SmokeFree Sports Project Report

Children and young people are amongst the most vulnerable groups in society and are highly susceptible to smoking experimentation and addiction. In Liverpool, smoking prevalence is significantly higher than the UK average. Therefore early intervention strategies are required for smoking prevention and cessation. Research has found a negative association between smoking and physical activity. SmokeFree Sports aims to explore whether physical activity and sport can be used to promote the smoke free message to children and young people. SmokeFree Sports is an innovative multi-dimensional campaign that incorporates social-marketing strategies alongside the provision of sports and physical activities to: a) de-normalise smoking among youth b) empower youth to stay smoke free, and c) increase awareness of the dangers of smoking using positive messaging through the medium of sport and physical activity. This project is delivered across Liverpool and aims to reduce the prevalence of smoking and prevent the uptake of smoking in children and young people. The initiative, which is managed by Liverpool John Moores University in partnership with Liverpool PCT, employs a variety of strategies to promote and deliver the smoke free message to children and young people including a) training sports coaches and teachers to deliver the smoke free message, b) delivering SFS messages in schools and youth clubs through sport and physical activity, c) asking children to sign a pledge to be smoke free, d) support voluntary sports clubs to adopt a smoke free policy on their playing fields, e) encouraging organizations and individuals interested in health and sport to sign up to the SmokeFree Sports Charter and f) signposting children to smoking cessation services

Murder on Maneuver: Exploring green-on-blue attacks in Afghanistan

Green-on-blue attacks have a devastating psychological, tactical, and operational effect on military operations in Afghanistan. In spite of this, no empirical research has offered a data-driven examination of these attacks, leaving a gap that this article aims to address. By analyzing a large (yet inevitability incomplete) open-source database developed on these attacks, we present data on the perpetrators and victims of these attacks. We also investigate whether green-on-blue attacks are related to the number of civilian casualties in that area; finding that (unlike wider insurgent violence) they are not. Instead, we find that it is the number of troops present within a Regional Command that is positively correlated with the likelihood that a green-on-blue attack will occur. We discuss the implications of these findings with reference to future issues of force protection

Understanding Innovation: How firms innovate and what governments can do to help - Wales and Thuringia compared

This study looks at the relative impact of national governments on the innovation of firms through various infrastructure policies. It focuses on the opto-electronics industryin two regions of the UK and Germany: Wales and Thuringia. While both regions are characterized by active regional policies, they provide a striking contrast in the orientation of their opto-electronics industries and the thrust of regional policy

Formative evaluation of a UK community-based sports intervention to prevent smoking among children and young people: SmokeFree Sports

Background Smoking is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in England. This formative research involved the evaluation of SmokeFree Sports (SFS), a novel community sport intervention to prevent smoking among children and young people (CYP). Methods SFS was implemented in five youth clubs situated in deprived communities, between February and June 2011, involving 246 CYP (6-18 years). Seventy-one CYP (median age=10.0 years, 56% male) and five youth club managers participated in this formative evaluation study, which utilised a mixed methods design. Results Smoking prevalence at baseline and post-intervention did not differ significantly (2.8% vs. 1.4%). However, positive educational effects were observed: A lower proportion of respondents believed that smoking cigarettes was associated with weight gain or loss (80.0% to 66.2%). A higher proportion of respondents felt that once a person started smoking it would definitely be difficult to quit (52.1% to 62%). Qualitative data revealed that CYP’s awareness of smoking factors increased while youth club managers provided suggestions for future implementation. Conclusions Sport may be a viable mechanism to educate CYP about elements of smoking and health. This study raises key characteristics for the implementation and evaluation of a definitive trial

A school-based intervention incorporating smartphone technology to improve health-related fitness among adolescents: Rationale and study protocol for the NEAT and ATLAS 2.0 cluster randomised controlled trial and dissemination study

Introduction Physical inactivity has been described as a global pandemic. Interventions aimed at developing skills in lifelong physical activities may provide the foundation for an active lifestyle into adulthood. In general, school-based physical activity interventions targeting adolescents have produced modest results and few have been designed to be \u27scaled-up\u27 and disseminated. This study aims to: (1) assess the effectiveness of two physical activity promotion programmes (ie, NEAT and ATLAS) that have been modified for scalability; and (2) evaluate the dissemination of these programmes throughout government funded secondary schools. Methods and analysis The study will be conducted in two phases. In the first phase (cluster randomised controlled trial), 16 schools will be randomly allocated to the intervention or a usual care control condition. In the second phase, the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (Re-AIM) framework will be used to guide the design and evaluation of programme dissemination throughout New South Wales (NSW), Australia. In both phases, teachers will be trained to deliver the NEAT and ATLAS programmes, which will include: (1) interactive student seminars; (2) structured physical activity programmes; (3) lunch-time fitness sessions; and (4) web-based smartphone apps. In the cluster RCT, study outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 6 months (primary end point) and 12-months. Muscular fitness will be the primary outcome and secondary outcomes will include: objectively measured body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, flexibility, resistance training skill competency, physical activity, self-reported recreational screen-time, sleep, sugar-sweetened beverage and junk food snack consumption, self-esteem and well-being

Weekday and weekend patterns of physical activity and sedentary time among Liverpool and Madrid youth

Levels of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour among English and Spanish youth are high and vary within different regions of each country. Little though is known about these during specific periods of the day. The purpose of this study was to describe physical activity (PA) and sedentary time during segments of the day and week, and compare these critical contexts between youth in the Liverpool and Madrid areas of England and Spain, respectively. PA was objectively assessed in 235 Liverpool- and 241 Madrid youth (aged 10-14 years) who wore accelerometers for seven consecutive days. Minutes of sedentary time, moderate PA, vigorous PA and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were calculated for weekdays, weekend days, school time, non-school time and after-school. Between-country differences were analysed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Madrid youth spent significantly more time in sedentary activities than their Liverpool counterparts. Madrid youth engaged in more minutes of moderate intensity physical activity (MPA) than Liverpool youth during weekdays, school time and non-school time (P < 0.01). Liverpool children recorded more time in vigorous physical activity (VPA) than Madrid peers during week days and weekend days (P < 0.01) and during school time and after-school periods (P < 0.01). The MVPA was significantly higher among Madrid youth during non-school time (P < 0.01). Around 25% of all youth achieved recommended levels of MVPA. Low levels of MVPA and systematic differences in sedentary time, MPA and VPA exist between Liverpool and Madrid youth. Interventions targeted at the least-active children during weekends, after-school and non-school periods within the cultural contexts common to each city are required. © 2013 © 2013 European College of Sport Science

ENIGMA MDD: seven years of global neuroimaging studies of major depression through worldwide data sharing

A key objective in the field of translational psychiatry over the past few decades has been to identify the brain correlates of major depressive disorder (MDD). Identifying measurable indicators of brain processes associated with MDD could facilitate the detection of individuals at risk, and the development of novel treatments, the monitoring of treatment effects, and predicting who might benefit most from treatments that target specific brain mechanisms. However, despite intensive neuroimaging research towards this effort, underpowered studies and a lack of reproducible findings have hindered progress. Here, we discuss the work of the ENIGMA Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) Consortium, which was established to address issues of poor replication, unreliable results, and overestimation of effect sizes in previous studies. The ENIGMA MDD Consortium currently includes data from 45 MDD study cohorts from 14 countries across six continents. The primary aim of ENIGMA MDD is to identify structural and functional brain alterations associated with MDD that can be reliably detected and replicated across cohorts worldwide. A secondary goal is to investigate how demographic, genetic, clinical, psychological, and environmental factors affect these associations. In this review, we summarize findings of the ENIGMA MDD disease working group to date and discuss future directions. We also highlight the challenges and benefits of large-scale data sharing for mental health research

Virtual Ontogeny of Cortical Growth Preceding Mental Illness

Background: Morphology of the human cerebral cortex differs across psychiatric disorders, with neurobiology and developmental origins mostly undetermined. Deviations in the tangential growth of the cerebral cortex during pre/perinatal periods may be reflected in individual variations in cortical surface area later in life. Methods: Interregional profiles of group differences in surface area between cases and controls were generated using T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging from 27,359 individuals including those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and high general psychopathology (through the Child Behavior Checklist). Similarity of interregional profiles of group differences in surface area and prenatal cell-specific gene expression was assessed. Results: Across the 11 cortical regions, group differences in cortical area for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, and Child Behavior Checklist were dominant in multimodal association cortices. The same interregional profiles were also associated with interregional profiles of (prenatal) gene expression specific to proliferative cells, namely radial glia and intermediate progenitor cells (greater expression, larger difference), as well as differentiated cells, namely excitatory neurons and endothelial and mural cells (greater expression, smaller difference). Finally, these cell types were implicated in known pre/perinatal risk factors for psychosis. Genes coexpressed with radial glia were enriched with genes implicated in congenital abnormalities, birth weight, hypoxia, and starvation. Genes coexpressed with endothelial and mural genes were enriched with genes associated with maternal hypertension and preterm birth. Conclusions: Our findings support a neurodevelopmental model of vulnerability to mental illness whereby prenatal risk factors acting through cell-specific processes lead to deviations from typical brain development during pregnancy

Serum creatinine measurement as a predictor for single sample GFR using 99mTc-DTPA

Aim/Introduction: Radionuclide measured Glomerular Filtration Rate (mGFR) assessment using 99mTc-DTPA (Diethylenetriamine Pentaacetic Acid) is widely used in Nuclear Medicine for patients pre-nephrotoxic chemotherapy or assessment of potential live kidney donors (PLKD). British Nuclear Medicine Society (BNMS) guidelines published in 2004 recommended using a 4-sample slope intercept GFR protocol (SI-GFR). However updated BNMS guidelines published in 2018 recommend a single sample GFR measurement (SS-GFR) for patients without ascites, oedema or other expanded body space. The recommended single sample time should be based on the best available estimate of body surface area normalised GFR. One such measurement is the estimated GFR (eGFR) based on serum creatinine concentration. The purpose of this audit was to compare SI-GFR and the SS-GFR measurements to aid confidence in transitioning to a SS-GFR method. We also wished to look at the validity of using eGFR as a single sample time predictor. Materials and Methods: Using 4-sample SI-GFR measurements, the equivalent SS-GFR was calculated using the single sample time point identified in the guidelines. The patient’s most recent eGFR measurement was used to identify which of the 4 blood samples would be the SS equivalent. Results: Thirty 99mTc-DTPA SI-GFR patients were retrospectively reviewed. The thirty patients comprised 21 pre-chemotherapy assessment and 9 PLKD patients with an average eGFRs of 84.9 ± 61.8 mL/min/1.73m2 . The average SI-GFR and SS-GFRs were 84.2 ± 50.4 and 83.9 ± 53.5 mL/ min/1.73m2 respectively. Time between eGFR and mGFR was 23 ± 83 days. Comparison of eGFR measurements with SI-GFR and SS-GFR were statistically different. Recommended single sample times for eGFRs > 50 mL/min/1.73m2 demonstrated no clinical significance between SI-GFR and SS-GFR (p>0.05) however SSGFRs for patients with eGFRs of 25-50 mL/min/1.73m2 were consistently higher than SI-GFRs. Average time between eGFR and mGFR for all patients was 11.7 ± 4.4 days. Conclusion: Preliminary findings using eGFR to determine single sample times for 99mTc-DTPA mGFRs gave mixed results. As anticipated eGFR is not a good predictor of SS-GFR or SI-GFR measurements. With regard to mGFR methods, SS-GFRs at 2, 3 and 4 hours do correlate with SI-GFRs. However low GFRs estimated at 25-50 mL/min/1.73m2 (6 hour SS-GFR) give significantly different results from SI-GFRs. It may be that using the 6 hour single sample improves accuracy for lower GFRs

Satellite Threat Warning and Attack Reporting

The Air Force Research Laboratory`s Satellite Threat Warning and Attack Reporting (STW/AR) program will provide technologies for advanced threat warning and reporting of radio frequency (RF) and laser threats. The STW/AR program objectives are: (a) develop cost- effective technologies to detect, identify, locate, characterize, and report attacks or interference against U.S. and Allied satellites. (b) demonstrate innovative, light-weight, low-power, laser and RF sensors. The program focuses on the demonstration of RF and laser sensors. The RF sensor effort includes the investigation of interferometric antenna arrays, multi-arm spiral and butler matrix antennas, wideband receivers, adaptive processors, and improved processing algorithms. The laser sensor effort includes the investigation of alternative detectors, broadband grating and optical designs, active pixel sensing, and improved processing algorithms