IV complication diagnosed with postoperative respiratory failure (1.3%), and all of them were cured successfully. A total of 51 patients met the textbook outcome standard, and the TO rate was positive and was steadily increasing after the number of surgical cases accumulated to the 46th case. Taking the 46th case as the boundary, all the patients were divided into learning stage group (n=46) and mastery stage group (n=31). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender, age, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, ASA classification, standard liver volume, operative time and morbidity of postoperative complication (all P>0.05). The percent of abdominal drainage tube in learning stage group was higher than that in mastery stage group (54.3% versus 16.1%, P<0.05). The length of postoperative hospital stay in learning stage group was longer than that in mastery stage group [6 (4-22) d versus 6 (5-55) d, P<0.05)]. Conclusion: The Da Vinci robotic SADI-S is safe and feasible with a learning curve of 46 cases.

Motivational aspects of a military leader’s managerial culture development

The purpose of the article is to reveal the main prerequisites for the development of the motivational component of the managerial culture of the military leader. The following research methods were used in the work: analysis and generalization of scientific results on research of the nature of professional activity of the personality, – for clarification of motivational aspects of development of managerial culture of the military leader. In the content of military and professional activity it is necessary to single out motivational phenomena related to the managerial culture of a military leader, which are as follows: values about the military profession, assessment of the significance of professional activity, correlation of military and professional values with the system of meaningful life orientations of servicemen and other personal goals and values, the place of professional activity in the structure of “life essences”, etc. Awareness of the military leader's own ability to realize professional intentions is the sphere of realization of the most important personal values, which provides a motivational attitude to the professional activity. The managerial culture of a military leader depends on the assessment of the significance of professional activity taking into account personal individual needs and goals, which may or may not coincide with the goals of the service. The highly developed managerial culture is closely related to the general concept of professional aspirations and professional self-determination (from gaining of professional education to the stage of mastery), which are the properties that allow you to effectively and reliably perform complex activities in a variety of conditions. An important condition for the professional culture of a military leader, which ensures his full existence in professional activities, should be considered the tendency to develop the managerial potential as a set of ideas about work based on self-understanding, self-perception and personal growth. The basis of this movement is the professional and personal activity of military leaders – persistence in achieving goals, self-confidence, confidence in the professional experience and certainly a positive attitude towards others. These leaders are determined, do not stop there. Their personal characteristics are manifested at the level of self-awareness and are revealed in the process of self-regulation of behavior in professional activities. This is what helps a military leader to orient himself well in life, to be free in choosing his professional path and responsible for the consequences of the choice.

Perbandingan Perolehan Bahasa Inggris di Indonesia, Thailand dan Philipina

International cooperation between universities is one of the strategic issues for the internationalization of a university in Indonesia. One form of cooperation is not only manifested in the tri dharma aspect of higher education. The focus of this research is the comparison of students' mastery of English in the three countries. This English language ability aims to determine the ability of students who take part in student exchange programs or internship exchange programs conducted by three universities. This descriptive qualitative research involved students from universities in Indonesia, universities in Thailand, and the Philippines. Data taken from interviews with several English learners were then transcribed, coded, and analyzed to determine the stage of mastery of English according to Processability Theory. The results of this study indicate that although there are differences in the use of English in the three countries, participants from the three countries have the same attainment of mastery of English. Participants in the Philippines were more active in using English, considering that English in this country is a second language. Unlike Thailand and Indonesia, which place English as a foreign language. However, the highest mastery of English achieved by participants in the three countries was the same, namely at Stage 3 in Processability Theory.

МОТИВАЦІЙНІ АСПЕКТИ РOЗВИТКУ УПРАВЛІНСЬКОЇ КУЛЬТУРИ ВІЙСЬКОВОГО КЕРІВНИКА

Introduction. Military and professional activity of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is one of the most complex socially significant activities, which puts forward special demands to the individual, consisting in its extremity, namely: high dynamics and tension, in temporal, spatial, material, moral restrictions on the personality of the serviceman of Ukraine.The success of military and professional activity in such conditions depends on the level of development of the managerial culture of the military leader, which is an important element in ensuring the effective performance of official duties. Moreover, the practice of military management shows that it is the motivational component of professional and personal activity of military leaders that is a factor of the successful development of their management culture.The complexity and multidimensional nature of the problem of managerial culture of the military leader is due to the multiplicity of understanding of its essence, nature, structure, as well as methods of its study.The purpose. The purpose of the article is to reveal the main prerequisites for the development of the motivational component of the managerial culture of the military leader.Methods. The following research methods were used in the work: analysis and generalization of scientific results on research of the nature of professional activity of the personality, – for clarification of motivational aspects of development of managerial culture of the military leader.Originality. In the content of military and professional activity it is necessary to single out motivational phenomena related to the managerial culture of a military leader, which are as follows: values about the military profession, assessment of the significance of professional activity, correlation of military and professional values with the system of meaningful life orientations of servicemen and other personal goals and values, the place of professional activity in the structure of “life essences”, etc. Awareness of the military leader's own ability to realize professional intentions is the sphere of realization of the most important personal values, which provides a motivational attitude to the professional activity. The managerial culture of a military leader depends on the assessment of the significance of professional activity taking into account personal individual needs and goals, which may or may not coincide with the goals of the service. The highly developed managerial culture is closely related to the general concept of professional aspirations and professional self-determination (from gaining of professional education to the stage of mastery), which are the properties that allow you to effectively and reliably perform complex activities in a variety of conditions.Conclusion. An important condition for the professional culture of a military leader, which ensures his full existence in professional activities, should be considered the tendency to develop the managerial potential as a set of ideas about work based on self-understanding, self-perception and personal growth. The basis of this movement is the professional and personal activity of military leaders – persistence in achieving goals, self-confidence, confidence in the professional experience and certainly a positive attitude towards others. These leaders are determined, do not stop there. Their personal characteristics are manifested at the level of self-awareness and are revealed in the process of self-regulation of behavior in professional activities. This is what helps a military leader to orient himself well in life, to be free in choosing his professional path and responsible for the consequences of the choice.

Learning curve of adrenal vein sampling.

Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is one of the recognized effective methods for the identification of primary aldosteronism, and the success rate is related to the skill level of the operator. This study aims to analyze the learning curve of AVS and to determine the number of staged cases of AVS procedure success rate, and to provide a reference for the standardized use of AVS. The age, gender, blood pressure, surgery success rate, operation time, radiation dose, and operation-related complications of 120 patients with primary aldosteronism who underwent continuous AVS in the Second Xiangya Hospital from August 2015 to February 2021 were retrospectively collected. The cumulative sum analysis was used to analyze the learning curve of the operator. The minimum cases who were proficient in the operation was determined according to the learning curve, and the patients were divided into 4 groups a, b, c, and d according to the time sequence of receiving AVS based on the cut-off point. The AVS success rate, radiation dose, operation time, and complications of each group were analyzed. The cumulative sum analysis showed that the learning curves were divided into a learning stage and a mastery stage with 30 cases as the cut-off point, and the operation experience of the surgeon was from raw to mature. The success rates of the a, b, c, and d groups were 66.7%, 86.7%, 93.3%, and 96.7%, respectively. Compared with b, c, and d groups, the success rate in group a was significant decreased (all P<0.05), the operative time in group a was significantly lengthened (all P<0.05), and the radiation dose in group a was significantly increased (all P<0.05). After accumulating the AVS experience of 30 cases of primary aldosteronism, the operation time is obviously shortened, the radiation dose is significantly decreased, the operative complications are significantly reduced, and the learning curve enters a plateau. In the future, the success rate of AVS procedure may be improved through further standardized training.

Identification of key career indicators in Portuguese football players

The aim of this study was to describe and identify the weight of some key career indicators (KCI) on the competitive level of retirement (professional vs. non-professional) of Portuguese football players. Three thousand five hundred retired Portuguese football players born between 1950 and 1989, and registered on Portuguese Football Federation were considered in this study. Descriptive analysis and a multivariable binary logistic regression model were performed to assess the relationship between the mastery stage development variables and the competitive level of retirement of football players. The results highlighted that the KCI first senior registration level, number of seasons in mastery stage, number of total games as senior player, number of total games in retirement season, and the age of the last best result achieved contribute to explain and predict the competitive level of retirement of Portuguese football players. The tendencies identified and their impact on the competitive level of retirement could be important implications on awareness and definition of management and support programs of players’ careers.

Usus wa-Ru’á fī Tadrīs al-Lughah al-‘Arabīyah li-Ghayr al-Nāṭiqīna bi-hā

The research aims to explain (1) Teaching and disseminating the Arabic language among non-native speakers in a correct way; (2) Teaching language skills in a clear and integrated manner; (3) Choose the appropriate method of teaching; (4) Finding the most effective way to communicate the Arabic language to the whole world; (5) Keep the sounds of the Arabic language as is. Therefore, the researcher presents the problem of this research: the need of non-Arab societies for the Arabic language, and learning them in an often non-systematic way, which led to the spread of the language incorrectly. The results show that (1) Learners of the Arabic language in general, their education must be based on confirming the four language skills and their learners from non-native speakers in particular, it must be trained and practiced on these skills; (2) There is no complete and imperfect teaching method, but it is the educational position that imposes a certain type of method; (3) Some learners of the Arabic language who are not their children have reached a stage of mastery that may exceed their children. This is due to his keen desire to learn it. (4) The teacher of the Arabic language for non-native speakers of it must be broad-educated, familiar with the cultures of the people who study Arabic, to know the differences between the voices of the Arabic language and the sounds of the learner’s mother language, as well as the significance of the vocabulary that differs from one people to another.

Learning curve of Da Vinci robot-assisted radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer

Objective To investigate the learning curve of Da Vinci robot-assisted laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Methods The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 42 patients who underwent Da Vinci robot-assisted radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University from October 2017 to August 2018 were collected. There were 30 males and 12 females, aged from 36 to 84 years, with an average age of 59 years. The learning curve was evaluated using the cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis and the best fitting curve method. According to the minimum number of surgeries required to cross the learning curve, the patients were divided into learning stage group and mastery stage group. Then general data and surgical efficacy of the two groups were compared. Observation indicators: (1) surgical situations; (2) results of CUSUM analysis; (3) comparison of general data between the two groups; (4) comparison of surgical efficacy between the two groups; (5) follow-up. Patients were followed up by outpatient examination or telephone interview to detect the postoperative complications, tumor recurrence and metastasis up to February 2019. Measurement data with normal distribution were presented as Mean±SD, and comparison between groups was done using the independent sample t test. Count data were represented as absolute number, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the chi-square test or Fisher exact propability. Comparison of ordinal data between groups was analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results (1) Surgical situations: all the 42 patients underwent Da Vinci robot-assisted radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer successfully, without conversion to open surgery or perioperative death. Fourteen out of 42 patients underwent Da Vinci robot-assisted total radical gastrectomy and 28 underwent Da Vinci robot-assisted distal radical gastrectomy. The operation time and docking time were (213±31)minutes and (26±11)minutes. The operation time and docking time had a tendency to decreasing as the surgical cases increasing. (2) Results of CUSUM analysis. The CUSUM learning curve were best modeled as a polynomial with equation: CUSUM (operation time)=0.016 9X3-1.913 3X2+ 50.985X-16.595, CUSUM(docking time)=0.012 8X3-1.070 7X2+ 22.189X-23.097 respectively (X means the surgical case). The P value of fitting test of models was 0.05). There was no significant difference in the previous abdominal surgery history between the two groups (P>0.05). (4) Comparison of surgical efficacy between the two groups: operation time, volume of intraoperative blood loss, number of lymph nodes harvested, time to first liquid food intake, cases with postoperative complications and duration of postoperative hospital stay were (230±25)minutes, (176±103)mL, 21±7, (5.1±2.0)days, 2, (9.3±2.5)days in the learning stage group, and (191±18)minutes, (95±41)mL, 21±6, (4.7±1.7)days, 3, (8.4±2.1)days in the mastery stage group, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in the operation time and volume of intraoperative blood loss between the two groups (t=5.951, -3.359, P 0.05). There was no significant difference in the cases with postoperative complications between the two groups (P>0.05). (5) Follow-up: all the 42 patients were followed up for 6-16 months, with a median time of 11 months. No serious long-term complications, tumor recurrence and metastasis or death occurred during the follow-up. Conclusions The CUSUM learning curve of Da Vinci robot-assisted radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer can be divided into the learning stage and the mastery stage. It is suggested that the surgeons need to finish 19 cases or more to master Da Vinci robot-assisted radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Key words: Gastric neoplasms; Gastric cancer; Cumulative sum analysis; Best fitting curve; Learning curve; Da Vinci robotic surgical system

Insights into life after sport for Spanish Olympians: Gender and career path perspectives.

The aims of this study were: i) to examine if Dual Career (DC) pathways are independent of gender, ii) to evaluate whether those athletes who followed a DC experienced less difficulty in their integration into the labor force than the athletes devoted entirely to sport regardless of gender, as well as iii) to analyze whether the type of career path chosen was related with the current labor status, and if differences exist between men and women athletes. A quantitative, cross-sectional, and descriptive study was used based on an ad hoc questionnaire. Two-hundred and twenty-eight retired Olympic athletes completed a questionnaire. The response rate was 28.3%. Athletes who followed a DC with studies had a higher educational level at retirement than those devoted solely to sport and those who followed a DC with work, (χ2(6) = 38.76; P < .001), but no differences were found between men and women (χ2(3) = 3.23; P = .358). Athletes who followed a DC path (with studies or with work) perceived the transition out of sport more positively than those who focused solely on sport (χ2(2) = 7.79; P = .020). Regarding the type of job, more women attained a part-time job (20.9%) than men (3.1%; χ2(5) = 21.83; P = .001). The athletes who followed a DC with studies achieved higher monthly incomes than the other two groups (χ2(2) = 9.08; P = .011). Men athletes achieved higher incomes than women (Z = 5.45; P < .001), but the gender wage gap was apparent for those Olympian athletes considered as the qualified group, probably due to a higher presence of part-time women workers. The findings of this study suggest that future professional opportunities and the transition to the labor market could be made easier by following a DC during the mastery stage. Regardless of career path, women experienced more difficulties in their integration into the job market and there is a wage penalty for highly-qualified women.

Acquisition and maintenance of excellence: the challenges faced by Dutch top-level gymnasts throughout different stages of athletic development

The purpose of the present study is to identify the within-career challenges top-level gymnasts experience during the initiation, development and mastery stage of athletic development in training sessions, competition, and in daily life. In-depth interviews are used to explore the perceived challenges of 16 talented and elite gymnasts (M = 16.5 years, SD = 4.6 years). Participants are divided into three groups, according to the stage of their athletic development. Several challenges are perceived in all stages of athletic development (e.g. learning new elements, dealing with stress under pressure, dealing with distractions and managing their dual career). As the number of different challenges increases as the gymnasts reach the mastery stage, challenges seem to become more personal and specific than in previous stages. The study shows obvious differences in the nature of the perceived challenges for different stages of athletic development, which provides useful insights for those who work with talented and elite athletes.

Psychological characteristics and skills of top-level Dutch gymnasts in the initiation, development and mastery stages of the athletic career

There is still only limited research available on whether the psychological characteristics and skills which facilitate successful progress throughout various stages of talent development, are the same as those contributing to elite performance. The purpose of the current study is therefore to identify the psychological characteristics and skills required by talented athletes as they develop through the initiation, development and mastery stages of an athletic career. Data was gathered from in-depth interviews with 16 top-level female gymnasts, between 10 and 24 years of age. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Gymnasts emphasised that the number of different psychological characteristics and skills required increases with progression through the stages. In the initiation stage, gymnasts talk in particular about ‘maximising their potential’, in the development stage ‘working with their environment’ is added, and in the mastery stage, gymnasts also talk about ‘delivering high performance’. The results provide useful insights for giving appropriate support in the development of psychological characteristics and skills in different stages of the athletic career.

The Communication Strategy Used By Japanese Learner at the Basic Level

Students at the basic level in Department Education Japanese of Semarang State University have difficulties in Japanese speaking. They could not produce oral Japanese smoothly. Sometimes they said couple words in Bahasa Indonesia to express their ideas. In communication strategy there is a systematic technique used by foreign language learners to express their ideas when faced with the difficulty of communicating because of the limitations of second language mastery. The findings are the learners already have passed the stage of mastery of simple-level linguistic rules, so they have a tendency to pursue in various ways to make their message acceptable. The characteristic of communication strategy they used are directly translated an utterance literally in the concept of their mother tongue, and use those terminology in their mother tongue and English in Japanese utterance. The reasons that influence the use of these communication strategies are that students' grammar and vocabulary skills are insufficient to communicate in various fields as they are still in the early learning stages.

What can gender tell us about the pre-retirement experiences of elite distance runners in Finland?: A thematic narrative analysis

ObjectivesThis study explores gendered experiences of the mastery stage in endurance runners' athletic careers in terms of (a) key themes in this period of life, (b) retirement decision-making and (c) changes in athletic and runner identities. Design and methodTen male and nine female athletes aged between 25 and 62 participated in individual interviews. The data were analyzed via thematic narrative analysis. Results and conclusionGendered meanings permeate career decision-making and retirement patterns of Finnish runners. Female athletes reported many difficulties, including health problems, loneliness, societal pressure and lack of social support during the final years of their careers. These aspects were important reasons for them to start considering retirement from sport. Male athletes reported less social pressure and suggested that friendship in sport was a major reason for postponing retirement. Male athletes expressed more interest for coaching others, wherein women perceived themselves as incompetent and/or lacked time and interest for it. Running remained important for the majority of athletes after retirement and they anticipated or had continued regular running post-retirement.

Changes in Professional Development Needs of Faculty Members According to Stages of Technology Use and Field Differences

Abstract In this study, faculty members’ professional development needs were observed by the faculty members and PhD students of Computer Education And Instructional Technology Department within the scope of “Technology Mentoring Program” during the Spring Semester of 2011 - 2012 Academic Year. The professional development needs of Faculty Members who joined “Technology Mentoring Program” were discussed with reference to field differences. The fields of faculty members who joined the program were Foreign Language Education, Special Education, Primary Education and Fine Arts Education. Technology Mentoring Program progressed for an hour a week throughout eleven weeks applying one to one mentoring model. The aim of this study is to describe the changes in professional development needs of faculty members according to the stages of technology use and their own professional fields. At the beginning of Technology Mentoring Program, some faculty members’ professional development needs changed because of their different professional fields. As their stages of technology use processed in a different way, the faculty members had different experiences, which resulted in changes in the needs of faculty members. When some of them were at mastery stage, some others moved from mastery stage to impact stage. In this study, there exist some suggestions for the future technology mentoring programs about how the process could be affected by different fields of faculty members.