The Effect of iCook 4-H, a Childhood Obesity Prevention Program, on Blood Pressure and Quality of Life in Youth and Adults: A Randomized Control Trial

Objective: Obesity increases the risk of developing hypertension and from population-based samples with estimations that of 2-4% of the U.S. pediatric population has hypertension, which may affect quality of life. This study examined the effects of an obesity prevention program on blood pressure and quality of life in youth and adult participants. Methods: A multi-state research team recruited treatment dyads (youth and their adult meal preparer) to participate in a 12-week randomized control trial and follow-up through 24 months. The treatment group received a cooking and physical activity intervention, followed by booster sessions and mailed newsletters over the remaining two-year period. The control group received no intervention. Resting blood pressure and health related quality of life (HRQOL) surveys were administered at 0,4,12 and 24 months. Results: 228 dyads were recruited (n=77 control and n=151 for treatment). Youth and adult systolic blood pressure (SBP) increased over the 24 months (p=0.003 and p=0.03, respectively) with no differences between groups. From baseline to 24 months both control and treatment youths’ physical and psychological HRQOL increased (p=0.01 and p=0.002, respectively). At 0 and 4 months, youth and adult SBP was positively correlated (r=0.24, p=0.003 and r=0.33, p\u3c0.001, respectively). In the treatment group, there was an inverse association between adult SBP and youth psychological HRQOL at 4 months (r=-0.20, p=0.04), and a similar trend in adult SBP and youth physical HRQOL at 4 months in the treatment group (r=-0.19, p=0.05). Conclusion: A youth-adult dyad obesity prevention program consisting of culinary, mealtime and physical activity education, elicited improvements in HRQOL in youth participants

The Effect of iCook 4-H, a Childhood Obesity Prevention Program, on Blood Pressure and Quality of Life in Youth and Adults: A Randomized Control Trial

Objective: Obesity increases the risk of developing hypertension and from population-based samples with estimations that of 2-4% of the U.S. pediatric population has hypertension, which may affect quality of life. This study examined the effects of an obesity prevention program on blood pressure and quality of life in youth and adult participants. Methods: A multi-state research team recruited treatment dyads (youth and their adult meal preparer) to participate in a 12-week randomized control trial and follow-up through 24 months. The treatment group received a cooking and physical activity intervention, followed by booster sessions and mailed newsletters over the remaining two-year period. The control group received no intervention. Resting blood pressure and health related quality of life (HRQOL) surveys were administered at 0,4,12 and 24 months. Results: 228 dyads were recruited (n=77 control and n=151 for treatment). Youth and adult systolic blood pressure (SBP) increased over the 24 months (p=0.003 and p=0.03, respectively) with no differences between groups. From baseline to 24 months both control and treatment youths’ physical and psychological HRQOL increased (p=0.01 and p=0.002, respectively). At 0 and 4 months, youth and adult SBP was positively correlated (r=0.24, p=0.003 and r=0.33, p\u3c0.001, respectively). In the treatment group, there was an inverse association between adult SBP and youth psychological HRQOL at 4 months (r=-0.20, p=0.04), and a similar trend in adult SBP and youth physical HRQOL at 4 months in the treatment group (r=-0.19, p=0.05). Conclusion: A youth-adult dyad obesity prevention program consisting of culinary, mealtime and physical activity education, elicited improvements in HRQOL in youth participants

Spatio-temporal variability in underwater light climate in a turbid river-floodplain system. Driving factors and estimation using Secchi disc

The underwater light climate has important effects on primary producers. The aim of this research was to evaluate its variability in a turbid river-floodplain system. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was measured in the Middle Paraná River during different hydrological phases to (a) analyse the photosynthetically active radiation attenuation coefficient (k) and euphotic depth (Zeu) as well as their associations with optically active components and (b) develop and evaluate indices and regression models based on Secchi disc (SD) measurements to estimate k and Zeu. Values of k were higher in the fluvial system than in the floodplain and during low-water stage than high-water stage. Particulate components controlled the light climate variability. Chromophoric dissolved organic matter and chlorophyll-a had significant effects during floods. The estimation of k and Zeu was sensitive to temporal but not to spatial variations. The highest prediction accuracy was observed when using specific non-linear regressions for each hydrological phase, especially for Zeu estimation (low stage: k = 1.76 × SD−0.80, Zeu = 2.62 × 1/SD−0.80; high stage: k = 2.04 × SD−0.53, Zeu = 2.26 × 1/SD−0.53). The indices k × SD and Zeu/SD were significantly different from those proposed for clear water environments. It is concluded that temporal variations should be considered when estimating k and Zeu in turbid river-floodplain systems because of the temporal heterogeneity in optically active components. Considering that ecological implication of the light climate depends on Zeu:depth ratio, we propose to estimate Zeu instead of k. Finally, indices proposed for clear water environments are not recommended to be applied to turbid environments.Fil: Mayora, Gisela Paola. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Devercelli, Melina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentin

Winter Ecology of Kokanee: Implications for Salmon Management

We sampled various limnological parameters and measured growth and diet of age-0 kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka (lacustrine sockeye salmon) during two winters in a high-mountain lake of the Sawtooth Valley, Idaho. Although winter has been recognized as an important period for many warmwater fishes and for stream-dwelling salmonids, winter limitations have only recently been studied for coolwater and coldwater species. Ice and snow cover in winter limited light penetration. As a result, chlorophyll-a and zooplankton density were lower in ice-covered periods than during ice-free periods. The weight of stomach contents was often below a maintenance ration, yet the incidence of empty stomachs was extremely low (1 of 63) and the weight of stomach contents increased as energy reserves declined, indicating that kokanee were actively foraging during winter. Kokanee length and weight remained constant during the winter of 1993–1994 but increased from November through May in 1994–1995. Condition factors, however, declined significantly over the winter in both years, and lipid content approached levels associated with mortality. Differences in growth patterns may have been caused by a combination of changes in zooplankton density and kokanee abundance and in kokanee behavior to defend energy reserves or avoid predation. Results demonstrated the ambiguity of some growth measurements and the importance of choosing the correct metric for measuring growth in fishes. Because juvenile kokanee and sockeye salmon are ecologically similar, management efforts to restore the endangered Snake River sockeye salmon to the Sawtooth Valley lakes should recognize that winter conditions might be a bottleneck for this species

Metabolism of nonparticulate phosphorus in an acid bog lake

In North Gate Lake, an acid bog lake located on the northern Michigan-Wisconsin border, U.S.A., the algal nutrient inorganic phosphate (FRP) is not detectable by chemical means. Organic phosphorus (FUP) represents 100% of the detectable filterable phosphorus. The availability and cycling of this organic fraction are of considerable interest in regard to the primary productivity of this system. To clarify these relationships, the cycling of nonparticulate forms of phosphorus found in the epilimnion of this lake was studied

The chemical speciation of Fe(III) in freshwaters

Dialysis and chemical speciation modelling have been used to calculate activities of Fe3+ for a range of UK surface waters of varying chemistry (pH 4.3–8.0; dissolved organic carbon 1.7–40.3 mg l-1) at 283K. The resulting activities were regressed against pH to give the empirical model: log aFe3+ = 2.76(±0.53) – 2.63(±0.08)•pH Predicted Fe3+ activities are consistent with a solid–solution equilibrium with hydrous ferric oxide. However, the apparent solubility of the solid phase decreases as pH decreases, consistent with some previous studies on Fe(III) solubility in the laboratory. The empirical model was used to predict concentrations of Fe in dialysates and ultrafiltrates of globally distributed surface and soil/ground waters. The predictions were improved greatly by the incorporation of a temperature correction for aFe3+, consistent with the temperature–dependence of previously reported hydrous ferric oxide solubility. The empirical model, incorporating temperature effects, may be used to make generic predictions of the ratio of free and complexed Fe(III) to dissolved organic matter in freshwaters. Comparison of such ratios with observed Fe : dissolved organic matter ratios allows an assessment to be made of the amounts of Fe present as Fe(II) or colloidal Fe(III), where no separate measurements have been made