Development and validation of the characteristics of resilience in sports teams inventory

This multi-study paper reports the development and initial validation of an inventory for the Characteristics of Resilience in Sports Teams (CREST). In four related studies, 1225 athletes from Belgium and the United Kingdom were sampled. The first study provided content validity for an initial item set. The second study explored the factor structure of the CREST, yielding initial evidence but no conclusive results. In contrast, the third and fourth study provided evidence for a two-factor measure, reflecting (a) the team’s ability to display resilient characteristics and (b) the vulnerabilities being displayed under pressure. Overall, the CREST was shown to be reliable at the between-players and the between-teams level, as well as over time. Moreover, its concurrent validity was verified by linking the characteristics of team resilience with various relevant team processes. Its discriminant validity was established by comparing the CREST measures with individual athletes’ resilient traits. In conclusion, the CREST was argued to be a usable state-like measure of team-level resilient characteristics and vulnerabilities. To gain further understanding of team resilience as a process, this measurement could be used in future process-oriented research examining adverse events and sports team’s pre- and post-adversity functioning

Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Review of Cardiac and Noncardiac Pathophysiology

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is one of the largest unmet clinical needs in 21st-century cardiology. It is a complex disorder resulting from the influence of several comorbidities on the endothelium. A derangement in nitric oxide bioavailability leads to an intricate web of physiological abnormalities in the heart, blood vessels, and other organs. In this review, we examine the contribution of cardiac and noncardiac factors to the development of HFpEF. We zoom in on recent insights on the role of comorbidities and microRNAs in HFpEF. Finally, we address the potential of exercise training, which is currently the only available therapy to improve aerobic capacity and quality of life in HFpEF patients. Unraveling the underlying mechanisms responsible for this improvement could lead to new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HFpEF

Epigenetics in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease: influence of exercise and nutrition

Increasing evidence links changes in epigenetic systems, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNA expression, to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). These epigenetic modifications can change genetic function under influence of exogenous stimuli and can be transferred to next generations, providing a potential mechanism for inheritance of behavioural intervention effects. The benefits of exercise and nutritional interventions in the primary and secondary prevention of CVD are well established, but the mechanisms are not completely understood. In this review, we describe the acute and chronic epigenetic effects of physical activity and dietary changes. We propose exercise and nutrition as potential triggers of epigenetic signals, promoting the reshaping of transcriptional programmes with effects on CVD phenotypes. Finally, we highlight recent developments in epigenetic therapeutics with implications for primary and secondary CVD prevention

Epigenetics in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease: influence of exercise and nutrition

Increasing evidence links changes in epigenetic systems, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNA expression, to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). These epigenetic modifications can change genetic function under influence of exogenous stimuli and can be transferred to next generations, providing a potential mechanism for inheritance of behavioural intervention effects. The benefits of exercise and nutritional interventions in the primary and secondary prevention of CVD are well established, but the mechanisms are not completely understood. In this review, we describe the acute and chronic epigenetic effects of physical activity and dietary changes. We propose exercise and nutrition as potential triggers of epigenetic signals, promoting the reshaping of transcriptional programmes with effects on CVD phenotypes. Finally, we highlight recent developments in epigenetic therapeutics with implications for primary and secondary CVD prevention

A mutation update for the FLNC gene in myopathies and cardiomyopathies

Filamin C (FLNC) variants are associated with cardiac and muscular phenotypes. Originally, FLNC variants were described in myofibrillar myopathy (MFM) patients. Later, high-throughput screening in cardiomyopathy cohorts determined a prominent role for FLNC in isolated hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies (HCM and DCM). FLNC variants are now among the more prevalent causes of genetic DCM. FLNC-associated DCM is associated with a malignant clinical course and a high risk of sudden cardiac death. The clinical spectrum of FLNC suggests different pathomechanisms related to variant types and their location in the gene. The appropriate functioning of FLNC is crucial for structural integrity and cell signaling of the sarcomere. The secondary protein structure of FLNC is critical to ensure this function. Truncating variants with subsequent haploinsufficiency are associated with DCM and cardiac arrhythmias. Interference with the dimerization and folding of the protein leads to aggregate formation detrim

Equity-specific effects of interventions to promote physical activity among middle-aged and older adults: results from applying a novel equity-specific re-analysis strategy

Background Reducing inequalities in physical activity (PA) and PA-associated health outcomes is a priority for public health. Interventions to promote PA may reduce inequalities, but may also unintentionally increase them. Thus, there is a need to analyze equity-specific intervention effects. However, the potential for analyzing equity-specific effects of PA interventions has not yet been sufficiently exploited. The aim of this study was to set out a novel equity-specific re-analysis strategy tried out in an international interdisciplinary collaboration. Methods The re-analysis strategy comprised harmonizing choice and definition of outcomes, exposures, socio-demographic indicators, and statistical analysis strategies across studies, as well as synthesizing results. It was applied in a collaboration of a convenience sample of eight European PA intervention studies in adults aged ≥45 years. Weekly minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA was harmonized as outcome. Any versus no intervention was harmonized as exposure. Gender, education, income, area deprivation, and marital status were harmonized as socio-demographic indicators. Interactions between the intervention and socio-demographic indicators on moderate-to-vigorous PA were analyzed using multivariable linear regression and random-effects meta-analysis. Results The collaborative experience shows that the novel re-analysis strategy can be applied to investigate equity-specific effects of existing PA interventions. Across our convenience sample of studies, no consistent pattern of equity-specific intervention effects was found. Pooled estimates suggested that intervention effects did not differ by gender, education, income, area deprivation, and marital status. Conclusions To exploit the potential for equity-specific effect analysis, we encourage future studies to apply the strategy to representative samples of existing study data. Ensuring sufficient representation of ‘hard to reach’ groups such as the most disadvantaged in study samples is of particular importance. This will help to extend the limited evidence required for the design and prioritization of future interventions that are most likely to reduce health inequalities

What we learn about bipolar disorder from large-scale neuroimaging: Findings and future directions from theENIGMABipolar Disorder Working Group

MRI‐derived brain measures offer a link between genes, the environment and behavior and have been widely studied in bipolar disorder (BD). However, many neuroimaging studies of BD have been underpowered, leading to varied results and uncertainty regarding effects. The Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta‐Analysis (ENIGMA) Bipolar Disorder Working Group was formed in 2012 to empower discoveries, generate consensus findings and inform future hypothesis‐driven studies of BD. Through this effort, over 150 researchers from 20 countries and 55 institutions pool data and resources to produce the largest neuroimaging studies of BD ever conducted. The ENIGMA Bipolar Disorder Working Group applies standardized processing and analysis techniques to empower large‐scale meta‐ and mega‐analyses of multimodal brain MRI and improve the replicability of studies relating brain variation to clinical and genetic data. Initial BD Working Group studies reveal widespread patterns of lower cortical thickness, subcortical volume and disrupted white matter integrity associated with BD. Findings also include mapping brain alterations of common medications like lithium, symptom patterns and clinical risk profiles and have provided further insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of BD. Here we discuss key findings from the BD working group, its ongoing projects and future directions for large‐scale, collaborative studies of mental illness

A Social Identity Approach to Sport Psychology: Principles, Practice, and Prospects.

Drawing on social identity theory and self-categorization theory, we outline an approach to sport psychology that understands groups not simply as features of sporting contexts but rather as elements that can be, and often are, incorporated into a person's sense of self and, through this, become powerful determinants of their sport-related behavior. The underpinnings of this social identity approach are outlined, and four key lessons for sport that are indicative of the analytical and practical power of the approach are presented. These suggest that social identity is the basis for sports group (1) behavior, (2) formation and development, (3) support and stress appraisal, and (4) leadership. Building on recent developments within sport science, we outline an agenda for future research by identifying a range of topics to which the social identity approach could fruitfully contribute