A 14 session, structured, mindfulness skills group utilizing short (10 min) practices was undertaken by clinical psychologists in training as a voluntary lunchtime activity. The present study was a preliminary investigation into whether a short course of brief mindfulness exercises could facilitate the development of personal understandings of mindfulness without requiring a significant time commitment that might impinge upon participants' ability to take part. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations suggested that the course could be a useful experiential introduction to mindfulness for clinicians. The results also suggested that the format of frequent, brief exercises could have utility for conducting mindfulness-based training in time-limited environments but further research is required to examine the effects of frequency and duration of practice on the development of mindfulness skills.

Lasers are capable of producing welds with deep penetration, low distortion and faster travel speeds, compared to arc welding. More recently, laser/arc hybrid welding processes have also been generating interest for industrial fabrication. In this paper, six carbon–manganese, mainly pipeline, steels were welded using both autogenous Nd:YAG laser welding, and Nd:YAG laser/MAG hybrid welding. The improvements in weld microstructures and weld metal toughness that are possible when using the hybrid process are described and illustrated. Laser/arc hybrid welding is shown to be a process that can generate good quality welds in commercially available pipeline steels. It also has the potential to complete girth welds in these steels with significantly fewer welding passes than are currently required for arc welded pipelines, reducing the joint completion time.

The present paper is based on a review which was commissioned by the Sports Council (London) on behalf of the Open Section of the British Association of Sports Sciences (BASS). This was one of four such reviews which were collectively designed to provide information pertinent to the formulation of a strategy that would guide fundamental sports science research in the UK until the year 2000. All of the reviews were expected to focus on research that was relevant to the performance of the elite athlete and the specific brief of the Open Section Review was to concentrate on interdisciplinary research. The current paper established the unique value of interdisciplinary sports science research. Four themes were considered in some detail in order to review the extant interdisciplinary research and propose directions for future research involving an interdisciplinary approach. The four topics were talent identification, adherence, injuries and peaking. A critical review of each area revealed a lack of interdisciplinary research and recommendations for future research priorities were made. The paper is concluded with a brief outline of a strategy that would facilitate the development and expansion of interdisciplinary sports science research.

No abstract