A pilot study evaluating the effects of a 12 week exergaming programme on body mass, size and composition in postpartum females

Introduction: Pregnancy is associated with weight gain, the retention of which contributes to the prevalence of obesity and overweight in adult females. Many new mothers do not achieve the recommendations for physical activity (PA), citing factors such as a lack of time and access to childcare. Exergaming may address some of the barriers to PA and offer an alternative to traditional exercise, thus aiding in weight management. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effects of an exergaming intervention on body composition in postpartum females. Methods: Eight females who had given birth within 1 year completed a 12 week exergaming intervention, which required them to exercise at home for 45 minutes on alternate days, using the Wii Fit. Participants self-reported their pre-pregnancy body weight, and visited the laboratory prior to and following the intervention for evaluation of body weight, size (height, regional circumferences, body mass index [BMI]) and composition (fat mass [FM], lean mass [LM] and bone mineral content [BMC]). Body composition was evaluated via full body full-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan. Participants completed a three-day weighed food intake at three time-points. Results: Baseline body mass was 8.2 kg greater than self-reported pre-pregnancy values (56.8 ± 5.1 kg). Following the intervention, body mass was significantly lower than baseline values and was similar to pre-pregnancy levels (59.9 ± 7.9 kg). Reductions in BMI (~2 kg·m2 ), waist, hip and bust circumference (3-6%) accompanied the loss of body mass. Food diaries confirmed participants had not altered their energy intake. Discussion: The results of this pilot study indicate that exergaming may offer an alternative to traditional exercise for preventing the retention of gestational weight gain and reducing associated health risks, whilst also maintaining lean mass and bone mineral content

"My Children and I Will no Longer Suffer from Malaria": A Qualitative Study of the Acceptance and Rejection of Indoor Residual Spraying to Prevent Malaria in Tanzania.

The objective of this study was to identify attitudes and misconceptions related to acceptance or refusal of indoor residual spraying (IRS) in Tanzania for both the general population and among certain groups (e.g., farmers, fishermen, community leaders, and women). This study was a series of qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions conducted from October 2010 to March 2011 on Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. Three groups of participants were targeted: acceptors of IRS (those who have already had their homes sprayed), refusers (those whose communities have been sprayed, but refused to have their individual home sprayed), and those whose houses were about to be sprayed as part of IRS scale-up. Interviews were also conducted with farmers, fishermen, women, community leaders and members of non-government organizations responsible for community mobilization around IRS. Results showed refusers are a very small percentage of the population. They tend to be more knowledgeable people such as teachers, drivers, extension workers, and other civil servants who do not simply follow the orders of the local government or the sprayers, but are skeptical about the process until they see true results. Refusal took three forms: 1) refusing partially until thorough explanation is provided; 2) accepting spray to be done in a few rooms only; and 3) refusing outright. In most of the refusal interviews, refusers justified why their houses were not sprayed, often without admitting that they had refused. Reasons for refusal included initial ignorance about the reasons for IRS, uncertainty about its effectiveness, increased prevalence of other insects, potential physical side effects, odour, rumours about the chemical affecting fertility, embarrassment about moving poor quality possessions out of the house, and belief that the spray was politically motivated. To increase IRS acceptance, participants recommended more emphasis on providing thorough public education, ensuring the sprayers themselves are more knowledgeable about IRS, and asking that community leaders encourage participation by their constituents rather than threatening punishment for noncompliance. While there are several rumours and misconceptions concerning IRS in Tanzania, acceptance is very high and continues to increase as positive results become apparent

Higher incidence of clear cell adenocarcinoma of the cervix and vagina among women born between 1947 and 1971 in the United States

Although the association between in utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) and clear cell adenocarcinoma of the cervix and vagina (CCA) was first reported among young women, subsequent case reports and cohort studies suggest that an elevated risk for CCA may persist with age. Data from the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program were used to construct indirect standardized incidence ratios (SIR) comparing CCA risk among women born during the exposure period 1947 through 1971, when DES was prescribed to pregnant women, to the relevant time period for nonexposed women born before or after DES exposure period. CCA incidence among the women born before the DES exposure period (ages 30–54 at diagnosis of CAA) or after the DES exposure period (ages 15–29 at diagnosis) were used to calculate the expected rates for women born during the DES exposure period. Among women aged 15–29 years, CCA risk increased with age and peaked in the 25–29 year age group, but the risk estimates were unstable (SIR = 6.06; 95% CI: 0.97, −251.07, SEER data). Among women aged 40–54 years, CCA risk was greatest in the 40–44 year age group (SIR = 4.55; 95% CI: 1.11, 40.19, SEER data and SIR = 3.94; 95% CI: 1.06, 33.01, NPCR/SEER data) and remained significantly elevated throughout this age group in the combined data set. Risk was not elevated among women aged 30–39 years. The observed risk of CCA, if causally related to DES exposure, reflects a persistent health impact from in utero exposure that is widespread in the general population. When assessing a woman’s cancer risks, whether her mother took DES while pregnant may still be a relevant aspect of the medical history for women born during the period of DES use in pregnancy

β-alanine supplementation improves in-vivo fresh and fatigued skeletal muscle relaxation speed

Purpose: In fresh muscle, supplementation with the rate-limiting precursor of carnosine, β-alanine (BA), results in a decline in muscle half-relaxation time (HRT) potentially via alterations to calcium (Ca2+) handling. Accumulation of hydrogen cation (H+) has been shown to impact Ca2+ signalling during muscular contraction, carnosine has the potential to serve as a cytoplasmic regulator of Ca2+ and H+ coupling, since it binds to both ions. The present study examined the effect of BA supplementation on intrinsic in-vivo isometric knee extensor force production and muscle contractility in both fresh and fatigued human skeletal muscle assessed during voluntary and electrically evoked (nerve and superficial muscle stimulation) contractions. Methods: Twenty-three males completed two experimental sessions, pre- and post- 28 day supplementation with 6.4 g.day−1 of BA (n=12) or placebo (PLA; n=11). Isometric force was recorded during a series of voluntary and electrically evoked knee extensor contractions. Results: BA supplementation had no effect on voluntary or electrically  evoked isometric force production, or twitch electromechanical delay and time-to-peak tension. There was a significant decline in muscle HRT in fresh and fatigued muscle conditions  during both resting (3±13%; 19±26%) and potentiated (1±15%; 2±20%) twitch contractions. Conclusions: The mechanism for reduced HRT in fresh and fatigued skeletal muscle following BA supplementation is unclear. Due to the importance of muscle relaxation on total energy consumption, especially during short, repeated contractions, BA supplementation may prove to be beneficial in minimising contractile slowing induced by fatigue. Trial registration The trial is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov, ID number NCT02819505

Beyond motivation: Job and work design for development, health, ambidexterity, and more

Much research shows it is possible to design motivating work, which has positive consequences for individuals and their organizations. This article reviews research that adopts this motivational perspective on work design, and it emphasizes that it is important to continue to refine motivational theories. In light of continued large numbers of poor-quality jobs, attention must also be given to influencing practice and policy to promote the effective implementation of enriched work designs. Nevertheless, current and future work-based challenges mean that designing work for motivation is necessary but insufficient. This review argues that work design can be a powerful vehicle for learning and development, for maintaining and enhancing employees' physical and mental health, and for achieving control and flexibility simultaneously (for example, in the form of ambidexterity); all these outcomes are important given the challenges in today's workplaces. The review concludes by suggesting methodological directions

Optimization of Energy-Consuming Pathways towards Rapid Growth in HPV-Transformed Cells

Cancer is a complex, multi-step process characterized by misregulated signal transduction and altered metabolism. Cancer cells divide faster than normal cells and their growth rates have been reported to correlate with increased metabolic flux during cell transformation. Here we report on progressive changes in essential elements of the biochemical network, in an in vitro model of transformation, consisting of primary human keratinocytes, human keratinocytes immortalized by human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) and passaged repeatedly in vitro, and the extensively-passaged cells subsequently treated with the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene. We monitored changes in cell growth, cell size and energy metabolism. The more transformed cells were smaller and divided faster, but the cellular energy flux was unchanged. During cell transformation the protein synthesis network contracted, as shown by the reduction in key cap-dependent translation factors. Moreover, there was a progressive shift towards internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-dependent translation. The switch from cap to IRES-dependent translation correlated with progressive activation of c-Src, an activator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which controls energy-consuming processes, including protein translation. As cellular protein synthesis is a major energy-consuming process, we propose that the reduction in cell size and protein amount provide energy required for cell survival and proliferation. The cap to IRES-dependent switch seems to be part of a gradual optimization of energy-consuming mechanisms that redirects cellular processes to enhance cell growth, in the course of transformation

Acceptability of a Positive Parenting Programme on a Mother and Baby Unit: Q-Methodology with Staff

The Baby Triple P Positive Parenting Programme, a new addition to the established Triple P programmes, is currently being considered for a trial in a Mother and Baby Unit with the aim of exploring its benefits to mothers presenting with severe mental illness. The aim of the current study was to investigate staff views of the acceptability and feasibility of a parenting programme such as the Baby Triple P Positive Parenting Programme in a Mother and Baby Unit. Q-methodology, using an 88-item Q-sort, was employed to explore the opinions of 16 staff working in a Mother and Baby Unit in the North West of England. Results obtained from the Q-sort analysis identified two distinct factors: (1) staff qualified acceptance and (2) systemic approach/systemic results. Preliminary findings indicate that staff perceived Baby Triple P to be an acceptable and feasible intervention for the Mother and Baby Unit setting and that mothers on the unit would be open and receptive to the programme. Further research is required to expand these findings and assess the potential for this type of intervention to be used more widely across a number of Mother and Baby Unit settings

Systematic Conservation Planning in the Face of Climate Change: Bet-Hedging on the Columbia Plateau

Systematic conservation planning efforts typically focus on protecting current patterns of biodiversity. Climate change is poised to shift species distributions, reshuffle communities, and alter ecosystem functioning. In such a dynamic environment, lands selected to protect today's biodiversity may fail to do so in the future. One proposed approach to designing reserve networks that are robust to climate change involves protecting the diversity of abiotic conditions that in part determine species distributions and ecological processes. A set of abiotically diverse areas will likely support a diversity of ecological systems both today and into the future, although those two sets of systems might be dramatically different. Here, we demonstrate a conservation planning approach based on representing unique combinations of abiotic factors. We prioritize sites that represent the diversity of soils, topographies, and current climates of the Columbia Plateau. We then compare these sites to sites prioritized to protect current biodiversity. This comparison highlights places that are important for protecting both today's biodiversity and the diversity of abiotic factors that will likely determine biodiversity patterns in the future. It also highlights places where a reserve network designed solely to protect today's biodiversity would fail to capture the diversity of abiotic conditions and where such a network could be augmented to be more robust to climate-change impacts