Lifestyle weight management programmes for children: A systematic review using Qualitative Comparative Analysis to identify critical pathways to effectiveness.

This study aimed to identify critical features of successful lifestyle weight management interventions for overweight children (0-11years). Eleven qualitative UK-based studies examining children's, parents' and providers' perspectives and experiences of programmes were synthesised to identify components felt to be critical. Studies for this views synthesis were identified from existing reviews and an update of one review's search, which was run in December 2015. The identified components were then explored in a synthesis of intervention evaluations (five 'most effective' and 15 'least effective') conducted in western Europe, North America, Australia or New Zealand. The intervention evaluations were identified from existing reviews and an update of one review's search, which was run in March 2016. This evaluation synthesis was carried out using Qualitative Comparative Analysis. Three important mechanisms were present in all the most effective interventions but absent in all the least effective: 1/ showing families how to change: a) providing child physical activity sessions, b) delivering practical behaviour change strategy sessions, c) providing calorie intake advice; 2/ ensuring all the family are on board: a) delivering discussion/education sessions for both children and parents, b) delivering child-friendly sessions, c) aiming to change behaviours across the whole family; 3/ enabling social support for both parents and children by delivering both child group sessions and parent group sessions. To conclude, programmes should ensure the whole family is on board the programme, that parents and children can receive social support and are not just told what to change, but shown how

The importance of service-users' perspectives: A systematic review of qualitative evidence reveals overlooked critical features of weight management programmes.

BACKGROUND: Extensive research effort shows that weight management programmes (WMPs) targeting both diet and exercise are broadly effective. However, the critical features of WMPs remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To develop a deeper understanding of WMPs critical features, we undertook a systematic review of qualitative evidence. We sought to understand from a service-user perspective how programmes are experienced, and may be effective, on the ground. SEARCH STRATEGY: We identified qualitative studies from existing reviews and updated the searches of one review. INCLUSION CRITERIA: We included UK studies capturing the views of adult WMP users. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Thematic analysis was used inductively to code and synthesize the evidence. MAIN RESULTS: Service users were emphatic that supportive relationships, with service providers or WMP peers, are the most critical aspect of WMPs. Supportive relationships were described as providing an extrinsic motivator or "hook" which helped to overcome barriers such as scepticism about dietary advice or a lack confidence to engage in physical activity. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The evidence revealed that service-users' understandings of the critical features of WMPs differ from the focus of health promotion guidance or descriptions of evaluated programmes which largely emphasize educational or goal setting aspects of WMPs. Existing programme guidance may not therefore fully address the needs of service users. The study illustrates that the perspectives of service users can reveal unanticipated intervention mechanisms or underemphasized critical features and underscores the value of a holistic understanding about "what happens" in complex psychosocial interventions such as WMPs

Weight management programmes: Re-analysis of a systematic review to identify pathways to effectiveness.

BACKGROUND: Previous systematic reviews of weight management programmes (WMPs) have not been able to account for heterogeneity of effectiveness within programmes using top-down behavioural change taxonomies. This could be due to overlapping causal pathways to effectiveness (or lack of effectiveness) in these complex interventions. Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) can help identify these overlapping pathways. METHODS: Using trials of adult WMPs with dietary and physical activity components identified from a previous systematic review, we selected the 10 most and 10 least effective interventions by amount of weight loss at 12 months compared to minimal treatment. Using intervention components suggested by synthesis of studies of programme user views, we labelled interventions as to the presence of these components and, using qualitative comparative analysis, developed pathways of component combinations that created the conditions sufficient for interventions to be most effective and least effective. RESULTS: Informed by the synthesis of views studies, we constructed 3 truth tables relating to quality of the user-provider relationship; perceived high need for guidance from providers; and quality of the relationship between peers in weight management programmes. We found effective interventions were characterized by opportunities to develop supportive relationships with providers or peers, directive provider-led goal setting and components perceived to foster self-regulation. CONCLUSIONS: Although QCA is an inductive method, this innovative approach has enabled the identification of potentially critical aspects of WMPs, such as the nature of relationships within them, which were previously not considered to be as important as more concrete content such as dietary focus

Evidence that Listeria innocua modulates its membrane's stored curvature elastic stress, but not fluidity, through the cell cycle.

This paper reports that the abundances of endogenous cardiolipin and phosphatidylethanolamine halve during elongation of the Gram-positive bacterium Listeria innocua. The lyotropic phase behaviour of model lipid systems that describe these modulations in lipid composition indicate that the average stored curvature elastic stress of the membrane is reduced on elongation of the cell, while the fluidity appears to be maintained. These findings suggest that phospholipid metabolism is linked to the cell cycle and that changes in membrane composition can facilitate passage to the succeding stage of the cell cycle. This therefore suggests a means by which bacteria can manage the physical properties of their membranes through the cell cycle

fMRI correlates of object-based attentional facilitation vs. suppression of irrelevant stimuli, dependent on global grouping and endogenous cueing.

Theories of object-based attention often make two assumptions: that attentional resources are facilitatory, and that they spread automatically within grouped objects. Consistent with this, ignored visual stimuli can be easier to process, or more distracting, when perceptually grouped with an attended target stimulus. But in past studies, the ignored stimuli often shared potentially relevant features or locations with the target. In this fMRI study, we measured the effects of attention and grouping on Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) responses in the human brain to entirely task-irrelevant events. Two checkerboards were displayed each in opposite hemifields, while participants responded to check-size changes in one pre-cued hemifield, which varied between blocks. Grouping (or segmentation) between hemifields was manipulated between blocks, using common (vs. distinct) motion cues. Task-irrelevant transient events were introduced by randomly changing the color of either checkerboard, attended or ignored, at unpredictable intervals. The above assumptions predict heightened BOLD signals for irrelevant events in attended vs. ignored hemifields for ungrouped contexts, but less such attentional modulation under grouping, due to automatic spreading of facilitation across hemifields. We found the opposite pattern, in primary visual cortex. For ungrouped stimuli, BOLD signals associated with task-irrelevant changes were lower, not higher, in the attended vs. ignored hemifield; furthermore, attentional modulation was not reduced but actually inverted under grouping, with higher signals for events in the attended vs. ignored hemifield. These results challenge two popular assumptions underlying object-based attention. We consider a broader biased-competition framework: task-irrelevant stimuli are suppressed according to how strongly they compete with task-relevant stimuli, with intensified competition when the irrelevant features or locations comprise the same object

Construction and evaluation of multisite recombinatorial (Gateway) cloning vectors for Gram-positive bacteria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Gateway recombinatorial cloning system allows easy and rapid joining of DNA fragments. Here we report the construction and evaluation of three different Gram-positive vectors that can be used with the Multisite Gateway cloning system to rapidly produce new gene arrangements in plasmid constructs for use in a variety of Gram-positive bacteria.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Comparison of patterns of reporter gene expression with conventionally constructed clones show that the presence of residual recombination (att) sites does not have an effect on patterns of gene expression, although overall levels of gene expression may vary. Rapid construction of these new vectors allowed vector/gene combinations to be optimized following evaluation of plasmid constructs in different bacterial cells and demonstrates the benefits of plasmid construction using Gateway cloning.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The residual <it>att </it>sites present after Gateway cloning did not affect patterns of promoter induction in Gram-positive bacteria and there was no evidence of differences in mRNA stability of transcripts. However overall levels of gene expression may be reduced, possibly due to some post-transcriptional event. The new vectors described here allow faster, more efficient cloning in range of Gram-positive bacteria.</p

Evaluation and Treatment in Urology for Nocturia Caused by Nonurological Mechanisms:Guidance from the PLANET Study

Patients with nocturia are commonly referred to urology clinics, including many for whom a nonurological medical condition is responsible for their symptoms. The PLanning Appropriate Nocturia Evaluation and Treatment (PLANET) study was established to develop practical approaches to equip healthcare practitioners to deal with the diverse causes of nocturia, based on systematic reviews and expert consensus. Initial assessment and therapy need to consider the possibility of one or more medical conditions falling into the “SCREeN” areas of Sleep medicine (insomnia, periodic limb movements of sleep, parasomnias, and obstructive sleep apnoea), Cardiovascular (hypertension and congestive heart failure), Renal (chronic kidney disease), Endocrine (diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, pregnancy/menopause, and diabetes insipidus), and Neurology. Medical and medication causes of xerostomia should also be considered. Some key indicators for these conditions can be identified in urology clinics, working in partnership with the primary care provider. Therapy of the medical condition in some circumstances lessens the severity of nocturia. However, in many cases there is a conflict between the two, in which case the medical condition generally takes priority on safety grounds. It is important to provide patients with a realistic expectation of therapy and awareness of limitations of current therapeutic options for nocturia.Patient summaryNocturia is the symptom of waking at night to pass urine. Commonly, this problem is referred to urology clinics. However, in some cases, the patient does not have a urological condition but actually a condition from a different speciality of medicine. This article describes how best the urologist and the primary care doctor can work together to assess the situation and make sensible and safe treatment suggestions. Unfortunately, there is sometimes no safe or effective treatment choice for nocturia, and treatment needs to focus instead on supportive management of symptoms

Campus Vol IV N 3

Hawk, Bob. Adventures of a Private Eye . Prose. 3. Gillies, Jean. The Fine Arts . Prose. 4. Hauser, Bill. After Hours Almanac . Prose. 5. Chase, Dick. Admirals of the Inland Lake . Prose. 6. Runkle, Pete. They Float Through the Air With the Greatest . Prose. 8. Barton, Rusty. Threads For the Female . Prose. 10. Crocker, Larry. Innocents Abroad . Prose. 11. Wilson, Bob. The Drums of Port Au Prince . Prose. 12. Johnston, Ed. Threads For the Male . Prose. 14. Kreuger, Ben. Column For Contributors . 15. Rounds, Dave. Untitled. Cartoon. 21. Taggart, Marilou. Nightmare . Poem. 22. Thompson, Rolan. Cover. Picture. 0. Cover, Frank and John Trimble. Campus Congratulates Emotion . Picture. 2. Rees, Tom. Our March Pin-Up Girl . Picture. 7. Rees, Tom. They Fly Through the Air With the Greatest . Picture. 8. McGlone, Joe and Tom Rees. Threads for Females . Picture. 10

Modeling the high-energy emission in GRB 110721A and implications on the early multiwavelength and polarimetric observations

GRB 110721A was detected by the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor and the Large Area Telescope (LAT) onboard the Fermi satellite and the Gamma-ray Burst Polarimeter onboard the IKAROS solar mission. Previous analysis done of this burst showed: i) a linear polarization signal with position angle stable ($\phi_p= 160^\circ\pm11$) and high degree of $\Pi=84^{+16}_{-28}$, ii) an extreme peak energy of a record-breaking at 15$\pm$2 MeV, and iii) a subdominant prompt thermal component observed right after the onset of this burst. In this paper, the LAT data around the reported position of GRB 110721A are analysed with the most recent software and then, the LAT light curve above 100 MeV was obtained. The LAT light curve is modelled in terms of adiabatic early-afterglow external shocks when the outflow propagates into a stellar wind. Additionally, we discuss the possible origins and also study the implications of the early-afterglow external shocks on the extreme peak energy observed at 15$\pm$2 MeV, the polarization observations and the subdominant prompt thermal component.Comment: 9 pages and one figure. Accepted for publication in Ap

Campus Vol IV N 2

Hodgson, Don. Big Red On The Radio . Prose. 2. Hauser, Bill. After Hours Almanac . Prose. 4. Ide, Don and Bob Porter. I Remember D-Day . Picture. 6. Hawk, Bob. The Shysters: Drama in The Counselor\u27s Office a la Hemingway . Prose. 7. McGlone, Joe and Tom Rees. Terpischore Takes Over . Picture. 8. Parker, Chris. Nuns Fret Not . Prose. 9. Johnston, Ed. Fashions For Men . Prose. 10. Barton, Rusty. Fashions For Women . Prose. 11. Matthews, Jack and Joe McGlone. Campus Congratulates . Picture. 12. Rossi, Bob. Doane * 9:55 . Picture. 14. Bedell, Barrie and John Hodges. Ballroom to Boudoir . 15. Anonymous. Calender Girls For \u2750 . Picture. 16. Wittich, Hugh. Prelude . Prose. 20. Chase, Dick. The Intramural Saga . Prose. 21. Kruger, Ben. Column For Contributors . Prose. 22. Taggart, Marilou. Leaves, Oh Man! . Poem. 22. Taggart, Marilou. Christmas Fugue . Poem. 22. Froth. Untitled. Prose. 24. Anonymous. Untitled. Cartoon. 24. Optekar, Pat. Polyphemis\u27 Wrath . Prose. 5