Role of parents as a protective factor against adolescent athletes’ doping susceptibility

Background. Although literature on sports psychology outlines parental influence in various areas,  research has not focused on its potential in the framework of doping.Objective. To assess whether parents’ knowledge about doping effects, and their behaviour and beliefs might act as a protecting factor for Austrian junior (14 - 18 years) elite athletes’ doping susceptibility (DS).Methods. Questionnaires were distributed to 1 818 student athletes and their parents. As well as collecting sociodemographic data, information about current sports activity levels and the former sports careers of parents, the following categories were included: (i) knowledge about effects of doping; (ii) parental behaviour; (iii) parental beliefs about athletes’ skills to become a professional athlete; and (iv) DS.Results. In total 527 data sets were entered for analysis. Current state of knowledge was significantly different between mothers (0.72 (0.2)) and fathers (0.76 (0.2)) (p=0.003). Next to situational variables, only fathers’ behaviour, which was moderated by fathers’ beliefs, was a significant predictor of athletes’ DS.Conclusion. Fathers have the potential of acting as a protective factor for DS in athletes, but only if their level of belief is moderate. Doping prevention strategies should include parents, but need to be careful on  the role they are planning to fulfil, with an emphasis on soft skills (e.g. communication). Future research might include variables from sports psychology such as motivational climate, goal orientation and belief in success as possible mediators of the influence of parents on their adolescent children in the sport  setting

Design and test of the optical fiber assemblies for the scalar magnetic field sensor aboard the JUICE mission

A set of optical fiber assemblies has been developed and successfully qualified for its use on a European space science mission to the icy moons of Jupiter (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, JUICE), to be launched in 2022. The paper gives an overview of the design challenges, the test methods used for failure detection and screening of the optical fiber cable assemblies as well as the further testing performed in the frame of a lot acceptance qualification

SERENA:Particle Instrument Suite for Determining the Sun-Mercury Interaction from BepiColombo

International audienceThe ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission to Mercury will provide simultaneous measurements from two spacecraft, offering an unprecedented opportunity to investigate magnetospheric and exospheric particle dynamics at Mercury as well as their interactions with solar wind, solar radiation, and interplanetary dust. The particle instrument suite SERENA (Search for Exospheric Refilling and Emitted Natural Abundances) is flying in space on-board the BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and is the only instrument for ion and neutral particle detection aboard the MPO. It comprises four independent sensors: ELENA for neutral particle flow detection, Strofio for neutral gas detection, PICAM for planetary ions observations, and MIPA, mostly for solar wind ion measurements. SERENA is managed by a System Control Unit located inside the ELENA box. In the present paper the scientific goals of this suite are described, and then the four units are detailed, as well as their major features and calibration results. Finally, the SERENA operational activities are shown during the orbital path around Mercury, with also some reference to the activities planned during the long cruise phase

Correction to: SERENA: Particle Instrument Suite for Determining the Sun-Mercury Interaction from BepiColombo

International audienc