3,309 research outputs found
Preventing childhood obesity by reducing consumption of carbonated drinks: cluster randomised controlled trial
Objective To determine if a school based educational
programme aimed at reducing consumption of carbonated
drinks can prevent excessive weight gain in children.
Design Cluster randomised controlled trial.
Setting Six primary schools in southwest England.
Participants 644 children aged 7-11 years.
Intervention Focused educational programme on nutrition
over one school year.
Main outcome measures Drink consumption and number of
overweight and obese children.
Results Consumption of carbonated drinks over three days
decreased by 0.6 glasses (average glass size 250 ml) in the
intervention group but increased by 0.2 glasses in the control group (mean difference 0.7, 95% confidence interval 0.1 to 1.3). At 12 months the percentage of overweight and obese children increased in the control group by 7.5%, compared with a decrease in the intervention group of 0.2% (mean difference 7.7%, 2.2% to 13.1%).
Conclusion A targeted, school based education programme
produced a modest reduction in the number of carbonated
drinks consumed, which was associated with a reduction in the number of overweight and obese children
Discussion of the selection and use of teaching aids and standard materials in the lower school at Perkins School for the Blind
Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit
Transport of Pathogen Surrogates in Soil Treatment Units: Numerical Modeling
Segmented mesocosms (n = 3) packed with sand, sandy loam or clay loam soil were used to determine the effect of soil texture and depth on transport of two septic tank effluent (STE)-borne microbial pathogen surrogatesâgreen fluorescent protein-labeled E. coli (GFPE) and MS-2 coliphageâin soil treatment units. HYDRUS 2D/3D software was used to model the transport of these microbes from the infiltrative surface. Mesocosms were spiked with GFPE and MS-2 coliphage at 105 cfu/mL STE and 105â106 pfu/mL STE, respectively. In all soils, removal rates were \u3e99.99% at 25 cm. The transport simulation compared (1) optimization; and (2) trial-and-error modeling approaches. Only slight differences between the transport parameters were observed between these approaches. Treating both the die-off rates and attachment/detachment rates as variables resulted in an overall better model fit, particularly for the tailing phase of the experiments. Independent of the fitting procedure, attachment rates computed by the model were higher in sandy and sandy loam soils than clay, which was attributed to unsaturated flow conditions at lower water content in the coarser-textured soils. Early breakthrough of the bacteria and virus indicated the presence of preferential flow in the system in the structured clay loam soil, resulting in faster movement of water and microbes through the soil relative to a conservative tracer (bromide)
Structural basis of mitochondrial receptor binding and constriction by DRP1.
Mitochondrial inheritance, genome maintenance and metabolic adaptation depend on organelle fission by dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) and its mitochondrial receptors. DRP1 receptors include the paralogues mitochondrial dynamics proteins of 49 and 51 kDa (MID49 and MID51) and mitochondrial fission factor (MFF); however, the mechanisms by which these proteins recruit and regulate DRP1 are unknown. Here we present a cryo-electron microscopy structure of full-length human DRP1 co-assembled with MID49 and an analysis of structure- and disease-based mutations. We report that GTP induces a marked elongation and rotation of the GTPase domain, bundle-signalling element and connecting hinge loops of DRP1. In this conformation, a network of multivalent interactions promotes the polymerization of a linear DRP1 filament with MID49 or MID51. After co-assembly, GTP hydrolysis and exchange lead to MID receptor dissociation, filament shortening and curling of DRP1 oligomers into constricted and closed rings. Together, these views of full-length, receptor- and nucleotide-bound conformations reveal how DRP1 performs mechanical work through nucleotide-driven allostery
Managersâ Family-Supportive Supervisory Behaviors: A Multilevel Perspective
Using a combination of trait and situational variables we develop a model to explore the antecedents of managersâ family-supportive behaviors. Our model hypotheses were tested using data gathered from a sample of 312 subordinates matched to 92 managers. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) of the nested data yielded results that show both an individual managerâs trait (i.e., empathy) and situational variables (i.e., subordinateâs family-to-work conflict and leaderâsubordinate exchange quality) significantly predicted managersâ supportive behaviors. Additional HLM analyses showed that the managerâs gender (trait) and group work-to-family conflict (situation) moderated the relationship between managerâs empathy and family-supportive behaviors. Our results suggest that managersâ family-supportive behaviors are related to individual characteristics of the manager and to subordinate workgroup contexts, but not to organizational culture
Expression profiling in canine osteosarcoma: identification of biomarkers and pathways associated with outcome
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Osteosarcoma (OSA) spontaneously arises in the appendicular skeleton of large breed dogs and shares many physiological and molecular biological characteristics with human OSA. The standard treatment for OSA in both species is amputation or limb-sparing surgery, followed by chemotherapy. Unfortunately, OSA is an aggressive cancer with a high metastatic rate. Characterization of OSA with regard to its metastatic potential and chemotherapeutic resistance will improve both prognostic capabilities and treatment modalities.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed archived primary OSA tissue from dogs treated with limb amputation followed by doxorubicin or platinum-based drug chemotherapy. Samples were selected from two groups: dogs with disease free intervals (DFI) of less than 100 days (n = 8) and greater than 300 days (n = 7). Gene expression was assessed with Affymetrix Canine 2.0 microarrays and analyzed with a two-tailed t-test. A subset of genes was confirmed using qRT-PCR and used in classification analysis to predict prognosis. Systems-based gene ontology analysis was conducted on genes selected using a standard J5 metric. The genes identified using this approach were converted to their human homologues and assigned to functional pathways using the GeneGo MetaCore platform.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Potential biomarkers were identified using gene expression microarray analysis and 11 differentially expressed (p < 0.05) genes were validated with qRT-PCR (n = 10/group). Statistical classification models using the qRT-PCR profiles predicted patient outcomes with 100% accuracy in the training set and up to 90% accuracy upon stratified cross validation. Pathway analysis revealed alterations in pathways associated with oxidative phosphorylation, hedgehog and parathyroid hormone signaling, cAMP/Protein Kinase A (PKA) signaling, immune responses, cytoskeletal remodeling and focal adhesion.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This profiling study has identified potential new biomarkers to predict patient outcome in OSA and new pathways that may be targeted for therapeutic intervention.</p
Fruit and vegetable consumption among urban Canadian schoolchildren living in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhood
Purpose: Fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption was examined among children aged seven to 10 years in a London, Ontario, neighbourhood. The goal was to determine areas requiring targeted programs to promote healthy lifestyles.
Methods: Data were gathered from 136 students in grades 2 to 4. Each student attended one of four elementary schools within a neighbourhood designated a priority by the City of London Child and Youth Network. The Day in the Life Questionnaire was used to collect the data. Instances of FV consumption were compared with Eating Well with Canadaâs Food Guide (CFG) guidelines.
Results: Ninety-eight percent of participants did not follow the CFG-recommended minimum guidelines; they had fewer than five instances of FV consumption daily. Eighty-seven percent had fewer than two instances of FV consumption daily.
Conclusions: These data support national findings of low FV consumption among children
Effects of light and temperature on germination of Pyxidanthera brevifolia Wells (Diapensiaceae)
Pyxidanthera brevifolia is an evergreen semiwoody cushion plant endemic to the Sandhills of North and South Carolina, with the majority of populations occurring on Fort Bragg Military Reservation in North Carolina. Currently the species is listed as Endangered in North Carolina and is designated as a Species at Risk (SAR) by the US Department of Defense. Previous studies have suggested that seeds may not be viable because they failed to germinate under controlled conditions. Our objectives in this study were to attempt germination of Pyxidanthera brevifolia seeds, determine the best temperature conditions for germination, and understand more about germination requirements to aid in future restoration efforts. Using seeds that had been stored at room temperature for six months, we performed a germination experiment at the NCSU Phytotron with six treatments, all combinations of three temperature regimes (low (18 uC day / 14 uC night), medium (22/18 uC), and high (26/ 22 uC)) and two light conditions (light and dark). We monitored the experiment for 13 weeks, recording the number of seeds germinating per dish and the number of days to germination for seeds in each treatment. We found that Pxyidanthera brevifolia produces germinable seeds and that there are significant effects of light and temperature on germination. Highest germination occurred under low temperature and high light conditions (78%); the combination of high temperature and no light produced the lowest germination (6%). Seeds exposed to light germinated significantly earlier at the coolest temperature, compared to medium and high temperatures. These results indicate that it is possible to germinate seeds of this rare plant and suggest that germination of Pyxidanthera brevifolia likely occurs in late fall and is dependent on adequate light availability
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