Evaluation of the American-English Quality of Life in Short Stature Youth (QoLISSY) questionnaire in the United States.

BACKGROUND: The European Quality of Life in Short Stature Youth (QoLISSY) is a novel condition-specific instrument developed to assess health related quality of life (HrQoL) in children/adolescents with short stature from patient and parent perspectives. Study objective was to linguistically validate and psychometrically test the American-English version of the QoLISSY instrument. METHODS: Upon conversion of the British-English version to American-English, content validity and acceptance of the questionnaire were examined through focus group discussions with cognitive debriefing in 28 children/adolescents with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) or idiopathic short stature (ISS) and their parents. In the subsequent field test with 51 families and a re-test with 25 families the psychometric performance of the American-English version was examined and compared with the original European dataset. RESULTS: Pilot test results supported the suitability of the American-English version. Good internal consistency with Cronbach\u27s Alpha ranging from 0.84 to 0.97 and high test-re-test reliabilities were observed in the field test. The QoLISSY was able to detect significant differences according to the degree of short stature with higher HrQoL for taller children. Correlations with a generic HrQoL tool support the QoLISSY\u27s concurrent validity. The scale\u27s operating characteristics were comparable to the original European data. CONCLUSION: Results support that the QoLISSY American-English version is a psychometrically sound short stature-specific instrument to assess the patient- and parent- perceived impact of short stature. The QoLISSY instrument is fit for use in clinical studies and health services research in the American-English speaking population

Objective indicators of physical activity and sedentary time and associations with subjective well-being in adults aged 70 and over

This study explored the associations of the volume and intensity of physical activity and the volume of sedentary time with subjective well-being in a diverse group of 228 older adults in the UK (111 female, mean age 78.2 years (SD 5.8)). Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour were assessed by accelerometry deriving mean steps per day, mean moderate/vigorous PA minutes per hour (MVPA min·h−1) and minutes of sedentary time per hour (ST min·h−1). Lower limb function was assessed by the Short Physical Performance Battery. Subjective well-being was assessed using the SF-12 health status scale, the Ageing Well Profile and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Linear regressions were used to investigate associations between the independent variables which included physical activity (steps and MVPA), sedentary time, participant characteristics (gender, age, BMI, education, number of medical conditions), and lower limb function and dependent variables which included mental and physical well-being. Steps, MVPA and lower limb function were independently and moderately positively associated with perceived physical well-being but relationships with mental well-being variables were weak. No significant associations between sedentary behaviours and well-being were observed. The association between objectively evaluated physical activity and function and subjective evaluations of physical well-being suggest that improving perceptions of physical health and function may provide an important target for physical activity programmes. This in turn may drive further activity participation

Feasibility trial evaluation of a peer volunteering active aging intervention: ACE (Active, Connected, Engaged)

© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. BACKGROUND: ACE (Active, Connected, Engaged) is a theory-informed, pragmatic intervention using peer volunteering support to promote active ageing in socially disengaged, inactive older adults. This study aimed to establish ACE's feasibility and acceptability. METHODS: Fifty-four older adults were recruited as either peer volunteers (activators; n = 15) or participants (ACEs; n = 39). Participants were randomized to one-to-one support from an activator (ACEs-Intervention [ACEs-I]) or a waiting-list control group (ACEs-Control [ACEs-C]). Activators supported ACEs-I to get out more and engage with local activities. Objectively measured physical activity (PA), lower limb function, and number of out of house activities were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. A mixed-methods process evaluation assessed changes in confidence to get out and about, social support, autonomy, competence, and relatedness. RESULTS: Eighty-two percent of ACEs (mean age = 73.7 years [SD 7.3]) and all activators completed assessments at both baseline and post-intervention (6 months). ACEs-I reported more out of house activities (M [SD] = 6.34 [4.15]). ACEs-I increased physical function post-intervention (M [SD] = 9.8 [2.3]). ACEs-I reported improved well-being and vitality and increased confidence to get out and about, confidence in the face of specific barriers, knowledge of local initiatives, and perceived social support post-intervention. Activators, although sufficiently active at baseline, increased their PA further. ACE was well-accepted and easy to deliver. CONCLUSIONS: ACE is an acceptable and feasible intervention for helping socially disengaged older people to get out and about more, improve their confidence, and engage more with their community

The REtirement in ACTion exercise programme and its effects on elements of long term functionality in older adults

BACKGROUND: The prevention of mobility-related disability amongst adults is a global healthcare priority. Cost-effective community-based strategies to improve physical function and independence in older adults with mobility limitations are needed. This study investigated the effectiveness of the REtirement in ACTion (REACT) exercise intervention on individual markers of physical function at 6-and 12-months.METHODS: The REACT multicentre randomised controlled trial assigned 777 older adults (female, 514; male 263) (mean age 77·6 [SD 6·8] years) with reduced lower limb physical functioning (Short Physical Performance Battery [SPPB] score 4-9) to receive brief healthy ageing advice or a 12-month, group-based, multimodal exercise programme delivered in local communities. Estimated differences in the three individual component scores of the SPPB (strength, balance, gait speed) and physical functional outcomes recorded at 6- and 12-months were assessed.RESULTS: The intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in strength (OR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.36-2.59, p  &lt; 0.001) and balance (OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.39-2.67, p &lt; 0.001) at 12-months, but not in gait speed (OR = 1.32, 95% CI = 0.91-1.90, p  = 0.139). In comparison to the control group, at six-and 12-months, the intervention group reported statistically significant improvements in Mobility Assessment Tool-Short Form (MAT-SF), physical component score from SF-36 questionnaire, and strength and endurance items of subjectively reported physical activity (PASE 10-item). Greater than 75% adherence (attending ≥48 of the 64 exercise sessions delivered in 12-months) was associated with superior functional outcomes. CONCLUSION: The REACT exercise programme provides local, regional and national service providers with an effective solution to increase muscle strength and balance in older adults at risk of mobility disability.</p

Infrastructural Speculations: Tactics for Designing and Interrogating Lifeworlds

This paper introduces “infrastructural speculations,” an orientation toward speculative design that considers the complex and long-lived relationships of technologies with broader systems, beyond moments of immediate invention and design. As modes of speculation are increasingly used to interrogate questions of broad societal concern, it is pertinent to develop an orientation that foregrounds the “lifeworld” of artifacts—the social, perceptual, and political environment in which they exist. While speculative designs often imply a lifeworld, infrastructural speculations place lifeworlds at the center of design concern, calling attention to the cultural, regulatory, environmental, and repair conditions that enable and surround particular future visions. By articulating connections and affinities between speculative design and infrastructure studies research, we contribute a set of design tactics for producing infrastructural speculations. These tactics help design researchers interrogate the complex and ongoing entanglements among technologies, institutions, practices, and systems of power when gauging the stakes of alternate lifeworlds

Period and chemical evolution of SC stars

The SC and CS stars are thermal-pulsing AGB stars with C/O ratio close to unity. Within this small group, the Mira variable BH Cru recently evolved from spectral type SC (showing ZrO bands) to CS (showing weak C2). Wavelet analysis shows that the spectral evolution was accompanied by a dramatic period increase, from 420 to 540 days, indicating an expanding radius. The pulsation amplitude also increased. Old photographic plates are used to establish that the period before 1940 was around 490 days. Chemical models indicate that the spectral changes were caused by a decrease in stellar temperature, related to the increasing radius. There is no evidence for a change in C/O ratio. The evolution in BH Cru is unlikely to be related to an on-going thermal pulse. Periods of the other SC and CS stars, including nine new periods, are determined. A second SC star, LX Cyg, also shows evidence for a large increase in period, and one further star shows a period inconsistent with a previous determination. Mira periods may be intrinsically unstable for C/O ~ 1; possibly because of a feedback between the molecular opacities, pulsation amplitude, and period. LRS spectra of 6 SC stars suggest a feature at wavelength > 15 micron, which resembles one recently attributed to the iron-sulfide troilite. Chemical models predict a large abundance of FeS in SC stars, in agreement with the proposed association.Comment: 14 pages, 20 figures. MNRAS, 2004, accepted for publication. Janet Mattei, one of the authors, died on 22 March, 2004. This paper is dedicated to her memor

Participant and Public Involvement in Refining a Peer-Volunteering Active Aging Intervention: Project ACE (Active, Connected, Engaged)

© The Author(s) 2016. Background Evidence for the health benefits of a physically active lifestyle among older adults is strong, yet only a small proportion of older people meet physical activity recommendations. A synthesis of evidence identified "best bet" approaches, and this study sought guidance from end-user representatives and stakeholders to refine one of these, a peer-volunteering active aging intervention. Methods Focus groups with 28 older adults and four professional volunteer managers were conducted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 older volunteers. Framework analysis was used to gauge participants' views on the ACE intervention. Results Motives for engaging in community groups and activities were almost entirely social. Barriers to participation were lack of someone to attend with, lack of confidence, fear of exclusion or "cliquiness" in established groups, bad weather, transport issues, inaccessibility of activities, ambivalence, and older adults being "set in their ways". Motives for volunteering included "something to do," avoiding loneliness, the need to feel needed, enjoyment, and altruism. Challenges included negative events between volunteer and recipient of volunteering support, childcare commitments, and high volunteering workload. Conclusion Peer-volunteering approaches have great potential for promotion of active aging. The systematic multistakeholder approach adopted in this study led to important refinements of the original ACE intervention. The findings provide guidance for active aging community initiatives highlighting the importance of effective recruitment strategies and of tackling major barriers including lack of motivation, confidence, and readiness to change; transport issues; security concerns and cost; activity availability; and lack of social support

Assessing the efficacy, safety and utility of 6-month day-and-night automated closed-loop insulin delivery under free-living conditions compared with insulin pump therapy in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes: an open-label, multicentre, multinational, single-period, randomised, parallel group study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Closed-loop systems titrate insulin based on sensor glucose levels, providing novel means to reduce the risk of hypoglycaemia while improving glycaemic control. We will assess effectiveness of 6-month day-and-night closed-loop insulin delivery compared with usual care (conventional or sensor-augmented pump therapy) in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The trial adopts an open-label, multicentre, multinational (UK and USA), randomised, single-period, parallel design. Participants (n=130) are children and adolescents (aged ≥6 and 16.7 mmol/L (300 mg/dL), area under the curve of glucose >10.0 mmol/L (180 mg/dL), total, basal and bolus insulin dose, body mass index z-score and blood pressure. Cognitive, emotional and behavioural characteristics of participants and caregivers and their responses to the closed-loop and clinical trial will be assessed. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for closed-loop will be estimated. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee and Jaeb Center for Health Research Institutional Review Office approved the study. The findings will be disseminated by peer-review publications and conference presentations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02925299; Pre-results

PTF10fqs: A Luminous Red Nova in the Spiral Galaxy Messier 99

The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is systematically charting the optical transient and variable sky. A primary science driver of PTF is building a complete inventory of transients in the local Universe (distance less than 200 Mpc). Here, we report the discovery of PTF10fqs, a transient in the luminosity "gap" between novae and supernovae. Located on a spiral arm of Messier 99, PTF 10fqs has a peak luminosity of Mr = -12.3, red color (g-r = 1.0) and is slowly evolving (decayed by 1 mag in 68 days). It has a spectrum dominated by intermediate-width H (930 km/s) and narrow calcium emission lines. The explosion signature (the light curve and spectra) is overall similar to thatof M85OT2006-1, SN2008S, and NGC300OT. The origin of these events is shrouded in mystery and controversy (and in some cases, in dust). PTF10fqs shows some evidence of a broad feature (around 8600A) that may suggest very large velocities (10,000 km/s) in this explosion. Ongoing surveys can be expected to find a few such events per year. Sensitive spectroscopy, infrared monitoring and statistics (e.g. disk versus bulge) will eventually make it possible for astronomers to unravel the nature of these mysterious explosions.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures, Replaced with published versio