Hockey Fans In Training Graduate Program (HFIT Grad): Process Evaluation of an Add-on Fitness Program for HFIT Participants

Context: Approximately 1 in 4 Canadian adults are living with obesity, indicating a need to provide accessible, sustainable, and locally tailored programs to manage the disease long-term. HFIT Grad was a 6-week exercise and physical activity pilot program offered to previous participants who completed Hockey FIT (a 12-week healthy lifestyle program for male hockey fans who were overweight or had obesity) within the last 12 months. Objective: Evaluate the acceptability of HFIT Grad for promoting maintenance of health behaviours developed in Hockey FIT. Study Design and Analysis: Participants who completed HFIT Grad (n=27) were invited to participate in a virtual focus group (FG) over Zoom and program exit survey. FG was recorded, de-identified, and transcribed verbatim. Two researchers analyzed the transcripts and open-ended program exit survey responses thematically. Setting: HFIT Grad was delivered at two local community fitness facilities in Ontario, Canada. Population Studied: Past male participants who were overweight or had obesity, completed the Hockey FIT Program, and HFIT Grad. Intervention: HFIT Grad was delivered for 60 minutes, 2 times a week, across 6 weeks by previous Hockey FIT coaches with a background in fitness. Coaches were trained in the protocol and encouraged to adapt the exercises to fit participant abilities. Outcome Measures: One FG and program exit survey responses. Results: Participants signed up for HFIT Grad in pursuit of greater accountability in shifting back to or maintaining the health behaviour changes they made during Hockey FIT. HFIT Grad filled a previous gap in the Hockey FIT program by focusing on dynamic and challenging workouts, fostered by the advanced knowledge of the program coaches who were able to adapt, and add equipment that had not been used previously. Getting back together with their Hockey FIT peers was identified as an effective part of the program, increasing the bonds they had to each other and solidifying their commitment to helping each other maintain a healthy lifestyle. Suggestions for program improvement include incorporating check points for nutrition goals, running the program for more than six weeks with longer sessions, and one-on-one or more tailored exercises with more equipment. Conclusions: Based on participant feedback, the program was considered acceptable for the purpose of maintaining and improving health behaviour changes developed during Hockey FI

Strangers in paradise”?: Working-class students in elite universities.

AB STRACT This article draws on case studies of nine working-class students at Southern, an elite university. 1 It attempts to understand the complexities of identities in flux through Bourdieu's notions of habitus and field. Bourdieu (1990a) argues that when an individual encounters an unfamiliar field, habitus is transformed. He also writes of how the movement of habitus across new, unfamiliar fields results in 'a habitus divided against itsel

Hockey FIT for Women (HFIT for Women): Evaluating reach and implementation of a gender-sensitized healthy lifestyle program

Context: 57% of Canadian women have obesity or are overweight, indicating a need for novel mitigation strategies. Research suggests health promotion programs tailored to at-risk groups are more likely to be effective in improving health and sustaining implementation and outcomes long-term. Hockey FIT for Women (HFIT for Women) was adapted from Hockey Fans In Training (HFIT), a 12-week gendersensitized healthy lifestyle program for men who were hockey fans with obesity/overweight. Process evaluation findings from both a HFIT pilot and large-scale trial indicated a need to adapt to women. Objective: Evaluate reach and implementation of the HFIT for Women program from participant and coach perspectives. Study Design & Analysis: Participant data was collected from an intake survey, virtual focus groups (n=2), and program exit survey (n=59). Coach data was collected through interviews (n=2). Transcripts and open-ended responses were analyzed thematically. Setting: Three local community fitness facilities and major junior hockey teams in Ontario, Canada. Population Studied: Participants included those who coached or completed the HFIT for Women program (i.e., identify as a woman, 18+ years of age, and passed safety screen). Intervention: HFIT for Women was 90 minutes (50% in-class education; 50% exercise), once a week, for 12 weeks. Outcome Measures: Focus groups, coach interviews, and exit surveys. Results: Majority of participants were white (98.2%), with a mean age of 41 years (±11.3 SD), and largely college educated (45.6%), employed (91.2%), and married (47.4%). Reasons for joining the program included a desire to connect with others sharing similar interests, and the experience of a partner or relative who completed HFIT. There was a desire for more novel and engaging information from both coaches and participants. Participants expressed their wish for more informal discussion time and competition to encourage each other, and coaches noted value in seeing the bonds created between participants. Suggestions focused on building a greater connection to hockey with competitive drills and playing floor hockey. Conclusion: Social connection was a key driver for participating in HFIT for Women. Future iterations should focus on leveraging the social connection through providing more group-based activities for the in-class portion of the program and increasing hockey-related competitive drills and games

A comparison of tumour and host prognostic factors in screen-detected versus non screen-detected colorectal cancer: a contemporaneous study

Aim: In addition to TNM stage, there are adverse tumour and host factors, such as venous invasion and the presence of an elevated systemic inflammatory response (SIR) that influence the outcome in colorectal cancer. The present study aimed to examine how these factors varied in screen detected (SD) and non-screen detected tumours (NSD). Method: Prospectively maintained databases of the prevalence round of a biennial population FOBt screening programme and a regional cancer audit database were analysed. Interval cancers (INT) were defined as cancers identified within two years of a negative screening test. Results: Of the 395 097 invited, 204 535 (52%) responded, 6159 (3%) tested positive, and 421 (9%) had cancer detected. From this cohort, a further 708 (63%) NSD patients were identified (468 (65%) non-responders, 182 (25%) INT cancers and 58 (10%) did not attend or did not have cancer diagnosed at colonoscopy). Comparing SD and NSD patients, SD patients were more likely to be male, and have a tumour with a lower Dukes stage (both p<0.05). On stage-by-stage analysis, SD patients had less evidence of an elevated SIR (p<0.05). Both the presence of venous invasion (p=0.761) and an elevated SIR (p=0.059) were similar between those with INT cancers and in those that arose in non-responders. Conclusion: Independent of TNM stage, SD tumours have more favourable host prognostic factors than NSD tumours. There is no evidence that INT cancers are biologically more aggressive than those that develop in the rest of the population and hence are likely to be due to limitations of screening in its current format

Flavan-3-ol-methylxanthine interactions: Modulation of flavan-3-ol bioavailability in volunteers with a functional colon and an ileostomy

Flavan-3-ols, including the flavan-3-ol monomer (-)-epicatechin, are dietary bioactives known to mediate beneficial cardiovascular effects in humans. Recent studies showed that flavan-3-ols could interact with methylxanthines, evidenced by an increase in flavan-3-ol bioavailability with a concomitant increase in flavan-3-ol intake-mediated vascular effects. This study aimed at elucidating flavan-3-ol-methylxanthine interactions in humans in vivo by evaluating the specific contributions of theobromine and caffeine on flavan-3-ol bioavailability. In ileostomists, the effect of methylxanthines on the efflux of flavan-3-ol metabolites in the small intestine was assessed, a parameter important to an understanding of the pharmacokinetics of flavan-3-ols in humans. In a randomized, controlled, triple cross-over study in volunteers with a functional colon (n = 10), co-ingestion of flavan-3-ols and cocoa methylxanthines, mainly represented by theobromine, increased peak circulatory levels (C ) of flavan-3-ols metabolites (+21 ± 8%; p < 0.05). Conversely, caffeine did not mediate a statistically significant effect on flavan-3-ol bioavailability (C = +10 ± 8%, p = n.s.). In a subsequent randomized, controlled, double cross-over study in ileostomists (n = 10), cocoa methylxanthines did not affect circulatory levels of flavan-3-ol metabolites, suggesting potential differences in flavan-3-ol bioavailability compared to volunteers with a functional colon. The main metabolite in ileal fluid was (-)-epicatechin-3'-sulfate, however, no differences in flavan-3-ol metabolites in ileal fluid were observed after flavan-3-ol intake with and without cocoa methylxanthines. Taken together, these results demonstrate a differential effect of caffeine and theobromine in modulating flavan-3-ol bioavailability when these bioactives are co-ingested. These findings should be considered when comparing the effects mediated by the intake of flavan-3-ol-containing foods and beverages and the amount and type of methylxanthines present in the ingested matrixes. Ultimately, these insights will be of value to further optimize current dietary recommendations for flavan-3-ol intake. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: This work was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03526107 (study part 1, volunteers with functional colon) and NCT03765606 (study part 2, volunteers with an ileostomy). [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Persistence of anticancer activity in berry extracts after simulated gastrointestinal digestion and colonic fermentation

Fruit and vegetable consumption is associated at the population level with a protective effect against colorectal cancer. Phenolic compounds, especially abundant in berries, are of interest due to their putative anticancer activity. After consumption, however, phenolic compounds are subject to digestive conditions within the gastrointestinal tract that alter their structures and potentially their function. However, the majority of phenolic compounds are not efficiently absorbed in the small intestine and a substantial portion pass into the colon. We characterized berry extracts (raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants) produced by in vitro-simulated upper intestinal tract digestion and subsequent fecal fermentation. These extracts and selected individual colonic metabolites were then evaluated for their putative anticancer activities using in vitro models of colorectal cancer, representing the key stages of initiation, promotion and invasion. Over a physiologically-relevant dose range (0–50 µg/ml gallic acid equivalents), the digested and fermented extracts demonstrated significant anti-genotoxic, anti-mutagenic and anti-invasive activity on colonocytes. This work indicates that phenolic compounds from berries undergo considerable structural modifications during their passage through the gastrointestinal tract but their breakdown products and metabolites retain biological activity and can modulate cellular processes associated with colon cancer

Temporally stable population-specific differences in run timing of one-sea-winter Atlantic salmon returning to a large river system

The understanding of migration patterns can significantly contribute to conservation and management. The spawning migrations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) cover thousands of kilometers from the feeding areas at sea to their natal rivers to reproduce. Migrating salmon are exposed to intensive harvest, but little is known of the population-specific differences in migration behavior. In this study, timing of return migration was investigated among one-sea-winter Atlantic salmon within a river system. By utilizing knowledge of the genetic population structure, population of origin was reliably identified for c. 1500 fish caught in mixed stock fisheries after adopting an approach to minimize the complications arising from potential nonsampled populations. Results demonstrated significant and temporally stable differences among populations as well as between sexes. Generally, female salmon from tributary populations entered fresh water first. Run timing was not however related to in-river migration distance. Rather, one-sea-winter salmon from larger populations and with a higher proportion of multi-sea-winter females arrived later in the season. These findings are a significant step toward a more thorough understanding of the salmon migration behavior and behavioral ecology, providing concrete tools for the management and conservation of the remaining indigenous Atlantic salmon stocks

Field Measurements of Terrestrial and Martian Dust Devils

Surface-based measurements of terrestrial and martian dust devils/convective vortices provided from mobile and stationary platforms are discussed. Imaging of terrestrial dust devils has quantified their rotational and vertical wind speeds, translation speeds, dimensions, dust load, and frequency of occurrence. Imaging of martian dust devils has provided translation speeds and constraints on dimensions, but only limited constraints on vertical motion within a vortex. The longer mission durations on Mars afforded by long operating robotic landers and rovers have provided statistical quantification of vortex occurrence (time-of-sol, and recently seasonal) that has until recently not been a primary outcome of more temporally limited terrestrial dust devil measurement campaigns. Terrestrial measurement campaigns have included a more extensive range of measured vortex parameters (pressure, wind, morphology, etc.) than have martian opportunities, with electric field and direct measure of dust abundance not yet obtained on Mars. No martian robotic mission has yet provided contemporaneous high frequency wind and pressure measurements. Comparison of measured terrestrial and martian dust devil characteristics suggests that martian dust devils are larger and possess faster maximum rotational wind speeds, that the absolute magnitude of the pressure deficit within a terrestrial dust devil is an order of magnitude greater than a martian dust devil, and that the time-of-day variation in vortex frequency is similar. Recent terrestrial investigations have demonstrated the presence of diagnostic dust devil signals within seismic and infrasound measurements; an upcoming Mars robotic mission will obtain similar measurement types

The genomes of two key bumblebee species with primitive eusocial organization

Background: The shift from solitary to social behavior is one of the major evolutionary transitions. Primitively eusocial bumblebees are uniquely placed to illuminate the evolution of highly eusocial insect societies. Bumblebees are also invaluable natural and agricultural pollinators, and there is widespread concern over recent population declines in some species. High-quality genomic data will inform key aspects of bumblebee biology, including susceptibility to implicated population viability threats. Results: We report the high quality draft genome sequences of Bombus terrestris and Bombus impatiens, two ecologically dominant bumblebees and widely utilized study species. Comparing these new genomes to those of the highly eusocial honeybee Apis mellifera and other Hymenoptera, we identify deeply conserved similarities, as well as novelties key to the biology of these organisms. Some honeybee genome features thought to underpin advanced eusociality are also present in bumblebees, indicating an earlier evolution in the bee lineage. Xenobiotic detoxification and immune genes are similarly depauperate in bumblebees and honeybees, and multiple categories of genes linked to social organization, including development and behavior, show high conservation. Key differences identified include a bias in bumblebee chemoreception towards gustation from olfaction, and striking differences in microRNAs, potentially responsible for gene regulation underlying social and other traits. Conclusions: These two bumblebee genomes provide a foundation for post-genomic research on these key pollinators and insect societies. Overall, gene repertoires suggest that the route to advanced eusociality in bees was mediated by many small changes in many genes and processes, and not by notable expansion or depauperation