Mental Toughness Trait or State A Case of Female, NCAA Division I Soccer Players

The importance of mental toughness (MT) in sport settings is well recognized. However, there is an ongoing debate on whether MT is a state or a trait. Recent findings supports the notion that, although there is considerable stability, MT levels could fluctuate over time. Undoubtedly, this has implications over the likelihood of developing MT and its conceptualization. PURPOSE: To examine whether MT levels fluctuate significantly or are relatively stable over time. METHODS: All 30 players of the same Atlantic 10 women’s soccer team agreed to participate (Mage= 20.3, SD=1.7). The Mental Toughness Index (MTI) was used for data collection through Qualtrics. Seven assessments took place in pre-season and during the season on a bi-weekly basis. To compare the MTI ratings across time, a repeated measures ANOVA model was estimated along with a profile plot of average MTI scores across time in SPSS. RESULTS: On average, MTI scores were very stable across time in terms of their means and standard deviations. The average scores across the seven administrations were 46.6, 45.9, 47.2, 47.8, 47.7, 46.0, and 47.1, respectively. These differences were not significant (F = 0.32, p = .93). CONCLUSION: Although there was considerable attrition across time, the results indicate that MT scores did not fluctuate significantly in a period of three and a half months without a targeted MT intervention. Therefore, the concept appeared trait-like. Our findings are in agreement with Clough et al. (2002), Crust (2007), and Hardy et al. (2014), but not in consensus with Harmisson (2011) and Gucciardi et al. (2015; Study 4). MT practitioners may need to consider not only when changes on the levels of the construct should be anticipated, but also the possibility of targeted interventions be required. MT researchers may need to reflect on what these outcomes add on the current conceptualizations and on the temporal intervals between repeated measurements that avoid carryover effects, but are still able to capture intra-individual variations. Future studies should include longitudinal designs, targeted interventions, and modeling in a multi-level framework (e.g., growth model). Limitations may include small sample size, self-assessment, and high attrition

Arbitrary Metrics in Mental Toughness Research: A Pilot Study of Female, NCAA, Division I Basketball Players and Their Strength and Conditioning Coach

Over the past two decades, mental toughness (MT) has become one of the most popular concepts in the field of positive psychology and more particularly, in both basic and applied sport psychology. However, the dependence on arbitrary metrics remains one of the major disapprovals of MT research as a whole. Although recently relationships of MT and objective performance indicators have been investigated (e.g., race time), arbitrary metrics still appear inadequate to support answers when it comes to the actual meaning and practicality of self-reported MT scores. Multi-rating, via cross-verification from various sources, can increase the validation of scores of psychological constructs. PURPOSE: Use multi-rating as an alternative to avoid the pitfalls of arbitrary metrics and focus on the inter-rater meaning of the MT scores, rather than on the pure score of the underlying construct. METHODS: A Big Ten women’s basketball team (n = 11) and their strength and conditioning coach (SCC) were recruited. The Mental Toughness Index (MTI) was used for data collection. MTI consists of eight items with scores ranging from one (i.e., False, 100% of the time) to seven (i.e. True, 100% of the time). Based on SCC’s recommendations, two assessments have taken place so far: one in pre-season (i.e., Time 1: September 2019) and one in season (i.e., Time 2: December 2019). After the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, MTI was uploaded on Qualtrics and all players received individualized links via email. The participants were then able to go online and submit their answers. To compare the MTI ratings across time and rater, a mixed effects ANOVA model was estimated in SPSS along with a plot of average MTI scores and correlations between the rankings of players from the players themselves and the SCC. RESULTS: On average, players rated themselves higher on MT than their SCC did. The average MTI scores differed between the players’ self-perceptions versus the SCC’s perception (F = 4.3, p = .05), regardless of when the MTI was completed. The scores did not change significantly across time. The correlations between the MTI ranks were .65 at Time 1 and .71 at Time 2. CONCLUSION: These preliminary findings suggest that the MT rankings were similar between players and the coach, despite the fact that players tended to score themselves about 7 points higher than the SCC. MT researchers may need to consider multi-rating as a possible remedy of the inherent methodological limitations of arbitrary metrics. These results not only support the continuation of this research, but also similar, future efforts (e.g., more than two raters, different sport, longitudinal design). Limitations include limited number of assessments and small sample size

Ethosuximide ameliorates neurodegenerative disease phenotypes by modulating DAF-16/FOXO target gene expression

Background Many neurodegenerative diseases are associated with protein misfolding/aggregation. Treatments mitigating the effects of such common pathological processes, rather than disease-specific symptoms, therefore have general therapeutic potential. Results Here we report that the anti-epileptic drug ethosuximide rescues the short lifespan and chemosensory defects exhibited by C. elegans null mutants of dnj-14, the worm orthologue of the DNAJC5 gene mutated in autosomal-dominant adult-onset neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. It also ameliorates the locomotion impairment and short lifespan of worms expressing a human Tau mutant that causes frontotemporal dementia. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a highly significant up-regulation of DAF-16/FOXO target genes in response to ethosuximide; and indeed RNAi knockdown of daf-16 abolished the therapeutic effect of ethosuximide in the worm dnj-14 model. Importantly, ethosuximide also increased the expression of classical FOXO target genes and reduced protein aggregation in mammalian neuronal cells. Conclusions We have revealed a conserved neuroprotective mechanism of action of ethosuximide from worms to mammalian neurons. Future experiments in mouse neurodegeneration models will be important to confirm the repurposing potential of this well-established anti-epileptic drug for treatment of human neurodegenerative diseases

2015-2016 Sanctuary Series - May 4, 2016

Watch video of the performance here.https://spiral.lynn.edu/sanctuary_series/1002/thumbnail.jp

2016-2017 Sanctuary Series - January 26, 2017

https://spiral.lynn.edu/sanctuary_series/1006/thumbnail.jp

Second Heart Field–Derived Cells Contribute to Angiotensin II–Mediated Ascending Aortopathies

BACKGROUND: The ascending aorta is a common location for aneurysm and dissection. This aortic region is populated by a mosaic of medial and adventitial cells that are embryonically derived from either the second heart field (SHF) or the cardiac neural crest. SHF-derived cells populate areas that coincide with the spatial specificity of thoracic aortopathies. The purpose of this study was to determine whether and how SHF-derived cells contribute to ascending aortopathies. METHODS: Ascending aortic pathologies were examined in patients with sporadic thoracic aortopathies and angiotensin II (AngII)–infused mice. Ascending aortas without overt pathology from AngII-infused mice were subjected to mass spectrometry– assisted proteomics and molecular features of SHF-derived cells were determined by single-cell transcriptomic analyses. Genetic deletion of either Lrp1 (low-density lipoprotein receptor–related protein 1) or Tgfbr2 (transforming growth factor–β receptor type 2) in SHF-derived cells was conducted to examine the effect of SHF-derived cells on vascular integrity. RESULTS: Pathologies in human ascending aortic aneurysmal tissues were predominant in outer medial layers and adventitia. This gradient was mimicked in mouse aortas after AngII infusion that was coincident with the distribution of SHF-derived cells. Proteomics indicated that brief AngII infusion before overt pathology occurred evoked downregulation of smooth muscle cell proteins and differential expression of extracellular matrix proteins, including several LRP1 ligands. LRP1 deletion in SHFderived cells augmented AngII-induced ascending aortic aneurysm and rupture. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed that brief AngII infusion decreased Lrp1 and Tgfbr2 mRNA abundance in SHF-derived cells and induced a unique fibroblast population with low abundance of Tgfbr2 mRNA. SHF-specific Tgfbr2 deletion led to embryonic lethality at E12.5 with dilatation of the outflow tract and retroperitoneal hemorrhage. Integration of proteomic and single-cell transcriptomics results identified PAI1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor 1) as the most increased protein in SHF-derived smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts during AngII infusion. Immunostaining revealed a transmural gradient of PAI1 in both ascending aortas of AngIIinfused mice and human ascending aneurysmal aortas that mimicked the gradient of medial and adventitial pathologies. CONCLUSIONS: SHF-derived cells exert a critical role in maintaining vascular integrity through LRP1 and transforming growth factor–β signaling associated with increases of aortic PAI1