Professional team sports organizations (PTSOs) are highly influential in our society. They can both positively and negatively shape the public discourse around responsible norms of behavior. The ...purpose of this article is to describe and critically review the literature on PTSOs’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) to develop a comprehensive understanding of current and future research directions in the field. Our analysis reviewed articles on CSR within PTSOs and identified publication year; geographical dispersion; journal type; sports contexts; social issues investigated; research approaches and methods; and how CSR was conceptualized, defined, and theoretically supported. The findings indicate that CSR within PTSOs has primarily been investigated in community programs, using qualitative research methods and pragmatically conceptualizing CSR on the basis of return on investments to the organization in European and North American contexts. Our discussion provides a critical review of the literature before outlining avenues for future research and practice.
The masculinizing effects from anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) appear to be different between men and women, leading to calls for more gender-specific information regarding women and AAS use. This ...study sought to gather perspectives from both men and women on the unique challenges surrounding women's use of AAS, irrespective of their personal use. Secondly, the study interrogated how women's AAS practices differ from those of men specifically.
The data presented in this paper come from a subsample of participants who participated in a larger study investigating women and performance and image enhancing drug (PIED) use in Australia. Participants were included in the current analysis if they were: (i) males or females who competed with or coached female strength athletes using AAS and (ii) female and male strength athletes who used AAS. The final sample comprised 21 participants of which there was a proportion of males (n = 7) and females (n = 7) using AAS.
Women's choices in AAS selection were predominantly around oral compounds (e.g. Oxandrolone) as well as other PIEDs (e.g. Clenbuterol). Some women report the use of injectable AAS represents a change in the profile of the typical female user as it reportedly comes alongside drastic physical and psychological changes.
The unique challenges facing women who use AAS are largely isolation and stigma, with little evidence-based practice or education being available to them online or through peer-groups. Future work may consider piloting harm reduction strategies that may be co-designed with this group.
Aims
Endothelial‐derived epoxyeicosatrienoic acids may regulate vascular tone and are metabolized by soluble epoxide hydrolase enzymes (sEH). GSK2256294 is a potent and selective sEH inhibitor that ...was tested in two phase I studies.
Methods
Single escalating doses of GSK2256294 2–20 mg or placebo were administered in a randomized crossover design to healthy male subjects or obese smokers. Once daily doses of 6 or 18 mg or placebo were administered for 14 days to obese smokers. Data were collected on safety, pharmacokinetics, sEH enzyme inhibition and blood biomarkers. Single doses of GSK2256294 10 mg were also administered to healthy younger males or healthy elderly males and females with and without food. Data on safety, pharmacokinetics and biliary metabolites were collected.
Results
GSK2256294 was well‐tolerated with no serious adverse events (AEs) attributable to the drug. The most frequent AEs were headache and contact dermatitis. Plasma concentrations of GSK2256294 increased with single doses, with a half‐life averaging 25–43 h. There was no significant effect of age, food or gender on pharmacokinetic parameters. Inhibition of sEH enzyme activity was dose‐dependent, from an average of 41.9% on 2 mg (95% confidence interval CI –51.8, 77.7) to 99.8% on 20 mg (95% CI 99.3, 100.0) and sustained for up to 24 h. There were no significant changes in serum VEGF or plasma fibrinogen.
Conclusions
GSK2256294 was well‐tolerated and demonstrated sustained inhibition of sEH enzyme activity. These data support further investigation in patients with endothelial dysfunction or abnormal tissue repair, such as diabetes, wound healing or COPD.
Abstract Current treatments of neuropathic pain arising from conditions such as nerve injury/compression are only partially effective, and limited in their use by side-effects. p38 mitogen-activated ...protein kinase (MAPK) is involved in the regulation and synthesis of inflammatory mediators, and is the target for a novel class of cytokine-suppressive anti-inflammatory drugs. p38 inhibitors may reduce neuronal sensitisation in preclinical models of neuropathic pain, particularly where there is a substantial inflammatory component. An exploratory, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-period, cross-over trial was undertaken to evaluate the effect of dilmapimod (SB-681323), a selective p38 MAPK inhibitor, on neuropathic pain symptoms and signs. Fifty patients with nerve trauma, radiculopathy or carpal tunnel syndrome were randomised; 43 patients completed the study. Eligible patients received oral dilmapimod and placebo twice daily for 2 weeks, with an intervening washout period of 2–4 weeks. Subjects attended weekly for efficacy and safety assessments, which included evaluation of daily and current pain intensity using an 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS), quantitative sensory testing, allodynia and global impression of change. There was a statistically significant reduction in the primary endpoint of average daily pain score during the second week of treatment among patients treated with dilmapimod (15 mg/day) compared to placebo using NRS 0.80; 95% CI (0.28, 1.33); p = 0.0034. A similar trend for effect was seen in some secondary endpoints. Dilmapimod was well tolerated, with no clinically relevant safety findings. p38 MAPK inhibitors merit further evaluation for neuropathic pain in larger clinical trials, particularly for clinically meaningful analgesic effect size.
Research Question: The lens of moral disengagement (i.e. the cognitive restructuring of immoral behaviors to facilitate one's own involvement by deactivating negative feelings) has been applied ...extensively to study integrity breaches in a number of contexts. However, despite the high and diverse prevalence of immoral behavior in (elite) sport, and the increasing research attention toward sport integrity, the explanatory potential of moral disengagement has not yet been fully exploited to better understand integrity breaches in the context of managing (elite) sport systems. As such, this study has two aims: (1) to demonstrate the utility of Bandura's eight mechanisms of moral disengagement to explain integrity breaches in (elite) sport and (2) to conceptualize the four functions of integrity management as potential strategies to help sport managers remain morally engaged.
Research Methods: Drawing on Albert Bandura's seminal social cognitive theory of moral thought and action, this conceptual study develops an interdisciplinary understanding of moral disengagement from (sport) psychology, (sport) management, and (sport) ethics and integrity.
Results and Findings: Our findings highlight how sport managers use a broad number of strategies to switch their morals off when engaging in immoral behavior. At the same time, integrity management tools and strategies can be implemented to maintain managers' moral engagement.
Implications: Discussing the use of moral disengagement in (elite) sport, this study is relevant to sport management scholars and practitioners who want to identify and mitigate the underlying cognitive mechanisms for integrity breaches in (elite) sport systems.
Research with men who use anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) shows typologies exist where some younger and less risk-averse users engage in polysubstance use. Little research has investigated ...polysubstance use among women who use AAS.
This study explored patterns of AAS and other illicit substance use among a sample of female AAS users involved in strength sports (e.g., bodybuilding) from Australia (n=7). The research also engaged in interviews with male AAS users who came into frequent contact with women using AAS either by coaching them or as peers (n=7). Data were analysed within a constructivist framework using thematic analysis.
The data suggests belonging to a female strength athlete identity may have pseudo-protective elements which results in reducing licit substance use, however, illicit substance use does not run counter to the culture and may be supported by it.
Women who use AAS identified underlying factors, related to significant previous events in their lives, contributing to their polysubstance use. The male participants expressed similar views regarding underlying factors which contributed to women's use of other substances for recreational purposes. Further investigations are warranted to explore, more fully, the psychosocial factors which contribute to use of multiple illicit substances among women who use AAS and whether typologies exist.
The Circular Economy (CE) is heralded as an important concept with the potential to guide businesses and society toward a more sustainable future. However, while collaboration is widely accepted to ...play a central role in advancing circularity, little is known about how organizations effectively work together to achieve these outcomes. This is particularly problematic given that any shift toward collaboration requires systematic approaches based on effective collaborative processes between organizations. This conceptual paper addresses this gap by providing a comprehensive investigation of collaboration and circularity. The paper is based on a systematic literature review of 66 scientific publications as the foundation for analysis. Based on the analysis, the paper contributes to the CE literature by offering a novel approach to conceptualizing collaboration and circularity. A conceptual framework is provided which differentiates CE strategies at three stages of the product lifecycle. The paper makes a second contribution to the CE literature by examining the role that multilevel collaboration plays in facilitating a transition from a linear economy to a CE and, in particular, the significance of government in managing collaboration opportunities between partners. We highlight intermediaries as important accelerators in this transition. Future research directions are provided, including how government and intermediaries—among others—collaborate for CE transitions.
Community sport organisations face increasing pressure from stakeholders to devote resources to activities that help them appear as being socially responsible actors in society. This study extends ...the concept of social responsibility from the corporate sport domain to investigate the relative importance of social responsibilities for community sport clubs. Items were developed from the Global Reporting Initiative and International Standards Organisation guidance on socially responsible organisations. A three-wave Delphi study was conducted internationally with 33 sport management academics and 23 national sport organisation managers. This study found that community sport clubs are primarily responsible for enhancing sport participation, creating a safe and inclusive environment, and ensuring the club is economically and legally sound. It is concluded that for sport clubs to be socially responsible organisations, their focus should be on fulfilling obligations that meaningfully impact their community, before devoting scarce resources to activities beyond their immediate capacity.
Institutional theory has generated considerable insight into fundamental issues within sport. This study seeks to advance Washington and Patterson’s review by providing an empirical review of ...institutional theory in sport. We follow Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review protocol to identify 188 sport-related institutional studies between 1979 and 2019. Our review provides evidence regarding the state of institutional scholarship within sport via an analysis of authorship, year, journal, methodology, method, study population, and use of institutional constructs (legitimacy, isomorphism, change, logics, fields, and work). Rather than a hostile takeover or a joint venture proposed in Washington and Patterson’s review, the relationship between fields is more aptly described as a diffusion of ideas. By developing an empirical review of institutional studies in sport, we hope to expedite the diffusion of ideas between the two fields and work toward realizing the collective benefits any future joint venture may bring.
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