Change in physical self-perceptions across the transition to secondary school: relationships with perceived teacher-emphasised achievement goals in physical education

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effects of change in perceived teacher achievement goal emphasis in physical education (PE) on physical self-perceptions and self-esteem across the transition to secondary school. Design & Methods: A longitudinal design was adopted with three time points, one at the end of primary school and two during the first year of secondary school. Participants (N = 491) were cross-classified by primary (N = 42) and secondary (N = 46) PE class in order to examine the association between perceived class-level teacher-emphasised goals and within-class student goals with self-beliefs. Results: Personal approach goals and class perceptions of teacher mastery approach goal promotion were all positively associated with ratings of co-ordination, sport competence, flexibility, and endurance in primary school. More favourable perceptions of coordination, sport competence, strength, flexibility, and endurance during the first year of secondary school were predicted by an increase in performance approach goal emphasis, whereas ratings of sport competence and flexibility were negatively associated with an increase in mastery approach goal emphasis. Conclusions: Although not entirely consonant with theoretical predictions, current findings suggest that teacher-emphasised performance approach goals in PE can promote development of several physical self-perceptions in the initial year of secondary school

Antecedents of perceived coach autonomy supportive and controlling behaviors: coach psychological need satisfaction and well-being

Within the self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) framework, research has considered the consequences of coaches’ autonomy supportive and controlling behaviors on various athlete outcomes (e.g., motivation and performance). The antecedents of such behaviors, however, have received little attention. Coaches (N = 443) from a variety of sports and competitive levels completed a self-report questionnaire to assess their psychological need satisfaction, well-being and perceived interpersonal behaviors toward their athletes. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that coaches’ competence and autonomy need satisfaction positively predicted their levels of psychological well-being, as indexed by positive affect and subjective vitality. In turn, coaches’ psychological well-being positively predicted their perceived autonomy support toward their athletes, and negatively predicted their perceived controlling behaviors. Overall, the results highlight the importance of coaching contexts that facilitate coaches’ psychological need satisfaction and well-being, thereby increasing the likelihood of adaptive coach interpersonal behavior toward athletes

Antecedents of perceived coach interpersonal behaviors: the coaching environment and coach psychological well- and ill-being

Embedded in the self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) framework, we obtained self-report data from 418 paid and voluntary coaches from a variety of sports and competitive levels with the aim of exploring potential antecedents of coaches’ perceived autonomy supportive and controlling behaviors. Controlling for socially desirable responses, structural equation modeling revealed that greater job security and opportunities for professional development, and lower work–life conflict were associated with psychological need satisfaction, which, in turn, was related to an adaptive process of psychological well-being and perceived autonomy support toward athletes. In contrast, higher work–life conflict and fewer opportunities for development were associated with a distinct maladaptive process of thwarted psychological needs, psychological ill-being, and perceived controlling interpersonal behavior. The results highlight how the coaching context may impact upon coaches’ psychological health and their interpersonal behavior toward athletes. Moreover, evidence is provided for the independence of adaptive and maladaptive processes within the self-determination theory paradigm

Implementing an Autonomy-Supportive Intervention to Develop Mental Toughness in Adolescent Rowers

It was hypothesized that autonomy-supportive coaching behaviors, psychological needs satisfaction, and mental toughness would increase, and controlling coaching behaviors and psychological needs thwarting would decrease following a coach-directed autonomy-supportive intervention. Data related to these hypotheses were collected with coaches (N = 18) and adolescent rowers (N = 61) prior to and following an 8-week intervention, and 8 weeks following the intervention. Coaches were interviewed following data collection about their involvement in the intervention. Results did not support the hypotheses. Qualitative analyses revealed that autonomy-supportive behaviors might not have been adopted due to contextual pressures on the coaches

The marine economy of the United Kingdom

The marine and coastal environment is an important economic asset in the UK, and there is a need for greater information about marine economic activities for the purposes of marine management and policy. However, due to the difficulties of quantifying some marine sectors and separating them from terrestrial activities, the current size and structure of the marine economy is unknown. This paper defines a systematic approach to quantifying the UK marine economy, aiming to capture all activities in the market economy that occur within and depend upon UK marine and coastal environments, and estimates its contribution to the UK economy as a whole. The approach draws on previous research in this area and links sectors used in marine planning with the methodologies used in national accounts. The results suggest that the marine economy contributes double the amount of previous estimates to the UK economy. Changes in the structure of the marine economy, partly due to the expansion of offshore wind energy, may affect its economic contribution. The results also show that marine and coastal leisure and recreation sectors, which were previously thought to have a small economic contribution, are the second largest sector in the UK marine economy and account for the largest number of jobs. By disaggregating the economic sectors, the approach used here can underpin a marine natural capital approach, enabling economic activities to be linked with aspects of marine natural capital

The information coaches use to make team selection decisions: A scoping review and future recommendations

Selecting players for a team is one of the most important and recurring decisions sport coaches regularly make, impacting athletes, teams, and coaches. Despite this, relatively little is known about the information coaches use to make team selection decisions. In response to this, the following scoping review aims to (1) present literature that can offer insight into the information coaches use to make team selection decisions and (2) provide a platform from which researchers, practitioners, and coaches can explore this often taken-for-granted decision. The systematic literature search was conducted following guidelines set out by PRISMA. Given the small number of studies found (N=16), the extant literature fails to fully answer the question of why some players are selected and others are not. Results are therefore discussed in light of key theoretical approaches to decision making (i.e., information processing, naturalistic decision-making, and ecological psychology) to demonstrate the value of adopting each in specific instances in order to further our understanding of coaches’ team selection decisions

Bone Mineral Density and Associated Genetic Variants in High-level Caucasian Marathon Runners

INTRODUCTION:Endurance runners (except those who may have low energy availability) tend to have higher total and/or loading site-specific bone mineral density (BMD) in comparison with non-athletes, most likely due to the larger volume of exercise completed. A large genetic component also contributes to BMD, although little is known about which specific genes are involved, whether particular genotypes are sensitive to mechanical loading and the impact of such an interaction on BMD. This study investigated if high-level endurance runners possess enhanced BMD associated with an “advantageous” genetic predisposition, via a potential gene-physical activity interaction.METHODS:Age- and weight-adjusted total BMD (TBMD) and leg BMD (LBMD) measured via Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry of 67 high-level Caucasian marathon runners (males < 2 h 45 min, n = 37; females < 3 15 min, n = 30) was compared with 40 male and 26 female non-athletes. LRP5 rs3736228, TNFRSF11B rs4355801, VDR rs2228570, WNT16 rs3801387 and AXIN1 rs9921222 variants were then investigated singularly, and collectively, as a total genotype score (TGS) via multivariate analysis of variance in a subgroup of this cohort (male runners n = 19, controls n = 26; female runners n = 17, controls n = 14). RESULTS:Male runners had higher TBMD (1.34 vs 1.28 g/cm2; P=0.02) and LBMD (1.53 vs 1.42 g/cm2; P=<0.01) than non-athletes. Female runners had higher LBMD than non-athletes (1.30 vs 1.22 g/cm2; P=0.02) but not TBMD (1.23 vs 1.18 g/cm2; P=0.22). An interaction (P=0.047) was observed between VDR rs2228570 genotype and group regarding LBMD in males: ff genotype runners had 0.02 g/cm2 higher LBMD than FF or Ff runners, but the FF genotype had the highest LBMD (1.45 g/cm2) amongst non-athletes. LBMD was also 0.12 g/cm2 higher in ff runners compared to ff non-athletes, whereas FF and Ff runners had 0.09 g/cm2 higher LBMD compared to their genotype-matched controls. No other interactions or variants, individually or collectively as part of a TGS, were associated with BMD (P≥0.11). CONCLUSION:High-level female runners possess higher LBMD but not TBMD in comparison with non-athletes whereas male runners possess both higher TBMD and LBMD than non-athletes. Consistent with prior literature, we observed higher BMD in VDR rs2228570 FF genotype in non-athletes, which may be due to increased biological activity associated with the F variant. However, our preliminary data suggest that the ff genotype may be associated with enhanced LBMD in male runners via a gene-environment interaction.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Conditionally-live attenuated SIV upregulates global T effector memory cell frequency under replication permissive conditions.

Background: Live attenuated SIV induces potent protection against superinfection with virulent virus; however the mechanism of this vaccine effect is poorly understood. Such knowledge is important for the development of clinically acceptable vaccine modalities against HIV. Results: Using a novel, doxycycline dependent, replication-competent live-attenuated SIVmac239Δnef (SIVrtTAΔnef), we show that under replication-permissive conditions SIV-rtTAΔnef is fully viable. Twelve rhesus macaques were infected with a peak plasma vRNA on average two log10 lower than in 6 macaques infected with unconditionally replication-competent SIVΔnef. Consistent with the attenuated phenotype of the viruses the majority of animals displayed low or undetectable levels of viraemia by 42-84 days after infection. Next, comparison of circulating T cells before and after chronic infection with parental SIVΔnef revealed a profound global polarisation toward CD28-CCR7- T-effector memory 2 (TEM2) cells within CD95+CD4+ and CD95+CD8+ populations. Critically, a similar effect was seen in the CD95+ CD4+ population and to somewhat lesser extent in the CD95+ CD8+ population of SIV-rtTAΔnef chronically infected macaques that were maintained on doxycycline, but was not seen in animals from which doxycycline had been withdrawn. The proportions of gut-homing T-central memory (TCM) and TEM defined by the expression of α4β7 and CD95 and differential expression of CD28 were increased in CD4 and CD8 cells under replication competent conditions and gut-homing CD4 TCM were also significantly increased under non-permissive conditions. TEM2 polarisation was seen in the small intestines of animals under replication permissive conditions but the effect was less pronounced than in the circulation. Intracellular cytokine staining of circulating SIV-specific T cells for IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-17 showed that the extent of polyfunctionality in CD4 and CD8 T cells was associated with replication permissivity; however, signature patterns of cytokine combinations were not distinguishable between groups of macaques. Conclusion: Taken together our results show that the global T memory cell compartment is profoundly skewed towards a mature effector phenotype by attenuated SIV. Results with the replication-conditional mutant suggest that maintenance of this effect, that may be important in vaccine design, might require persistence of replicating virus

Segregating the Distinct Effects of Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity on Older Adults' Cardiovascular Structure and Function: Part 1-Linear Regression Analysis Approach

Background: Physical behavior [PB, physical activity (PA), and sedentary behavior (SB)] can adjust cardiovascular mortality risk in older adults. The aim of this study was to predict cardiovascular parameters (CVPs) using 21 parameters of PB. Methods: Participants [n = 93, 73.8 (6.23) y] wore a thigh-mounted accelerometer for 7 days. Phenotype of the carotid, brachial, and popliteal arteries was conducted using ultrasound. Results: Sedentary behavior was associated with one of the 19 CVPs. Standing and light-intensity PA was associated with 3 and 1 CVP, respectively. Our prediction model suggested that an hourly increase in light-intensity PA would be negatively associated with popliteal intima-media thickness [0.09 mm (95% confidence interval, 0.15 to 0.03)]. sMVPA [moderate–vigorous PA (MVPA), accumulated in bouts <10 min] was associated with 1 CVP. 10MVPA (MVPA accumulated in bouts ≥10 min) had no associations. W50% had associations with 3 CVP. SB%, alpha, true mean PA bout, daily sum of PA bout time, and total week 10MVPA each were associated with 2 CVP. Conclusions: Patterns of PB are more robust predictors of CVP than PB (hours per day). The prediction that popliteal intima-media thickness would be negatively associated with increased standing and light-intensity PA engagement suggests that older adults could obtain health benefits without MVPA engagement