Measuring the impact and costs of a universal group based parenting programme : protocol and implementation of a trial

Background Sub-optimal parenting is a common risk factor for a wide range of negative health, social and educational outcomes. Most parenting programmes have been developed in the USA in the context of delinquency prevention for targeted or indicated groups and the main theoretical underpinning for these programmes is behaviour management. The Family Links Nurturing Programme (FLNP) focuses on family relationships as well as behaviour management and is offered on a universal basis. As a result it may be better placed to improve health and educational outcomes. Developed in the UK voluntary sector, FLNP is popular with practitioners, has impressed policy makers throughout the UK, has been found to be effective in before/after and qualitative studies, but lacks a randomised controlled trial (RCT) evidence base. Methods/Design A multi-centre, investigator blind, randomised controlled trial of the FLNP with a target sample of 288 south Wales families who have a child aged 2-4 yrs living in or near to Flying Start/Sure Start areas. Changes in parenting, parent child relations and parent and child wellbeing are assessed with validated measures immediately and at 6 months post intervention. Economic components include cost consequences and cost utility analyses based on parental ranking of states of quality of life. Attendance and completion rates and fidelity to the FLNP course delivery are assessed. A nested qualitative study will assess reasons for participation and non-participation and the perceived value of the programme to families. By the end of May 2010, 287 families have been recruited into the trial across four areas of south Wales. Recruitment has not met the planned timescales with barriers including professional anxiety about families entering the control arm of the trial, family concern about video and audio recording, programme facilitator concern about the recording of FLNP sessions for fidelity purposes and delays due to the new UK research governance procedures. Discussion Whilst there are strong theoretical arguments to support universal provision of parenting programmes, few universal programmes have been subjected to randomised controlled trials. In this paper we describe a RCT protocol with quantitative and qualitative outcome measures and an economic evaluation designed to provide clear evidence with regard to effectiveness and costs. We describe challenges implementing the protocol and how we are addressing these

Antiproton-Nucleus Annihilation

peer reviewe

Functional analysis of normalized difference vegetation index curves reveals overwinter mule deer survival is driven by both spring and autumn phenology

Large herbivore populations respond strongly to remotely sensed measures of primary productivity. Whereas most studies in seasonal environments have focused on the effects of spring plant phenology on juvenile survival, recent studies demonstrated that autumn nutrition also plays a crucial role. We tested for both direct and indirect (through body mass) effects of spring and autumn phenology on winter survival of 2315 mule deer fawns across a wide range of environmental conditions in Idaho, USA. We first performed a functional analysis that identified spring and autumn as the key periods for structuring the among-population and among-year variation of primary production (approximated from 1 km Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)) along the growing season. A path analysis showed that early winter precipitation and direct and indirect effects of spring and autumn NDVI functional components accounted for 45% of observed variation in overwinter survival. The effect size of autumn phenology on body mass was about twice that of spring phenology, while direct effects of phenology on survival were similar between spring and autumn. We demonstrate that the effects of plant phenology vary across ecosystems, and that in semi-arid systems, autumn may be more important than spring for overwinter survival

Efeitos da prostaglandina E1 (PGE1) na gênese de capilares sanguíneos em músculo esquelético isquêmico de ratos: estudo histológico Effects of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) in the genesis of blood capillaries in rat ischemic skeletal muscle: histological study

CONTEXTO: A angiogênese terapêutica é uma modalidade de tratamento para pacientes com insuficiência arterial crônica que não têm indicação para revascularização direta ou angioplastia e que não tiveram uma resposta satisfatória ao tratamento clínico. Entre as drogas utilizadas para essa finalidade está a prostaglandina E1 (PGE1). OBJETIVO: Estudar os aspectos morfológicos na gênese de capilares sanguíneos em músculo esquelético do membro caudal de ratos submetidos à isquemia sob a ação da PGE1, administrada por via intramuscular (IM) ou endovenosa (EV). MÉTODOS: Foram utilizados 48 ratos, linhagem Wistar-UEM, distribuídos aleatoriamente em três grupos de 16, redistribuídos igualmente em dois subgrupos, observados no 7º e 14º dias, sendo um grupo controle onde apenas foi provocada a isquemia no membro, outro com a isquemia e a injeção da PGE1 via IM e outro com a isquemia e a injeção da PGE1 EV. Para análise dos resultados, foram realizadas a coloração com hematoxilina e eosina (HE) e coloração imuno-histoquímica. RESULTADOS: Constatou-se um aumento estatisticamente significativo no número de capilares nos subgrupos com o uso da PGE1 IM e EV, através da contagem nos cortes corados com HE. A imunomarcação não foi eficiente para a quantificação dos capilares. CONCLUSÕES: A PGE1, administrada por via IM ou EV, promoveu, após 14 dias de observação, um aumento no número de capilares no músculo esquelético de ratos submetido à isquemia, identificáveis histologicamente com a coloração em HE. A imunocoloração não permitiu estabelecer uma correlação com o aumento de vasos encontrados na coloração com HE.<br>BACKGROUND: Therapeutic angiogenesis is a treatment modality for patients with chronic arterial insufficiency who do not have indication for direct reconstruction or angioplasty and who were not successfully submitted to clinical treatment. Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) is one of the drugs used for this purpose. OBJECTIVE: To study morphologic aspects in the genesis of blood capillaries in the lower limb skeletal muscle of rats submitted to ischemia under the action of intramuscular (IM) or endovenous (EV) PGE1. METHODS: Forty-eight Wistar-UEM rats were randomly distributed into three groups of 16, equally redistributed into two subgroups, observed at the 7th and 14th days as follows: one control group, which had only limb ischemia; one group with ischemia and IM injection of PGE1; and one group with ischemia and EV injection of PGE1. To analyze the results, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and immunohistochemical staining were used. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in the number of capillaries in the subgroups using IM or EV PGE1, through counting in the samples containing HE staining. Immunostaining was not efficient for the quantification of capillaries. CONCLUSIONS: IM or EV PGE1 resulted in an increase in number of capillaries in the skeletal muscle of rats submitted to ischemia after 14 days of observation, which was histologically identifiable through HE staining. Immunostaining was not successful in establishing a correlation with the increase in vessels found in HE staining