Development of the Stressors among Parents in Youth Sport Survey (SPYSS).

OBJECTIVES: Parents of youth sport athletes report a variety of stressors associated with their child's participation in youth sport settings. However, research examining associations between parents' stressors and relevant outcomes is limited due to the lack of a comprehensive and validated measure of parents' stressors in youth sport. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to develop and provide preliminary validation of the Stressors among Parents in Youth Sport Survey (SPYSS). METHOD: In Study 1 we developed an initial version of the survey and tested the factor structure of the scale using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses with a sample of 1187 Canadian parents of minor hockey athletes. In Study 2, we administered the SPYSS to an independent sample of 783 parents with children participating in multiple sports, who also completed measures of parent stress and well-being, as well as parent-athlete outcomes, to establish convergent and divergent validity evidence and test associations with relevant outcomes for youth sport parents. RESULTS: The results from Study 1 supported the development of a 42-item survey of parental stressors in youth sport. Results from Study 2 provided further evidence for the factor structure and validity evidence of a measure assessing parental stressors in youth sport. CONCLUSIONS: The SPYSS assesses the frequency and intensity of a variety of stressors relevant for parents of youth sport athletes. The measure may be a useful tool for researchers, sport organizations, and practitioners to assess, monitor, and target the stressors experienced by parents in youth sport settings.

Various mutations compensate for a deleterious lacZα insert in the replication enhancer of M13 bacteriophage.

M13 and other members of the Ff class of filamentous bacteriophages have been extensively employed in myriad applications. The Ph.D. series of phage-displayed peptide libraries were constructed from the M13-based vector M13KE. As a direct descendent of M13mp19, M13KE contains the lacZα insert in the intergenic region between genes IV and II, where it interrupts the replication enhancer of the (+) strand origin. Phage carrying this 816-nucleotide insert are viable, but propagate in E. coli at a reduced rate compared to wild-type M13 phage, presumably due to a replication defect caused by the insert. We have previously reported thirteen compensatory mutations in the 5'-untranslated region of gene II, which encodes the replication initiator protein gIIp. Here we report several additional mutations in M13KE that restore a wild-type propagation rate. Several clones from constrained-loop variable peptide libraries were found to have ejected the majority of lacZα gene in order to reconstruct the replication enhancer, albeit with a small scar. In addition, new point mutations in the gene II 5'-untranslated region or the gene IV coding sequence have been spontaneously observed or synthetically engineered. Through phage propagation assays, we demonstrate that all these genetic modifications compensate for the replication defect in M13KE and restore the wild-type propagation rate. We discuss the mechanisms by which the insertion and ejection of the lacZα gene, as well as the mutations in the regulatory region of gene II, influence the efficiency of replication initiation at the (+) strand origin. We also examine the presence and relevance of fast-propagating mutants in phage-displayed peptide libraries.

Transmission of foodborne zoonotic pathogens to riparian areas by grazing sheep.

The objective of this study was to determine if sheep grazing near riparian areas on pasture in Ontario are an important risk factor for the contamination of water with specific foodborne pathogens. Ten Ontario sheep farms were visited weekly for 12 wk during the summer of 2005. Samples of feces, soil, and water were collected and analyzed for the presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli, and Yersinia enterocolitica, by bacteriological identification and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The data was analyzed as repeated measures over time using mixed models. No samples were positive for Salmonella, and no samples were confirmed positive for E. coli O157:H7 after PCR. Levels of Campylobacter were highest in the soil, but did not differ between soil where sheep grazed or camped and roadside soil that had never been grazed (P = 0.85). Levels of Yersinia were highest in water samples and were higher in soil where sheep had access (P = 0.01). The prevalence of positive Campylobacter and Yersinia samples were not associated with locations where sheep spent more time (Campylobacter P = 0.46, Yersinia P = 0.99). There was no effect of stocking density on the prevalence of Campylobacter (P = 0.30), but as the stocking density increased the levels of Yersinia increased (P = 0.04). It was concluded that although sheep transmit Yersinia to their environment, pastured sheep flocks are not major risk factors for the transmission of zoonotic pathogens into water.