Developmental contexts and features of elite academy football players: Coach and player perspectives

Player profiling can reap many benefits; through reflective coach-athlete dialogue that produces a profile the athlete has a raised awareness of their own development, while the coach has an opportunity to understand the athlete's viewpoint. In this study, we explored how coaches and players perceived the development features of an elite academy footballer and the contexts in which these features are revealed, in order to develop a player profile to be used for mentoring players. Using a Delphi polling technique, coaches and players experienced a number of 'rounds' of expressing their opinions regarding player development contexts and features, ultimately reduced into a consensus. Players and coaches had differing priorities on the key contexts of player development. These contexts, when they reflect the consensus between players and coaches were heavily dominated by ability within the game and training. Personal, social, school, and lifestyle contexts featured less prominently. Although 'discipline' was frequently mentioned as an important player development feature, coaches and players disagreed on the importance of 'training'

The impact of baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and gestational age on prenatal vitamin D supplementation to prevent offspring asthma or recurrent wheezing

Background: Prenatal vitamin D deficiency is associated with asthma or recurrent wheezing in offspring. However, evidence from randomized trials on the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation is inconclusive. Objectives: We aimed to examine the differential efficacy of prenatal vitamin D supplementation based on the maternal baseline vitamin D status and the starting time of supplementation to prevent early life asthma or recurrent wheezing. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of the Vitamin D Antenatal Asthma Reduction Trial (VDAART), a randomized double-blind trial of prenatal vitamin D supplementation initiated at 10-18 weeks (wks) of gestation (4400 IU of intervention/day compared with 400 IU of placebo/day) to prevent offspring asthma or recurrent wheezing by the age of 6 years. We assessed the effect of modification of supplementation by maternal baseline vitamin D status at enrollment and the timing of initiation of supplementation. Results: An inverse relationship was observed between maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels at trial entry and 25(OH)D levels during late pregnancy (32-38 wks of gestation) in both supplementation arms (P < 0.001). Overall, supplementation efficacy was not dependent on the maternal baseline 25(OH)D status. However, a trend toward the reduction of asthma or recurrent wheezing was observed across the baseline groups in the intervention arm (P = 0.01), with the greatest reduction observed in the most severely vitamin D-deficient women (25(OH)D < 12 ng/mL; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.48; confidence interval [CI]: 0.17, 1.34). Gestational age at trial enrollment modified supplementation efficacy, showing a greater reduction of offspring asthma or recurrent wheezing with earlier intervention during pregnancy (aOR = 0.85; CI = 0.76, 0.95), particularly in women who were 9-12 wk pregnant (aOR = 0.45; CI = 0.24, 0.82). Conclusions: Pregnant women with severe vitamin D deficiency show the greatest 25(OH)D improvement because of supplementation. In these women, a vitamin D dose of 4400 IU might have a preventive role in the development of early life offspring asthma or recurrent wheezing. Gestational age is suggested to modify the efficacy of prenatal vitamin D supplementation, showing the highest beneficial effect if supplementation is started during the first trimester of pregnancy. This study is an ancillary analysis from the VDAART, which is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT00902621.Personalised Therapeutic

The impact of clothing style on bone mineral density among post menopausal women in Morocco: a case-control study

BACKGROUND: The clothing style is an important factor that influences vitamin D production and thus bone mineral density. We performed a case-control study in order to evaluate the effect of veil wearing (concealing clothing) on bone mineral density in Moroccan post menopausal women. METHODS: The cases were osteoporotic women whose disease was assessed by bone mineral density measurement. Each patient was matched with a non osteoporotic woman for age, and body mass index. All our patients were without secondary causes or medications that might affect bone density. The veil was defined as a concealing clothing which covered most of the body including the arms, the legs and the head. This definition is this of the usual Moroccan traditional clothing style. RESULTS: 178 post menopausal osteoporotic patients and 178 controls were studied. The mean age of the cases and the controls was 63.2 years (SD 7) and the mean body mass index was 32.1 (SD 8). The results of crude Odds Ratios analyses indicated that wearing a veil was associated with a high risk of osteoporosis: OR 2.29 (95% CI, 1.38–3.82). Multiparity or a history of familial peripheral osteoporotic fractures had also a significant effect on increasing the osteoporosis risk (ORs: 1.87 (95% CI, 1.05–3.49) and 2.01 (95% CI, 1.20–3.38)). After a multiple regression analysis, wearing the veil and a history of familial osteoporotic fractures remained the both independent factors that increased the osteoporosis risk (ORs: 2.20 (95% CI, 1.22–3.9) and 2.19 (95% CI, 1.12–4.29) respectively). CONCLUSION: our study suggested that in Moroccan post menopausal women, wearing a traditional concealing clothing covering arms, legs and head increased the risk of osteoporosis. Further studies are required to evaluate the clinical impact of the above findings and to clarify the status of vitamin D among veiled women in Morocco

Soft drink and juice consumption and renal cell carcinoma incidence and mortality in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition

Background: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for more than 80% of kidney cancers in adults, and obesity is a known risk factor. Regular consumption of sweetened beverages has been linked to obesity and several chronic diseases, including some types of cancer. It is uncertain whether soft drink and juice consumption is associated with risk of RCC. We investigated the associations of soft drink and juice consumption with RCC incidence and mortality in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Methods: A total of 389,220 EPIC participants with median age of 52 years at recruitment (1991–2000) were included. Cox regression yielded adjusted HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for RCC incidence and mortality in relation to intakes of juices and total, sugar-sweetened, and artificially sweetened soft drinks. Results: A total of 888 incident RCCs and 356 RCC deaths were identified. In models including adjustment for body mass index and energy intake, there was no higher risk of incident RCC associated with consumption of juices (HR per 100 g/day increment = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.97–1.09), total soft drinks (HR = 1.01; 95% CI, 0.98–1.05), sugar-sweetened soft drinks (HR = 0.99; 95% CI, 0.94–1.05), or artificially sweetened soft drinks (HR = 1.02; 95% CI, 0.96–1.08). In these fully adjusted models, none of the beverages was associated with RCC mortality (HR, 95% CI per 100 g/day increment 1.06, 0.97–1.16; 1.03, 0.98–1.09; 0.97, 0.89–1.07; and 1.06, 0.99–1.14, respectively). Conclusions: Consumption of juices or soft drinks was not associated with RCC incidence or mortality after adjusting for obesity

A serine-substituted P450 catalyzes highly efficient carbene transfer to olefins in vivo

Whole-cell catalysts for non-natural chemical reactions will open new routes to sustainable production of chemicals. We designed a cytochrome 'P411' with unique serine-heme ligation that catalyzes efficient and selective olefin cyclopropanation in intact Escherichia coli cells. The mutation C400S in cytochrome P450_(BM3) gives a signature ferrous CO Soret peak at 411 nm, abolishes monooxygenation activity, raises the resting-state FeIII-to-FeII reduction potential and substantially improves NAD(P)H-driven activity

Vitamin D Receptor Polymorphisms and Breast Cancer Risk: Results from the National Cancer Institute Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium

Background: Vitamin D is hypothesized to lower the risk of breast cancer by inhibiting cell proliferation via the nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR). Two common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the VDR gene ( VDR ), rs1544410 ( Bsm I), and rs2228570 ( Fok I), have been inconsistently associated with breast cancer risk. Increased risk has been reported for the Fok I ff genotype, which encodes a less transcriptionally active isoform of VDR , and reduced risk has been reported for the Bsm I BB genotype, a SNP in strong linkage disequilibrium with a 3′-untranslated region, which may influence VDR mRNA stability. Methods: We pooled data from 6 prospective studies in the National Cancer Institute Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium to examine associations between these SNPs and breast cancer among >6,300 cases and 8,100 controls for each SNP using conditional logistic regression. Results: The odds ratio (OR) for the rs2228570 ( Fok I) ff versus FF genotype in the overall population was statistically significantly elevated [OR, 1.16; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.04-1.28] but was weaker once data from the cohort with previously published positive findings were removed (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.98-1.24). No association was noted between rs1544410 ( Bsm I) BB and breast cancer risk overall (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.89-1.09), but the BB genotype was associated with a significantly lower risk of advanced breast cancer (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.60-0.92). Conclusions: Although the evidence for independent contributions of these variants to breast cancer susceptibility remains equivocal, future large studies should integrate genetic variation in VDR with biomarkers of vitamin D status. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(1):297–305

Circulating concentrations of vitamin D in relation to pancreatic cancer risk in European populations

Evidence from in vivo, in vitro and ecological studies are suggestive of a protective effect of vitamin D against pancreatic cancer (PC). However, this has not been confirmed by analytical epidemiological studies. We aimed to examine the association between pre-diagnostic circulating vitamin D concentrations and PC incidence in European populations. We conducted a pooled nested case-control study within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) and the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study's second survey (HUNT2) cohorts. In total, 738 primary incident PC cases (EPIC n = 626; HUNT2 n = 112; median follow-up = 6.9 years) were matched to 738 controls. Vitamin D [25(OH)D2 and 25(OH)D3 combined] concentrations were determined using isotope-dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Conditional logistic regression models with adjustments for body mass index and smoking habits were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Compared with a reference category of >50 to 75 nmol/L vitamin D, the IRRs (95% CIs) were 0.71 (0.42–1.20); 0.94 (0.72–1.22); 1.12 (0.82–1.53) and 1.26 (0.79–2.01) for clinically pre-defined categories of ≤25; >25 to 50; >75 to 100; and >100 nmol/L vitamin D, respectively (p for trend = 0.09). Corresponding analyses by quintiles of season-standardized vitamin D concentrations also did not reveal associations with PC risk (p for trend = 0.23). Although these findings among participants from the largest combination of European cohort studies to date show increasing effect estimates of PC risk with increasing pre-diagnostic concentrations of vitamin D, they are not statistically significant

Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations and Season-Specific Correlates in Japanese Adults

Background: Several lines of evidence indicate an important role for vitamin D in the prevention of a range of diseases. Blood vitamin D levels show clear seasonal variation; however, data on the determinants of vitamin D status for each season are limited. We investigated the association between lifestyle and serum vitamin D concentration by season in Japanese workers. Methods: Subjects were 312 men and 217 women aged 21 to 67 years who worked in municipal offices in Northern Kyushu, Japan and participated in a periodic checkup in July or November. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the association between serum 25-hydroxivitamin D concentrations and lifestyle factors for each season. Results: Mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was 27.4 ng/ml (68.4 nmol/L) and 21.4 ng/ml (53.4 nmol/L) for workers surveyed in July and November, respectively (P \u3c 0.001); the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency ( both sexes) and nonsmoking and physical activity (in men) were significantly associated with higher concentrations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D. In summer, fish/shellfish intake was associated with higher serum 25- hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in women. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is common in Japanese workers during seasons with limited sunlight. The lifestyle correlates of favorable vitamin D status in November were physical activity, dietary vitamin D intake, and nonsmoking