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The transformation of talented youngsters into senior world-beaters is a topic of interest for practitioners and researchers alike. Unfortunately there is a dearth of research to guide the optimization of this process. Accordingly, this paper offers an overview of key themes apparent in the literature that have relevance to the effective development of talent. The five key generic features that emerge consistently include long-term aims and methods; wide ranging coherent messages and support; emphasis on appropriate development rather than early selection; individualized and ongoing development; and finally, integrated, holistic, and systematic development. In addition to the review, exemplars of current worldwide practice are used to further highlight both the need and direction for further research and more broad education of an effective talent development model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the impact of relative age effect (RAE) on selection to the Spanish National Athletics Federation (RFEA) training camps (TC) between 2006 and 2013. Overall, 1,334 selected athletes at U15 years (cadet) and U17 years (juvenile) were compared against 27,711 licensed but unselected athletes for the same age groups. The results highlighted the influential role of the RAE on selection to national level track and field training camp opportunities. Interestingly, this effect was mediated by age and gender, where effects were stronger for both males and younger athletes (U15), with no evidence of RAE for older (U17) female athletes. These results support the "maturation-selection" hypothesis as a mechanism for RAE. Particularly given the long-term goals of RFEA (e.g., production of successful senior elite athletes), these results highlight the need to consider the impact of current selection processes on effective provision of opportunities to those athletes with most potential to succeed in the long term. A number of possible context-relevant solutions are discussed, including education and awareness raising, using holistic selection criteria and correction adjustments techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical and psychological differences related to birthdate amongst athletes of the same selection year have been characterised as the “relative age effects” (RAEs). RAEs have been identified in a variety of sports, both at youth and adult level, and are linked with dropout of athletes and a reduction of the talent pool. This study examined the existence, mechanisms and possible solutions to RAEs using qualitative methodology. Seven experts in the field of talent identification and development were interviewed. Inductive analysis of the data showed that, while there was mixed evidence for the existence of RAEs across sports, the eradication of RAEs was attributed to controllable features of the development environment. The factors reported included the structure of “categories” used to group athletes within the sport (e.g. age, weight, size, skills), recognition and prioritisation of long-term development over “short term win focus.” Education of relevant parties (e.g. coaches, scouts, clubs) about RAEs and the nature of “talent” within a long-term context was suggested, along with careful consideration of the structure of the development environment (e.g. delayed selection, provision for late developers, focus on skills not results, use of challenge). Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firefighting is recognised as a profession where health and well-being can be affected by a variety of occupational factors, such as physical, thermal, and chemical stressors. Along with the risks intuitively associated with the fire service, however, psychosocial stress has begun to attract attention as another variable deserving of consideration. Indeed, long-term exposure to work-related psychosocial stress has been linked with poor health outcomes in many workers; however, despite this association, very little has been done to examine how such stressors become biologically embedded in firefighters. To help facilitate research into how psychosocial stress can affect health-related outcomes in the fire service, we propose a framework centered on the notion of allostatic load. First, we reviewed the occupational characteristics that may generate psychosocial stress within firefighters before introducing allostatic load (that is, dysregulation across various physiological systems caused by the need to manage ongoing stressors). Next, we provided a summary of how allostatic load can be measured and touched on the framework's utility for studying the cumulative effects of work-related stress on firefighter health. After this, factors that may influence the steps leading from stress exposure to health outcomes were discussed; in particular, we commented upon how research in this area should consider specific non-modifiable (age, sex, and ethnicity) and modifiable (psychosocial resources and behavioural habits) factors. Finally, we presented methodological barriers and opportunities that may arise when using the allostatic load framework with this professional group. By introducing the framework, we hope to provide a tool that may be used by those interested in stress-health research in firefighters to build the evidence needed to inform primary prevention measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the second most abundant trace element in the human body, zinc nutrition is constantly a hot topic. More than one-third population is suffering zinc deficiency, which results in various types of diseases or nutritional deficiencies. Traditional ways of zinc supplementation seem with low absorption rates and significant side effects. Zinc supplements with dietary components are easily accessible and improve zinc utilization rate significantly. Also, mechanisms of maintaining zinc homeostasis are of broad interest. The present review focuses on zinc nutrition in human health in inductive methods. Mainly elaborate on different diseases relating to zinc disorder, highlighting the impact on the immune system and the recent COVID-19. Then raise food-derived zinc-binding compounds, including protein, peptide, polysaccharide, and polyphenol, and also analyze their possibilities to serve as zinc complementary. Finally, illustrate the way to maintain zinc homeostasis and the corresponding mechanisms. The review provides data information for maintaining zinc homeostasis with the food-derived matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informed by minority stress and intersectionality frameworks, we examined 1) associations of sexual identity and race/ethnicity with probable diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD-PD) among sexual minority women (SMW; e.g. lesbian, bisexual) and 2) potential additive and interactive associations of minority stressors (discrimination, stigma consciousness and internalised homonegativity) and potentially traumatic childhood and adulthood events (PTEs) with PTSD-PD. The data come from a large and diverse community sample in the United States of SMW (N=662; age range: 18–82; M=40.0, SD=14.0). The sample included 35.8% Black, 23.4% Latinx and 37.2% White participants. More than one-third of SMW (37.2%) had PTSD-PD with significantly higher prevalence among bisexual, particularly White bisexual women, than lesbian women. Discrimination, stigma consciousness and internalised homonegativity were each associated with higher odds of PTSD-PD, but only internalised homonegativity was additively associated with PTSD-PD above and beyond effects of PTEs. We found no evidence for interactive effects between PTEs and minority stressors. PTSD was strongly associated with childhood PTEs and with minority stressors above and beyond associations with adulthood PTEs and stressors. Our findings suggest a strong need to address effects of marginalization in treatment for PTSD, as minority stressors likely maintain and exacerbate effects of past traumas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dough rheology improvers, which often are oxidative reagents in nature, have long been used in bread-making industry to enhance protein crosslinking and subsequently improve the dough rheological properties and bread qualities. Numerous studies were conducted to explore the effects of these oxidative agents on dough quality improving, however, the underlying mechanism of their action during dough development has not been fully understood. Due to the public health concerns, multiple oxidative reagents were banned in some countries across the world, while others are still permitted in accordance with regulations. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of their application, significance, and safety in bread manufacturing is necessary. This review aims to provide a detailed information about the evolutionary history of several commonly used oxidants acting as dough rheology improvers, their mechanisms of action, as well as their potential toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citric acid was discovered as an efficient catalyst for the rapid synthesis of pharmacologically important isoniazid azomethines by condensation of aromatic aldehydes and isatins with isoniazid in aqueous ethanol under reflux condition. The advantages of the described method include the use of readily available starting materials, biodegradable greener catalyst, and mild reaction conditions. The products were obtained in high yield within short reaction time and no need for column chromatography purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-criticism is a stable personality trait identified as a serious risk factor for psychopathology and weight-related health problems. Therefore, it is relevant to epidemiological research, which requires a relatively brief instrument for measuring trait self-criticism in the general population. The current study introduces a brief measure of self-criticism and presents empirical results that inform on its reliability and validity. Based on the six-item version of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire Self-Criticism (DEQ-SC6), thorough psychometric analyses on a German representative sample (N = 2,516) were conducted and resulted in the final four-item scale: the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire Self-Criticism 4 (DEQ-SC4). Its internal consistency was good and a one-dimensional factor structure showed a good model fit. In terms of construct validity, the DEQ-SC4 was moderately linked to symptoms of depression and a non-linear association between the DEQ-SC4 and body mass index was observed, with the highest levels of self-criticism reported by underweight participants. In addition, the DEQ-SC4 showed high positive correlations with another short version of the DEQ-SC and the Big Five personality dimensions assessed in samples of university students (N = 206) and patients (N = 55), meeting theoretically-based expectations. The DEQ-SC4 therefore represents a brief screening measure of self-criticism in the general population with good psychometric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is highly comorbid with depression. In the present meta-analysis, we conducted the first individual-level examination of the association between pre-treatment depression and improvement in social anxiety symptoms during treatment. We identified eligible studies on cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and pharmacotherapy for SAD and contacted authors to obtain individual-level data. We obtained these data from 41 studies, including 46 treatment conditions (n = 4,381). Our results showed that individuals who had high levels of depression at pre-treatment experienced greater decreases in social anxiety symptoms from pre- to post-treatment, but not at follow-up. When analyzing treatment modalities (individual CBT, group CBT, internet-delivered CBT, and pharmacotherapy), we found that depressive symptoms were associated with better post-treatment outcomes for individual CBT and internet-delivered CBT, but not for pharmacotherapy or group CBT. Our findings suggest that depression does not negatively affect treatment outcome in SAD and may even lead to improved outcomes in some treatment formats. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examined the differentiation of borderline (BPD) and antisocial personality disorders (ASPD) in forensic settings, with particular emphasis on the utility of the MMPI-2-RF in differential diagnosis. This study examined these constructs across correctional and forensic psychiatric samples from the U.S. and the Netherlands using varying assessment/diagnosis modalities, including self-report, structured interview, and clinician-derived personality disorder (PD) diagnosis from both DSM-5 Section II and Section III perspectives. Our findings showed that internalizing psychopathology – and to a lesser extent interpersonal and thought dysfunction – differentiated BPD from ASPD; however, inconsistencies existed across samples. Higher levels of externalizing psychopathology were not found to differentiate ASPD across any of the samples or PD conceptualizations used in the current study. This suggests that diagnostic clarity may be particularly difficult in forensic settings and supports previous work that has shown problematic diagnostic overlap and a lack of differentiation between PD constructs. Nonetheless, as our current diagnostic system continues to rely on categorical determination of PDs, the current study suggests the MMPI-2-RF may enhance diagnostic differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Approximately 13% of United States (US) children have atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as eczema. AD is a chronic skin condition associated with significant burdens on quality of life and both individual and overall health-care system costs. The pathogenesis of AD is considered to be multifactorial, with biologic factors such as family history and genetics often reported as influencing risk. Some lesser discussed determinants of AD prevalence and severity are sociocultural, such as race/ethnicity, neighborhood, housing type, income level, and family structure. While several factors appear to contribute to disparities in childhood AD, black or African American race/ethnicity most significantly predicts AD prevalence, severity, disease control, access to care, and family impact. There is a shortage of research related to disparities in AD, an important topic considering the large percentage of families that are affected by the disease. This article is a narrative literature review of sociocultural influences on AD disparities in US children. The purpose of this review is to increase awareness of these important risk factors and to suggest related, future areas of research that may positively impact overall outcomes in children with AD. Much work remains to be done in order to ensure equitable care and outcomes among all children with AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Motor control and skill acquisition research have contributed greatly to understanding the learning process in sport, but very little of this knowledge has been applied in practice over the past fifty years. The characteristics of expertise in the two major cricket skills, batting and bowling, are well established but the training environments used to develop them are yet to be characterised. Recommendations on the how the ball is delivered (feed), decision making, task variability and information sources for skill development in cricket have been made previously in research. To promote skills which transfer between the training and performance environments, tasks should maintain the connection between the person, their task and the environment. Coaches have found it difficult to apply complex learning designs to their practice because the underpinning concepts remain unclear. Demystifying evidence-based practice for skill development in cricket is needed to make research knowledge more accessible for coaches. Purpose: Given club level cricket (amateur) is the stepping-stone of the talent development pathway for junior representative players pursuing elite status, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of skill development practices at this level and identify means of improvement. Methods: A categorical assessment tool was developed to assess 21 training sessions performed during an amateur women's cricket team throughout the 2018/19 season. We assessed how the ball was delivered (feed), decision making elements, variability and sources of information available to ascertain the representativeness of each training session according to published research on skill development and expertise. The tool featured a scoring range (0–3) with maximum scores per discipline of 12 for bowling and 15 for batting. Key performance indicators (KPI), outlined by the head coach, were also collected during the season to assess game performance and explore any connections with training design. Results: A lack of variability in training design between the 21 sessions performed (<0.5 units on 0–3 scale) did not allow for a correlational analysis with game performance. In contrast, game KPIs were achieved sporadically throughout the season. The most representative training elements were provided for bowling feed (target), decision making and variability, while batting feed (type) and variability also scored well on the assessment tool. The maximum score for representativeness for bowling or batting was not reached, and training design remained largely unchanged throughout the season despite changes in match type, competition phase and consistent low scores in some elements. Conclusions: Some elements of representative learning design were apparent in this amateur cricket setting but only in discrete areas of training. Despite changes in the competition phase and match type, there was a lack of adaptation in training design. Future research is needed to evaluate the principles of representative training design and their effect on cricket skill development and match performance. A more sensitive categorical assessment tool may also be necessary to detect subtle changes in training design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Panic disorder patients who drop out of treatment typically do not remit from their disorder. How patient-level moderators influence dropping out of one panic-focused treatment over another has never been examined, nor in non-CBT treatments. Method: 200 patients with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia were randomized to receive cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT), panic-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy (PFPP), or applied relaxation training (ART) across two sites. Therapy was twice a week for 12 weeks. A two-step variable search method was applied to identify potential prognostic predictors and moderators of patient dropout. Survival models predicting hazard of session-by-session dropout tested the resulting variables. Results: Across treatments, unemployment and higher psychosocial disability on the Sheehan Disability Scale predicted increased risk of dropout, while patients with higher anxiety sensitivity were more likely to complete treatment. Patients who reported experiencing childhood abuse had heightened dropout in ART, but not CBT or PFPP. Men were especially likely to complete PFPP. Session 2 expectancies and patient-rated alliance predicted lower dropout only in CBT. Conclusions: Patient-level factors may influence both whether patients will complete any treatment, and whether they continue in a particular panic-focused therapy. Moderators of dropout (e.g., abuse history) may inform treatment decisions for specific patients. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00353470. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Studies were conducted to develop and validate the Capacity for Psychotherapy Process Scale (CFPPS), a self-rating measure of capacity for the psychotherapy process from a trans-theoretical perspective. Method: In Study 1, a two-round Delphi methodology consulting 27 and 15 experts, respectively, was used to select items and identify content validity. In Study 2, 279 clients were recruited for exploratory factor analysis (EFA). In Study 3, confirmatory factor analysis and internal consistency analysis were conducted among 390 outpatients; the discriminant validity and predictive validity were studied in 270 outpatients and 82 psychotherapy outpatients, respectively. Results: The Delphi method resulted in 52 items. Through EFA, the CFPPS was reduced to 20 items, focusing on five factors: motivation, belief, self-revelation, persistence, and insight; the internal consistencies were good (0.92 for total scale and 0.82–0.91 for the factors). The CFPPS was not or was only weakly associated with symptoms. The Bonferroni-corrected partial correlation analyses revealed that the CFPPS was positively related to working alliance and session impact. Conclusions: The CFPPS is a preliminary step toward the self-report assessment of the capacity for psychotherapy process from a trans-theoretical perspective and may potentially be used to predict the working alliance and session impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Interpersonal problems may lead to, uphold, or follow from depression. However, we know little of how depressed patients' different interpersonal problems are associated with patients' emotional processing during psychotherapy and whether distinct processes are helpful for their long-term reduction. Method: 23 adult outpatients who received emotion-focused therapies lasting 16–20 sessions filled the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems at pre- and post-treatment and 18-month follow-up. These problems were related to emotional processing in two mid-therapy sessions, rated by observers with the Classification of Affective-Meaning States. Results: All pre-treatment interpersonal problems were clearly associated with patients' negative evaluations of themselves during therapy. Self-experiences of vindictiveness were most pronouncedly linked to in-session emotional expressions of rejecting anger, and self-experiences of social inhibition to expressions of fear and shame, following a circumplex model. In the long-term reduction of interpersonal problems, especially reaching emotional states of hurt and grief seemed beneficial for patients who experienced themselves as socially inhibited, non-assertive, self-sacrificing, or overly accommodating. Conclusions: For clients suffering from particular interpersonal problems, accessing particularly beneficial emotional processes, such as hurt and grief, may form specific therapeutic process goals. Further studies should verify these findings, which link interpersonal theory with research on emotional processing in psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have cross-nationally tested the mediators of the relationship between alcohol use and subjective well-being among university students. This study examined how self-reported psychological distress symptoms mediate the association between alcohol use (drinking frequency and binge-drinking frequency) and subjective well-being among 637 Serbian and 705 Italian university students. Psychological distress mediated the negative relationship between binge-drinking frequency and subjective well-being among Serbians (partial mediation) and Italians (full mediation). Drinking frequency was not associated with psychological distress or subjective well-being. Binge drinking may negatively affect subjective well-being among university students by enhancing symptoms of psychological distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Personality disorder (PD) is a negative prognostic indicator for treatment, and absolute improvements in functioning among these patients are often modest. This may be because personality features that give rise to dysfunction in PD are not targeted optimally during most treatments. Method: Attachment, mentalization, core beliefs, and personality organization/defense use were identified as personality constructs that have been pursued in treatment studies and that are proposed to underlie PD. Results: All constructs correlate with psychiatric symptoms, PD diagnosis, and functioning. Defense mechanisms and core beliefs further distinguish specific PDs, whereas personality organization separates more versus less severe PDs. Evidence from treatment and naturalistic studies indicate that maturation of defense mechanisms temporally precedes improvements in symptoms and functioning. Changes in attachment and mentalization correlate with some outcomes, but mediation of improvement has not been established. In psychodynamic therapy, transference interpretations may promote amelioration of personality dysfunction. With the exception of attachment, the experimental literature is lacking that could explicate the mechanisms by which these personality constructs maintain psychosocial dysfunction. Conclusions: Future research should aim to identify changes in these mechanisms that mediate positive outcomes in PD, as well as the specific therapeutic procedures that best promote positive change in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Oppositional parent–child conflict interactions and inconsistent parenting practices have each been associated with more negative socioemotional outcomes for children. The current study aimed to identify groups of mother–child dyads based on average levels and variability in collaborative and oppositional conflict characteristics during a typical week. We also examined relations between conflict groups and child behaviors, maternal behaviors, and family demographic characteristics. Design. In a sample of 142 mothers of 5- to 8-year-old children, we assessed qualities of daily conflict interactions over one week via online parent reports. Results. Based on average levels of conflict collaboration and opposition, and variability in these qualities from one interaction to the next, we identified three mother–child conflict groups using latent profile analysis: temperate stable, negative volatile, and moderate. Temperate stable dyads included children who were older and displayed the least internalizing and externalizing behavior problems and included mothers who reported the least parenting distress. Conclusions. Distinct information was provided by variable-centered and person-centered analyses and inconsistencies in conflict characteristics – whether negative or positive – tended to co-occur in families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cognitive-Affective Processing System (CAPS) was used to examine effortful control (EC) as a moderator of daily interpersonal behavior. Participants (N = 240) were nonclinical young adults who completed a 7-day event-contingent experience sampling study of interpersonal perception and affect. Multilevel linear models indicated that EC moderated within-person covariation of interpersonal warmth and affect activation; high EC individuals reported greater momentary warm behaviors when perceiving others as affectively activated. EC also amplified between-person covariation of interpersonal warmth between self and others; high EC individuals generally responded to perceptions of another's warmth with a greater degree of warm behavior. Varying levels of EC predict responses to interpersonal perceptions and affect in daily life, suggesting an important dimension for interpersonal functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both the contents of fatty acids and the ratios of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids are important parameters for determining the nutritional values of oils. Thus, we herein evaluated the fatty acids present in the seed oils of Lepidium apetalum Willdenow, Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl, and Draba nemorosa L. as sources of Lepidii seu Descurainiae Semen seeds in Northeast Asian Countries. We developed a method based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography using a charged aerosol detector for the quantitative analysis of fatty acids in the seed oils. This technique is less time-consuming than previous methods as derivatization of the oils is not required. Our method was developed though the comparison of a UV detector with a charged aerosol detector, and various stationary phases and gradient programs were tested. In addition, method validation was carried out according to the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines with respect to linearity, precision, and accuracy. We found that the quantities of unsaturated fatty acids (6.051–282.376 mg/g) were higher than those of saturated fatty acids (0.855–12.548 mg/g) in all plant seed oils. The proposed method is reproducible and convenient, and therefore, is suitable for the quantitative analysis of fatty acids in plant oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The HIV literature has largely ignored the importance of alcohol use in the quality of intimate relationships in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), despite evidence of alcohol's role in relational behaviors that increase risk for HIV infection and other harms. The present study explored the association of alcohol use with relationship functioning among heterosexual couples from rural South Africa. Method: Dyadic analyses were conducted with 443 sexually active, heterosexual, South African couples (886 individuals) to examine the association between male partners' alcohol use (abstinent, nonhazardous, and hazardous), and male and female partners' reports of relationship intimacy, trust, mutually constructive communication, demand/withdraw communication, and satisfaction. Five structural equation models were fit using male partner alcohol use as a predictor of male and female reports of relationship quality. Results: Women with a hazardous-drinking male partner (compared to an abstainer) reported significantly higher levels of intimacy (p <.05) and significantly more demand/withdraw communication (p <.001); men who were hazardous drinkers reported significantly less trust in their relationship compared to men who were abstainers (p <.01). Conclusions: Hazardous alcohol use among South African couples is positively correlated with women's relationship intimacy and maladaptive communication patterns, yet negatively correlated with men's perceived trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although social anxiety disorder is defined by anxiety-related symptoms, little research has focused on the interpersonal features of social anxiety. Prior studies (Cain, Pincus, & Grosse Holtforth, 2010; Kachin, Newman, & Pincus, 2001) identified distinct subgroups of socially anxious individuals' interpersonal circumplex problems that were blends of agency and communion, and yet inconsistencies remain. We predicted 2 distinct interpersonal subtypes would exist for individuals with high social anxiety, and that these social anxiety subtypes would differ on empathetic concern, paranoia, received peer victimization, perspective taking, and emotional suppression. From a sample of 175 undergraduate participants, 51 participants with high social anxiety were selected as above a clinical cutoff on the social phobia scale. Cluster analyses identified 2 interpersonal subtypes of socially anxious individuals: low hostility-high submissiveness (Cluster 1) and high hostility-high submissiveness (Cluster 2). Cluster 1 reported higher levels of empathetic concern, lower paranoia, less peer victimization, and lower emotional suppression compared to Cluster 2. There were no differences between subtypes on perspective taking or cognitive reappraisal. Findings are consistent with an interpersonal conceptualization of social anxiety, and provide evidence of distinct social features between these subtypes. Findings have implications for the etiology, classification, and treatment of social anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In tourism and hospitality services employee-customer interaction constitutes a significant proportion of the service provided and hence the quality of the service. This study explores levels of social anxiety and social avoidance among tourism and hospitality students in Turkey. Results received from 615 students revealed that 54% of the students had mild, 37.4% moderate, and 3.4% severe levels of social anxiety. Only 5% of the students had no social anxiety. In terms of social avoidance, 63.4% of the students occasionally, 27.2% often, and 1.3% usually avoided social interactions. This study has significant implications for tourism and hospitality program managers at universities as well as for tourism and hospitality managers in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this study was to examine the nature and function of talent identification in category one football academies in the UK. Data were collected from three participant groups: heads of recruitment (n = 12), recruitment staff (n = 18) and scouts (n = 7). Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews, conducted either face-to-face or via Skype®. Four themes emerged from the data: (1) league structures in junior grassroots football; (2) reflective practice; (3) looking at the whole player; and (4) luck. The paper concludes by suggesting that there are issues that need to be considered by the football association, county football associations and clubs. Those issues include the organization of leagues in junior football, the education of scouts and recruitment staff around reflective practice and understanding how to identify psycho-social attributes whilst identifying talent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three experiments examined effects of measuring self-reported emotional intensity on subsequent self-reported emotional intensity. Across 3 experiments, we induced sadness, envy, and happiness and manipulated the number of emotional intensity measurements. In all experiments, repeated measurement led to weaker intensity of negative emotions than did a single measurement. Although the intensity of happiness was unaffected by repeated measurement, data suggest that measurements interfered with ongoing emotional experience. We suggest that our findings have methodological, conceptual, and practical implications, but perhaps foremost is the warning that social scientists may have greater cause for caution regarding repeated self-report measures than previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to test whether the maladaptive personality traits of self-criticism and neediness predict suicide ideation when controlling for general distress. Further, potential interactive effects on suicide ideation of the two traits and distress were also evaluated. Two studies with nonclinical samples were conducted. The first investigation was cross-sectional and involved a final sample of 202 community adults while the second study was longitudinal with a final sample of 207 college students. Results of Study 1 demonstrated that self-criticism, but not neediness, associated with suicide ideation and, in doing so, also interacted with distress. Neediness also tended to interact with self-criticism in the prediction of suicide ideation. Results from Study 2 were similar and confirmed the Study 1 results. Changes in self-criticism, but not changes in neediness, predicted changes in suicide ideation after statistically controlling for changes in distress. Changes in the interaction between self-criticism and distress predicted changes in suicide ideation and changes in the interaction between self-criticism and neediness tended to predict changes in suicide ideation. Results are discussed with regard to their implications for psychological intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many countries are facing aging populations, with those over 65 years of age likely to represent the largest population over the next 10-20 years. Living longer often comes with poor health and, in particular, a decline in the immune function characterized by poor vaccine responses and increased risk of infection and certain cancers. Aging and diet represent major intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence the makeup and activity of resident intestinal microbes, the microbiota, the efficient functioning of which is essential for sustaining overall health and the effectiveness of the immune system. The provision of elderly specific dietary recommendations appears to be lacking but is necessary since this population has an altered microbiota and immune response and may not respond in the same way as their healthy and younger counterparts. We have reviewed the evidence supporting the role of diet and, in particular, dietary carbohydrate, protein, and fat in influencing the microbiota and its generation of key metabolites that influence the efficient functioning of immune cells during aging, and how dietary intervention might be of benefit in improving the intestinal health and immune status in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the introduction of an ecological care model into a women's alcohol-and-other-drug treatment facility. When patients learned that their health resembled a network of factors including demographics, health experiences, and their own health literacy, they approached addiction as a problem that required complex solutions. The authors present a methodology derived from rhetoric of health and medicine scholarship and the medical humanities that may help patients improve mental health literacy and treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a major source of microbes and their numerous beneficial effects, the gut microflora/microbiome is intimately linked to human health and disease. The exclusion of enteric pathogens by these commensal microbes partially depends upon the production of bioactive compounds such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). These key intestinal microbial byproducts are crucial to the maintenance of a healthy gut microbial community. Moreover, SCFAs and PUFAs play multiple critical roles in host defense and immunity, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, and anti-oxidant activities, as well as out-competition of enteric bacterial pathogens. In this review article, we hereby aim to highlight the importance of SCFAs and PUFAs and the microbes involved in production of these beneficial intestinal components, and their biological functions, specifically as to their immunomodulation and interactions with enteric bacterial pathogens. Finally, we also advance potential applications of these fatty acids with regards to food safety and human gut health. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study modelled associations between gender, ruminative cognitive style, alcohol use, and the time course of negative affect over the course of 43,111 random assessments in the natural environment. Participants (N = 263) completed 49 days of experience sampling over 1.3 years. The data indicated that rumination at baseline was positively associated with alcohol dependence symptoms at baseline as well as higher negative affect over the course of the study. Consistent with negative reinforcement models, drinking served to decrease the persistence of negative affect from moment to moment. However, this ameliorative effect of drinking was evident only among women, suggesting an increased risk for negative reinforcement driven drinking behaviour. In addition, rumination appeared to counteract the desired effects of alcohol on mood among women. This suggests that women who ruminate more may be motivated to consume larger amounts of alcohol to achieve the desired effects. Overall, the results indicate that ruminative cognitive style and the persistence of negative affect from moment to moment may reflect an individual vulnerability for the development of alcohol use disorder especially among women. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a mixture of isomers of linoleic acid (C18:2 n-6), which is mostly found in the ruminant meat and dairy products. The CLA is known to have many potential health benefits, and considered a potent powerful fatty acid, which is linked to animal and human health. The present work aims to discuss the source and production, mechanism of action, and effects of CLA on humans, poultry, and ruminants by reviewing the recent studies carried out on CLA. Despite most of the recent studies indicating beneficial effects of CLA on improving body weight control parameters, its effects on reducing risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), inflammation, blood glucose, and insulin are still controversial, and need to be further studied in different hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Trial by jury is a fundamental feature of democratic governance. But what form should jury decision-making take? I argue against the status quo system in which juries are encouraged and even required to engage in group deliberation as a means to reaching a decision. Jury deliberation is problematic for both theoretical and empirical reasons. On the theoretical front, deliberation destroys the independence of jurors’ judgments that is needed for certain attractive theoretical results. On the empirical front, we have evidence from both legal and non-legal contexts that group deliberation often leads to group judgments that are worse in a number of respects than judgments generated by non-interactional methods of judgment aggregation. Finally, I examine some possible alternatives to free-wheeling jury deliberation, including the constrained and structured deliberation embodied in the DELPHI method, voting (without deliberation), and averaging of probabilistic judgments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I argue that there are cases in which a speaker S's observation of the fact that her assertion that p is accepted by another person enhances the strength of S's own epistemic position with respect to p, as compared to S's strength of epistemic position with respect to p prior to having made the assertion. I conclude by noting that the sorts of consideration that underwrite this (happy) possibility may go some distance towards explaining several (unhappy) aspects of ourgrouplife as epistemic subjects—in particular, groupthink and group polarization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) corresponds to a mixture of positional and geometric isomers of linoleic acid. Two of these isomers (9c, 11t and 10t, 12c) have biological activity. The milk and dairy products are the most abundant source of conjugated linoleic acid, which refers to a group of positional and geometric isomers of CLA (CLA 18:2 cis-9, cis-12). The following research aims to approach aspects regarding the CLA, as well as its relationship with diseases. Conjugated linoleic acids have been studied for their beneficial effects in the prevention and treatment of many diseases, including obesity, cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Scientific information put together the physiological properties of CLA, which serves as inputs to claim their potential as functional ingredients to be used in the prevention and control of several chronic metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To date, there is no evidence suggesting that a program aimed at increasing self-compassion is effective in interdependent cultures such as Japan. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an Enhancing Self-Compassion Program (ESP) among Japanese individuals in a randomized controlled study. Individuals reporting low self-compassion (N = 40) were randomly assigned to an ESP or wait-list control group. Participants completed self-report questionnaires at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and a three-month follow-up. In the post-treatment and follow-up, ANOVAs revealed that the ESP group (N = 16) had significant improvements in each of the subscales of self-compassion (Cohen’sds: .91–1.51) except for mindfulness, whereas the control group (N = 12) did not. Greater reductions in negative thoughts and emotions in the ESP group were also found. These gains remained at follow-up. These findings suggest that an ESP may be an effective and acceptable adjunct intervention for Japanese individuals with low self-compassion. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The interpersonal paradigm of personality assessment provides a rich nomological net for describing and assessing constructs of interpersonal functioning. The aim of this article is to demonstrate for clinicians how the use of a multisurface interpersonal assessment (MSIA) battery can augment psychotherapy (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy). We present 2 clinical case examples and specify interpretative guidelines for MSIA that integrate multiple circumplex profiles (e.g., problems, traits, sensitivities, strengths, values, and efficacies) for each patient. Subsequently, we demonstrate how this approach provides a context to better understand patient symptoms and difficulties, and discuss how it can inform case conceptualization, treatment planning, and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a wide spectrum of techniques available to evaluate the functional aspects of the immune system in both humans and animals, including avian species. Some of the immunological techniques are qualitative and others are quantitative. In this paper, these techniques will be reviewed starting with a description of the nature of the antibody-antigen interaction, followed by the immune techniques that are used to detect immune complexes (i.e. antigen-antibody responses) whether free or associated with cells, then the numerous immune markers or parameters that are used to measure the avian immune responses. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present study examines the role of emotion in the self-critical process of individuals with anger problems. Self-criticism is a prevalent intra-personal feature which greatly impacts an individual's emotion. So far, it is unclear, which emotions individuals with maladaptive anger experience when they work through their self-criticism. Using a quasi-experimental design, the present study compared n = 23 anger-prone under-graduate students to n = 22 controls on process indices of contempt, fear, shame, anger and global distress, as well as on their access to underlying need, as participants were working through personalized self-critical content. This was achieved using a single-session enactment from emotion-focused therapy, augmented with a standardized procedure for priming participants to focus on their unmet needs. Findings suggested that this work on self-criticism reduced for both groups distress, fear and shame, as well as increased assertive anger (McNemar tests significant at p = .05). More centrally, anger-prone individuals expressed more self-contempt (t(1, 44) = 3.65; p < .05), and they had more difficulty in accessing their underlying need (X2 = 5.35; p < .05), when compared to controls. These results have implications for clinical work with anger-prone individuals, and clarify key features in the use of enactment interventions when working towards emotional resolution. The present study also demonstrates the use of personalized stimuli in the context of clinically relevant quasiexperimental research on emotional processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine shell waste is a very rich source of several bioactive compounds and materials, such as calcium, chitin, pigments, and proteins. Currently, this waste material is greatly underutilized and contributes to significant environmental problems due to off-odor and concentration of minerals in landfill. The main objective of this review is to highlight the potential to add value to and maximize the utilization of this waste stream. Therefore, this review provides up-to-date information on various compounds available in marine shells that are generated as waste coproduct from commercial processing operations and their potential uses. Methods are described for extraction of these compounds for use in food and pharmaceutical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the effect of dairy products on cardiovascular risk is a topic much debated and with conflicting results. The purpose of this review is to give an overview of the existing literature regarding the effect of cheese intake and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Studies included reporting the intake of cheese and risk of CVD or risk markers of CVD represent four human intervention studies, nine prospective studies, one prospective case-cohort study, one prospective nested case-control study, five case-control studies, five cross-sectional studies and three correlation studies. The possible mechanisms that may be of importance include calcium, protein, fermentation and the fatty acid composition of cheese. Results from four prospective studies reported no association between cheese intake and CVD risk, whereas one reported an increased risk, two reported a decreased risk and one reported no association in men but a decreased risk in women. In addition, results from four intervention studies indicated no harmful effect on cholesterol concentrations when comparing fat intake from cheese with fat from butter. The underlying mechanisms for these findings still need to be elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blatt's (2004, 2008) conceptualization of self-criticism is consistent with a state–trait model that postulates meaningful variation in self-criticism both between persons (traits) and within person (states). We tested the state–trait model in a 7-day diary study with 99 college student participants. Each evening they completed a 6-item measure of self-criticism, as well as measures of perceived social support, positive and negative affect, compassionate and self-image goals during interactions with others, and interpersonal behavior, including overt self-criticism and given social support. As predicted, self-criticism displayed both trait-like variance between persons and daily fluctuations around individuals' mean scores for the week; slightly more than half of the total variance was between persons (ICC = .56). Numerous associations at both the between-persons and within-person levels were found between self-criticism and the other variables, indicating that individuals' mean levels of self-criticism over the week, and level of self-criticism on a given day relative to their personal mean, were related to their cognitions, affect, interpersonal goals, and behavior. The results supported the construct validity of the daily self-criticism measure. Moreover, the findings were consistent with the state–trait model and with Blatt's theoretical analysis of self-critical personality. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The involvement of protein kinase C (PKC) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway in immunoregulatory actions of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in chicken T lymphocyte was investigated. T lymphocytes in peripheral blood were isolated and cultured. The PKC and NF–κB inhibitors, staurosporine (SP) and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), were used. SP inhibited the production of PKC, and PDTC partly blocked the NF–κB mRNA relative expression. Data suggested compared with c9, t11-CLA and t10, c12-CLA groups, the attenuated effects were showed in SP or PDTC treatment with the application of CLA, which suggested PKC and NF–κB mediated in the immunity of CLA. Furthermore, SP and PDTC inhibited the IL-2 secretion and T lymphocyte proliferation. SP or PDTC induced reduction of IL-2 secretion and T-lymphocytes proliferation were greatly or partially attenuated by CLA isomers. In conclusion, CLA was a potent immunomodulator for T lymphocytes through targeting the PKC–NF–κB pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and conjugated linolenic acid (CLNA) isomers are present in foods derived from ruminants as a result of the respective linoleic acid (LA) and α-linolenic acid (LNA) metabolism by ruminal microorganisms and in animals’ tissues. CLA and CLNA have isomer-specific, health-promoting properties, including anticarcinogenic, antiatherogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic activity, as well as the ability to reduce body fat. Besides ruminal microorganisms, such asButyrivibrio fibrisolvens, many food-grade bacteria, such as bifidobacteria, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and propionibacteria, are able to convert LA and LNA to CLA and CLNA, respectively. Linoleate isomerase activity, responsible for this conversion, is strain-dependent and probably related to the ability of the producer strain to tolerate the toxic effects of LA and LNA. Since natural concentrations of CLA and CLNA in ruminal food products are relatively low to exert their health benefits, food-grade bacteria with linoleate isomerase activity could be used as starter or adjunct cultures to develop functional fermented dairy and meat products with increased levels of CLA and CLNA or included in fermented products as probiotic cultures. However, results obtained so far are below expectations due to technological bottlenecks. More research is needed to assess if bacterial production kinetics can be increased and can match food processing requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) consists of a group of positional and geometric conjugated isomers of linoleic acid. Since the identification of CLA as a factor that can inhibit mutagenesis and carcinogenesis, thousands of studies have been conducted in the last several decades. Among the many isomers discovered,cis-9, trans-11 CLA is the most intensively studied because of its multiple, isomer-specific effects in humans and animals. This paper provides an overview of the available data oncis-9, trans-11 CLA, including its isomer-specific effects, biosynthesis, in vivo/in vitro research models, quantification, and the factors influencing its content in ruminant products. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Present study examined the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation on glycogen resynthesis in exercised human skeletal muscle. Twelve male participants completed a cross-over trial with CLA (3.8 g/day for 8 week) or placebo supplements by separation of 8 weeks. CLA is a mixture oftrans-10 cis-12andcis-9 trans-11isomers (50:50). On experiment day, all participants performed 60-min cycling exercise at 75% VO2max, then consumed a carbohydrate meal immediately after exercise and recovered for 3 h. Biopsied muscle samples from vastus lateralis were obtained immediately (0 h) and 3 h following exercise. Simultaneously, blood and gaseous samples were collected for every 30 min during 3-h recovery. Results showed significantly increased muscle glycogen content with CLA after a single bout of exercise (P < 0.05). Muscle glucose transporter type 4 expression was significantly elevated immediately after exercise, and this elevation was continued until 3 h after exercise in CLA trial. However, P-Akt/Akt ratio was not significantly altered, while glucose tolerance was impaired with CLA. Gaseous exchange data showed no beneficial effect of CLA on fat oxidation, instead lower non-esterified fatty acid and glycerol levels were found at 0 h. Our findings conclude that CLA supplementation can enhance the glycogen resynthesis rate in exercised human skeletal muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of the ease with which samples may be collected and the stability of the samples after collection, the use of hair mineral analysis for monitoring environmental exposures and evaluating heavy metal poisonings has remained controversial since its initial applications for these purposes in the early 1950s. Among the major arguments against using hair mineral analysis in general were the absence of biokinetic models and/or metabolic data that adequately described the incorporation of trace elements into the hair, the absence of correlations between the concentrations of trace elements in the hair and their concentrations in other tissues, the inability to distinguish between trace elements that were deposited in the hair endogenously and those that were deposited on the hair exogenously, the absence of reliable reference ranges for interpreting the results of hair mineral analysis and a lack of standard procedures for the collecting, preparing and analyzing the hair samples. The developments of the past two decades addressing these objections are reviewed here, and arguments supporting the use of hair analysis for monitoring environmental and/or occupational exposures to uranium are made on the basis of the information presented in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious problem for children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). Recent changes to diagnostic criteria for PTSD include a reduction in avoidance symptom criteria from three to one and the separation of emotional numbing from avoidance symptoms, thus creating a need to better understand how avoidance symptoms of PTSD present themselves in young children. This study evaluated 56 children aged four to six as they participated in an intervention for mothers and children exposed to IPV. Therapists documented behaviours indicative of avoidance symptoms during group sessions. Data were analysed and coded into symptom categories and thematically emergent domains. Results demonstrated that avoidance symptoms fell into three separate categories: physical avoidance, emotional avoidance, and changing topics. Additionally, the data support theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(5th edition) change to remove emotional numbing from the avoidance symptom category. These results give insight into how to develop more targeted treatments for PTSD as well as improve the assessment and diagnosis of PTSD symptoms in preschoolers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]