Positive Carotenoid Balance Correlates with Greater Reproductive Performance in a Wild Bird

Background: Carotenoids can confer somatic and reproductive benefits, but most evidence is from captive animal experimentation or single time-point sampling. Another perhaps more informative means by which to assess physiological contributions to animal performance is by tracking an individual’s ability to increase or sustain carotenoids or other health-related molecules over time, as these are likely to be temporally variable. Methodology/Principal Findings: In a field study of North American barn swallows (Hirundo rustica erythrogaster), we analyzed within-individual changes in carotenoid concentrations by repeatedly sampling the carotenoid profiles of individuals over the course of the breeding season. Our results demonstrate that carotenoid concentrations of individuals are temporally dynamic and that season-long balance of these molecules, rather than single time-point samples, predict reproductive performance. This was true even when controlling for two important variables associated with reproductive outcomes: (1) timing of breeding and (2) sexually selected plumage coloration, which is itself positively correlated with and concomitantly changes with circulating carotenoid concentrations. Conclusions/Significance: While reproduction itself is purported to impose health stress on organisms, these data suggest that free-ranging, high-quality individuals can mitigate such costs, by one or several genetic, environmental (diet), or physiological mechanisms. Moreover, the temporal variations in both health-linked physiological measures and morphological traits we uncover here merit further examination in other species, especially when goals include the estimation of signal information content or the costs of trait expression

Prospectus, January 18, 1984

HINTS FOR SURVIVING SPRING SEMESTER AT PARKLAND COLLEGE; News Digest; Blair, Henriksen ready for Olympics; Prospectus needs your ideas; PC Happenings: Election board news, Convocations director needed; Winter driving; New doll helps diabetics; I.D. cards; Staerkel tries to keep campus open despite Illinois\u27 unpredictable weather; Walsh helps in taking over advertising; Snow plows save cities in winter; Spring calendar; Classifieds; Question: Who or what influenced you the most in deciding what direction your life would take?; Flirting as an art still alive; Highway deaths down; Drinking hurts unborn; New rock band; Foreign students experience snow; Campus organizations at Parkland; The best and worst movies of the year 1983; Disney re-releases classic film; Endearment best picture; D.C. Cab is better than most; Campus Paperback Bestsellers; New & Recommended; The Keep, classic horror; In the library--paperbacks; Phase IV nears completion; New student grant; PC grad to Texas; Cobras win opener; Parkland loses close one; I.M. News; Second losshttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1984/1034/thumbnail.jp

Prospectus, November 23, 1983

THE DANGERS OF HIGH-SPEED CHASE; News Digest; Thanksgiving Day…how it began; Letter to the editor; Letter to the editor; Letter to the editor; PC Happenings: Board summary, President\u27s report, Personnel report, Chicago Symphony in concert, Winter concerts set, Timetables, November blood drive; New course; Placement office pinched; IOC budget for 1983-84; Advisory committee named; Question: What is your favorite season of the year?; What do farmers do in the winter?; Warm winter ahead; Future students enjoy a day at the Parkland Library; Classified; The man behind the signs appears; A time of thanks; Disney breaks their movie mold with \u27Never Cry Wolf\u27; Entertainment News; \u27Running Brave\u27 has one big flaw; Derringer has some \u27Good Dirty Fun\u27; Woods Words; Bowling Club; Parkland College 1983-84 Women\u27s Basketball Schedulehttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1983/1003/thumbnail.jp

Experiences of support garments following bowel stoma formation:analysis of free-text responses in a cross-sectional survey

Aim To explore the experiences of support garments when adjusting to bodily change following bowel stoma formation. Design Thematic analyses of free-text responses in a cross-sectional survey of the stoma population in 2018. Methods Free-text responses were invited so that respondents could describe their experiences in more detail. A process of induction was chosen to allow for themes to emerge directly from the data. The concept a €a embodiment' was used as a theoretical framework during interpretation. Results 1425 people with a bowel stoma responded to the survey, of whom 598 provided free-text responses. Four themes about experiences of support garments in the context of changed bodily experiences following stoma formation were identified: body complications, which is about experiences of using support garments to prevent or self-manage parastomal hernia; body appearance, which is about hiding the stoma and stoma appliance; body function, which is about managing stoma appliance complications; and body sensation, which is mainly about negative experiences of ill-fitting garments. Conclusion Support garments can be understood as items that are used by people during an ongoing process of adjusting to bodily changes following stoma formation and as part of an ongoing process of reconstructing new embodied selves. Impact This is the first study to explore people's experiences of support garments following bowel stoma formation. Support garments are used in the self-management of body complications, appearance, function and sensations. Stoma nurses may draw on the findings of this study to advise patients about the benefits of garments for adjusting to bodily change, and garment suppliers should address people's negative experiences by improving garments.</p

A physical activity intervention to improve the quality of life of patients with a stoma:a feasibility study protocol

Background: Physical activity (PA) is positively associated with quality of life. People with a stoma are less likely to engage in PA than those without a stoma. Methods: In this feasibility intervention study, we will perform the following: (1) Develop a PA intervention for people with a stoma. An Expert Working Group of behavioural scientists, exercise scientists, clinicians and a Patient Advisory Group of people with a bowel stoma will meet with the research team to inform the development of a PA intervention for people with a stoma. A manual of the intervention will be the main output. (2) Explore PA instructors' experiences of delivering the PA intervention. PA instructors will record on paper the number of PA consultations with each patient and a researcher will interview the PA instructors about their experiences of delivering the intervention. (3) Assess the level of patient (bowel cancer or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients with a stoma between 6 weeks and 24 months postsurgery) engagement with the PA intervention and their views on intervention acceptability and usefulness. Patients will keep a PA diary to record daily pedometer recorded step count and type and duration of activities. A researcher will interview patients about their experiences of the PA intervention. (4) Assess screening, eligibility, consent, data completion, loss to follow up, and missing data rates, representativeness of participants and potential treatment effects. A researcher will record on paper all study procedure parameters. Quality of life (stoma-quality of life; Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy, Short IBD questionnaire), fatigue (FACIT fatigue scale) and PA (accelerometer) will be measured pre- and post-intervention in patients. For IBD patients only, blood will be taken to measure systemic inflammation. Discussion: We hypothesise that a PA intervention will be an effective means of improving the quality of life of people with a stoma. Before embarking on a full randomised controlled trial to test this hypothesis, a PA intervention needs to be developed and a feasibility study of the proposed PA intervention conducted.</p

Prospectus, October 26, 1983

LEARNING LAB IS A LIFE SAVER; News Digest; What to do about childhood stress; Braille room fills needs of the blind; PC Happenings; Did you know that?; How to reorganize homemaking chores; TV results; Pumpkin Contest; Health Information; C.A.A.R.; WPCD quizzes high schools; Register for spring semester; Apples remain fave fruit; Be cool in case of fire; Rural Illinois growth increases; Cowboy Brock programs sports; Pulitzer winner visits C-U; Quality circles solve problems; Oktoberfest is today; Around Parkland; The truth behind Halloween is haunting; Brighten a Soldier\u27s Christmas; Interesting story ideas brighten series; Passion at Krannert; Zelig restores Allen\u27s stature; Classified; Krannert adds on; Fast Freddy statistics; Fast Freddy Contest; Bowling scoreshttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1983/1007/thumbnail.jp

Is referral of postsurgical colorectal cancer survivors to cardiac rehabilitation feasible and acceptable? A pragmatic pilot randomised controlled trial with embedded qualitative study

Objectives: (1) Assess whether cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a feasible and acceptable model of rehabilitation for postsurgical colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors, (2) evaluate trial procedures. This article reports the results of the first objective. Design and setting: A pragmatic pilot randomised controlled trial with embedded qualitative study was conducted in 3 UK hospitals with CR facilities. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise trial parameters indicative of intervention feasibility and acceptability. Interviews and focus groups were conducted and data analysed thematically. Participants: People with CRC were considered for inclusion in the trial if they were ≥18 years old, diagnosed with primary CRC and in the recovery period postsurgery (they could still be receiving adjuvant therapy). 31% (n=41) of all eligible CRC survivors consented to participate in the trial. 22 of these CRC survivors, and 8 people with cardiovascular disease (CVD), 5 CRC nurses and 6 CR clinicians participated in the qualitative study. Intervention: Referral of postsurgical CRC survivors to weekly CR exercise classes and information sessions. Classes included CRC survivors and people with CVD. CR nurses and physiotherapists were given training about cancer and exercise. Results: Barriers to CR were protracted recoveries from surgery, ongoing treatments and poor mobility. No adverse events were reported during the trial, suggesting that CR is safe. 62% of participants completed the intervention as per protocol and had high levels of attendance. 20 health professionals attended the cancer and exercise training course, rating it as excellent. Participants perceived that CR increased CRC survivors' confidence and motivation to exercise, and offered peer support. CR professionals were concerned about CR capacity to accommodate cancer survivors and their ability to provide psychosocial support to this group of patients. Conclusions: CR is feasible and acceptable for postsurgical CRC survivors. A large-scale effectiveness trial of the intervention should be conducted. </p

A systematic review and meta‐analysis of the effectiveness of self‐management interventions in people with a stoma

Aims: Explore the evidence from randomized controlled trials for the effect of self management interventions on quality of life, self-management skills and self-efficacy, and to explore which intervention characteristics are associated with effectiveness.Design: Systematic review.Data sources: A search of the literature was conducted in these databases: MEDLINE (OVID), EMBASE (OVID) and PsychINFO (OVID) from January 2000 to February 2020.Review methods: Studies were included if participants had a bowel stoma, were over the age of 18 and the design was a randomized controlled trial of a self-management programme. The outcome measures for this review were quality of life, self management skills and self-efficacy. The Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy was used to code interventions for underlying components and alongside other intervention characteristics, associations with improvements in outcomes were explored.Results: The search identified 3141 articles, 16 of which were eligible. A meta-analysis of self-efficacy scores from five studies (N = 536) found an improvement in those that received the self-management intervention at follow-up with a 12-point meandifference compared with the usual care group. Effects on quality of life and self management skills were mixed, and meta-analyses of these data were not possible. Across 13 studies an average of 10 behaviour change techniques were used with, credible source (e.g. nurse, doctor, therapist) (n = 13), instruction on how to perform the behaviour (n = 13), demonstration of the behaviour (n = 12) used most often. The behaviour change technique of self-monitoring was associated with an improvement in quality of life. The involvement of a nurse was associated with higher self-efficacy and self-management skills.Conclusion: This review suggests that self-management interventions can increase peoples’ self-efficacy for managing their stoma.Impact: A standardized approach to the reporting of interventions and the measures used is needed in future studies to better understand the effect on quality of life and self-management skills

Positive Carotenoid Balance Correlates with Greater Reproductive Performance in a Wild Bird

Background: Carotenoids can confer somatic and reproductive benefits, but most evidence is from captive animal experimentation or single time-point sampling. Another perhaps more informative means by which to assess physiological contributions to animal performance is by tracking an individual’s ability to increase or sustain carotenoids or other healthrelated molecules over time, as these are likely to be temporally variable. Methodology/Principal Findings: In a field study of North American barn swallows (Hirundo rustica erythrogaster), we analyzed within-individual changes in carotenoid concentrations by repeatedly sampling the carotenoid profiles of individuals over the course of the breeding season. Our results demonstrate that carotenoid concentrations of individuals are temporally dynamic and that season-long balance of these molecules, rather than single time-point samples, predict reproductive performance. This was true even when controlling for two important variables associated with reproductive outcomes: (1) timing of breeding and (2) sexually selected plumage coloration, which is itself positively correlated with and concomitantly changes with circulating carotenoid concentrations. Conclusions/Significance: While reproduction itself is purported to impose health stress on organisms, these data suggest that free-ranging, high-quality individuals can mitigate such costs, by one or several genetic, environmental (diet), or physiological mechanisms. Moreover, the temporal variations in both health-linked physiological measures an