Effectiveness of YouRAction, an Intervention to Promote Adolescent Physical Activity Using Personal and Environmental Feedback: A Cluster RCT

Background: In this study the one and six months effects of the computer-tailored YouRAction (targeting individual level determinants) and YouRAction+e (targeting in addition perceived environmental determinants) on compliance with the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) guideline and weight status are examined. In addition the use and appreciation of both interventions are studied. Methods: A three-armed cluster randomized trial was conducted in 2009-2010 with measurements at baseline, one and six months post intervention. School classes were assigned to one of the study arms (YouRaction, YouRAction+e and Generic Information (GI) control group). MVPA was derived from self-reports at baseline, one and six months post intervention. Body Mass Index and waist circumference were measured at baseline and six months post intervention in a random sub-sample of the population. Use of the interventions was measured by webserver logs and appreciation by self-reports. Multilevel regression analyses were conducted to study the effects of the intervention against the GI control group. ANOVA's and chi-square tests were used to describe differences in use and appreciation between study arms. Results: There were no statistically significant intervention effects on compliance with the MVPA guideline, overweight or WC. Access to the full intervention was significantly lower for YouRAction (24.0%) and YouRAction+e (21.7%) compared to the GI (54.4%). Conclusion: This study could not demonstrate that the YouRAction and YouRAction+e interventions were effective in promoting MVPA or improve anthropometric outcomes among adolescents, compared to generic information. Insufficient use and exposure to the intervention content may be an explanation for the lack of effects

Use of an orthovoltage X-ray treatment unit as a radiation research system in a small-animal cancer model

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We explore the use of a clinical orthovoltage X-ray treatment unit as a small-animal radiation therapy system in a tumoral model of cervical cancer.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Nude mice were subcutaneously inoculated with 5 × 10⁶HeLa cells in both lower limbs. When tumor volume approximated 200 mm³treatment was initiated. Animals received four 2 mg/kg intraperitoneal cycles (1/week) of cisplatin and/or 6.25 mg/kg of gemcitabine, concomitant with radiotherapy. Tumors were exposed to 2.5 Gy/day nominal surface doses (20 days) of 150 kV X-rays. Lead collimators with circular apertures (0.5 to 1.5 cm diameter) were manufactured and mounted on the applicator cone to restrict the X-ray beam onto tumors. X-ray penetration and conformality were evaluated by measuring dose at the surface and behind the tumor lobe by using HS GafChromic film. Relative changes in tumor volume (RTV) and a clonogenic assay were used to evaluate the therapeutic response of the tumor, and relative weight loss was used to assess toxicity of the treatments.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No measurable dose was delivered outside of the collimator apertures. The analysis suggests that dose inhomogeneities in the tumor reach up to ± 11.5% around the mean tumor dose value, which was estimated as 2.2 Gy/day. Evaluation of the RTV showed a significant reduction of the tumor volume as consequence of the chemoradiotherapy treatment; results also show that toxicity was well tolerated by the animals.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Results and procedures described in the present work have shown the usefulness and convenience of the orthovoltage X-ray system for animal model radiotherapy protocols.</p

Number of years of participation in some, but not all, types of physical activity during adolescence predicts level of physical activity in adulthood: Results from a 13-year study

Abstract: Background: Adolescent physical activity (PA) levels track into adulthood. However it is not known if type of PA participated in during adolescence is associated with PA levels later in life. We aimed to identify natural groupings of types of PA and to assess whether number of years participating in these different groupings during adolescence is related to PA level in early adulthood. Methods: 673 adolescents in Montreal, Canada, age 12–13 years at baseline (54 % female), reported participation in 29 physical activities every 3 months over 5 years (1999–2005). They also reported their PA level at age 24 years (2011–12). PA groupings among the 29 physical activities were identified using factor analysis. The association between number of years participating in each grouping during adolescence and PA level at age 24 was estimated using linear regression within a general estimating equation framework. Results: Three PA groupings were identified: “sports”, “fitness and dance”, and “running”. There was a positive linear relationship between number of years participating in sports and running in adolescence and PA level at age 24 years (β (95 % confidence interval) = 0.09 (0.04-0.15); 0.08 (0.01-0.15), respectively). There was no relationship between fitness and dance in adolescence and PA level at age 24. Conclusions: The association between PA participation in adolescence and PA levels in young adulthood may be specific to certain PA types and to consistency of participation during adolescence. Results suggest that efforts to establish the habit of participation in sports and running in adolescence may promote higher PA levels in adulthood

Evidência de eficácia de cobertura de sapatos e sapatos privativos no controle e prevenção de infecção do sítio cirúrgico: revisão sistemática de literatura Evidencias de control y prevención de infecciones del sitio quirúrgico con calzados de seguridad y zapatos exclusivos: revisión sistemática de literatura Evidence of control and prevention of surgical site infection by shoe covers and private shoes: a systematic literature review

O estudo refere-se a propés e sapatos privativos, realizado em 2003, e teve como objetivo a busca de evidência científica sobre sua relação direta no controle de contaminação e/ou infecção do ar ambiente e do sítio cirúrgico por microrganismos oriundos do piso. A metodologia utilizada foi a revisão sistemática de pesquisas básicas, desde 1950 até 2003, por meio de busca em fontes eletrônicas, bibliografias de estudos relevantes e anais de eventos científicos. Do total de publicações encontradas, somente 10 constituíram pesquisas básicas, as quais foram analisadas quanto ao escopo, tipo de investigação, metodologia, resultados, conclusões e comentários dos analisadores. A análise foi auxiliada por dois pesquisadores, ambos com experiência na temática e um em metodologia de pesquisa. Observou-se, nesta análise, diversidade e problemas dos métodos de investigação utilizados, sendo que apenas 4 pesquisas obtiveram dispersão de microrganismos do piso para o ar ambiente, porém não significativa, e nenhuma relacionada diretamente com contaminação e/ou infecção do sítio cirúrgico. Obteve-se evidências sobre: 1) a capacidade de barreira e de transferência de microrganismos no piso de uma área para outra depende do tipo de cobertura de sapatos; 2) contaminação ocupacional durante remoção e colocação de propés. Como conclusão, não há evidência de que propés e sapatos privativos evitem a contaminação do ambiente e da ferida cirúrgica, e a decisão pela continuidade do seu uso precisa ser técnica e administrativamente controlada.<br>Este estudio de revisión sistemática de investigaciones básicas sobre calzados de seguridad y zapatos exclusivos buscó evidencias de su eficacia en el control de la contaminación e infección del sitio quirúrgico por microorganismos del ambiente procedentes del piso. Fueron identificadas 10 investigaciones básicas a partir de una búsqueda electrónica y de listas de referencias de artículos de relevancia, en el período de 1950 a 2003, que fueron analizadas de acuerdo con: el objetivo, el tipo de investigación, el diseño metodológico, los resultados, las conclusiones y los comentarios de los investigadores. Los resultados no sugieren evidencia directa de esta eficacia, aunque hay evidencias de que la capacidad de barrera y de transferencia de microorganismos de un área para otra del piso depende del tipo de calzados de seguridad, siendo menor con zapatos exclusivos y calzados de seguridad. El riesgo de contaminación ocupacional durante la remoción y la puesta de calzados de seguridad también es evidente. La decisión por la continuidad del uso de estos elementos necesita ser controlada técnica y administrativamente.<br>The study is about shoe cover and private shoe usage and aimed to find scientific evidence on their direct relation in the control of surgical site contamination and/or infection transmitted by floor microorganisms. A systematic review of basic research on shoe covers and private shoes usage was carried out, covering the period from 1950 to 2003, by means of a search in electronic sources, bibliographies of relevant studies and proceedings of scientific events. The analysis was supported by two researchers, both of whom were experienced in this theme and one of them in research methodology. The research methods revealed a diverse range and various problems. Only 4 studies obtained a dispersion of floor microorganisms to the air environment, although not significant, and none of them was directly related to surgical site contamination and/or infection. Results do not suggest direct evidence on their efficacy but there is evidence, nonetheless, that barrier and microorganisms transfer from one specific area to another depend on the type of shoe cover, with lower transfer rates when private shoes and shoe covers are employed. Occupational contamination risk during shoe cover attire and removal is also evident and the decision about continuity of their usage needs to be technically and administratively controlled

Expression of p16, CD95, CD95L and Helix pomatia agglutinin in relapsing and nonrelapsing very thin melanoma

Expression of p16, CD95, CD95L and Helix pomatia agglutinin in relapsing and nonrelapsing very thin melanoma Background The incidence of malignant melanoma is increasing worldwide and patients are being diagnosed earlier with thinner primary lesions. Most patients with very thin melanoma (Breslow thickness < 0.76 mm) are cured by surgery but 2-18% relapse locally or with distant metastases. Objectives The objective of this study was to establish potential new prognostic markers in very thin melanoma. Methods We identified a group of subjects with relapsing very thin primary cutaneous melanoma and a matched control group who had not relapsed. We investigated the expression of p16, Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA), CD95 and CD95 ligand (CD95L) by immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded tissue sections from the subject group, their subsequent metastases and the control group. Results Reduced p16 expression was significantly associated with relapse in very thin melanoma (P = 0.0129). Loss of p16 expression was also found in 76% of metastases. There was no significant association between HPA, CD95 or CD95L expression and subsequent relapse. Conclusions This work is the first to show a significant loss of p16 in relapsing very thin melanoma

A new experimental rat model of osteosarcoma established by intrafemoral tumor cell inoculation, useful for biology and therapy investigations

Satisfactory experimental models for preclinical cancer studies must follow several criteria: (1) reproducibility of the method used to induce the tumor and (2) clinical, pathological and kinetic similarity with the corresponding human tumors. We developed a model of osteosarcoma locally induced by the intrafemoral injection of osteosarcoma (OSR) cells in Sprague-Dawley rats. This method yields nearly 80% of bone tumors at the injection site. These tumors double their volume fairly slowly (in approximately 20 days) and lung metastases occur in 96% of the animals. The OSR cell-induced tumor is characterized by a direct production of mineralized matrix by the tumor cells themselves, as revealed by histochemical analysis. The microarchitectural parameters which were quantified by a microscanner show an increased trabecular bone volume (+238%) when OSR cells were injected in the femur, as compared to controls injected with vehicle. Osteoblastic markers such as alkaline phosphatase, osteopontin, osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein were expressed by the tumor in vivo, whereas the initially injected OSR cells did not express some of these markers, suggesting that OSR cells reacquired an osteoblastic phenotype in a favorable environment. The clinical, radiological and histological data show that this model shares high similarities with the osteocondensing forms of osteosarcoma in humans