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that hold for all subsets A of the same discrete cubes. A general theory, analogous to the work of de Dios Pont, Greenfeld, Ivanisvili, and Madrid, is developed to show that the critical exponents are related by $p_{k,n} t_{k,n} = 2^k$. This is used to prove the three main results of the article:
• an explicit formula for $t_{k,2}$, which generalizes a theorem by Kane and Tao,
• two-sided asymptotic estimates for $t_{k,n}$ as $n\to\infty$ for a fixed $k\geqslant2$, which generalize a theorem by Shao, and
• a precise asymptotic formula for $t_{k,n}$ as $k\to\infty$ for a fixed $n\geqslant2$.
Objectives/Goals: The Research Participant Advisory Group (RPAG) was born out of the concept that, by creating a structured way for researchers to collaborate with research participants and/or community, we can improve, grow, and support clinical/research-based research, from design to dissemination. Three distinct groups exist across our Academic Health Center (AHC). Methods/Study Population: The RPAG has 3 groups: The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Research Participant Advisory Council (CCHMC RPAC) addresses clinical research needs, such as research design, recruitment, and consenting. Adult/youth research participants and family members (n = 21) provide feedback about how to improve a research process, form or other research tool. In Cincinnati’s underserved West End, the West End Community Research Advisory Board (WE C-RAB: n = 18) focuses on the needs of underserved minority groups and supports researchers wishing to do community-based research. The newly formed University of Cincinnati RPAC (UC RPAC; n = 17) addresses the UC research needs. All groups meet monthly and are offered a meal and incentive. All members have received training in the responsible conduct of research. Results/Anticipated Results: Over 70 researchers have brought research challenges to the RPAG groups over the last 8 years, leading to improved consent forms, more targeted recruitment, clearer language and a more streamlined screening process. RPAG member surveys indicate a greater understanding of clinical research challenges, critical health issues, and how research can benefit them. The WE C-RAB has improved community recruitment efforts, as well as survey and study design. Researchers highlight the importance of feedback in creating greater study participant engagement, indicating deeper understanding of the community/participant perspective and how to work “with” community. Ongoing WE C-RAB-faculty partnerships have led to at least 3 federally funded grants. Discussion/Significance of Impact: The 3 RPAGs provide the versatility to meet the needs of the diverse research spectrum across the AHC. This includes the type of research as well as the level or degree of participant/community engagement needed. RPAGs create greater connection and understanding leading to better participant experiences and the promise of better health outcomes.
Since its creation by the Family Law Act in 1975 the Family Court of Australia has relied on various measures which have been implemented from time to time to overcome the deficits in its jurisdiction in relation to children. These deficits emanate from insufficiencies in constitutional power. Those measures include the addition in 1983 of the jurisdiction in relation to the welfare of a child by the Family Law (Amendment) Act 1983 (Cth) and the reference by the Australian States, between 1986 and 1990, of substantial powers by the Commonwealth Powers (Family Law Children) Acts. These substantially extended the jurisdiction of the Family Court in respect of ex-nuptial children. Remaining gaps in jurisdiction were filled by the enactment of the State and Federal Jurisdiction of Courts (Cross-Vesting) Acts 1987 which conferred on the Court the jurisdiction of the State Supreme Courts. The Court has thus been in the happy position since 1987 of hearing State matters in association with children's issues which were instituted in the Family Court; and it has received and heard State matters involving State law which were transferred to it by State Supreme Courts.
When a marriage breaks down if the parties are unable to agree as to how their assets are to be divided their disputes may currently be heard in two different court hierarchies applying two disparate sets of legal principles. Inevitably this position leads to forum shopping and to the proliferation of legal proceedings which are not directed at resolving the substantive issue between the parties. It produces uncertainty, duplication, expense and delay. Although the problems associated with dual jurisdiction in matrimonial property disputes arise both before and after divorce, neither the Family Court nor the Supreme Courts have yet, it seems, formulated policies which ought to be pursued. Nor have they been consistent in their choice or application of the legal mechanisms that they enlist to break the deadlock. It is suggested here that both the federal and state courts should aspire to the centralisation of matrimonial property disputes, so far as is constitutionally feasible, within the Family Court. With that objective in mind the various legal devices currently invoked to resolve disputes about jurisdiction are critically reviewed. Some techniques are suggested to overcome problems which recur in the case law and a general approach is proposed which, it is hoped, will achieve consistency in the aims and in the legal principles adhered to by the courts in the future.
By comparing infant-directed speech to spouse- and dog-directed talk, we aimed to investigate how pitch and utterance length are modulated by speakers considering the speech context and the partner’s expected needs and capabilities. We found that mean pitch was modulated in line with the partner’s attentional needs, while pitch range and utterance length were modulated according to the partner’s expected linguistic competence. In a situation with a nursery rhyme, speakers used the highest pitch and widest pitch range with all partners suggesting that infant-directed context greatly influences these acoustic features. Recent findings showed that these speakers expressed more intense positive emotions towards their infants and spouses than towards their dogs. Our results revealed different patterns, leading us to conclude that these acoustic features are not simple by-products of emotional speech. Instead, they are dynamically and functionally used in accordance with the speech context and the audience’s expected needs and capabilities.
KSB stability holds at codimension $1$ points trivially, and it is quite well understood at codimension $2$ points because we have a complete classification of $2$-dimensional slc singularities. We show that it is automatic in codimension $3$.
Over the last fifteen years, the European Union has built up its regulatory response to the rule of law crisis. That framework seeks to address rule of law-related undesirable events depending on whether or not they have already occurred. As risk prevention has a limited role in the EU’s rule of law policy, undesirable events are mostly dealt with in the context of crisis management. Evaluation, reaction and conditionality mechanisms are all affected by issues relating to operability and legitimacy which reduce their overall performance. The resulting moderate efficiency of crisis management tools may still be improved by making use of the upgraded rule of law mechanisms in a systemic way.
This Introduction provides an overview of the topics covered in this special issue on ‘Academic freedom: Global variations in norm conceptualization, diffusion and contestation’, which explores what academic freedom means, how this may vary on a global level, how the norm spread around the world and what current contestations look like. The Introduction defines some terms essential to this debate, such as the freedom of science, academic freedom, freedom of scientific research and the right to science, and offers an analytical framework for the various contributions of the special issue. This includes, in particular, a distinction between illiberal and liberal science scripts and their relationship with academic freedom, as well as between different forms of contestations and limitations of academic freedom. Authors from varying disciplinary and regional backgrounds address different aspects of this theme in their respective contributions, of which the introduction gives a brief summary.
Europe has recently struggled with democratic backsliding and autocratization. This autocratization has accompanied a decline in academic freedom in many backsliding countries, as reported by the Academic Freedom Index. Can the standards set by the European supranational courts effectively safeguard academic freedom? This article provides answers to this question. It argues that despite differences in their approaches, the theoretical conceptions of scholarship held by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) share an essential feature: both have moved towards embracing the ‘liberal science script’ by protecting academic freedom. The main difference between the two courts’ approaches is the subject of protection. The ECtHR focuses on the individual rights of academics: It protects free speech in the academic context by establishing a high standard for holding academics liable for publicly expressing their views inside and outside of academia. The ECJ has applied the concept of institutional autonomy, thereby setting a high standard for safeguarding the freedom of academic institutions. This standard can be applied with regard to the demands placed by policy-makers on academia regarding its role in democracy, including gender equality requirements for EU research funding.
Cells of magnetotactic bacteria are used as model systems for studying the magnetic properties of ferrimagnetic nanocrystals. Each individual bacterial strain produces magnetosomes (membrane-bounded magnetic crystals) that have distinct sizes, shapes, crystallographic orientations and spatial arrangements, thereby providing nanoparticle systems whose unique magnetic properties are unmatched by synthetic chemically-produced crystals. Here, we use off-axis electron holography in the transmission electron microscope to study the magnetic properties of isolated and closely-spaced bullet-shaped magnetite (Fe3O4) magnetosomes biomineralized by the following magnetotactic bacterial strains: the cultured Desulfovibrio magneticus RS-1 and the uncultured strains LO-1 and HSMV-1. These bacteria biomineralize magnetite crystals whose crystallographic axes of elongation are parallel to <100> (RS-1 and LO-1) or <110> (HSMV-1). We show that the individual magnetosome crystals are single magnetic domains and measure their projected in-plane magnetization distributions and magnetic dipole moments. We use analytical modelling to assess the interplay between shape anisotropy and the magnetically preferred <111> magneto-crystalline easy axis of magnetite.
Depression is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but it is unknown if successful depression treatment reduces CVD risk.
Methods
Using eIMPACT trial data, we examined the effect of modernized collaborative care for depression on indicators of CVD risk. A total of 216 primary care patients with depression and elevated CVD risk were randomized to 12 months of the eIMPACT intervention (internet cognitive-behavioral therapy [CBT], telephonic CBT, and select antidepressant medications) or usual primary care. CVD-relevant health behaviors (self-reported CVD prevention medication adherence, sedentary behavior, and sleep quality) and traditional CVD risk factors (blood pressure and lipid fractions) were assessed over 12 months. Incident CVD events were tracked over four years using a statewide health information exchange.
Results
The intervention group exhibited greater improvement in depressive symptoms (p < 0.01) and sleep quality (p < 0.01) than the usual care group, but there was no intervention effect on systolic blood pressure (p = 0.36), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p = 0.38), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p = 0.79), triglycerides (p = 0.76), CVD prevention medication adherence (p = 0.64), or sedentary behavior (p = 0.57). There was an intervention effect on diastolic blood pressure that favored the usual care group (p = 0.02). The likelihood of an incident CVD event did not differ between the intervention (13/107, 12.1%) and usual care (9/109, 8.3%) groups (p = 0.39).
Conclusions
Successful depression treatment alone is not sufficient to lower the heightened CVD risk of people with depression. Alternative approaches are needed.
Numerous studies have shown a link between hypnotic susceptibility, the hypnotically altered state of consciousness, and the intensity of experienced emotions (De Pascalis et al., 1987; De Pascalis, Marucci, & Penna, 1989; Bryant & McConkey, 1989; Crowson, Conroy, & Chester, 1991; Crawford, Kapelis, & Harrison, 1995). One of the most suitable experimental psychological methods for modeling real-life decisional conditions is the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) (Bechara, Tranel, & Damasio, 2000). Hypnosis has the potential to provide several benefits in decision-making, although there is limited scientific research on the subject.
Objectives
The main goal of this study was to determine if a hypnotically altered state of consciousness could affect decision efficacy in a real-life modeling situation.
Methods
Forty-eight healthy students (including 28 females and 20 males) from the University of Szeged participated in both the delayed punishment and delayed reward versions of the Iowa Gambling Task under alert and hypnotic states.
Results
During the mid-phase of the tasks while in hypnosis, notably higher performance levels were recorded compared to the alert state. In a simulated real-life scenario, the delayed reward had a more pronounced effect on decision-making efficiency than the delayed punishment. It became evident that the efficient decision-making strategy evolved more rapidly under hypnosis than in an alert state.
Conclusions
The hypnotic state of consciousness in an experimental decision situation modeling real life may accelerate the development of somatic markers, leading to earlier correct decision-making.
Suicide is the most severe consequence of major depressive disorder (MDD). The most novel researches assume the role of immunological dysregulation in the background – several studies have reported alterations of inflammatory cells related to both MDD and suicidal behaviour (SB).
Objectives
Changes in the number of certain immune cells and their ratios have been proposed as potential biomarkers of suicide risk (SR). The aim of our research was to investigate alterations of these values related not only to MDD as an assumed inflammatory state, but also to an increased risk of SB.
Methods
In our restrospective cohort study carried out between January 2015 and January 2020, we investigated laboratory parameters of psychiatric patients diagnosed with MDD (n=101). Individuals with recent (≤48 hours prior) suicide attempt (SA) (n=22) and with past SA (>48 hours prior) (n=19) represented the high SR group. MDD patients with no history of SA (n=60) composed the intermediate SR group. We compared the number of neutrophil granulocytes, monocytes, lymphocytes, platelets, leukocytes, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Furthermore, we evaluated alterations of these parameters related to antidepressant (AD) treatment, which has been proved to have anti-inflammatory effects. Statistical analyses were carried out using GraphPad 9.5.0 and MedCalc 16.8 programmes.
Results
We found a significant increase in neutrophil granulocyte count (p=0.016), NLR (p=0.031, Fig. 1), monocyte count (p≤0.0001), MLR (p=0.005, Fig. 2), leukocyte count (p=0.048) and ESR (p=0.037) in patients with recent SA compared to patients with no history of SA. Moreover, there was a significant elevation in monocyte count (p≤0.0001), MLR (p=0.020, Fig. 3), ESR (p=0.041) and RDW (p=0.037) in patients with high SR compared to patients with intermediate SR. AD treatment resulted in a significant decrease in neutrophil granulocyte count (p=0.0163) and NLR (p=0.016), however, it did not affect the rest of the parameters.
Image:
Image 2:
Image 3:
Conclusions
Assuming immunological mechanisms in the background of MDD and SB, our findings support the role of NLR as a biomarker of acute SR, though its alterations may be masked by AD therapy in the long term. However, MLR – remaining unaffected by AD treatment – may be a possible indicator of both acute and long term suicidal vulnerability. In order to further specify the diagnostic value of these parameters, future prospective research is needed.
The study was supported by the FIKP-IV and the TNIL projects.
The incidence of eating disorders is increasing in Hungary and Central-Eastern Europe. The number of complex/severe cases is also increasing. Accordingly, several new unmet needs of the users and their relatives appear in the clinical care.
Objectives
As a possible response to these unmet needs, we have introduced a multifaceted care model for eating disorders. To facilitate easily accessible yet effective care close to home, a support programme with an online guided self-help tool and regular consultations with first responder psychiatrists or clinical psychologists has been introduced. For non (or partial) responders, a multi-faceted modular treatment programme has been developed with an individualised combination of different therapeutic approaches, including family therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) specific to binge eating disorder and bulimia, CBT and the use of virtual reality as an adjunct treatment. The most severe cases are referred for (also multifaceted) inpatient treatment. In terms of research, we want to focus on the key issues for rapid, cost-effective treatment. Firstly, we want to develop an individual profiling system at the start of therapy to assess which individual combination of modules can produce a rapid therapeutic response. Secondly, we want to identify the active gamechanger elements of therapy that are associated with the greatest change in symptoms.
- in DBT groups: Eating Disorder Examination Questionnarie (EDE-Q), Three Factor Eating Questionnaire-R21, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-(PHQ-9), Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ)
- in individual therapies: Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM 5- Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (SCIP-5-AMPD), EDI-I., Mentalization Questionnaire (MZQ), Dissociation Questionnaire (DIS-Q), Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), (PHQ-9), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Young Parenting Inventory (YPI).
Results
Patient recruitment and therapies are currently underway, the first preliminary results are expected in the spring period.
Conclusions
In order to provide individualized care more effectively, it is important to identify the factors that determine which therapeutic modalities work best for the patient.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) have a significant negative impact on health. ACEs lead to more pronounced trait anxiety, among others, which serves as a basis for various mental and somatic symptoms. Recent findings suggest that the fact that individuals with more ACEs also have more maladaptive metacognitive beliefs may contribute to the development of these symptoms.
Objectives
We aim to study the possible mediating role of maladaptive metacognitive beliefs, resulting from adverse childhood experiences, on trait anxiety.
Methods
Data was collected online, anonymously, in a non-clinical population of adults over 18 years of age. The sample consisted of 304 subjects (84.21 % women, 15.79 % men). The applied questionnaires included a demographic questionnaire, the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire 10 item version, the Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire, and the Spielberger Trait Anxiety Questionnaire. The system of correlations between the examined variables was explored using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study was carried out with ethical approval and in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.
Results
Our results confirm that ACEs have a significant impact on all the measured dimensions of maladaptive metacognitive beliefs. The direct effect of ACEs on adult trait anxiety is also significant. The results of the study on indirect effects support the joint mediating role of the five metacognitive dimensions. The strongest significant mediating effect was found for the uncontrollability and dangerousness of negative beliefs about worry. Both the direct and indirect effects of cognitive self-consciousness on adult trait anxiety are negative, which means that the more the cognitive self-consiousness is characteristic of someone, the lower the degree of trait anxiety in adulthood is.
Conclusions
Our results confirm the mediating effect of metacognitive beliefs on trait anxiety in the context of adverse childhood experiences, which points to the importance of further research on metacognition among the population that suffered early adversities. One of the limitations of the study roots in online data collection: the examined sample is not representative. Moreover, to extend the results, it is recommended to repeat the study on a clinical population. This would enable us to compare our results with those of the clinical population, which could provide further important results in the field of metacognition and adverse childhood experiences.
Several research already proved the role of certain immunological factors (neutrophil-lymphocyte (NLR), monocyte-lymphocyte (MLR) and platelet-lymphocyte (PLR) ratio, and C-reactive protein (CRP)) in the background of suicidal behaviour.
Objectives
The aim of this research was to study the association between routinely measurable low-grade inflammation parameters and suicidal behaviour among patients in the acute psychiatric care setting.
Methods
The study population included psychiatric in-patients (N=100) consecutively treated with depressive disorders and/or suicidal behaviour in a University Clinic between December 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021. Three different patient-groups were generated based on their suicidal behaviour: suicide attempters (N=55) including recent attempters(N=36) and past attempters (N=19) and non-suicidal patients (N=45), who never had a suicide attempt. Basic socio-demographic data, the severity of depression and immunological parameters (white blood cell count: lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophil, eosinophil, basophil granulocytes; thrombocytes; C-reactive protein) were recorded.Descriptive analyses and multivariate regression model were performed with RStudio version 4.2.3.
Results
CRP was significantly higher (2.00 vs. 1.00; p=0.007) in suicidal patients (N=55), however other immunological parameters did not differ significantly between the suicidal and the non-suicidal groups (NLR: 2.02 vs. 2.19; MLR: 0.22 vs. 0.11; PLR: 118 vs. 130). NLR and MLR showed significantly higher values (NLR: 2.83 vs. 1.93, p=0.021; MLR: 0.28 vs. 0.11, p=0.01) for those who currently attempted suicide (N=36) compared to the patients with no or past suicide attempt (N=64). In the regression analysis, the NLR and MLR showed significantly higher values in current suicide attempters even when gender, age, suicidal risk and severity of depression were included in the model. However, no significant differences were found when comparing current and past suicide attempters with the non-suicidal patients.
Conclusions
Despite the small number of cases in the samples, our results confirmed the association of certain immunological parameters (NLR, MLR) and acute suicidal behaviour. This relationship was found to be independent of depression and its severity. Our data suggest that, unlike the NLR and MLR parameters, the higher CRP value may not be related to acute suicide attempt, but rather to suicidal vulnerability, as a trait-marker. Markers of chronic systemic inflammation may help in the prediction of suicidal behaviour and in the development of new therapeutic options, however, further prospective studies are needed to identify the specific role of immunological factors in suicidal behaviour more precisely.
The aim of this study was to identify low-risk traits of schizophrenia among healthy undergraduate student volunteers, and the investigation of these traits with regards to their specificity in contrast to individuals with a latent disposition towards bipolar disorder. Self-agency, as a phenomenon closely related to psychomotor functioning, provides a unique opportunity for the investigation of subjective self-perception.
Objectives
The implicit self-agency performances that are considered illness- (or risk state-) specific were compared between groups to find early markers of a specific schizotypic developmental path.
Methods
In a sample of 710 healthy university students, with the help of screening questionnaires, we were able to successfully form two risk groups, in one of them the emphasis on cyclothymia (CTF: Cyclothymia factor group, N=25), and in the other (PSF: Positive schizotypy factor group, N=26) the tendency to unusual experiences and paranoid thinking emphasis was typical. We assigned a properly matched control group (N=29) displaying both features on average. We focused on the implicit aspect of self-agency, using the well-known paradigm of intentional binding, as well as the self-developed device that exclusively tests the pre-reflexive feeling of movement initiation, the sense of self-agency.
Results
During the examination of intentional binding, although the specific predictive and retrospective component indicators did not show any significant difference for either group, the association of the sound alone could induce a binding effect in the control group. In the predictable frequency condition, there was a strong significant effect (W = 65.00, p = .007, rrb = -.60), and in the non-predictable condition a trend-level effect. Remarkably, this binding effect did not develop in either the CTF or PSF groups, indicating an implicit agency impairment in both risk groups. However, during the examination of sense of self-agency, we observed a disturbance specifically among healthy college students with positive schizotypal traits, in the form of falsely attributing their movement initiation to external influences. The percentage of this ‘miss’-type answering differed between groups, H(2) = 7.68, p = .021, ε2 = .10. The Dwass-SteelCritchlow-Fligner pairwise comparisons showed that this difference was due to the PSF Group showing a significant difference from the Control Group (W = -3.83, p = .019), but not from the CTF group, and the CTF Group also did not differ from the Control Group.
Conclusions
Thus, in premorbid conditions, in at-risk groups of non-help-seeking individuals, or in cases of early detection of prodromal abnormalities, objective confirmation of suspected susceptibility to schizophrenia may be aided by, among other things, instrumental assessment of self-agency.
The premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a new distinct diagnostic entity in the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). However, the severe premenstrual (PM) symptoms associated with PMDD result in functional impairment, globally, it remains highly underdiagnosed, underscoring the need for enhanced clinical recognition.
Objectives
This ongoing study aims to assess the prevalence and symptom profile of PMDD in a sample of Hungarian women. It is part of a comprehensive research process aiming to validate a prospective PMDD diagnostic questionnaire (Daily Record of Severity of Problems, DRSP) in order to facilitate the diagnosis of the disorder.
Methods
The study was performed in three steps. Firstly, retrospective data were collected from 112 women. Probable PMDD was assessed using the DSM-5 Based Screening Tool, while anxio-depressive symptoms and well-being were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory, the state subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the WHO Well-Being Scale. Subsequently, prospective data were obtained from 9 women who completed the DRSP along with the aforementioned mood questionnaires during both their PM and follicular phases.
Results
In the first research phase, the sample was divided into women with probable PMDD diagnosis (PMDD group, n=68) and women without probable PMDD diagnosis (nonPMDD group, n=45) based on the DSM-5-Based Screening Tool. The PMDD group reported significantly more severe depressive (F(1; 56.2) = 19.394, p≤0.001) and anxiety (F(1; 35.6)=17.714, p≤0.001) symptoms and lower well-being (F(1; 44.3)=4.288, p=0.04) compared to the non-PMDD group, irrespective of the menstrual phase they experienced.
In the second and third research phases based on the DRSP, the sample was divided into women with probable PMDD diagnosis (PMDD group, n= 3) and those without probable PMDD diagnosis (nonPMDD group, n=6). A statistically significant association was observed between the classifications according to the DSM-5 Based Screening Tool and the DRSP (p=0.048; Cramer’s V=0.79). The PMDD group showed a tendency of lower well-being and more severe anxio-depressive symptoms than the nonPMDD group (Well-being: between phases p=0.93, between groups p=0.06; BDI-II: between phases p=0.79, between groups p=0.07; STAI-S: between phases p=0.87, between groups p=0.17).
Conclusions
The prevalence of PMDD was high in our sample. Women with probable PMDD retrospectively reported substantial affective difficulties and a decline in subjective well-being, regardless of their menstrual cycle. Prospective preliminary findings suggest a trend toward differentiation associated with probable PMDD. These results highlight the need for prospective clinical studies addressing the psychological symptoms of women with PM issues and the importance of appropriate treatment of the clinical appearance of PMDD.
For young men in Cameroon, football has long been a paradigm of sociality through competitive spirit. In recent decades, however, the stakes of competitive football have been raised: the sport has also emerged as a strategy for young men to migrate abroad and earn a living. On and off the football fields, young men seek to grab limited opportunities to sign contracts with clubs abroad, but few succeed. However, the aspiring athletes rarely see themselves as autonomous individuals competing for a limited number of spots in football clubs. Rather, they attribute failure or success to questions of trust and mistrust: in competitive peers, in neighbours and kin, in Pentecostal Christianity, and in football as a source of livelihood. Competing for a place in a global football industry has led the footballers to mistrust potentially envious others, but also increasingly to put their faith in a Christian God and develop a confident orientation towards a future of success despite the odds. The nexus of football, religion and migration aspirations in Anglophone Cameroon reveals how trust retains a central, albeit ambiguous, place in high-stakes competitive environments, namely as a leap of faith and a confidence in engaging uncertainty. It complicates the idea of competition as a singular and neutral principle that obviates the need for trust, and refines anthropological theory that tacitly confines trust to interpersonal relationships.