Effects of Athletes’ Strategies to Maintain Relationships with Coaches on Competitive Anxiety among Junior Tennis Players

This study investigates whether cognitive-behavioral relationship maintenance strategies with coaches affect competitive anxiety among junior athletes. A total of 240 Japanese junior tennis players (147 male, 88 female, and 5 unknown; mean age = 15.7 years, SD = 1.3 years) completed the Coach-Athlete Relationship Maintenance Questionnaire and the Trait Anxiety Inventory for Sports, Scale for Athletes. Structural equation modeling showed that an "assurance" strategy among athletes improved their ability to reduce mental agitation, cognitive worry concerning victory or defeat, and loss of confidence. Conversely, a "conflict management" strategy among athletes increased cognitive worry concerning victory or defeat and loss of confidence. Research directions based on the contribution of these findings to psychological interventions to ameliorate competitive anxiety among junior athletes were discussed. 　本研究の目的は，ジュニアテニス選手のコーチに対する認知行動的な関係維持方略が競技不安に及ぼす影響について検討することであった。ジュニアテニス選手240名（男性147名，女性88名，性別未記入5名，平均年齢15.7歳，標準偏差1.3歳）を調査対象として，コーチに対する関係維持方略を独立変数，競技不安を従属変数としたパス解析を行った。その結果，コーチに対する関係維持方略は競技不安に影響を及ぼしており，「信頼に応える自信」の方略は，精神的動揺，勝敗の認知的不安，自信喪失を低減させることが示された。一方で，「対立マネジメント」の方略は，勝敗の認知的不安と自信喪失を促してしまう可能性が示された。本研究の知見をジュニア選手の競技不安の改善に応用することについて議論された

Biased Bowl-Direction of Monofluorosumanene in the Solid State

Yakiyama Y., Li M., Zhou D., et al. Biased Bowl-Direction of Monofluorosumanene in the Solid State. Journal of the American Chemical Society 146, 5224 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c11311.A new curved π-conjugated molecule 1-fluorosumanene (1) was designed and synthesized that possesses one fluorine atom on the benzylic carbon of sumanene. This compound can exhibit bowl inversion in solution, leading to the formation of two diastereomers, 1endo and 1exo, with different dipole moments. Experimental and theoretical investigation revealed an energetical relationship among 1exo, 1endo, and solvent to realize the various endo:exo ratios in the single crystals of 1 depending on the crystallization solvent. Significantly, the molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that 1exo positively worked for the elongation of the stacking structure and the final endo:exo ratio was affected by the relative stability difference between 1endo and 1exo derived by solvation. Such an arrangeable endo:exo ratio of 1 realized the preparation of unique materials showing a different dielectric response from the same molecule 1 just by changing the crystallization solvent

Effects of an Injury Experience and Subsequent Coping Styles on the Psychological Competitive Ability of University Handball Players in Japan

This study aimed to examine the relationship among injury experience, coping style after injury, and psychological competitive ability, based on Lazarus and Folkman\u27s (1984) psychological stress theory. Participants were 141 (21 male and 120 female) Japanese university handball players, who completed measures on post-injury coping styles and multi-faceted psychological competitive abilities. Results of a series of MANOVA showed main effects of problem focused coping and positive thinking coping on a variety of psychological competitive abilities. However, participants without a previous injury experience and with high levels of problem-focused coping showed low self-control ability. 　本研究ではLazarus & Folkman （1984）のモデルに基づき，大学ハンドボール選手の受傷経験の有無とスポーツ傷害時のコーピングが心理的競技能力にどのような影響を及ぼしているか明らかにすることを目的とした。1部リーグの大学に所属するハンドボール選手男女141名（男性21名，女性120名）を対象とした調査を行い，スポーツ傷害時のコーピング，受傷経験の有無，心理的競技能力について回答を求めた。スポーツ傷害時のコーピングと受傷経験の有無を独立変数，心理的競技能力を従属変数とした多変量分散分析の結果，問題解決コーピングと肯定的思考コーピングは幅広い心理的競技能力を高める働きを持つことが明らかにされた。一方で，受傷経験がない選手の場合には，問題解決コーピングが高い選手はむしろ心理的競技能力の下位尺度である自己コントロール能力が低い可能性が示唆された

Effects of an Injury Experience and Subsequent Coping Styles on the Psychological Competitive Ability of University Handball Players in Japan

This study aimed to examine the relationship among injury experience, coping style after injury, and psychological competitive ability, based on Lazarus and Folkman\u27s (1984) psychological stress theory. Participants were 141 (21 male and 120 female) Japanese university handball players, who completed measures on post-injury coping styles and multi-faceted psychological competitive abilities. Results of a series of MANOVA showed main effects of problem focused coping and positive thinking coping on a variety of psychological competitive abilities. However, participants without a previous injury experience and with high levels of problem-focused coping showed low self-control ability. 　本研究ではLazarus & Folkman （1984）のモデルに基づき，大学ハンドボール選手の受傷経験の有無とスポーツ傷害時のコーピングが心理的競技能力にどのような影響を及ぼしているか明らかにすることを目的とした。1部リーグの大学に所属するハンドボール選手男女141名（男性21名，女性120名）を対象とした調査を行い，スポーツ傷害時のコーピング，受傷経験の有無，心理的競技能力について回答を求めた。スポーツ傷害時のコーピングと受傷経験の有無を独立変数，心理的競技能力を従属変数とした多変量分散分析の結果，問題解決コーピングと肯定的思考コーピングは幅広い心理的競技能力を高める働きを持つことが明らかにされた。一方で，受傷経験がない選手の場合には，問題解決コーピングが高い選手はむしろ心理的競技能力の下位尺度である自己コントロール能力が低い可能性が示唆された

Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Bone Marrow Enhance Neovascularization and Stromal Cell Proliferation in Rat Ischemic Limb in the Early Phase after plantation

Accumulating evidence from animal studies shows that the administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from adult bone marrow ameliorates tissue damage after ischemic injury. In the present study we investigated the efficacy of MSC implantation into a hindlimb ischemia model over a short-term period to elucidate the effects conferred within the early phase after treatment. MSCs from rats expressing green fluorescence protein (GFP) were injected into rat ischemic limbs. Laser Doppler perfusion imaging revealed significantly higher blood perfusion recovery in the MSC group than in the control group on days 3 and 7 after the treatment. The capillary / muscle fiber ratio in ischemic muscle was also significantly higher in the MSC group than in the controls in a histological study. In spite of these benefits, we found no evident engraftment of the GFP-positive cells, and instead, the MSC treatment induced a proliferation of resident stromal cells in the perivascular area of the ischemic muscle, some of which produced vascular endothelial growth factor. The present study suggested that MSC therapy promotes neovascularization even in the early phase, both directly through endothelial proliferation and indirectly through activation of the resident stromal cells

Critical Roles of the WASP N-Terminal Domain and Btk in LPS-Induced Inflammatory Response in Macrophages

While Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) plays critical roles in TCR signaling as an adaptor molecule, how it transduces innate immune signals remains to be elucidated. To investigate the roles of WASP in innate immune cells, we established bone marrow-derived macrophage (BMDM) cell lines from WASP15 transgenic (Tg) mice overexpressing the WASP N-terminal region (exons 1–5). Upon LPS stimulation, WASP15 Tg BMDM cell lines produce lower levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-12p40 than the wild-type BMDM cell line. In addition, the production of nitric oxide by WASP15 Tg BMDM cells in response to LPS and IFN-γ was significantly impaired. Furthermore, we uncovered that the WASP N-terminal domain associates with the Src homology (SH) 3 domain of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk). Overexpression of the WASP N-terminal domain diminishes the extent of tyrosine phosphorylation of endogenous WASP in WASP15 Tg BMDM cells, possibly by interfering with the specific binding between endogenous WASP and Btk during LPS signaling. These observations strongly suggest that the interaction between WASP N-terminal domain and Btk plays important roles in the LPS signaling cascade in innate immunity