Are diet–prostate cancer associations mediated by the IGF axis? A cross-sectional analysis of diet, IGF-I and IGFBP-3 in healthy middle-aged men

We examined the association of diet with insulin-like growth factors (IGF) in 344 disease-free men. Raised levels of IGF-I and/or its molar ratio with IGFBP-3 were associated with higher intakes of milk, dairy products, calcium, carbohydrate and polyunsaturated fat; lower levels with high vegetable consumption, particularly tomatoes. These patterns support the possibility that IGFs may mediate some diet-cancer associations

Sediment source fingerprinting: benchmarking recent outputs, remaining challenges and emerging themes

Abstract: Purpose: This review of sediment source fingerprinting assesses the current state-of-the-art, remaining challenges and emerging themes. It combines inputs from international scientists either with track records in the approach or with expertise relevant to progressing the science. Methods: Web of Science and Google Scholar were used to review published papers spanning the period 2013–2019, inclusive, to confirm publication trends in quantities of papers by study area country and the types of tracers used. The most recent (2018–2019, inclusive) papers were also benchmarked using a methodological decision-tree published in 2017. Scope: Areas requiring further research and international consensus on methodological detail are reviewed, and these comprise spatial variability in tracers and corresponding sampling implications for end-members, temporal variability in tracers and sampling implications for end-members and target sediment, tracer conservation and knowledge-based pre-selection, the physico-chemical basis for source discrimination and dissemination of fingerprinting results to stakeholders. Emerging themes are also discussed: novel tracers, concentration-dependence for biomarkers, combining sediment fingerprinting and age-dating, applications to sediment-bound pollutants, incorporation of supportive spatial information to augment discrimination and modelling, aeolian sediment source fingerprinting, integration with process-based models and development of open-access software tools for data processing. Conclusions: The popularity of sediment source fingerprinting continues on an upward trend globally, but with this growth comes issues surrounding lack of standardisation and procedural diversity. Nonetheless, the last 2 years have also evidenced growing uptake of critical requirements for robust applications and this review is intended to signpost investigators, both old and new, towards these benchmarks and remaining research challenges for, and emerging options for different applications of, the fingerprinting approach

The psychology of passion: A meta-analytical review of a decade of research on intrapersonal outcomes

It is just over a decade since Vallerand et al. (J Personal Soc Psychol 85:756–767, 2003) introduced the dualistic model of passion. In this study, we conduct a meta-analytical review of relationships between Vallerand et al’s two passions (viz. harmonious and obsessive), and intrapersonal outcomes, and test the moderating role of age, gender, domain, and culture. A systematic literature search yielded 94 studies, within which 27 criterion variables were reported. These criterion variables derived from four research areas within the intrapersonal sphere: (a) well-/ill-being, (b) motivation factors, (c) cognitive outcomes and, (d) behaviour and performance. From these areas we retrieved 1308 independent effect sizes and analysed them using random-effects models. Results showed harmonious passion positively corresponded with positive intrapersonal outcomes (e.g., positive affect, flow, performance). Obsessive passion, conversely, showed positive associations with positive and negative

Kontinent der vielen Zungen: Europas Sprachenpolitik

Organizational psychologists have proposed that promoting employee engagement may be an effective way to prevent burnout. Researchers have identified vigor, dedication, efficacy, and absorption as potential employee engagement dimensions (Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001). However, no research has investigated athlete engagement (AE). This study is the first in a series and was designed to ascertain whether or not elite athletes experience engagement and, if so, to identify common AE dimensions. Following interviews with fifteen elite New Zealand athletes, AE was defined as a persistent, positive, cognitive-affective experience in sport, characterized by confidence, dedication, and vigor. Confidence represented ‘belief in one’s ability to attain a high level of performance and achieve desired goals’. Dedication was defined as ‘a desire to invest effort and time towards achieving goals one views as important’. Vigor was defined as ‘physical, mental, and emotional energy or liveliness’. Results indicated that AE was relevant to elite athletes and it is hoped that the findings of this study will lead to research into the promotion of positive sport environments

Conceptual Confusion and Potential Advances in Athlete Burnout Research

More than 30 years of research on athlete burnout has yielded important insights and questions regarding the onset, nature, and consequences of this detrimental syndrome. Not surprisingly, burnout is considered an important matter, both from a research and practical standpoint. We comment on the work of Ryu, Ali, Kim, Choi, and Radlo, who examined the impact of burnout on cognitive performance among athletes

Are athletes burning out with passion?

Passion is a strong motivational force towards an activity considered very important, possibly to the extent that the activity forms a part of an individual’s identity. Two forms of passion, harmonious and obsessive, are thought to lead to different cognitive and affective responses. Although being passionate about sport appears to be important from a motivational perspective, it possibly also increases the risk for burnout, which is a negative consequence blamed partly on too much training and inadequate recovery. The question voiced in this study is whether harmonious passion and obsessive passion pose equal risks for burnout. Participants were 94 female and 164 male competitive athletes from 21 sports. The results, analysed using partial correlation and multivariate analyses of variance, showed that athletes with an obsessive passion scored higher on a burnout inventory than did harmoniously passionate athletes. Obsessively passionate athletes also scored higher on perceived stress and negative affect, and lower on positive affect. These findings support the assumption that even though the two forms of passion may be an integral part of elite sports, athletes scoring high on obsessive passion may be at greater risk of developing burnout than more harmoniously passionate athletes. Burning bright and burning out can thus be seen as two potential consequences for athletes driven by passion. Athletes and coaches who are aware of this may be better equipped to avoid the potential negative consequences associated with too much stress and too little recovery

Multitrait-multimethod investigation of a novel body image measurement technique

A multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) matrix was used to evaluate validity evidence for a digital image manipulation (DIM) body image measurement technique in young women. One hundred one young women completed the DIM procedure and the Thompson and Gray (1995) Contour Drawing Rating Scale to measure self-ideal discrepancy and size perception accuracy components of body image. Seven-day test-retest reliability was acceptable (R = .81-.95). Convergent validity for self-ideal discrepancy was higher (r = .74) than the corresponding heterotrait, monomethod coefficients (r = .46, r = .23) and heterotrait-heteromethod coefficients (r = .18, r = .12). However, the convergent validity coefficient for size perception accuracy was r = .12. The pattern of correlations in the MTMM matrix met the criteria of Campbell and Fiske (1959) for validity of these procedures to measure self-ideal discrepancy but not size perception accuracy. The DIM procedure addresses some of the criticisms associated with figure-rating scales, such as unrepresentativeness of the figures, scale coarseness, and restriction of range in responses. DIM, therefore, represents a realistic, valid alternative to figure-rating scales for measuring self-ideal discrepanc